FMJ.CO.UK CAFM FOCUS
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 35
VALUE ADDED
In this age of agility, having the
right CAFM so ware is more
crucial than ever. From small
maintenance teams to global
organisations, CAFM is now a
mission-critical system for all
businesses, supplying the data and
frameworks required to maximise
e iciency, enhance decision-making
and create safe, comfortable work
environments.
But it can’t work alone. You could have
the most advanced, comprehensive
solution on the market – yet without
exceptional operational services
surrounding it, your FM teams will
not unlock the true potential of this
technology.
The four essential services to
consider are:
Consultancy
Project Management
Training
Support
CONSULTANCY
First, the foundation
of any successful FM
solution is how it is planned and
implemented. E ective consultancy
is at the heart of this, so your provider
at this stage should seek to gain total
understanding of the pain points and
nuances in your organisation. Then,
using their knowledge of both their
solutions and the wider FM landscape,
they use this to forge a unique
roadmap for the project, based on
your needs.
This is why an informed provider
is vital – they should know their
technology inside-out, as well as the
trends impacting your industry and
cra the architecture of your system
(via a scoping study) so that it meets
your exact requirements. This ensures
your pain points are resolved and the
system is tailored to you as a business.
Furthermore, collaboration is at
the core of good consultancy. Your
provider should place a focus on
forging a strong relationship between
their team and your company’s
stakeholders. This guarantees all
information is communicated to
build and enhance your system over
time, leading to a beneficial client
experience.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management (PM) is the
driving force behind an FM system’s
successful implementation. This
is actioning the
concepts of the
consultancy
phase, going step-bystep
to ensure that the actual
solution fulfils its objectives.
What should good project
management give you?
Strong communication – like the
consultancy stage, a provider’s PM
team should be clear and consistent
in updating you on the progress of
the system, as well as reaching out to
relevant specialists in their internal
team.
Punctuality – missed deadlines can
quickly cause costs to escalate, so it’s
important to research a provider’s
tendency to overrun.
Expertise – the PM team should know
the solutions they are implementing
thoroughly, so it is implemented as
anticipated to meet the needs of your
business.
Process – ask your provider to
demonstrate their project cycle, as
this should robustly cover all aspects
of bringing a system to life, as well as
all quality assurance e orts involved.
Continued development – the best
FM providers will always strive for
perfecting, evaluating every project
to identify areas of improvement for
the future.
TRAINING
Once your system is implemented, it’s
vital your team knows how to use it
to its fullest. That is where seasoned
training is so crucial. The quality of a
provider’s training service dictates not
only how e ectively you harness an
FM solution, but also how widely
it’s understood and adopted
across your team.
Even if the system
is implemented
successfully, teamwide
backing is key to it
delivering a return.
Naturally, this requires trainers
with an A-Z knowledge of their
technology. But the best providers go
further to understand your system.
If your FM solution is unique for your
needs, training should similarly be
tailored with a complete knowledge of
your requirements.
With this in mind, a provider should
practise what they preach internally.
How they train their own sta should
be a reflection of the work they do for
your team, so everyone understands
the intricacies of the system and
can explain/operate it with total
confidence.
Finally, particularly fitting for the
current landscape, your providers’
training should be adaptable, and just
as e ective delivered virtually as it
would be in-person.
SUPPORT
Last but certainly not least, let’s talk
about support. Should anything go
wrong with your FM system, you
will want reassurance that you have
a dependable, dedicated support
network behind it to resolve this
swi ly and e iciently.
It is beneficial for there to be a
strong relationship between the
team responsible for the professional
services noted above and the
support team. This ensures that
those responsible for monitoring and
managing the system for the long term
are completely aware of its unique
features and the client’s specific
requirements.
This makes for a smooth transition
and handover between the teams, so
support can pick up right where the
prior team le o , with no impact on
the quality of service you (the client)
receives.
This is critical to the ongoing
performance of your solution, and you
should ensure you have access to a
support service that:
Is always available – modern
buildings are always active, so
it’s important to have a support
network that can assist 24/7, 365
days a year.
Has established escalation
procedures – di erent issues will
have a variety of touchpoints, so
checking your provider has a clear
structure for escalating issues is
valuable to ensure yours will be
handled in due time.
Is reinforced by SLAs – just like
FMs are subject to PFI contracts,
your system provider should trust
their quality of service enough to be
subject to SLAs, and the penalties
they incur if not met.
Has a human voice – rather than
rely on chatbots or outsourced call
centres, it is reassuring to speak to
a real expert when you reach out to
support.
Treats you as important – the
continued success of your solution
shouldn’t be solely reliant on
juniors with little-to-no experience;
your issue should be handled
by someone with the necessary
expertise to provide the most
timely, e ective solution.
A successful FM system is far more
than the technology inside of it. Your
relationship with a provider should be
more than “supplier/customer”.
We hope this insight into the range
of services that drive these solutions
towards maximum performance has
demonstrated this and will encourage
you to think deeper about who you
work with on your next project.
FMJ talks to Kevin Shipp and Dorette Van den Ende from FSI about four essential
services that must be considered when choosing a CAFM provider, and what
each should deliver to help FMs reap the full benefi ts from this software