From asset maintenance management to ensuring employees have the tools they need to succeed, facility and workplace leaders play critical roles in ensuring everything is running at maximum capacity. And because the modern workplace connects so many people and parts, reliable data you can leverage into actionable insights is one of your most important tools.  

With the right platform in place, you use facility management (FM) analytics to see your successes, find spots for improvement, and forecast future needs. 

The role of facility management analytics 

To make the most of your analytical insights, it’s important to have a firm understanding of the three principal types of analytics, how they’ve interconnected, and the ways you can use them to strengthen and simplify decision-making for space planning, real estate costs, and asset management. 

  • Descriptive FM analytics help you use business data to provide insight into past and current trends, answering the critical question “What has happened?” These analytics help determine the origin of failure. 
  • Predictive FM analytics is when you take data collected from descriptive analysis to identify “What could happen?” Using this historical data, management can adjust their processes, reallocate resources and devise educated solutions based on data they can trust. 
  • Prescriptive FM analytics is when you use previously collected data and forecasting to identify “What you should do,” suggesting options to resolve potential issues. 

While situations vary across industry, number of employees, mobility, and real estate details, in most cases the biggest items remain the same. For organizations to achieve maximum productivity at the lowest costs, they must continuously collect data on and analyze the facilities and spaces they have, how they’re using them, and the steps they’re taking to keep them up and running. 

Using analytics, they can answer important questions on their policies and procedures, including:  

  • What was the return on investment? 
  • What difference did this make on the company’s long- and short-term goals?  
  • What worked best and who was positively or negatively impacted? 

For larger organizations, those at the enterprise level, there are questions related to how to apply lessons learned not only moving forward but also across globally, across multiple locations, facilities, buildings, and departments. 

Space planning

In the past, companies designed offices so every employee had a quiet space to work with a desk and a desktop. The workweek was the same for everyone, and “at work” described an activity and a location. 

But with the introduction of remote and hybrid model work, there have been dramatic changes in how companies and employees think about space. So, it’s more important now than ever before for facility managers to reanalyze every square foot of space, how the company uses it, how employee needs have changed and if those needs are being met. What was once office space for four people could be transformed into an additional conference or huddle room. And depending on employee scheduling, one desk could support three employees on an as-needed basis through hot-desking.  

Whether you are at the beginning stages of such a transformation or implemented these strategies years ago, it is important to maintain clear records on your company’s space utilization, detailed stats on space occupancy, capacity and square footage, as well as tangible assets used in each space to help you forecast future spatial needs based on employee trends. 

Real estate cost vs. needs 

Whether your organization leases or owns its space, real estate costs likely represent the largest portion of the budget. As employees’ mobility needs grow, companies must take a closer look at real estate costs, reevaluate both needs and expenses, and adjust accordingly. 

Facility managers and workplace leaders can ask: 

  • How much space is occupied at any given time? 
  • What costs are associated with this space, including asset maintenance?  
  • What are the leasing contract terms?  
  • Is this space still working for you and if not, why?  

The answers help you realize real estate savings opportunities through better lease negotiations and operational moves, whether to a new space entirely or simply an office redesign, ensure companies can keep up with their spatial needs while tightening the budget where it makes the most sense. 

Facility maintenance 

Real estate costs are not limited to lease and mortgage payments. Companies must maintain buildings and equipment, pay electric and water bills, and supply and maintenance equipment.  

While equipment costs might be steep, facilities managers can generate real savings through routine maintenance, not only saving the company high repair and replacement costs, but also ensuring minimal downtime. 

With building equipment running more efficiently, energy costs decrease, technician labor costs fall, and asset and equipment see longer life cycles. It is important to track data both before and after a new preventive maintenance inspection or task schedule is introduced so you can track results and see if there are further changes required. 

Asset management 

Your company invests millions of dollars annually in tangible assets such as computers, tablets, printers, and office supplies. But do you have a proper tracking system in place to determine where all this equipment is located and who is using it? What happens to these supplies when an employee leaves the company? Are there unused assets stored in closets and empty desks? If you have not implemented a process for tracking such items, your company could be wasting valuable dollars.  

Through appropriate asset management, facilities managers gain insight into who is using what, how much is being used, and what items are underused and should be reevaluated. Couple this with your space management solution and gain another perspective on where your investments are needed most, forecasting future needs. 

Move metrics 

With move management software, your team can create various floor plan scenarios before generating move tickets. You can also set up task lists, so everyone can receive their requests and provide updates on their progress in real time.  

Once the relocation is complete, the team can use the software to track all the numbers associated with the move, including IT and telecommunication support costs and office personnel relocation costs. Details regarding the number of employees moved, as well as how many full-time personnel were involved, should show how efficient the move process was and where your focus should lie during any upcoming projects. 

As companies realize the value data adds to their bottom line, they have begun to collect information on every aspect of the company. With so much information at our fingertips, many are overwhelmed by it all, unsure what details add value, and which do not.

Data collected and analyzed must answer critical questions such as: what is the ROI, how did performance affect company goals, what processes worked best and which should be abandoned, and what are the potential future benefits?

While the stats your FM team should analyze are company specific, with factors such as industry, company size, and facility types, sizes, and ages playing a major role, every organization should consider analytics. For those exploring FM software options, reporting needs should be identified during the consideration phase to ensure software implementation can collect and report all relevant data. 

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Erin has 15 years of experience, including 10 years in thought leadership on workplace management and the built environment. In her current role she oversees teams responsible for worktech insights and engaging Eptura’s 16,000 customers worldwide. Previously she led communications for the International Facility Management Association, a global industry nonprofit dedicated to professional development for workplace strategists, building managers, and corporate real estate.