If India’s FM sector was inching towards adopting technology earlier, now, it is in a full-fledged sprint to enjoy the benefits of tech in every sphere of FM. What was ‘good-to-have’ earlier is a ‘must-have’ now.
The events of the past three years have convinced facility managers that whether or not FM budgets grow in the future, FM spends will have to be leaner. Manpower and utilities are the biggest drain on the FM budget; optimising the size of the workforce and reducing the consumption of utilities – which is only possible through technology – is the mantra of every organisation.
Curtailing power and water consumption is both a result of cost optimisation and a sustainability goal. With rising power tariffs and acute scarcities of water in urban areas, finding ways to minimise their requirement is a requirement that pervades FM across sectors.
These utilities need to be measured, tracked and analysed; technology allows this to be done in real-time through a live dashboard.
A third challenge that many organisations are facing is managing return-to-office. Many employees do not want to; some do not find it a safe proposition healthwise. The hybrid model presents daily challenges of providing and maintaining work spaces on a variable basis. Facility managers have taken the lead in welcoming employees back to office through a roster of health and wellness initiatives.
Employee engagement – once the province of HR – is also becoming an FM function. Going beyond the maintenance of physical assets, facility heads now also need to look after the entire workplace experience of each team member.
All in all, a daunting task. Read on to learn how FM leaders harness tech to do more with less.
1) The return to office is accompanied by a refocus on sustainability
2) Here’s how to reduce dependence on manpower-reliant FM
3) To safeguard employee health, embrace workplace ergonomics
