One sure sign of an excellent piece of software is that its utility extends far beyond its primary mandate. Good software can be leveraged by multiple teams, offering centralized tools and actionable insights that can eliminate pain points for more than one department.
While the focus of FM software is quite obviously on facilities management, there are opportunities for other departments to improve their systems and processes with the help of this tool. HR, IT and even Accounting can benefit from the best in management software.
At a practical, daily level, FM software can help HR locate the workspaces of employees with the aid of a visual directory. OfficeSpace’s Visual Directory is accessible on any mobile device, desktop computer or interactive kiosks, allowing HR employees to access it as they move through the office. By giving new employees a tutorial on the directory when they first arrive, HR can also streamline the onboarding process and make it easier for new hires to connect with colleagues.
At a more strategic level, FM software can give HR the ability to examine the work habits of staff around the office, especially if a company is making use of hot desking and remote work. By following seating trends, the HR team can get an idea of the level of satisfaction and collaboration within a department. By examining the desk booking habits of employees, for instance, HR might find that a particular employee is choosing to book desks away from direct coworkers, instead of working with them in a shared space. With the option to assess where and when employees are choosing to work, HR can gain valuable insight into the levels of cohesion and collaboration within departments.
While building a customized FM solution in-house can sound like a great idea, the development costs and increased workload on developers can negate any upsides to the build-it-yourself approach. OfficeSpace software is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, which means that maintenance, encryption, updating and integration across multiple operating systems are handled by OfficeSpace. When it comes to support, OfficeSpace’s customer service, training and tutorials can be accessed by anyone, meaning that your IT team won’t be on the hook for support tickets.
FM software can also help simplify the daily tasks of IT teams. A visual directory can help IT quickly locate employees that need assistance, while software that tracks job orders and manages relocations can improve communication between FM and IT departments to streamline collaboration on group tasks. For the busy IT department, the right software with the right support is a win-win.
A lot of the decisions related to facilities management directly impact a company’s bottom line. OfficeSpace’s reporting and analytics function can help FMs generate reports that are crucial to providing the Accounting team with a clear window into the cost efficiency of spaces and resources. With the OfficeSpace Space Management tool, FMs can easily see what sections of the office are sitting idle, while the Resource Tracking feature offers insight on the use of company resources. No longer needing to hunt down important numbers and metrics, Accounting is better able to identify the resources that are stretching the budget and the underused assets that present an opportunity to cut costs.
The perks of using FM software aren’t limited to advanced analytics and streamlining tools for facility managers, but extend to include data access and improved communication. Departments like HR, IT and Accounting can all take advantage of software features to gain useful insights, organize their workload and collaborate with other departments.
To get a better sense of how OfficeSpace software can liberate your teams, request a free trial demo today.
Photo Credits: Shutterstock / g-stockstudio, Shutterstock / bbernard, Shutterstock / wavebreakmedia