Facilities management self-service has been a growing industry trend; our own FM software survey last year revealed that 66% of respondents who use CAFM (Computer Aided Facilities Management) systems are using self-service functionality, and 58% of all respondents felt it would be a significant technology trend over the next 12 months.
But what is self-service? Last month’s Workplace Futures conference held in London discussed the theme of ‘challenging convention’. “We’ve been looking at digitisation for 20 years, we’re now in that moment” said professor John Hinks, former head of Global innovation at Zurich CRE & FM, and following on from his comments, other speakers put forward that FMs should not be doing what they have been for the last 10 years. New developments in technology have enabled innovation to become more usable and accessible for FMs, and therefore some obstacles for technological progress have been removed. For example, while installing sensors for an IoT network might be a plan for the longer term, use of mobile phones, tablets, public computers and kiosks for effective FM is something that can be easily implemented now to improve the customer experience.
As in the supermarket or in the doctor’s surgery, self-service in FM allows building users to have more immediate access to service, bypassing potentially lengthy calls to the help desk by logging faults or booking services themselves. It is designed to be available 24 / 7, ensuring jobs are logged at the earliest possible time, improving rectification times and increasing customer satisfaction.
Users can perform a wide range of activities via self-service, all of which can be tailored according to each organisation – from the look of the home screen to the options in drop-down menus and pre-populated fields. For example, if a visitor loses an item they can report their lost property via a screen. Also staff working within the organisation can use self-service to order AV equipment, book a hot desk or notify the FM team of broken lighting. Contractors and engineers are increasingly using self-service via mobile devices to receive, update and close jobs in real time, as well as performing activities such as requesting parts, submitting timesheets and sending quotes. In this way, familiar technology and devices can be used to drive performance, both by streamlining reporting processes and also increasing data capture and analysis in order to better understand the needs of the workplace.
For more information about self-service functionality, request our complimentary white paper, Unlock FM Software with the Power of Self-Service and see how your organisation can make the change.
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