Do you use dozens or more different management software systems and service vendors for your facility, asset, and maintenance operations? Integrated facilities management (IFM) can simplify our day-to-day practices and streamline operations between people, technology, and processes.
What’s more, buildings need more attention now than ever before. The shift to hybrid and flexible working has made it increasingly difficult for businesses to operate their spaces and maintain assets effectively. This requires facility management and workplace experience teams to work together and share data to ensure that office space is available and functioning smoothly to meet the needs of their workforce.
If your goal is to improve efficiency and rationalize your building technology and facility management budgets, IFM is an important strategic lever you can pull to realize cost savings.
The technology underpinning building operations and real estate portfolio management continue to evolve rapidly – and it can be difficult to stay up to date. Innovation and disruption are everywhere. Look at today’s key trends: Sensors. Artificial intelligence. Machine learning. Digital twins. With digital transformation, technological siloes that existed only a few years ago are becoming more seamlessly integrated and automated. And it’s all for the benefit of needing less to manage.
“Companies of all sizes have been forced to dedicate resources to five, 10, or even 15 different workplace and facility management tools,” said Brandon Holden, our CEO, upon the launch of our unified worktech platform. “With reduced budgets and fewer resources, organizations need to shift toward unified platforms that replace individual solutions.”
It’s all being closely monitored and analyzed by leading research firms. Connected portfolio intelligence platforms and intelligent digital workspace ecosystems are just a few new categories along with IFM to keep tabs on.
Here’s everything you need to know about IFM, why so many organizations have adopted this method, and how you can make the switch as seamlessly as possible.
What is integrated facilities management?
Integrated facilities management is a method of consolidating all facility-related solutions and processes under one unified management group with a single point of contact. Typically, this means that one team manages all contracts, vendor relationships, space management, and real estate planning using a central, unified software solution that integrates with others, and anyone can use.
At its core, IFM is a simple concept. After all, managing multiple disparate technologies and manually pulling data from a dozen different sources is inefficient, difficult to control, and less organized.
With the growing need for businesses to avoid being disrupted, the implications go even further. That’s because misaligned systems aren’t just frustrating, they slow down the ability to adapt quickly.
Before you can fully make the transition to integrated facilities management, you’ll probably need to convince others at your organization. Let’s talk about a few key benefits you can share with senior stakeholders to help earn their buy-in.
What are the key facility management trends happening today? Get our latest quarterly Workplace Index report.
What are the benefits of integrated facilities management?
Switching to IFM offers numerous advantages for your organization — all of which can favorably impact your bottom line.
Increased efficiency
Integrated facilities management helps you consolidate the entire structure of your facilities management strategy. In many cases, this means eliminating redundant software, ending unnecessary vendor contracts, and moving all responsibilities under one team. With fewer solutions and processes to juggle, you and your team will enjoy a more streamlined workflow and better organization of resources. This will help you work smarter, not harder, and accomplish more without exhausting all your time and energy. With IFM, you’ll have the freedom to work proactively.
Improved visibility
Without integrated facilities management, it’s impossible to know everything that’s going on in your workplace or real estate portfolio at any given time. To perform an analysis at the macro level, you need to switch between teams and solutions, collecting data from various sources.
With IFM, you’ll have full visibility into your properties and the most important facilities management metrics with simple, at-a-glance data visualization. You’ll be able to compile reports in minutes instead of days. With easy access to the insights you need, you can make better-informed decisions that optimize your workspace.
Reduced operating costs
IFM is much more cost effective. Investing in ad-hoc software and hardware solutions may seem like a good idea in the moment, but over time those annual fees and maintenance costs can really add up.
Once you take time to identify the redundancies and overlap in your systems and begin consolidating your technology, it’s much easier to trim the fat. This can translate into massive savings for your organization.
And with less to manage, your department can work leaner and reallocate that extra budget into furthering your company’s digital transformation.
A happier, healthier workplace
It’s essential you create a functional workplace that’s not only comfortable and convenient but also secure. IFM will make it easier to achieve. For example, when you’re able to integrate your space management solution with your IoT sensors, workplace reservation software, and visitor management system, you can ensure employees have access to the resources and equipment they need. You’ll be able to make more strategic decisions with full visibility into your workplace operations.
From emergency notifications to building occupants and precise access control systems for visitors, digital integrations from IFM are powering safe and compliant building experiences. Plus, IFM is helping organizations lower energy costs and meet ESG standards and improve sustainability performance through the use of smart building sensors and intelligent automation of HVAC and air quality systems.
How do you successfully implement integrated facilities management?
As a facilities leader, you know people can be resistant to change. So, how can you ensure your move to IFM will be successful? Here are a few things you can do to ensure a positive experience.
Do your homework
Perform a thorough analysis of how existing office-based solutions are used within your organization. Look for inefficiencies, overlap, and opportunities to improve your employee experience. While your maintenance professionals may be hesitant to learn a new software, they may be more eager once you show them precisely how the solution will simplify their workday and eliminate common obstacles.
Moving to IFM can mean significant changes to your facility operations. By accounting for the learning curve and preparing a strategy ahead of time, you can eliminate issues that may slow your progress.
Identify and align your goals
Take time to determine your goals, how they align with broader organizational objectives, and how you’ll measure your performance. This way, you can optimize your efforts in real-time and ensure you have plenty of data to prove your success when it comes time to defend your spend to senior stakeholders.
Communicate consistently
Successfully transitioning to IFM is an exercise in project management. Use feedback surveys, host small group discussions, leverage internal advocates, and ensure people feel they can come to you with any questions or concerns.
In these scenarios, it’s better to over-communicate. Let teams know about the transition well ahead of time so they have ample opportunity to prepare. Then keep everyone informed of the changes along the way.
Consider outsourcing integrated facilities management services
Integrated facilities management doesn’t mean your in-house FM team has to handle everything. Outsourcing can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and give you access to more innovative technologies and processes. Just make sure that if you do use another provider, you all have access to the same data and workflows through a unified system. Your maintenance provider should be able to see space utilization data, which can help them clean more efficiently. Your in-house team should have full visibility into the maintenance provider’s activities as well so they can plan accordingly.
Choose the right IWMS
Perhaps most importantly, be sure you select the right technology. Much of your success depends on the integrated workplace management system you choose as the center of your facilities management. Take time to ensure your IWMS solution is flexible, user-friendly, and integrates with all the technology and applications your team already know and love. Make sure it has all the features you need to work efficiently — from managing space and room reservations to assets and service requests.
It’s also important to consider how it will align with your future business goals. For instance:
- Does it offer a mobile solution?
- Can it scale with your organization?
- Is it easy to update without significant costs?
The last thing you want to do is switch to IFM only to become less efficient because you invested in the wrong technology. The right IWMS will support your goals and ensure you’re even more effective.
IFM can revolutionize your facilities management efforts by saving you time, money, and other precious resources. But moving to integrated facilities management isn’t like flipping a switch. It will take time. You’ll need to gradually end contracts with unnecessary vendors and equip teams with plenty of training instead of simply ripping and replacing one solution for another. The best IWMS providers will help you manage implementation, training, and continuing education so you can achieve success.
By Jonathan Davis
Jonathan writes about asset management, maintenance software, and SaaS solutions in his role as a digital content creator at Eptura. He covers trends across industries, including fleet, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality, with a focus on delivering thought leadership with actionable insights. Earlier in his career, he wrote textbooks, edited NPC dialogue for video games, and taught English as a foreign language. He hold a master's degree in journalism.
