Some FM software isn’t intuitive at all. These programs can be clunky, and they may require a lot of attention from IT to get up and running. Once they’ve been installed, they still may require extensive training sessions for end users. The support team may be slow to respond to questions, and the program may be confusing enough that isn’t even used that often, meaning that company dollars been lost on a tool that adds no value to the business. In other words, a lot of time, energy, and revenue can be eaten up by implementing these difficult programs.
Let’s say a company doesn’t even have a software program for space management . This comes with its own set of problems. Facility managers must physically survey each floor and note changes in the layout—what’s empty, who’s moved, etc. They then must note these changes on floorplan print-outs and update contact information on spreadsheets, to which not all departments may have access. In companies where so many changes take place, keeping information accurate between all the different versions of these documents can be a big challenge for the FM. On a company-wide scale, the outdated info can harm the efficiency of the business.
A company with no space management program is not just a problem for the FM. Workers may experience issues, too. For example, if they have to navigate a part of the building that they rarely visit, they may spend considerable time looking for a person or resource in the unfamiliar floor. This loss of time will translate into decreased productivity. If the company uses hoteling, conflicts can arise between two hoteling workers over a space if there’s no formal system for reserving a workstation. A space management program, whether it involves software or not, should make things easier on workers, not harder.
If a company experiences a sudden influx of employees, will a facility manager be prepared? That all depends on the quality of their space management plan. If the facility manager is only keeping tabs of occupancy with those floor plans and spreadsheets that change every few weeks, it’s safe to guess that he or she may not be equipped to handle the sudden growth. If, however, they have a space planning tool that reports the exact number of people on each floor, they can make much better planning decisions overall.
If any of the problems listed above describe your office, you may need to look into recharging your space management program. Consider OfficeSpace Software as a possible solution. It has several features that can make space planning a breeze. Our Visual Directory™ shows where people, assets, and resources are on each floor. Our reporting tools gives you a comprehensive look at the occupancy rates of each building. And our booking tool allow only approved users (such as admins) to control hoteling reservations, so that who’s sitting where will be clear.
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