Less paperwork, easier scheduling, lower admin costs, and the ability to manage jobs from anywhere – all make cloud-based job management a no-brainer for facilities management businesses.
But there’s more to it than just telling your team to use job management.
Migrating your facilities management business operations to the cloud may seem like a daunting task. How do I get my employees on board? What software should I use? Should I get a mobile app? These are just a few of the questions that might run through your head.
If you’re considering cloud-based tech, check out the following tips to see how it can benefit facilities management and building maintenance businesses and ensure your success.
Tips for facilities management businesses to manage jobs in the cloud
When you think of managing jobs in the cloud, easy access to information might come to mind first. But it’s not the only benefit of managing jobs using cloud-based tech.
Here’s a round-up of the key tips that facilities management businesses can adopt to manage jobs more easily and efficiently:
1. Find a solution that’s easy to use
One of the benefits of cloud-based job management is that everyone can use it – including field and back-office teams. But if you choose a solution that requires intense technical know-how, you might need to think again.
Find a solution that focuses on full team usability. That way, no matter the skill level or tech-savvy ability of your team, everyone can use it. In short, you’ve got to find the solution that’s right for your team if you expect them to use it and adopt it.
Think about it. Cloud-based job management really only works well when everyone is updating tasks, adding files, and communicating where needed. This way teams can quickly see priorities, tasks, and documents for jobs, while also getting a personalised to-do list assigned to them to work on.
2. Monitor job progress
Cloud-based job management software is essential to tracking jobs, vehicles, and workers, and a facilities manager can easily check in on the status at any time. With the right tech, you’ll get the full picture into all open activities and the ability to look down the line to anticipate problems.
For example, you can look ahead to see what jobs are on track or falling behind in real-time. And you’ll never miss follow-up work, thanks to automatic scheduling and recurring jobs for your PPM contracts.
And what’s great about cloud-based software is that many tools will offer alerts and updates to your team members once a task is assigned or finished. Also, any jobs that are late can be highlighted or flagged.
Plus, cloud-based tech does a lot of the updating for you – moving jobs along and notifying team members – all without manual intervention.
3. Stay secure and connected
With cloud-based job management software, you can securely share files and documents with those that need to see them. You can even set different permissions for individuals.
Strong passwords, single sign-on capabilities, and the right access levels will guarantee security. Clients will also appreciate knowing the tech you use is secure for their information too.
Quick side note here: The right tech should have built-in health and safety features that ensure your business is compliant too. For example, with a tool like BigChange, you can produce mandatory risk assessments and workflow documents that team members complete via the mobile app.
4. Centralise communication
A chief benefit of cloud-based job management is that you now have a reliable centralised hub for consistent job management. Gone are the days of using paper-based methods for all projects, files, and updates.
Facilities managers, field-based teams, and the back office all have one place to reference for updates or queries. It’s faster to leave updates that everyone can access immediately. And you no longer have to wait for someone to bring a job sheet back to the office.
Plus, by making sure that everyone is on the same page, you’re limiting opportunities for mistakes and helping teams make better decisions at every point in the process.
5. Get help when you need it
Lastly, when starting out with cloud-based job management software, a good start is key to your team’s success. Everyone has concerns about how it could go, so starting off on the right foot will help things go smoothly.
A world-class customer and product support team will help you do just that. And the best features won’t matter if your team doesn’t use them effectively. So make sure that you choose a solution that has excellent customer support and training.
This provides a safety net for you and your team to reach your goals. After all, no team should be left alone to tackle new software integration.
So with all this in mind and before we move on, let’s take a closer look at some real-life results. 👇
Case examples of facilities managers using cloud-based tech
Here are just a few high-level results that facilities management businesses have achieved, thanks to cloud technology:
- Nserv: 70% boost in productivity
- Kiwi Facilities Maintenance: 20% increase in jobs
- DFP Services: 30% annual growth
- RFM Group: Migrated 4 separate systems onto one platform
Let’s delve into a couple of these a little more…
🔎 Case study: Kiwi Facilities Maintenance takes on 20% more jobs
Kiwi Facilities Management works with big high street names like KFC and Starbucks – covering everything from electrical and mechanical maintenance to compliance.
Moving to a consolidated cloud-based system allows them to manage planning, reporting, finance and more in a single platform.
The result? They’ve reduced back-office administration, increased engineers’ productivity, and improved cash flow.
Read more here.
🔎 Case study: Nserv boosts productivity by 70%
Facilities management company Nserv rolled out a digital system to make it easier to manage its entire operations – with a single platform CRM, job scheduling, job management, mobile app, and vehicle tracking solution (all in one).
This makes it much easier to manage their team of 30 multi-skilled engineers… And their varied client list.
The result? Nserv has seen rapid expansion, with a turnover increasing from less than £1million to £5million in just 3 years.
Read more here.
Get started with cloud-based tech
This should go without saying, but with today’s pace of business, it’s critical for facilities management organisations to adapt to changing market conditions and internal demands.
These demands require businesses to almost instantaneously create infrastructure to meet the needs of their clients and internal teams. Plus, it also gives you the edge by being incredibly responsive and adaptable to prospects/customers.
In other words, leveraging cloud-based connected job management software can help your distributed workforce be more productive and informed.
In short: Supplying the right technology with the right training and support will allow you to do more without taking on additional staff.
If you’re looking to move your facilities management business operations into the cloud with all-in-one job management software, we’re here to help. Take a look at our dedicated page here or talk to our sales team.
