7 problems that an IWMS can solve

Due to inefficiencies that affect business productivity, more organisations are now realising the potential of utilising IWMS solutions to improve and increase their agility and resilience, optimise operational efficiency, and create flexible and engaging workplace experiences.

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With an IWMS, multiple functionalities are combined into a single, comprehensive platform, including facility management, maintenance, real estate lifecycle management, capital project management, and resource management, serving to streamline and automate processes. With a centralised database and clear interface to manage a plethora of tasks, an IWMS solution provides a single, central point of truth to enhance operations, and ultimately elevate performance.

In this blog, you’ll learn how an Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) can solve some of the most common issues in your organisation.

What problems can an effective integrated workplace management solution solve?

Effective operational management within a business provides a robust foundation for growth, and enhanced performance. However, many organisations encounter operational challenges, or fall into inefficient habits within processes that impede growth, damage staff morale, and affect customer experience.

Here are 7 key problems that can be solved with an IWMS:

1. Poor space utilisation

Ever changing working styles and requirements, and an increasingly mobile workforce, has created a whole new set of challenges for those who are responsible for managing and maintaining the workplace. With an IWMS solution, workplace and real estate management teams can now achieve increased holistic visibility and control to facilitate the transition in workplace style.

With dedicated software, teams can understand the space needs of their organisation, capture real-time data with sensors and IoT devices, make better decisions about workplace layouts, model move scenarios, and execute changes. Integration of software means connections can be made between IWMS software and existing desk booking solutions to effectively manage hot desking and hybrid working.

Security features such as zone access restriction measures and easy check in/out capabilities mean teams can manage permissions and track space usage, while measurement functionalities such as data capture around space utilisation trends, and pattern change notifications mean space can be used to meet the needs of staff and occupiers.

2. Strain on helpdesks

Customer service is key to business performance, and strained helpdesks with long waiting times and overworked customer service officers lead to poor service, frustrated customers, operative errors, and increased costs. With many everyday services and utilities now managed online, tenants and occupiers expect to be able to manage their tenancies, log repairs, and make payments quickly and easily.

With an IWMS solution, occupants can submit requests through a self-service portal. Facilities managers can then prioritise and action requests, taking the strain off helpdesk and contact center operatives, and allowing them to focus on more complex or specialist cases.

Customer service is improved as occupants can manage their communication around their own schedule instead of contact center opening hours, have instant access to their own accounts, and requests are sent direct to facilities managers, streamlining the process, and minimising the risk of input errors and costly mistakes.

3. Bad project oversight

Project management plays a key role in the real estate management lifecycle but many organisations do not have tight enough control over their project planning and capital expenditure, resulting in such consequences as project cost overruns, schedule delays and sustainability risks. Organisations require comprehensive project management capabilities that can streamline processes, help boost operational efficiency, and give them visibility and overall control over capital project planning and expenditure.

By utilising IWMS software, organisations can plan and deliver projects efficiently to meet expectations of delivery time, cost, and quality. Managing all phases of project management: from initiation, design, procurement, execution, to commissioning and closeout, an IWMS solution can capture, process, analyse, and report all of the key metrics that will help you decide which projects should be given funding priority.

4. Uncoordinated workflows

Without coordination and standardisation of workflows, processes are lengthy, inefficient, and costly, affecting customer service, staff morale, and your bottom line. With coordinated workflows that are streamlined, optimised, and automated, tasks are completed more smoothly and with fewer delays, meaning a more efficient and productive workplace.

With an IWMS solution, workflows can be built and optimised to ensure processes and requests are handled correctly every time. With a fully joined up solution, automation can be built in, to both speed processes up, and minimise time consuming tasks such as duplicate data entry, filing, and unnecessary administration.

5. Disorganised meetings

Poorly planned or considered meetings can be a distraction and hinder productivity, as well as a significant drain on time, resource, and staff morale.  An inability to make decisions, the wrong people being present, and a lack of a clear agenda are often cited as key contributing factors to an ineffective meeting.

When meeting to make decisions, an IWMS solution gives you access to reports and data from across the organisation, allowing data-led and informed decisions to be discussed, and settled in the meeting. This then ensures that meetings are productive, and work to drive the business forward.

Ensuring the right people are in the room is vital for a productive, and valuable meeting. Shared calendars, coordinated workflows, and straightforward scheduling tools means that you can see who needs to be involved in a specific meeting, and ensure that staff members who are not required are able to focus on other tasks.

6. Struggles with health and safety

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of a well maintained, hygienic, and carefully monitored work environment has been thrust to the forefront of the minds of both employers and employees.

IWMS software can be used to manage the workspace and ensure the health and safety of staff and visitors via: touchless workplace sign-in features, providing a quick and safe overview of who is present on site; space management features to ensure appropriate spacing for desks and ample room for movement through the workplace; and facilities management functionalities including servicing of HVAC and water utilities to ensure safety and avoid health risks.

Within portfolio properties, facilities management functionality in an IWMS solution can ensure health and safety compliance is met via automatic reminders/scheduling for servicing, the building and safeguarding of audit trails, and the coordination and automation of facilities management workflows.

7. Minimal data-driven decision making

Without the backing of data, decision making is less informed, and incurs higher risk. Therefore, it’s important to place a strong emphasis on collecting, analysing, and utilising data for informed decision making.

With an IWMS solution, organisations can gain full control and visibility of their portfolios, allowing them to monitor, benchmark, and model building data with role-based dashboards, and interactive reporting features to identify the most beneficial scenario before making a decision.

An IWMS solution centralises disparate buildings and financial data into one single source of truth for trusted insight into portfolio performance, allowing for accurate assessment, and more educated decision making. Additionally, with active monitoring, proactive system alerts, robust approval controls, and powerful reporting tools, organisations can improve control of the entire portfolio, providing a 360 degree view.

Want to know more?

MRI Software has gone a step beyond the IWMS with our extensible workplace management solution, or as we call it – the XWMS. An open and connected solution that gives you the ability to add different aspects of the workplace system when you need them, providing total scalability.

To learn more or to arrange a demonstration, contact us today.