Facility management can be a major endeavor. Old-school methods for managing office buildings and industrial sites may work, but they’re outdated and slow in comparison to modern capabilities. The sector will need to move to new, agile technologies for facilities management in order to provide as much safety and security as they can in the growing digital age.

The Limitations of Existing Methods

There’s an old saying that’s often applied to facilities management: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In other words, if you have well-established methods and procedures that have worked just fine up until now, there’s no big hurry to update them. The problem, though, is that these methods have limitations in a world where there are better, more responsive ones. That’s because the biggest downfall that traditional facilities management faces today is a lack of speed and response in the event of emergencies.

Being able to access vital infrastructure information in order to discover where a water shutoff valve is in the event of a burst pipe, for example, can spell the difference between a minor incident and a catastrophic (and) disastrously expensive flood. If the information needed to locate that shutoff valve is buried in some basement filing cabinet or stored in a computer that’s non-functional because of water damage, this is no help at all.

Using Modern Technology for Facilities Management Solutions

Modern technology, like CMMS software, can revolutionize facilities management by placing infrastructure information at a building manager’s fingertips. Modern connectivity in the form of cloud-based digital information storage and retrieval, made accessible through a mobile app that can be accessed via smartphone or tablet, removes the need to go scrambling through hard copy records and blueprints. Meanwhile, hosting the information off-site and making it accessible to anyone with the proper credentials regardless of their location. This makes disaster control and emergency response exponentially quicker.

But the mobile technology for facilities revolution is likely to go further than just providing infrastructure information. With the advent of smart technologies and their ability to be either built into new construction or integrated into older, existing buildings, being able to monitor the status of infrastructure elements, and alter them when necessary, becomes an easier and more responsive process. No longer do you need to micromanage thermostats zone by zone in a facility; using a mobile app that can interface with a smart building’s HVAC system, for example, can help reduce costs by ensuring that unoccupied offices and floors aren’t needlessly being heated or cooled.

The Future Is Now

Whether it’s reducing costs by more efficiently managing building utilities or eliminating delays in responding to emergencies, mobile technology for facilities management functions is poised to redesign the playing field. Investing in mobile connectivity and smart technologies can transform any building into a safer and more efficient facility for all who work or live there, safeguarding lives while also working to preserve your bottom line.