Key Facility Management Trends in 2018: Managing Change
by Ken Neal
March 29, 2018
As I pointed out in my previous post, there are several facilities management (FM) trends that are driving organizations to consider consolidating space and/or relocating in order to realize such advantages as lowering operational costs. One of these trends is that many companies are moving to an agile workplace environment, in which seating and desk space are unassigned, provided as needed when employees are in the office.
It’s important to point out that while migrating to an agile workspace can offer significant business benefits, it can also be a massive change for a company. As such, in this post I’ll spotlight a few ways to address this challenge at a high level. My goal is to motivate FM professionals to consider in more depth the change management requirements and potential solutions that might apply to their situation.
As one example from the solution side, facility managers need systems that enable them to make sound decisions on how to measure and continually improve services when transitioning to an agile workspace. A way to meet this challenge is to establish service level agreements (SLAs) that track the performance of specific business activities. One SLA might stipulate an agreed-upon four-hour time span for processing accountable mail pieces once their receipt has been recorded. Another SLA might specify a two-hour target for pick-up and delivery of items by courier. To track compliance with these kinds of SLAs, in working with clients Canon uses its BusinessInsights performance management system. This enables our teams to partner with clients in effectively measuring, managing, benchmarking and driving continuous improvement in the facilities services we are providing.
Another potential solution concerns the role digitization might play in an enterprise moving to an agile workspace. Canon has helped clients evolve traditional mail, print and records centers into centralized “digital intake centers.” In these centers, documents are digitized as they are received and then integrated into business process workflows. This includes digitally converting paper-based mail and delivering it electronically to employees’ desktop or handheld device.
Additionally, cumbersome packages that can take an extensive amount of time to deliver within a large corporate facility can instead be integrated into an intelligent locker system. Agile workers who come in once or twice a week would get emails on their handheld device that a package has been delivered along with the location and passcode to retrieve the package. These and other applications of digital technology are just one way facility managers can better meet the expectations of today’s employees in an agile workplace.
In my next post I’ll address another key trend affecting FM professionals: why organizations looking to recruit the best talent must consider offering an agile, attractive workspace supported by customized services and leading edge digital technology. In the meantime, feel free to visit the Facilities and Logistics Management Services page of our website. There you will find additional insights on industry trends and best practices include case histories, whitepapers and more.