Facilities management is a rapidly growing and evolving industry. With many structural changes on the horizon, this field can expect to see major challenges, AI-driven disruptions, and improvements in the coming year.

Table of Contents:

• Digital Technologies 
• Outsource
• IoT & Data
• Workplace Strategy
• Integrated Services
• Actionable To-Do’s 

Major Changes in the Facility Management Industry

The goal of every FM company is to help businesses with cost savings, internal operations management, compliance, and risk management. Despite FM services being a great investment, there are numerous changes affecting the industry.

According to Mckinsey & Company, a leading organizational consulting firm, there are several factors contributing to the evolution of facility management service companies over time, especially most recently. 

Challenging economic conditions, fears of recession, and tighter budgets due to slowed economic growth can mean investing less in facility management services. 

Deciding to postpone FM isn’t without long-term costs. Deteriorating buildings, poor-functioning internal operations, and inefficient energy usage all lead to potentially larger costs down the line. 

Conditions like these provide the groundwork for emerging trends of 2022. Here are the top 5 trends for FM companies in 2022. 

1. Leveraging Digital Technologies

AI is entering the mix — among several other emergent technologies, including the blockchain and various cloud-based resources for digital file-sharing between FM companies and their constituents. 

Comprehensive FM companies must be up to date with emerging technologies, embracing them and integrating them into their functional workflow. This is exactly what our staff at Omnia360 strives to do. 

The days of using T-Card systems and spreadsheets to manage operations are gone — long gone.

Using a robust CAFM system streamlines and organizes tasks, leading to benefits like: 

• More efficient space utilization
• Cost savings 
• Reduction in asset inventories and greater organization
• Fast and accurate reporting methods that can be shared with stakeholders

Related Post: Top 5 Facility Management Software for 2022 

Utilizing AI-based facilities management systems can streamline internal processes like never before: automatically generating reports, maintenance schedules, replacement requests, and more without human involvement. More and more softwares offer secure third-party integrations add a new functionality without compromising the integrity of current data systems.

With AI technologies, it’s set it and forget it. Countless micro-organizational tasks are performed outside of working hours, giving added flexibility and free time to dedicate towards other, high-priority tasks. AI integrations are also benefiting FM companies by allowing them to make accurate predictions and plan ahead, replacing dysfunctional equipment and eliminating human error from the decision-making processes.

AI integrations aren’t just for administrative or organizational task processes. Cobotics are becoming a well-used technology that’s getting integrated into Soft FM services, dedicated to small, repetitive tasks like lawn mowing, vacuuming and floor scrubbing. This allows the staff to focus on more detailed, complex cleaning services on buildings.

2. Outsourcing Facilities Management Services 

The scale and scope of facilities management services can be quite broad. Shaving off extra costs and time investment by outsourcing some of these services to third-party contractors is an excellent way to adapt. 

Naturally, this trend depends on the industry vertical. For manufacturing companies, landscaping and janitorial services are outsourced more often than equipment maintenance. Whereas, facilities in the retail or service sector balance insourcing and outsourcing of various tasks. 

Outsourcing contract work, be it landscaping, janitorial, or equipment maintenance, to integrated facility management (IFM) services is increasingly showing itself to be a cost-effective choice that leads to a competitive advantage in the market. 

3. Using the (IoT) Internet of Things & Big Data

Integrate the IoT. 

Integrating the Internet of things includes using devices and equipment, like motion sensor lighting and automated thermostat controls, that enable FM managers and building owners to gain more transparency into their building’s energy usage. 

There are drawbacks. For companies to take advantage of IoT’s benefits, it involves a costly upgrade from legacy systems. There is also the issue of building management system (BMS) compatibility, as well as device compatibility with IoT. 

Big data gives big results. 

It’s what has and continues to drive informative decisions by FM companies. 

Collecting, analyzing, and visualizing data can be used to inform dynamic, meaningful business decisions for more efficient use of energy, maintenance costs, and operational resources. 

To engage in data-backed decision-making for your building, investing in a smart building is necessary. This can include advanced thermostats, mechanical equipment, and air quality and occupancy sensors. 

Each property is unique and has its own set of infrastructural challenges. Modern technologies give you data to identify and address them. Doing so leads to healthier and more energy-efficient internal environments at a facility. 

Data-driven decisions lead to better results for employees, residents, customers, and the business’s bottom line. 

4. Workplace Strategy 

The Great Resignation is a sign that people are beginning to prioritize their physical and mental well-being when considering employment opportunities. The future of work is hybrid, flex-work, being partly at home and partly in the office. 

So when employees do come in, their office time is highly intentional and purposeful. Your workplace layout must mirror this intentionality, not only through a healthy, energy-efficient building with clean air but well-placed interior layouts.

Retrofitting and updating modern offices.

To meet this trend head-on, FM companies can help firms create workspace layouts with appealing, comforting natural lighting, comfortable furniture, and lifestyle amenities (shown to enhance employee experience).

Research shows the importance of effective space management, as real estate is the second-highest expense for organizations.

Purposeful office spaces.

Another great option is creating sectioned-off spaces in your building that you can then repurpose to be more task-specific or interaction specific: a room for client meetings, team collaborations, or personal quiet work time. 

The goal of FM-guided office planning is to improve employee satisfaction and, ultimately, productivity. 

5. Integrating Related Services and Adding Value 

The scope of services offered by facilities management companies isn’t limited to regular maintenance on buildings, fixing light bulbs, or multi-split furnaces. It extends well past that. 

Providing great value through additional related services is a major trend that FM companies are jumping on — services like project management, organizational consulting, and transaction management. 

There are numerous functions associated with providing high-value, related services.  

Energy management. In this case, there is an active focus put on how to best conserve energy usage in a building. It can take the form of implementing retrofits and procedural changes. 

Production maintenance is another common service; it can include things like cleaning and repairing assembly stations, equipment, and testing stations. 

The benefits of this trend are that fewer people are involved, which makes for lightning-fast decisions. It’s far easier to manage all of the work categories involved too. 

Actions Your Business Can Take Today

FM companies can assess their organizational maturity and ability to manage vendor relationships.

This can be done directly and indirectly.

• Invest in external expert training to better learn digital technologies 
• Organize joint meetings with suppliers and act on stakeholder satisfaction surveys 

Leverage facilities management resources as a priority. 

Tapping into an FM company’s resources can lead to a wealth of savings. A business’s chief product officer or chief operations officer can work with a facility management team to transform its pipeline for savings. 

Ensure you have a cross-functional team.

Facility management companies have to have a well-integrated organizational structure, composed of cross-functional team members. At Omnia360, we have just that. The focus is on easy collaboration and agile work order implementation.

Build a case for investing in proposed trends. 

To implement these trends, you’ll need to get your stakeholders on board. Create a business case with a successful, controlled pilot project. You can use the results to showcase proof of why your organization should invest in these strategies.

Design an integrated implementation road map.

Develop a comprehensive and long-term strategy to incorporate the latest facility management trends. Gradually implementing these new strategies and keeping track of the resulting changes is the best method. 

Review, audit and refine your strategies. 

Leaders in your organization should establish a regular quarterly review of your FM strategy processes in order to better refine and hone your overarching vision.

Schedule Integrated Facility Management Solutions with Omnia360

Our company keeps up with the latest trends, technologies, and advances in our industry. We help manage your building’s needs at any time (on-call mobile mechanics are available 24/7) with the help of our cross-trained tradesmen and specialists. Contact us today for a free quote. 

Facility managers are familiar with the practice of deferred maintenance, but could the perceived long-term cost-savings from postponed maintenance be a myth? 

In today’s blog, Omnia360 discusses the three negative impacts, along with the overall importance of deferred maintenance. 

What is Deferred Maintenance? 

It’s the common practice of postponing maintenance activities like repairs in order to save cost and reallocate resources, time, and labor, towards other activities. Facility managers or directors must think strategically when making these decisions, taking numerous factors into account: long-term profitability projections, material resources, time commitment and labor. 

Deferred Maintenance Has Major Impacts

Facility managers should typically avoid deferred maintenance, if possible. It can negatively impact the following: 

• Occupant safety 
• Risk of unforeseen breakdowns 
• Asset performance and lifecycle 

Without regular preventative maintenance, your equipment’s usefulness life cycle will shorten. Proactively repairing and troubleshooting your facility’s equipment is a lot more cost-effective than dealing with a major equipment issue later on. 

Let’s say that your team is wanting to save a bit of money or happens to be dealing with major maintenance issues, leaving you squeezed for time. You might consider ignoring a filter change on your HVAC system to save cost on the margins.

The downside to this is that more dirt, dust, and debris builds up in your air filter, forcing your HVAC to work harder, leading to energy inefficiency, a higher utility bill, and increasing the risk of a major breakdown in the future. 

Three Primary Negative Impacts of Deferring Maintenance

Decreases Machine Efficiency. Without proper care, machinery works less efficiently, hiking up monthly expenses and overhead costs. Hot water heaters, HVAC units, and other such equipment must be regularly inspected for optimal performance.

Shortens Machine Lifespan. If left unchecked, a poorly-running machine will have to work harder to perform, thereby shortening its lifespan and, eventually, requiring you to foot the bill for a full replacement. 

Increases Long-term Costs. As issues go unaddressed, they get worse. That means any maintenance performed will cost more in terms of time, labor or parts. It’s more cost-effective to have regular preventative maintenance scheduled throughout the year.

Deferred Maintenance Done Right is Still Important

Deferred maintenance still has its place. There’s only so much time, money, and labor to tap into. On the other hand, you also don’t want an excessively long laundry list of maintenance tasks piling up in your backlog — it’s bad for productivity. 

One thing is certain: You have to prioritize some maintenance tasks over others.

Contracting with a third-party facility management company helps you identify and sort tasks from high to low priority, and organize them in a listed queue based on variables like cost-benefit analysis, replacement or repair risk, budgetary constraints, and time scale. 

Integrated FM Management Can Save You Money

As a manager, identifying cost-saving initiatives is great, but deferred maintenance isn’t the best option. An FM service company can perform an on-site audit of your facility and local areas for cost savings, then create a strategic methodology for actualizing it. 

According to some academic studies, deferred maintenance often occurs due to variables like:

• Poor maintenance planning
• Unavailability of skilled maintenance personnel
• Insufficient funding
• Unstable organizational structure

Knowing this, our skilled facility managers take into account several factors before choosing to defer maintenance for parts of your building: 

• Money/Budget 
• Service parts 
• Time 
• Required skills

New Perspective: Preventative Maintenance is an Investment

When it comes to putting off maintenance tasks, take a different perspective. Rather than associating cost savings with deferred maintenance, think of preventative maintenance as a long-term, budget-friendly investment in your facility, your employees, customers, and business as a whole. 

Contact Omnia360 for Comprehensive FM Services Today

There’s a reason why we’re called Omnia360. We provide around-the-clock, comprehensive, integrated facility management services that work with your in-house team. Contact us today for more information at (833) 360-6642.

Too much work and too little time. There are some tell-tale signs that your business needs help with managing its operations and workflow, alongside the brick n’ mortar location as a whole. 

A facility management services company like Omnia360 can provide the right solutions for your business. Here are five reasons you might need FM services. 

1. You have trouble keeping up with your work orders

Integrated facilities management is concerned with preventing costly repairs by consolidating and streamlining a myriad of resources to ensure your building is maintained to a high standard of efficiency. 

Our comprehensive FM services help to consolidate your work processes into a single point of contact. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, janitorial or groundskeeping-related services are tracked in one place. 

At Omnia360, we not only manage the upkeep of your building, we also provide high-level consultation and project management help for your company’s internal operations. 

2. Your workplace is disorganized

If you’re bombarded with excel sheets, PDFs, files and reports scattered across multiple resources, it can hurt productivity. Our expert facilities management team can ensure that your data is streamlined across your organization’s platforms to offer transparency into your organizational needs. 

Our small to mid-sized project management services come as separate, additional service options to our comprehensive facility management. PM services can help to streamline, organize and recalibrate your internal operation’s efforts towards meeting goals in the most efficient way possible. 

Our team works as an extension of your on-site staff, collaborating and integrating services across departments and sectors of your organization to improve organization at your workplace. 

3. You have rising maintenance costs

As a business, you want your facility to run with streamlined efficiency. Broken equipment, malfunctioning systems and periodic shutdowns due to maintenance are scenarios to be avoided. With a good FM company, it can be. 

An FM company offers a single-point of contact for any and all handiwork on your building. You’ll save costs if you’re running a large facility, have multiple locations or lack a way to track whether or not your contract work has been completed. 

Constantly paying for ad hoc repairs can get costly too. FM services extend the lifespan of your equipment or building’s infrastructure, lending to fewer repair costs. Our integrated facility management services are proactive when it comes to your building maintenance. We prevent problems from arising in the first place. 

Comprehensive facility repair and maintenance leads to several benefits:

• More satisfied office employees 
• Reduction in operational costs
• Integrating and streamlining work orders

4. Frequent interruptions and wasteful productivity 

Frequent interruptions to your facility’s workflow deter productivity and, ultimately, long-term profitability. It can be due to breakdowns in your air conditioning system, water supply or electrical grid.

Facility management services can also streamline your facility’s maintenance and upkeep, as well as promote internal resource management to positively impact your company’s earning potential.

Integrating FM services into your operation saves time and keeps your building compliant with regulatory requirements, protecting you from potential fines. 

5. Difficulty keeping tabs on company assets  

Not keeping track of your company’s assets can mean out-of-pocket costs for you as a business owner. Your business could run the risk of stolen property that cannot be claimed on insurance because it wasn’t recorded.

Our cloud-based virtual technologies, and facility management software, are flexed into our facility management service packages; this makes it far easier for you to keep track of work orders and any progress on work that is done. 

An FM company can also help you identify what assets your business is wasting and what resources you can leverage to counteract this. 

Get FM Services for Your Facility at Omnia360

Partner with a growing and expanding company that’s dedicated to taking care of your company’s operations. At Omnia360, we offer comprehensive integrated facility management services. 

For more information or a free price quote,  contact us today at 833.360.6642. 

Costs are rising. It’s part of why companies are looking to stay profitable and ahead of the curve. Hiring a facility management solutions company is one way to do just that.

In today’s blog post, Omnia360 explains how your business can save on costs with comprehensive facility management services. 

FM Creates a PMP (preventative maintenance plan) 

Preventing costly repairs from happening in the first place is a critical part of facility management services. A preventative maintenance plan can shield you from costly out-of-the-blue repairs from coming up. 

An experienced FM manager can use a PMP as part of a way to track and manage your operation’s profitability. 

Proactive, emergency and preventative maintenance is also offered. Expert FM managers work closely with your team to create a preventative maintenance plan that accounts for any potential bottlenecks to your facility’s operability.  

Get a Big Picture Overview 

With a facility management service that has adopted virtual technologies and project management software, like computer-assisted facility management software, seeing the big picture, predicting maintenance bottlenecks and proactively working to prevent costly breaks in workflow are done easily. 

Boost Operational Efficiency

Consolidating your services into a single provider with high quality, cross-trained technicians, is a great way to fulfill multiple paid roles with a single paycheck. 

You won’t have to worry about hiring individual professionals for each work order. It’s all covered under a single payment. 

With proper FM tools and management, your business can expect a more streamlined efficiency on a variety of fronts: 

• Work order requests
• Employee sign-in/sign-out of work
• Inventory control
• Task management
• Meeting reservations
• Checking in guests or customers
• Portering management

Preserve Your Investments  

Asset life cycle analysis can be performed to help extend your budget over time. You want your business or plant to have high-performing technical apparatuses that don’t break down and increase your overhead costs in the long run. 

Our integrated on-site management services ensure that your building’s infrastructure continues to operate with high efficiency and low running costs. 

Streamline Workplace Productivity 

It’s a well-known fact that in a post-pandemic economy, many workplaces are looking to enhance the safety and productivity of their workforce with strategic office layouts and improved work spaces. Comprehensive FM services do just that. 

Our FM managers work closely with you to strategically identify any work processes, products and inter-departmental functions that could be optimized for greater productivity. 

Lower Your Monthly Energy Costs

Think of your building’s energy efficiency as a long-term investment, one that is immediately prioritized by a facility management company. A poor HVAC system leads to inefficient energy usage, driving your energy bill through the roof.

Impaired operability can be rooted in any number of issues, like low refrigerant, a dulled or broken fan or worn out motor. Our expert, cross-trained mobile technicians can assess and resolve the issue quickly, saving you unnecessary expenses. 

Our facility management team implements cost-saving ideas and strategies to reduce maintenance costs and present a great ROI for your company. 

Give Your Employees a Better Work Environment 

A well-functioning facility gives employees and customers a nicer environment in which to work in. It can reduce distraction and promote employee productivity.  

Whether it’s a broken lightbulb, poor-functioning HVAC system or leaking faucet, our cross-trained specialists can repair it on time.

You also don’t want to have to shut down your operations and lose out on potential profit and productivity. Comprehensive preventative maintenance plans prevent this. 

Consolidating Work Orders and Contracts

Commercial buildings and large-scale facilities need janitorial cleaning services to mop floors, clean windows, remove waste and more. 

The cost adds up when you take into account any extra contracting expenses from electrical, plumbing or HVAC repairs. An FM service will cover it all in a single contract payment.

Manage Multiple Facilities Under a Single Payment 

Time is money. If you’re managing multiple locations, you’ll need a simplified way of tracking progress across each location. This is where comprehensive facility management services come in handy. 

Saving time with outsourcing all of your miscellaneous maintenance tasks frees up your time to allocate resources more efficiently to other portions of your business. 

Contact Omnia360 for FM Services that Save Money Today

Omnia360 serves as an extension of your team, on call 24/7 and ready to provide technical support and solutions to any on-site issue your facility might face, from janitorial, plumbing and electrical work, to groundskeeping and HVAC maintenance. Contact us for more information about working together today.

A major trend in the facility management industry is using eco-friendly, “green” practices when maintaining buildings. This move follows on the heels of the national and worldwide motivation to reduce the carbon footprint. 

In today’s blog, Omnia360 explains how integrated facility solutions can work to promote eco-friendly buildings. 

What does Sustainable Facility Management (SFM) Mean? 

It’s a process that involves implementing operational or structural changes that incorporate efficiency, comfort, safety, and productivity to ensure more environmentally friendly practices at a facility. 

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Implementing sustainable facility management involves taking action on multiple fronts: 

• Regular maintenance to your building’s infrastructure (HVAC or Plumbing)
• Utilizing eco-friendly products, tools, and materials at work 
• Promoting energy-efficient practices and behaviors, like recycling

Using energy-efficient equipment, alongside environmentally-friendly maintenance practices, is part of what makes a facility eco-friendly and promotes a lower carbon footprint. 

Regular maintenance, especially from cross-trained industry professionals like those at Omnia360, helps to mitigate against wasteful energy usage, whether it’s an ineffective plumbing or HVAC system that’s causing it.  

Monitor Eco-Friendly Improvements and Goals

What gets measured and tracked, gets improved. Setting up a plan to monitor performance is done in order to ensure your facility is minimizing its carbon footprint, while still operating productively. 

Here’s an example. You might account for all the paper printing at your office, then decide on which documents can be shifted into strictly digital assets, avoiding unnecessary paper printing. 

Utilize Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solutions

If your office needs cleaning, you can choose to have “green” cleaning products be used to get the job done. Many industrial cleaning products contain hazardous chemicals that, if not disposed of properly, end up causing environmental harm. 

Sustainability Analytics 

A facility management team can identify and track progress on key metrics that pertain to the eco-friendly performance of your facility. What gets measured and tracked, gets improved upon. This includes your building’s carbon footprint. 

Leverage the Help of a Management System

A CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management System) can improve internal operations and lend to developing a more sustainable method of updating and maintaining your building. You can read our related article about the top facility management software products.

Preventative Maintenance 

Omnia360 offers a trained staff of handymen and trade professionals who provide 24/7 maintenance to ensure your facility is running optimally and is the most eco-friendly possible. 

Update Infrastructure 

Let’s say your HVAC system is outdated and is underperforming, this costs your company more money on monthly energy bills. As a green solution, you might decide to install cool or green roofing, or even solar energy panels, if your budget allows for it. 

Hiring a professional all-in-one third-party contractor like Omnia360 allows you to get up-to-date infrastructure installed quickly and easily. 

Lighting systems

Use natural light as often as possible. Opening the windows more creates more natural light around the office, as well as sparingly using lights in adjacent, low-occupation rooms in your building. Installing LED lights can help save both on your monthly bill and lower your energy consumption. 

Heating and Cooling Systems

Your building’s HVAC is an important part of what makes it an eco-friendly facility. Having the right equipment and the right repairs being completed by a skilled facility management company will not only save you money but offer you a more eco-friendly building. 

Efficient Use of Office Space 

Restructuring how your office workspaces are laid out to reduce space leads to less energy consumption. This is even more so the case today, with the advent of people working remotely from coffee shops or homes rather than office cubicles. 

Efficient Water Irrigation Systems 

Making good use of your building’s water management is also important when attempting to be eco-friendly. Water-efficient lawn care for your business can often mean growing vegetation that is native to your local climate. Even creating indoor spaces for moisture-absorbing plants can aid in promoting fresh, breathable air and lower humidity levels for employees and customers to enjoy. 

Contact Omnia360 for Eco-Friendly FM Solutions

Our company can work with you to make your facility more environmentally friendly and efficient all the way around. Think of us as an extension of your workforce that is there as a resource to support you expand your business operations. Contact us today for more information about our bundled services and management solutions.

The world of startups is characterized by an often-times chaotic, fast-paced, competitive and volatile atmosphere. In fact, according to most research studies, two-thirds of startups fail. Why? There are many reasons. But it’s largely due to inadequate internal processes or poor management. 

That’s why working with a high-quality facility solutions management company can make the difference between success and failure, especially in the early stages of startup development. 

In today’s blog, we’ll discuss how Omnia360’s facility management solutions can help bolster your startup’s success. 

How Facility Management Solutions Help Startups

Here are some of the main reasons why startups go bust, and here’s why we can help prevent it. 

• Not having enough cash flow.

Through a comprehensive assessment of your operation, and with the help of a large network of technicians, you can save your cash and reallocate it towards new revenue-generating strategies. 

• Not having the right people.

By teaming up with Omnia360, our expert consultants can help you create a holistic strategy for how to optimize employee performance and fill in talent gaps. 

• Outsourcing to poor-performing third-party businesses.

Our technicians are hand-picked to meet your startup’s specific needs, repairing and maintaining your facility. 

• Having inadequate internal management processes. 

Omnia360’s professionals coordinate with your team to manage projects of scale, gather data, develop a plan, build a team, and resolve bottlenecks. 

Streamline Your Internal Management Operations

We streamline your business’s internal operations so that you and your team can innovate and perform in an agile and efficient way. Our highly specialized audit takes into account your company’s unique strengths and hindrances. 

Applying a blend of personal service and customizable solutions, we work with you and your team to revamp facility operations to better overcome internal bottlenecks and maximize your productivity goals.

Our expert consulting staff and cross-trained technicians work to realize three important benefits for your startup. 

• Save Time – have a single-point-of-contact solution for all on-site installations or repairs. 

• Save Money – consolidate all third-party contractor costs into a customizable service bundle.

• Boost Efficiency – prioritize, simplify and expedite key internal work processes for maximum efficiency.

One-Stop for All Repair and Maintenance Contract Work

For starters, saving time and money is essential in the startup world of shoe-string budgets and progressive technological disruption. You’ll save money on getting all of your third-party contract labor from one place— Omnia360. Our technicians are flexible and available to come by your startup’s facility at any time. 

Save Your Company’s Budget with Outsourcing 

Outsource time-consuming job duties to a reliable third-party network of professionals at Omnia360. Our technicians are cross-trained in a variety of industries, including those of HVAC, pest-control, electrical repair, landscaping, and much more. 

Omnia360 Creates the Best Environment for your Startup

We integrate people, locations, processes, and technologies to best suit your business’s needs and accelerate your growth. Whatever your business needs help with, whether it’s your office’s temperature control, ventilation, or safety inspections on office equipment, we can ensure your startup has a suitable environment for business growth. 

Get a Customizable, Integrated Solution with Omnia360

Discover how Omnia360 can help you manage your facility and improve your company’s earning potential today. For more information on our services or for a free business assessment, call us today or submit a contact form.