- David Leslie
- September 17, 2024
Process Automation in FM
Business operations are evolving, and the discipline of facilities management (FM) has been perched at a crossroads for a wee while now.
The challenges faced by FM teams in ensuring operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and seamless service delivery have grown increasingly complex post Covid.
In response, the integration of data-driven process automation has stepped out from under the ‘something we’d love to do…at some point’ tree, and into the world of ‘can we live without this?’.
Automate Workflow, Maintenance, HR, Energy Management, Reporting and Beyond
Automation opportunities in facilities management are endless. From managing routine maintenance to tracking energy usage; automating key processes can transform the way your team operates.
Workflow Automation
Think about automating your work order management – no more manual ticket creation and assignment.
Maintenance Automation
Or how about automated predictive maintenance schedules based on real-time equipment data? – ensuring repairs are carried out before costly failures occur.
Energy Management Automation
Energy management systems that adjust based on occupancy and weather forecasts? You can automatically adjust heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) settings, reducing energy consumption and lowering utility costs.
HR Automation
Why not automate your HR processes? Imagine onboarding new facilities staff with a few clicks, or automatically tracking training certifications and renewals.
Reporting Automation
Picture this: comprehensive performance reports, complete actionable insights, landing in your inbox every Monday morning without you lifting a finger. No more late nights crunching numbers or battling with spreadsheets.
And let’s not forget about automated inventory management, streamlined visitor management systems, or even smart cleaning schedules based on usage patterns.
The beauty of automation in FM is that it can touch every aspect of your operations, from the mundane (but oh-so-important) tasks like automatic report generation to the more complex beast of space utilisation optimisation.
The key is to start small, prove the concept, and then let your strategic business objectives (and data) guide you to bigger and better automations.
There’s no one size fits all when it comes to something as complicated as process automation. There are so many levers, so many moving parts, and such a broad variety of businesses that to suggest there’s a right and wrong way to do it would be silly – but here are some starters for 10 that should get you thinking 😊
12 Steps to Automate FM Operations
1. Assessing Current Processes
All journeys towards automation start with an evaluation of the incumbent processes.
The foundation of this evaluation is data analysis, which empowers FM teams to uncover bottlenecks, redundancies, and inefficiencies in the way things are currently done.
Through advanced data analytics, organisations can gain game-changing insights into areas where automation is poised to move the needle.
Insights pave the way for data-driven decisions, where every step taken is supported by tangible evidence, enhancing not only the decision-making process but the overall efficacy of automation implementation.
2. Identifying Automation Opportunities
Leveraging the power of existing data, FM teams are primed to identify processes ripe for automation.
By systematically evaluating criteria such as complexity, frequency, and potential impact, organisations can prioritise their efforts and channel resources into processes that promise the most significant returns (typically the ones with the biggest hit to resources right now).
Data serves as the compass, ensuring that automation efforts are aligned with strategic objectives, thereby maximising the transformative potential of automation.
3. Gathering Data and Insights
Accurate and comprehensive data, sounds so simple, right?
The collection and analysis of data is the groundwork needed for informed decision-making and effective automation strategies.
From tracking energy consumption patterns to scrutinising equipment maintenance records, great data is always the lifeblood that fuels intelligent decision-making, shaping FM operations for optimal efficiency.
4. Defining Automation Objectives
Before rushing to automate every inch of your FM operations, it’s super important to take a few steps back. In doing so, you can better define the objectives of automated processes.
You need to ensure that the outcomes you’re searching for are aligned with the overarching business objectives, FM teams need to establish a synergy with the wider organisation that drives operational efficiency and competitive advantage.
Data empowers organisations to fine-tune objectives, ensuring that the journey to automation aligns seamlessly with the broader vision of the company.
5. Selecting the Right Automation Tools
By subjecting potential tools to a tried and tested evaluation process, organisations can ensure alignment with their unique requirements.
The compatibility, scalability, and strategic resonance of any potential automation tools should be evaluated through the lens of data-driven analysis, culminating in choices that not only enhance the FM landscape but also streamline operations for maximum efficiency.
6. Designing Automated Workflows
Your process automation will live and die on the design of efficient automated workflows.
Data insights should sign-post the way to optimal workflow design, ensuring that processes are mapped out, dependencies are assessed, and sequences of actions can be streamlined.
Through data-driven analysis, bottlenecks should be minimised, resource allocation can be optimised, and overall process efficiency is elevated to new heights.
7. Integrating Systems and Data
The orchestration of systems and data into a pleasing symphony of automation hinges upon your data integration.
Insights should again be at the heart of integration strategies, facilitating the uninterrupted flow of information across platforms.
The timely and accurate exchange of data between systems to create an environment where automation can flourish
8. Testing and Validation
The critical phase of testing and validation precedes the deployment of automation, and data-driven insights are the guiding force throughout this journey.
Data-powered simulations enable FM teams to navigate potential pitfalls, validate the efficiency of automated workflows, and refine processes through real-world experimentation.
The insights harvested from these simulations fortify the foundations of automation, ensuring that deployment occurs from a vantage point of preparedness.
9. Employee Training and Change Management
Not fashionable, granted, but change management is always the unspoken backbone of successful automation adoption, and data-driven insights (and the way you’re able to communicate them) serve as the linchpin of effective transition.
Customisation of training programs ensures employees are equipped to seamlessly assimilate the changes brought about by automation.
The involvement of employees in tandem with data-driven strategies expedites the process, leading to a culture of adaptability and innovation.
10. Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
Sustained efficiency in automated processes is a result of vigilant monitoring, with advanced data analytics as your North Star.
Through the lens of data, FM teams can continually assess the performance of automated workflows, identifying areas for further optimisation and reallocation of resources.
The real-time performance data generated by automation is the lifeblood of data-driven enhancements, elevating operations to new heights.
11. Feedback and Iteration
Feedback loops, facilitated by data insights, are the engines that drive iterative enhancements.
The collection of stakeholder feedback, coupled with data analysis, fuels the refinement of any automated processes, aligning them with evolving needs and emerging challenges.
12. Measuring ROI and Business Impact
The true test of data-driven process automation lies in the measurement of its Return on Investment (ROI) and its impact on the business.
Data analysis empowers organisations to quantify the tangible benefits engendered by automation.
Here at Datore, everything we do we measure in impact to the business.
Conclusion - Process Automation in FM
Facilities Management is more of a moving target than ever before. Technological advancements along with an explosion of data have made the previously impossible, very possible.
Process automation is now a very real possibility for almost every size of business. The key is picking your battles (identifying the right projects) and executing in a methodical manner with data at the heart of everything you do.
At Datore, process automation is often a biproduct of the analytics and insights work that we’re carrying out for our customers.
Our Analytics as a Service solution provides people, technology, and methodology to take you through those 12 steps of FM process automation and transform the way your team operates 😉
Feel free to get in touch if you’re keen to understand how your data could be working much harder for you!
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