Does Your Facility Management Software Empower Employees?

by Glenn Hicks on August 21, 2019
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As IFMA Senior VP Peter Ankerstjerne said, facility management is really people management—we just bring the buildings along for the ride.”

Unfortunately, a lot of facility management software is designed to manage buildings while leaving employees out of the equation.

As a recent PwC survey showed, there’s a large disparity between what the executive team believes about technology in the workplace and how employees actually feel about it.

How do you know if your facility management software is designed for business experience, customer experience and user experience?

Here are five questions to ask.

5 Hallmarks Of Employee-Centric Facility Management Software

1. Is Facility Management Easy For Anyone To Use With Minimal Training?

Think about your favorite app. No one had to teach you how to use it because the user experience was so intuitive.

Facility management software should be as easy to navigate as the apps on your smartphone.

With a few taps, employees should be able to find what they need, whether it’s locating a colleague, finding and reserving an available room or submitting a service request.

It should also be mobile so workplace leaders and employees can access it anywhere.

2. Does It Enable Agile Working?

Workplaces around the globe are largely moving away from traditional 9-to-5 office hours and assigned seating to a more agile environment.

In fact, 52 percent of corporate executives plan to implement at least some level of unassigned seating to promote better space utilization and efficiency, according to CBRE’s 2018 Americas Occupier Survey.

An even greater percentage— 59 percent—plan to add mobile apps that help employees better navigate the workplace and collaborate with each other.

Rather than adding yet another solution to their technology stack, company leaders are seeking apps that integrate seamlessly with their existing systems.

3. Does It Improve Employee Productivity?

An app that allows employees to find what they need faster will make their work lives easier, but convenience alone isn’t usually enough of a reason to invest in something.

Facility management software that is truly employee-centric needs to boost employee productivity as well.

You may not realize it, but even small improvements in productivity can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

Global Workplace Analytics President Kate Lister developed an equation to quantify that impact.

Assuming the average employee earns an annual salary of $85,000, improving productivity by just 18 minutes a day can add $12.78 back to your bottom line each day.

Multiply that by 500 employees working 250 days per year, and it adds up to an impressive $1.6 million.

To achieve the same financial impact through reductions in real estate, your company would have to reduce office space by 25 percent.

4. Does It Help You Optimize The Work Environment?

The physical environment is one of the three most important factors that impact the employee experience.

And there are many elements within an office that can make or break an employee’s day, including:

Most employees won’t voice these frustrations; they’ll just learn to tolerate them. But left unchecked for a long time, they can pile up and contribute to a general feeling of dissatisfaction. That makes them less engaged and more likely to leave.

Making Facility Management Software More Actionable

The best facility management software helps you make data-driven decisions about your workplace. Historically, the main factor driving its adoption has been controlling costs. But in recent years, there’s been a greater recognition of how much the employee experience impacts the bottom line.

With facility management software that integrates with employee-facing solutions—such as mobile apps—you can see how employees are actually using the workplace and make adjustments as needed.

For instance, you can:

  • Identify underutilized spaces and determine why they aren’t used more
  • Keep track of service requests
  • See which spaces have been used recently and adjust cleaning schedules
  • Make mailroom management easier
  • Keep track of visitors with automated check-in and notifications

This closes the gap between the workforce and workplace leaders, providing an infinite loop of value.

iOFFICE Hummingbird is the first suite of digital workplace solutions designed to address the employee side of facility management.

Hummingbird is an employee interface your workforce can access through a mobile app, kiosk or digital panel.

It allows employees to find colleagues, reserve rooms, request service, receive mail or visitors, get important notifications and more. Hummingbird enables connections and removes friction, empowering employees to be more productive while reducing your technology stack.

Isn’t it time your facility management software accounted for the employee experience? See how Hummingbird makes it possible. Request a demo today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Glenn Hicks

A member of the Business Development team, Glenn has years of experience with business process improvement on the Commercial Real Estate and Facilities Management sides.

Capterra Ratings: ★★★★★ 4.5/5