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Retail property management is as much to do with people as it is with bricks and mortar. That’s why understanding customer buying habits in detail is needed for retail property investors and their tenants to remain profitable. Continue reading “A Date with Big Data: first steps into property management software for real estate investors”
How to gain sign off for a new CAFM software system
Budget holders are likely to scrutinise all costs you incur – that is their job after all. So they need to be convinced about the importance of each purchase before proceeding. A new CAFM software system can be a significant investment so is no different.
However, a recent survey by the Access Group has highlighted that almost half of UK employees (48 per cent) waste three hours or more a day working with inefficient systems, which costs the average business at least £28,000 a year. The survey also reveals that over half of respondents (51 per cent) are not confident in the accuracy of data within their company’s systems. So, really, the question is can you, as a business, afford not to implement an effective CAFM system which – if done correctly – enables your business to overcome all these issues and more?
Although you may know this, the same is unlikely to be true of all your colleagues. So you will need to convince others round to your point of view.
Most FM professionals, by the very nature of their positions, also do not tend to have significant experience of purchasing services such as CAFM software. As a result, they may not fully appreciate exactly what buying cycles of this nature entail.
We have written a guide to provide assistance with this part of the process, which explains in detail how to put together a compelling business case to support the purchase of a new facilities management system. This includes a summary of what a business case is and the key points it should include. ROI is obviously a crucial factor, which is why we include an example of a cost benefit analysis chart for you to follow.
Key points to highlight include:
- Senior staff not having to carry out administrative tasks
- Implementation of an effective preventative maintenance schedule resulting in fewer breakdowns and longer asset lifecycles
- Smarter task scheduling resulting in less time wasted by travelling between jobs
- Improved stock control meaning minimal asset wastage
- Time saving benefits offered by mobile apps allowing engineers to complete jobs quickly out in the field
No longer be caught out by the complexity of the buying cycle. Know what to expect and how to convince people that an investment in CAFM software can offer your business many benefits and – moreover – pay for itself within months.
Retail spotlight: 3 ways you should be driving tenant retention
In the current economy, competition for tenants is stiff. The holiday sales bump was significantly smaller in 2012 than in 2011, and demand for space in shopping centers is way down. How, then, can you keep the tenants you have satisfied, in order to keep them – period? There are a few ways to drive efficiency for your tenants in these lean times while driving your own costs down; let’s take a look at three of them.
- Accepting payments online – Commercial banks accept online payments; utilities accept online payments. The expectation has been set, and it’s worthwhile to fall in line in order to drive tenant retention. By using an online payment system to accept rent and CAM payments, you’re saving your tenants time and resources, and you’re getting cash in hand faster.
- Accepting sales data online – Since online payments have set the bar high for online interactions, allowing retail tenants to enter their sales data online will save them staff time and resources – demonstrating an awareness of their business needs. In addition to driving tenant retention at your properties, automating the sales data process will save your staff hours of time each month they’d otherwise spend chasing down these figures. Accepting sales data online is a win-win!
- Automating work order processes – In order to retain, it’s critical to maintain. And your tenants are on the front line, since they occupy the physical space you’re responsible for. Allowing them to request repairs, maintenance and HVAC overtime online will help them help you keep your facility in good shape, with a minimal investment of time – and making the history of those requests available online allows them to hold you accountable.
CAFM Manager – nominated as 1 of top 5 careers in FM
We have recently come across an interesting article on a software advice blog on careers in FM.
http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/cafm/top-5-careers-in-facility-management-1021612/
Noticeably a CAFM Manager is chosen as one of the top 5 careers in FM, the article explains how in demand this role is becoming as “more and more, facilities are relying on state-of-the-art automation systems and technologies” and goes on to state having someone in this role is a “huge asset”.
As many Planet users are CAFM Managers we all know the importance of FM software and are pleased this has been highlighted in this article and shows appreciation for all the many CAFM managers out there! Indeed the other careers in the post are also Planet and CAFM users – so it is another good recognition of the FM profession in general.