Preparing and Explaining Executive Management Reports On-call

Preparing, understanding, and explaining reports are one of the mainstays of a facilities manager’s life; therefore, any Facilities Management software solution should have canned, dynamic reports that show industry-standard information in detailed and summary format. A good system will have user-definable reports; a great system will have reports with graphics that don't require downloading to another software program and building yourself. A truly leading-edge system will have Web-configurable reports with dashboard graphics at the touch of a button. That’s about as close as you can get to the reports building themselves.

Removing the Guestimate from your Forecast

Accurate forecasting is one of the greatest challenges to facility managers and one of the most important reports to deliver to senior-level management. Yet the system of forecasting is usually a scramble between the hours to get the drawings updated, putting benchmarks in place, the e-mails to and from (with spotty responses) your department heads and floor coordinators, and the "guestimates" as to how many people the department will hire next year. With a SaaS Facilities Management solution that builds the forecasting model into the day-to-day process, you can take the guesswork and weekends out of forecasting and provide your executive team with an accurate, actionable forecast. Looks like you’re gonna get a big ol bear hug from the boss soon!

Gain Access to Accurate Facilities Data

Are you using a “home grown” Access database, Excel spreadsheets, or desktop software solution for your facilities management needs? The trouble with these “solutions” is that information is scattered and it's very complicated (if at all possible) to import and edit data. Thus our mantra: If your system is not easy to update, it's not likely to be up-to-date. The main advantage of a SaaS facilities management solution is that these programs connect to the data you need such as, personnel data (HR), IT information (Jack or Asset), or financial lease data to update your system. These updates can be scheduled to run automatically after-hours, enabling you to have the most complete information first thing in the morning. And as they say: as your morning, as your day. So, why not try sipping your java with an accurate data report?

AutoCAD Refresher course, again? Maybe Not.

Let’s be honest, AutoCAD is a complicated program to use. A lot of facilities management systems were designed as "visual databases," meaning they require the user to interact in the CAD system for nearly everything they need to update with regards to space. This is what we call the AutoCAD trap. We believe this is a mistake since the average person is used to inputting data in spreadsheet format (Access or Excel) or form format (i.e. Amazon.com). Top-notch Facilities Management software solutions present the user with familiar looking queues and forms to update information and store only polygons representing space within AutoCAD. To borrow a line from that famous office supply store, “Now that was easy!”

My Basic CAFM/IWMS Needs Evaluation

When approaching a new prospect these are the questions/thoughts we typically have:

1) Is this your first experience in finding and implementing a CAFM system for your

company? Are you open to changing/streamlining your process?

2) Consider your IT requirements. Are there any restrictions in place that would

restrict you from a remotely hosted system, i.e., HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, or

other industry guidelines and regulations?

3) What five things would you like to accomplish with a web-based CAFM solution?

a. Short-term goals?

b. Long-term goals?

4) How do you currently manage your:

a. CAD drawings,

b. Move/Add/Change (MAC) process,

c. Work Orders, i.e., entry method (call center, intra/extra-net), dispatching,

tracking, and reporting,

d. Real Estate Portfolio, i.e., lease abstracts, lease status, etc.

5) Define your project management criteria:

a. Job size

b. Budget amount

c. Length of project

6) How are the facility management reports currently created?

7) What other reporting criteria do you have? Dream big! Have you considered dashboards and statistical analysis?

8) Determine data collection to help serve your needs and others: (For example, employee data is tracked by HR, Security, IT and the mailroom.)

9) Determine if live feeds or scheduled data imports are preferred.

10) What aspects of CAFM are most critical to the mission of your department? Feel

free to add any other requirements:

a. Managing CAD drawings,

b. Move/Add/Change (MAC) process,

c. Work Orders, i.e., entry method (call center, intra/extra-net), dispatching,

tracking, and reporting

d. Assets

e. Real Estate Portfolio, i.e., lease abstracts, lease status, etc.

f. Project Management

g. Other:

11) Rank the importance of implementing a CAFM system to your mission, from 1 to

10, with 1 being “Not Important” and 10 being “Extremely Important”:

12) What is the realistic time-frame in which you would like to begin implementation

of a CAFM system?

a. 1-3 months

b. 3-6 months

c. 6-9 months

d. 9 months or greater

13) Are there any questions or additional information that you consider critical to

understanding and meeting your CAFM requirements, i.e., budget restrictions,

special or unique needs your organization has for the software, etc?