FOCUS DIGITAL WORKPLACE
a prerequisite to e ective measurement of
performance in FM – there are simply too
many transactions and too much complexity
for ‘mandrolic’ systems to cope in real-time.
“Leveraging the full value of that
knowledge, digitalisation will provide FMs
with real-time performance management,
from simple dashboards and key
performance indicator reporting, to the
potentially more complex initiation of
automated remedial responses.”
COVID AFFECT
The impact of COVID on the digitalisation
process has helped escalate the speed of
digitisation, and one of the biggest aims
of Eric Wright FM’s digital solutions is to
make employee’s lives easier, keeping
the workforce connected throughout
the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. It
is also used for streamlining complex
transformational change projects,
nominating colleagues for formal
recognition, applying for charity match
funding or volunteering to become
ambassadors in education and mental
health.
Transforming all the above and more, into
digital workflows has enabled employees,
remote and frontline sta , to get involved in
company initiatives from anywhere, through
their mobiles, tablets or computers. The
launch of a new employee engagement
platform (purchased from a third-party
provider), is also being used to host many
apps built in-house. A number of these apps
have replaced manual paperwork and long
drawn out processes. As a result, employee
engagement levels have soared, which has
had a direct impact on overall customer
experience.
For Mitie, data analytics can o er valuable
and objective insights into what is and isn’t
working. With this in mind, they’ve rolled-out
40 FEBRUARY 2021
their own reporting platform,
Mozaic, across many of their
contracts. Through this,
customers can easily raise
issues on-site, ranging from
a light that needs replacing
to a leaky water pipe, track
the progress of the job until
completion and review how
much time was spent on each
task.
“This information is stored in
the platform and can be used to track
trends over time,” says Alloni. “Not only
has this increased transparency and helped
us improve our performance, but we’re also
using data analytics to identify opportunities
for our clients to improve equipment
e iciency, reduce costs and save carbon.”
However, McGregor argues that COVID may
have sped up connectivity but it has slowed
down digitalisation.
“The former is needed for businesses to
sustain themselves while the latter takes
money, time and leadership to develop
and most companies are in survival mode
currently. That said, corporate acceptance
of the e iciency gains and operational
resilience created by smart technology has
accelerated. Now the significantly greater
value comes from ‘digitalisation’, which is
much tougher to realise if businesses aren’t
intimately aware of their business processes
and workflows.”
FUTURE OF FM DIGITISATION
With COVID-19 vaccines being gradually
rolled out, many organisations are looking
to implement technology solutions to help
plan for the return to the o ice, and for his
part Alloni of Mitie believes that investing
in technology will not only enable FM
providers to manage customer’s buildings
more e iciently, but also play a key role in
improving energy e iciency to help clients
achieve their net zero goals. This technology
goes beyond the o ice too.
Says Alloni: “At Mitie, we deliver services
for critical sites, including manufacturing
plants, that require consistent environmental
conditions – such as temperature and CO£
levels – to ensure the quality of the products.
For instance, by using remote monitoring
solutions, we can keep a close eye on these
conditions and remotely manage equipment
on site to quickly respond to, a change in
temperature for example. This has been key
in helping our clients maintain production
times and consistency in the quality of their
products.
Steve McGregor predicts that It is the agile
well-run suppliers with a strong technology
strategy and an unrelenting focus
upon technology-enabled
change for the benefit of their
customers that will prosper.
“It takes stamina,
courage and significant
investment and 100 per
cent leadership support
to drive development
collaboration all
the way through the
business.”
At Incentive, McDonnell
maintains that FM will still
have the same objectives
which is to deliver safe, secure,
7he increase in importance of
deployinJ diJitalisation and artiƛ cial
intelligence will only realise its true value
when it complements and becomes a
part of the physical delivery and how
that interacts with processes and
e icient environments that people
have a great experience in, whether that
is visiting as a guest or occupying on a more
permanent basis.
“The increase in importance of deploying
digitalisation and artificial intelligence
will only realise its true value when it
complements and becomes a part of the
physical delivery and how that interacts with
processes and ultimately people.”
Not everyone has the resources of an
organisation the size of Mitie, so warns Lilley
of Eric Wright, despite the benefits of a digital
transformation journey, there are many
challenges to be considered.
“There are, of course, pros and cons in the
perusal of a digital transformation journey
and it requires a considerable amount of
discipline to keep solutions simple and not
overcomplicate, just because you can.”
However, he warns that: “Organisations
that do not digitise will slowly fall below
client expectations, and one day, they
will preclude themselves from business
opportunities. No one knows when that day
will be, and this uncertainty provides a layer
of comfort to support inaction.
“Investment in digitisation might erode the
next quarter’s profits; but are you willing to
lose tomorrow’s profits because you did not
invest today?”
ultimately people.ƌ