By Jason Davis, a senior manager at Axonator — November 3, 2024 — Managing corporate offices, healthcare centers, manufacturing plants and retail stores, among others, brings up several issues. From routine maintenance checks to compliance checks, facilities management (FM) is a combination of coordination, communication and timely activities. Traditional methods track facility operations through paper records and manual data entry. Such approaches are slow and tend to introduce errors. Fortunately, the emerging mobile solutions are changing how facility management is conducted while helping businesses streamline their functioning, lower costs, and increase general efficiency.
This article discusses how mobile technology is revolutionizing facility management and specifically describes how the tools can particularly benefit organizations.
With analytics in the mobile app of Axonator, facility managers can analyze trends that inform decisions, such as adding more environmentally friendly practices or efficiently distributing resources, further enhancing efficiency. Source: Axonator
Greater efficiency through immediate access to data
One of the most significant benefits of mobile solutions in FM is real-time access to critical data. This may include inventory management, maintenance schedules, or answering service requests. The benefit of mobile solutions is immediate access to information, which can speed up decision-making and ensure that teams are all on the same page, minimizing the chances of double work or missed work.
With a mobile app, a facility manager can:
- Access and update data instantly
- Monitor equipment status and track inventory levels on the move
- Receive timely updates, ensuring that every work order and schedule remains up to date
Accessibility of data at any point in time allows teams to rapidly respond to emerging concerns, keeping facilities running efficiently and smoothly. For instance, facility managers can change or reschedule duties in time, anticipating needs or any other changes to prevent interference.
Enhancing communication and collaboration
Effective facility management depends on clear, streamlined communication among departments and locations. Mobile solutions simplify this by providing one unified platform where staff members can communicate and share information in real time. Instead of phone calls and emails, teams can respond to each other directly within the app, making it easier to keep track of project progress and arising issues.
Axonator’s mobile app allows managers to review analytics to analyze facility data, which can assist in making more sustainable practices. Source: Axonator
Key communication benefits include:
- Direct messaging features to enable prompt response
- Shared access to the work order and checklist, so everyone is in sync
- Alerts and notifications to prompt responses to any critical problem
This simplified communication reduces the chances of misunderstandings or delays, encouraging a collaborative environment. Teams can solve issues more effectively and ensure that all members are aware of their duties.
Cost savings through preventive maintenance
Unplanned equipment failures can be very costly, both in repairs and lost productivity. Preventive maintenance through mobile solutions involves setting up and tracking routine maintenance schedules by facility managers. This shift from reactive to proactive maintenance extends the life of equipment, prevents breakdowns, and saves on repair costs.
How preventive maintenance saves costs:
- Alerts and reminders for scheduled maintenance
- Early detection of potential issues through regular inspections
- Historical data on equipment performance to plan timely changes or repairs
For example, facility managers can develop and schedule maintenance activities based on usage patterns and manufacturer’s recommendations, allowing service of equipment before problems develop. Using data analytics, they can determine trends and base conclusions on when to replace, update or repair machinery.
Improved compliance and safety management
Most sectors, such as healthcare or manufacturing, require compliance with high standards. Failure to observe these can result in penalties and unsafe situations. Mobile FM solutions help ensure compliance by making inspections more manageable, ensuring proper record-keeping, and creating audit trails for compliance.
Mobile compliance solutions offer:
- Digital checklists to ensure that the same aspects are checked on every one
- Automated reports that can be reviewed, sent and shared among stakeholders
- A secure repository of documents for audits and reviews
In safety-sensitive environments, a mobile application with digital checklists enables field personnel to conduct inspections without paper forms, reducing the possibilities of errors or missed items. Having digital records readily available also simplifies the audit process, making compliance less cumbersome.
Streamlined work order management
Work orders are typically cumbersome to manage and monitor. Traditional methods involve back-and-forth communication, causing delays and requiring manual data input, which slows down workflows. With mobile FM solutions, it is possible to create work orders, assign them, and update them in real time. This improves accountability and ensures that tasks are completed on time.
Mobile work order management allows facility teams to:
- Assign tasks to specific team members or contractors
- Track the status of tasks in real time
- Access previous work order history to observe patterns or repeated problems
This fosters transparency so that everyone within the organization is aware of their responsibilities and timelines. For example, when a maintenance request is submitted, the concerned technician can be immediately alerted and prepare accordingly for their work.
Enhancing sustainability efforts
Mobile facility management is also environmentally friendly. Businesses not only reduce costs but also minimize their carbon footprint by digitizing records and limiting paper-based processes. Digital forms, checklists, and reporting create a sustainable workplace and facilitate easier data analysis for continuous improvements.
Sustainability highlights:
- Paper waste is reduced through digitized records.
- Automated processes save energy.
- Better resource usage and waste tracking help identify areas for improvement.
For example, an organization can track energy consumption and identify inefficiencies that could lead to lower energy costs and a smaller environmental impact.
About the author
Jason Davis is a senior manager at Axonator, Inc., a developer of no-code mobile app solutions that automate checklists, improve reporting, and streamline workflow processes to boost operational efficiency and compliance. Visit Axonator to learn more about what the company provides.
