Government is to the public sector what management is to the private sector. Besides managing a state or country and all the people, a government organization also has to manage its resources. It does not make a government any more popular if it announces service disruptions because of failed infrastructure.
One essential resource that every government office has to manage is the facilities that anchor the office and its smooth day-to-day functioning. Therefore, if you are in charge of facilities in a government office, ideally:
- You want all amenities (washbasins/air-conditioning/lighting fixtures/water and gas pipelines) to work without glitches that could have been foreseen (preventive/scheduled maintenance).
- You want your maintenance team geared to respond quickly and effectively in case a facilities outage is reported (fault management).
- You want all areas of your office to be cleaned regularly (custodial activity).
- You want to know where every asset in the facility is in real-time (asset tracking).
Not surprisingly, facilities management is one of the most critical and challenging jobs in general and in government offices in particular. Using modern technology greatly eases your job.
Rather than manually struggling with facilities management, you can use computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software to help with the upkeep of your facilities.
CMMS uses dedicated software working in parallel with hardware systems—Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, Wi-Fi, meters, gauges, and smart devices—to automate triggers for preventive maintenance as well as fault rectification.
Using a CMMS program, you can further:
- Manage janitorial and maintenance staff
- Handle technological ticketing
- Schedule staff
- Manage the renting of facilities
- Schedule transportation.
1. Manage Maintenance Staff
CMMS systems facilitate managing janitorial and maintenance staff, which keep your office clean and safe for employees and visitors. While janitors are responsible for the custodial activity, maintenance staff undertake tasks that your facilities management software assigns.
Further, there are maintenance-demanding mishaps that the CMMS setup cannot possibly detect. Things like spills, broken chairs/desks, leaks, etc., still have to be reported and fixed by human beings. Thus, janitors and maintenance staff again play an essential role in handling issues.
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2. Handle IT Requests
Government organizations increasingly rely on technology these days for recording and tracking IT as well as non-IT issues. With the expansion of computing devices in office environments, managing IT requests related to computers, tablets, other computing devices, computer components, and software has become a small industry of its own. Facilities management software provides the platform to deal with this ever-increasing IT caseload.
CMMS systems can automate ticketing for any new request, letting you separate non-IT requests from those about IT. Ticketing helps your government organization track what is in progress and what is resolved.
In addition, it makes your job as maintenance head and the work of your maintenance team easier if everyone can check on ticket statuses in a central repository.
3. Avoid Scheduling Conflicts
Government organizations typically have several resources that are shared across departments, for instance, meeting rooms. However, manual management of shared resources leads to frequent conflict and frustration when the number of employees in need of a shared resource exceeds the availability of the resource.
CMMS programs can schedule your staff and allot resources accordingly such that there is no conflict.
4. Rent Out the Facility
Government properties have facilities and amenities that greatly suit social communion of all hues and colors. While your real estate would naturally be engaged for regular office work during the weekdays, renting out your premises over weekends could earn precious revenue for the government.
Facilities management software has inbuilt awareness of rental possibilities. You can use CMMS software for programmable renting of your premises. Your software can easily be tuned for maximum revenue without conflict among interested parties. CMMS software can even ensure monetary collection for the rental.
5. Schedule Transportation
Naturally, your government organization will need to host events of its own. Such events may require transportation arrangements for guests. CMMS again provides success in transportation management.
CMMS software can schedule inbound and outbound transportation to minimize transportation costs while maintaining a conflict-free vehicle schedule.
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Enjoy the Benefits
Many benefits accrue with a government organization using facilities maintenance software. While CMMS significantly alleviates the perennial chore of maintaining your facility and its infrastructure, other advantages are computerized facilities management.
As you lead your organization’s facilities, it becomes your pigeon to incorporate the benefits of modern technology and software for the greatest good of all concerned.