ADVICE & OPINION
COMMENT
CARING CAFM
It’s an undisputed fact that facilities
management plays a pivotal role in all
workplaces – from o ice settings to leisure
facilities – but we’re about to see it really come
into focus. That’s because today, more than ever,
FMs are needing to adapt and develop a new
normal in order to make workplaces not just
secure, but ‘COVID-secure’.
It’s no exaggeration to say COVID-19 has changed
the world we live in. It’s changed how we interact
with each other, how we shop, and how we do
business. However, while lockdown has halted the
economy momentarily, workplaces cannot remain
on hold forever, which is why we’re now seeing them
gradually and carefully reopen, with a redefined
workplace emerging.
Before the pandemic, companies probably had
workplace policies they were comfortable with.
Considerations like cleaning regimes, asset tracking
and planned preventative maintenance (PPM) will
have been in full swing and while under regular
review, the likelihood is they were working.
Fast forward to now and those policies will no
longer be su icient for a back-to-work strategy.
How can we e ectively manage room bookings
and ensure su icient time in between meetings for
cleaning? How do we successfully maintain assets
that control air quality, and new equipment like
temperature gauges and automatic hand sanitisers?
And importantly, how can we enforce compliance to
ensure businesses leave no stone unturned when it
comes to delivering clean, safe workspaces?
The good news? CAFM so ware can help.
A NEW NORMAL
A key challenge for every FM will be adapting and
14 JULY 2020
managing the scheduling of company-wide
activity. Consider the sanitation regime of a
business. In order to create safe workplaces
for sta and reassure them of your due
diligence, this will need to happen more
regularly – especially in shared spaces like
kitchens, canteens, break out spaces and
meeting rooms where numerous people
may gather.
Comprehensive CAFM technology will
make it far easier to transition to a COVID-19-friendly
cleaning schedule and maintain that routine to save
you having to check completion.
Workspace bookings will also take on a complexity
all of their own. Hotdesking and the use of meeting
spaces will need to be carefully reviewed from a
logistical and hygiene point of view. We’re seeing
more of our customers maximise their use of CAFM
so ware and use it innovatively to tackle this
scenario.
For example, intelligent booking functionality will
allow employees to book a workspace remotely.
Once booked, businesses have an immediate
audit trail of who wants to use the space, when,
and for how long, which can trigger a work order
automatically, ensuring the desk is cleaned a er use.
Crucially, should that employee report symptoms
of the virus, companies already have data in the
system to allow them to identify individuals who
have been in close proximity and alert them where
necessary. While overcoming the challenges of
COVID-19, this level of automation and insight is
going to be essential if businesses are to welcome
sta back safely.
MAINTENANCE IS THE KEY
When it comes to instilling confidence that
workplaces are clean, safe places to be, actions o en
speak louder than words. And that’s why it may
take more than just intuitive scheduling behind-thescenes
to make people feel comfortable.
A survey for the Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development in May showed that almost half
(44 per cent) of respondents were concerned about
catching COVID-19 at work. Employees need to see
safety measures in place and trust that they are
being maintained.
For businesses who require hand sanitising
stations, they may need to purchase hundreds
to cover their premises adequately, as well as
additional equipment such as temperature gauges
and PPE. This adds an extra maintenance burden.
Policies need to be in place to ensure someone is
refilling the sanitisers, that each temperature gauge
is properly serviced and that batteries are replaced
regularly.
Just like any asset, these too can be managed
within a CAFM system, ensuring their PPM
is automated, compliance is met and employee
confidence is upheld.
ENFORCING COMPLIANCE
One of the key advantages to CAFM when it comes
to a ‘back-to-work’ agenda, is its ability to enforce
compliance. ‘Checklists’ can be implemented to
trigger a series of questions that must be answered
by the person undertaking the work, such as “Have
you disinfected the…?”, “Are you wearing the correct
PPE?”, “Have you read and signed the health and
safety policy?”, “Have you ensured that…?”.
As well as acting as a reminder to ensure thorough
hygiene, the data captured is also extremely useful
for audits and provides businesses with an extra
layer of reassurance that new processes are being
followed.
A similar rule can be applied to meeting spaces
with businesses easily able to change the downtime
allocated between meetings, avoiding back-to-back
bookings that leave no time for deep cleaning.
A REDEFINED WORKPLACE
For the foreseeable future, it’s true to say that
workplaces and venues across every industry
will need to be nimble to meet the challenges of
COVID-19, and provide their employees with a safe,
clean and comfortable place to work.
While each business will have its own processes
to put into place, the commonality between all
workplaces is the need to automate as many of
these as possible. With so many additional elements
to consider, implement and maintain, tech really
is the only option to ensure reliability and deliver
compliance 24/7.
Never has it been more important to gain control of
your facilities, which is why in times like these, CAFM
so ware really has the ability to lighten the load.
Idox’s Oliver Spires, Product Manager for CAFM Explorer , discusses
the importance for businesses in ensuring staff can return to work
safely, and specifi cally, how tech can automate the processes
required to keep workspaces clean and infection-free