FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
A major new software solution launched by the UK and international facilities management standard SFG20 will aid regulatory compliance, improve auditing, and facilitate better collaboration between building owners, FMs, contractors, and consultants.
Facilities-iQ is a completely new ‘smart’ technology approach that improves accessibility to the constantly updated SFG20 standard, which is based on all relevant legislation, best practice, and British Standards that underpin the maintenance tasks highlighted in SFG20.
The software solution allows FMs to tailor content within the standard to their specific building needs, making it easier to strike a balance between compliance and business criticality while helping manage technical and financial risks. Prospective users can now access online demonstrations.
The launch follows a rigorous development process guided by findings from the SFG20 survey of sector experts. Respondents from across the industry provided detailed insights into the unprecedented challenges facing FM professionals and their clients, including juggling the barrage of new legislation and other challenges like rising costs and shortages of skilled labour.
Also, the requirement for a ‘Golden Thread’ of operational information, now enshrined in legislation, has led to a proliferation of digital platforms aiming to capture operating data. Respondents to SFG20’s survey highlighted this as “a major headache” as it meant they had to use more than one FM system, which often caused confusion and inefficiency.
Asset registers
The survey pointed to difficulties managing the mix of internal and external workforces along with a seemingly never-ending cycle of developing new asset registers each time a new contractor was engaged. The need to audit work and provide evidence of compliance is now more important than ever but the survey showed that most current systems were not set up to achieve this easily.
Existing systems also hinder collaboration across supply chains because they do not speak to each other ‘in real time’, which was seen by users as crucial for managing tenders and ensuring teams had the necessary skills for their tasks.
The pressure on FM budgets has increased exponentially driven by the UK’s highest level of inflation in decades. This highlights the importance for FMs having access to a system that can focus resources and ensure compliance while managing costs and avoiding over or under-maintaining assets.
The smart technology behind Facilities-iQ has allowed SFG20 to target these challenges. The system is automatically updated to align with changes to legislation or technical guidance, meaning users’ schedules align with the standard to ensure compliance, but they can still review changes and decide when to adopt them.
Most importantly for many FMs, Facilities-iQ eliminates the need to manually input information into CAFM systems. The application programme interface (API) is configured to provide seamless data transfer of SFG20’s structured technical content to a wide range of other FM systems. Maintenance work can then be carried out in full confidence that tasks are being completed in line with the latest SFG20 guidance.
Another major benefit of this new smart software is that it allows users to tailor SFG20 content to suit the unique needs of their facility, while still benefiting from automated updates whenever the standard changes to align with the latest regulatory landscape. This enables better targeting of resources to minimise costs and improve efficiency.
Book your demo of Facilities-iQ today!
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