3 Ideas for ARCHIBUS Managers in 2018

If you manage an ARCHIBUS system, use the first quarter to assess facility management (FM) goals. Assuming your objectives for the year are set, the ideas below provide insights on how to ensure things stay on track. These include goal alignment, IoT risk assessment, and system access.

1. Align FM goals with other departments and the broader enterprise.

Departmental goals often drift apart due to a variety of internal dynamics. For Facility Managers, ensuring your work aligns with other departmental priorities is important. In addition, FM goals should support objectives set by executive leadership.

As expected, some organizations align internal goals better than others. For an ARCHIBUS manager, three areas stand out. They include IT, Finance, and Human Resources (HR). It is tempting to believe that coordination between business units is the norm. But departments often initiate projects that run at cross-purposes. Below are trends in these areas to keep on your radar.

For IT, the movement of enterprise systems to cloud platform providers remains a goal. These projects may impact your ARCHIBUS implementation. Of course, hosted services are available for ARCHIBUS. If you plan to move your on-premise system to the cloud, you should contact your ARCHIBUS partner for guidance. The question to ask is: Do such plans exist on the IT roadmap? If so, how does this impact the ARCHIBUS system?

CFO’s are increasingly looking to improve the flow of financial data. Some finance executives are promoting a ‘data-driven culture.’ Facility Managers may wince at the idea of being responsible for more data or reporting. However, this moment may offer an opportunity to upgrade or expand your FM system. With the help of your ARCHIBUS partner, a case for enhancements can be made. With an investment in the existing system, finance achieves better data capture. In turn, the importance of ARCHIBUS increases among key stakeholders.

Human Resource (HR) departments continue to ramp-up the remote workforce. Knowing the objectives of HR can help you prepare for space management projects. Does your existing system allow for hoteling and reservations? If not, defining future workforce expectations might be a good idea. Facility Managers should ask whether departments are considering new enterprise software. Integration with another database is something you want to know about as soon as possible. Because ARCHIBUS is an open-architecture database, system integration is a well-defined process. That is the good news.

Some believe routine communication between departments is linked to a larger planning process. But years of experience with organizations shows this assumption does not always hold true. Key takeaway: Make sure your goals are aligned with key departments across the enterprise.

2. IoT. Think and plan before you plug in.

Many organizations are hot for IoT. IoT (Internet of Things) is a universe of connected devices providing key physical data. This data is processed in the cloud to deliver business insights. There is no doubt that Facility Management stands to gain by implementing devices of this type.
But placing euphoria for technology before caution can bring disaster. Specifically, there are serious security concerns to consider. Your IoT devices could serve as the first node of entry for a hacker. Data privacy is of paramount importance. Before implementing a set of gadgets, it is best to discuss the plan with IT and the vendor. For example, how often and how long will the vendor provide firmware upgrades to your device? Vendors looking to cash in on this market will be focusing on their next device. At some point, your organization may be at risk because of outdated equipment. This is just one of a long list of concerns. Key takeaway: if you plan on an IoT project in 2018, spend time thinking and planning for all scenarios – good and bad.

3. Consider ways to increase access and transparency. By doing so, you leverage the power of your system. As a result, productivity and workplace cohesion improve.

Increasing access by adding licenses may help to distribute the workload across the organization. Administrative and managerial roles can use self-service features to manage data and view reports. Increased system access creates a sense of transparency. Expanding access also improves the understanding of how resources are allocated. Providing access to key personnel allows your staff to focus on mission-critical workflow and projects.

Extending the power of your ARCHIBUS system to mobile increases access and productivity. From space planning to asset management, a mobile-enabled system delivers much-needed relief to resources. Implementing mobile into your FM workflow saves time and money. Key takeaway: Increasing system access empowers staff and improves workplace understanding. Extending the system through mobile increases productivity.

We hope these ideas give you something to think about. We encourage our clients to take a proactive approach in planning. In doing so, we want to challenge the common assumptions taken in many organizations. Achieving business goals requires collaboration. New technology does provide opportunities – but also entails risks. And increasing system access does bring many benefits.

We wish you a great start in 2018.

The Team at OnLINE FM