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Seven Benefits of Wayfinding for Colleges

Every year, colleges across the country welcome a new crop of students. They join upperclassmen, faculty, maintenance staff, support workers, and dozens of other groups present on campus. And, for the first few weeks of the year, campus is relatively chaotic as everyone figures out their new routine. Universities looking to ease this chaos benefit enormously from wayfinding.

Wayfinding doesn’t just help the new crop of students get their bearings; it’s useful to anyone on campus, no matter how well they already know the environment. It’s important to remember that wayfinding isn’t only about knowing where things are or how to get to them—it’s also about navigating the space fluidly. As campus operations directors and facility managers seek to improve the campus experience for everyone on it, wayfinding stands as a great opportunity.

What is wayfinding?

Wayfinding is a support system that helps students, faculty, staff, visitors, and anyone else on a college campus understand where they are, and help them get to where they want to go. It can be as simple as a digital campus map or as complex as turn-by-turn directions to a specific room in a particular building. Whatever features it offers, the goal of a wayfinding solution is to make navigating campus simpler and more efficient.

These days, most wayfinding solutions come in the form of an app or a cloud system. This allows users to unlock their smartphone and instantly access the campus information they need. Look up a professor and find directions to their office. Look up a class to figure out where it’s meeting today. Chart a course from your dorm room to a building you’ve never been in before. It’s all possible through wayfinding—that, and simply being able to see where amenities or emergency services are at a glance.

Wayfinding refers to the process of navigating and orienting oneself within a physical environment, such as a building, campus, or public space. It involves using visual cues, signage, maps, and other information to understand and follow a path or reach a specific destination. Wayfinding helps individuals understand their current location, identify points of interest, and determine the best route to their desired destination.

The main goal of wayfinding is to provide clear and intuitive guidance to users, ensuring they can navigate a space efficiently, safely, and without confusion. Effective wayfinding design takes into consideration factors such as the layout of the environment, the needs and abilities of the users, and the context in which the navigation is taking place.

The benefits of wayfinding for schools

The robust capabilities of modern wayfinding for schools and colleges come with many benefits that make it a great investment. Here’s a look at seven of the most prominent benefits associated with campus wayfinding:

  1. Alleviate congestion. With thousands of people walking around campus at any given time, it’s important to modulate traffic. Wayfinding can ease congestion by suggesting alternate routes at certain times of the day, or even providing real-time updates on areas where overcrowding is an issue.
  2. Improve navigability. Whether they know where they’re going or have no clue where they are, wayfinding makes navigating large campuses simpler for everyone. Condensing the sprawl of campus to a smartphone-sized map enables better decision-making by students—especially when they’re racing the clock.
  3. Reduce disruption. Nothing interrupts a class like someone walking in because they have the wrong room. Likewise, not everyone has time to stop and give directions to a hurried passerby. Wayfinding reduces these types of disruptions by giving everyone the power to get to where they need to go.
  4. Ease transitions. Professionals and students alike have places to be after class ends. Wayfinding helps them chart the way so that they can arrive on-time composed and ready for the next item on their itinerary. It’s a simple way to reduce instances of flustered faculty and winded students so that class can start on-time.
  5. Familiarize campus. College campuses are privy to a number of visitors—everyone from pizza delivery drivers to visiting friends and family. These individuals need a way to get familiar with campus instantly, so they can find the people and places they’re looking for. Wayfinding provides necessary context.
  6. Emergency action. Where’s the nearest first-aid station? Where are campus police located? Where’s the emergency exit in this building? These are important questions that wayfinding can answer, to empower greater safety on campus. It’s an instant way for someone to get their bearings in a dire situation.
  7. Improve accessibility. From wheelchair-bound persons to those with special needs, wayfinding is a tool for making life on campus easier. It can show where handicap access is or where certain facilities are, to empower those with accessibility needs to better-navigate campus in a way that supports them fully.

Wayfinding’s numerous benefits make it something anyone on campus can and should use. Universities that encourage a wayfinding-first approach to acclimating on campus will find themselves with a campus population that’s more adept at navigating and more comfortable with the environment.

Everyone on campus benefits from wayfinding

For new students, wayfinding is a vital tool for getting familiar with campus. For returning students and seasoned faculty, it’s the key to finding the quickest route to wherever they need to be. For visitors, it’s an abundance of information that makes finding specific people and places easy. Everyone can use a campus wayfinding app to improve their interaction with the university and the many buildings under its purview.

Whether it’s a campus spread throughout a city or one with sprawling grounds, wayfinding helps students get to class and everyone else get to where they’re going. Moreover, it does so with experience, efficiency, ease, and expedience.

Keep reading: Facilities Management Software for Schools

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The Benefits of BIM for Facilities Management

BIM in facilities management

Watch How To Leverage BIM for Facilities Management

Many organizations still rely on different data sets for the separate phases of the life cycle. But by leveraging BIM, facility managers can track current usage and costs for better decision-making. They know where to invest and where to cut back. BIM for facilities management also helps with reducing risk while increasing agility. It helps you move more carefully but also faster, and always in the right direction. Implementing BIM for FM is a long-term, iterative process, but it starts with just three critical questions. 

Before looking at the implementation, it’s important to have a set of shared definitions for both facility management and BIM. 

Continue reading “The Benefits of BIM for Facilities Management”
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The Pros and Cons of 3 Types of Hybrid Work Models

From dress suits and cubicles to leisure wear and home offices, the business world looks different today than it did two years ago. What began as a mission for health safety snowballed into a corporate movement. It’s important we take the time to assess the pros and cons of the three types of work: the traditional in-office model, remote work model, and hybrid work model.

Companies and their employees need to understand the benefits, drawbacks, opportunities, and pitfalls associated with the different types of work as they decide which is best for them.

Benefits of working in the office

Before the coronavirus pandemic, most companies operated with an in-office work model. However, what was once the norm has quickly become a controversial subject. Regardless, in some areas, the in-office model remains successful.

Workers can more easily benefit from the organization’s culture, a factor that remains significant to job seekers and employees. 76% of the workforce feel culture plays a role in their professional success, as it directly impacts their well-being. Supportive and collaborative environments are better built when everyone is in the same proximity.

Despite the resounding voices of support, not all employees are pleased that companies switched to the remote work model. Some discovered it challenging to find work-life balance. Those without the convenience of a home office adapted by working from their couch or kitchen counter. When commuting to an office, there is an absolute separation between employees’ professional and personal lives. But without a defined ‘place of work,’ employees have no clear boundaries.

Arguments against returning to the office

While having a designated workspace and set hours are valuable, they have drawbacks. Set 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. working hours make it difficult for employees to set up personal appointments, as those require pre-approval and requested time off. Mothers who receive troublesome calls – mid-workday – regarding their children are also at a disadvantage. These are not the only inconveniences:

  • Money and time spent on commuting (Gas prices are at an all-time high)
  • Lack of privacy when completing individual time-sensitive projects
  • Recurring distractions that interfere with employees’ overall job success

Companies that disregard these concerns may land themselves in hot water. In June 2022, CEO Elon Musk emailed Tesla employees, stating they must return to the office or resign. Employees quickly responded with pushback, expressing that the mandate negatively reflects the company’s business.

After a taste of flexibility, most workers prefer a remote or hybrid work model. Companies not offering either will have access to a smaller talent pool.

Pros of the remote work model

Working remotely was a relatively new experience for employees. Only 30% of the workforce were remote pre-pandemic, compared to 81% of employees during its’ height. Post-pandemic, companies struggle to determine the best work model for the long-term. To maintain employee flexibility, do organizations keep the remote work model or adopt a hybrid work model?

Remote work eliminates employees from commuting, as well as unexpected tardiness. Factors such as oversleeping, traffic, or time spent getting coffee will no longer be a concern. Instead, employees can put this time towards work productivity and mental well-being. Organizations can offer their workforce:

  • Financial savings from less gas and on-the-go purchases
  • Less exposure to illnesses such as coronavirus
  • Ability to create a personalized working space

Additionally, remote work offers flexible hours, which can improve productivity. Employees can work at the time of day they individually perform the best. While 43% of adults describe themselves as morning people, one in three adults says they work better in the evening. Traditional hours may not be what is best for everyone.

Virtual hiring and employee burnout with remote work

Among “The Great Resignation,” 40% of employees searched for a new job. During a time companies were predominately remote-first, many had to rethink how to hire, onboard, and train new employees. 82% of employers post-pandemic use virtual interviews. However, job seekers have expressed concerns with this process:

  • 33% of job seekers feel they cannot convey their personalities in a virtual interview
  • More than 90% of employees encounter tech issues during virtual onboarding
  • New employees lack access to their hiring manager and helpful resources during online training

Like new hires’, active employees also struggle to get the information needed when learning new tasks. A Microsoft study showed that shifting to remote work hurt collaboration and communication within companies. Employees are less likely to interact virtually than in person. Pinging a co-worker appears more intrusive than walking up to their cubicle. As a result, relationship-building feels forced versus organic.

Benefits of the hybrid work model

A hybrid workplace consists of both in-office employees and remote workers who work together as a distributed team. The benefits of hybrid work are many, for both employees and employers alike.

For employees, the biggest benefit of the hybrid work model is flexibility. Whether they work in-house, from home, or split their time between the two, a hybrid workplace supports them. It’s meant to bridge all gaps between different types of work, allowing a person to accomplish their job regardless of the setting.

This seamless working experience goes all the way down to the workspace level. The hybrid work model demands workspaces to be as flexible as the concept. Hotel desks, hot desks, breakout spaces, and the like are all essential in a supportive hybrid workplace. Beyond keeping the concept functional, they further promote employees to work in the fashion that best fits their needs.

From an employer standpoint, hybrid work offers powerful optimization opportunities. For example, ratio desking allows companies to operate with fewer desks than total employees without depriving people of the space they need. In addition, portfolio consolidation can free up significant cash flow otherwise tied up in overhead.

Negatives to beware of in hybrid workspaces

There are still a few kinks in the hybrid work model that companies need to work through. While it’s a proven, reliable solution to distributed teams and workforces, some drawbacks add up to some clear-cut pitfalls:

  • More difficult to communicate in real-time, especially between distributed teams
  • Access to technology and applications may differ from office to home
  • Employees may find it difficult to adapt or develop new habits
  • Employees may feel alienated if not supported in their choice of work style
  • Hybrid requires more processes of control to allow for freedoms in works

Similar to the remote work model, a disadvantage of the hybrid work model is the lack of oversight. Companies give up a traditional sense of control over their employees. Managers must proactively help employees develop good habits and understand expectations. As discussed, social-emotional competency is vital for management, and good systems for communication are imperative.

The hybrid work model offers the best of both worlds

Simply put: because the benefits of the hybrid work model outweigh the potential negatives, the hybrid work model is a long-term prospect for today’s dynamic workforce:

  • Offers the best of both on-site and off-site accessibility for employees
  • Improves flexibility, agility, and optionality of the workplace
  • More effective use and utilization of spaces and workstations
  • Saved workplace and facility costs through more efficient use of space
  • Improved employee experience, which can influence and strengthen culture
  • Access to a broader talent pool when hiring or expanding

Companies might’ve adopted a hybrid work model out of necessity due to the pandemic, but it’s going to far outlast it as the new way to accommodate different types of work styles and everyone’s unique preferences. The hybrid model gives employees and employers the best of both worlds.

Make sure you choose a hybrid workplace model that puts your people first, then find the technology solutions to support it. iOFFICE + SpaceIQ gives companies the tools to connect their people, places, data, and assets.

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7 Trends Driving the Need to Bridge the Building Lifecycle Gap

BIM
Real-estate concept, Two engineer and architect discussing blueprints data working and digital tablet on construction building project.

The modern workplace is driven by technology and the ability to connect a dispersed, hybrid workforce. To be successful, building owners and facility managers need to be able to make data-driven decisions quickly that drive building efficiency while delivering on workplace experience.

As technology continues to improve in ways that better connects building owners and operators with critical data, 7 industry trends are further pushing the need to utilize tools to bridge the building lifecycle gap.

Watch webinar on demand: Bridging the Building Lifecycle Gap: How technology is connecting AEC & operations

1. Knowledge gaps and labor shortages in the FM industry

According to a report from ARC, by 2026, nearly 40% of facility management professionals will retire. This will leave many FM positions to fill and an even larger knowledge gap. Due to misconceptions and an overall lack of information about the field of facilities management, younger professionals aren’t keen to fill the void. As facilities management evolves and technology is more readily adopted and utilized, the perception of the role is likely to change.

In the meantime, building owners  need a way to collect the existing knowledge of their workforce before facility managers leave and take critical information with them. This ensures that whoever comes along to fill the role won’t be starting from scratch.

2. Poor existing data handover processes at the end of construction

The handover process at the end of construction projects is often insufficient in providing the information required for a smooth startup. Building owners either receive no information, or they receive piles of physical documents that make capturing necessary information difficult and time consuming.

Bridging the gap between construction and operations is key to ensuring startup activities are more efficient. Implementing an effective system that digitizes the document management process during construction handover can ensure data that might otherwise get lost is captured and hours of manual entry of paper documentation is eliminated.

3. Time-consuming building startup activities

Due to poor handover processes, operations teams are often required to re-inventory a building before operations can begin. This adds a lot of additional costs for a building owner who is trying to get their building up and running and generating value quickly.

4. Out of date or lost construction documents

If a building owner does get all the documentation at the end of a project, there’s no way to guarantee that will stay up to date without capturing that data digitally. If there’s maintenance performed on an asset, or if an asset is replaced, hard copies become obsolete.

By incorporating a system that captures those installs and services throughout the design process, the need to backtrack and spend time and money tracking down assets is eliminated. Furthermore, it allows facility managers to take a more proactive approach to maintenance.

5. Growing use of 3D models and wayfinding simulations

A trend that is growing is the use of 3D models. This helps in a few different areas specific to facilities management. 3D models can be used to do fire evacuation simulations for development of safety protocols, which also ensures a building is operating under compliance.

3D modeling can also be utilized for wayfinding both from an occupant standpoint when trying to locate people and rooms, and on the FM side when dispatching technicians to perform maintenance somewhere in the building.

By understanding the layout of a given area before dispatching a technician, there’s a basic understanding of the tools required for the job. For example, if a tech knows he’s going to need a ladder to perform maintenance in a given area, he’ll arrive prepared, rather than having to leave to retrieve a ladder and add to billable hours for the job.

6. Building owners looking to get more value out of contractors

In a 2021 Verdantix survey, 48% of firms said getting more value from their existing facility management contracts would be their highest priority over the next 12 months.

BIM can deliver insights into the historical cost of maintenance activities to better allocate budgets for contractors, as well as ensure facility managers are only paying for services and time that are necessary to get the job done.

Additionally, this allows for the development of proactive maintenance plans that keep overall costs at a minimum, while reducing workplace disruptions.

7. Demand to optimize asset lifecycle management and maintenance to reduce costs

Overall, there’s a trending need to capture better data more effectively. A view of a complete inventory means better application of best practices regarding assets. Removing cumbersome paper-based handover practices and implementing a technology-driven approach significantly limits the risk of data loss from conception to finalization to continued operations over the course of the lifecycle of a building. Utilizing a BIM and the comprehensive insights it delivers will prove to be an invaluable resource as we continue to see facility professionals retire and professionals new to the field take their place.

Learn how Autodesk and iOFFICE + SpaceIQ are making these capabilities a reality

With Archibus by iOFFICE + SpaceIQ, you can improve your asset lifecycle, strategic space planning, and more with existing BIM data via a seamless bi-directional integration with Autodesk.

See iOFFICE + SpaceIQ experts’ presentations from Autodesk University 2021

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12 Benefits of Wayfinding for Campus Environments

Business colleagues walking and talking

Many companies operate on campuses. They have multiple buildings designated for different purposes, with staff fluttering between them. Akin to anthills and beehives, there’s constant activity on corporate campuses, with everyone working hard to get from one destination to the next quickly and without delay. Consider the many people, destinations, buildings, and routes this involves and it’s not difficult to see the benefits of wayfinding.

For seasoned employees, getting from one place to another on a corporate campus might be a breeze. Even still, these experts can still get tripped up attending a meeting in a room they’ve never been to in a building they rarely visit. Now, think about a new employee or a visitor—someone who’s never been outside of an admin building. For these folks, wayfinding is downright essential.

What is wayfinding?

Wayfinding in a corporate setting is the act of providing context for movements within facilities. It could be as simple as numbering rooms or as robust as an app that offers step-by-step directions for guests who’ve never visited the building before. The purpose of wayfinding is to make navigating easy—whether to find a person, place, or specific type of space. On a campus, this type of system is even more important, since navigable space goes far beyond a single floor or building.

12 benefits of wayfinding software on campuses

Not only does it take time for people to traverse campuses to get from one destination to another, there are more routes to use. Moreover, it’s easier to get lost or lose your bearings going from one building to another. The benefits of implementing a wayfinding system on a corporate campus are invaluable in saving time, improving experience, and even bolstering productivity.

  1. Space location and utilization. Marc needs a standing desk. Roselia prefers a quiet workstation. Emile needs a 12-person conference room in Building X. Wayfinding is the quickest way to connect need with space. It’s a direct route to the best available workspace.
  2. Efficient employee movement. Getting lost on a corporate campus can result in lots of wasted time and lost productivity. Employees avoid detours, reduce backtracking, and shave minutes off their route when the quickest path is right in the palm of their hands.
  3. Improved employee confidence. Wayfinding offers a straightforward path to the destination, to give employees confidence while they navigate new or unfamiliar areas of the campus. This is vital for new employees as they get acclimated.
  4. Welcoming to visitors/guests. Guests need to know exactly where they’re going on a campus. A wayfinding solution instantly improves the visitor experience. Guests won’t need to stop and ask for directions or spend time trying to call or text the person they’re meeting.
  5. Easy directory integration. If Lenore needs to meet with Rajesh, she can locate him via the wayfinding directory and get instant directions to his desk. This is particularly useful in flex spaces, where employee location hinges on personal devices or current bookings.
  6. Robust software integration. Need to book a hotel desk en-route to a building? Wayfinding integrations make space accessible on-the-go. Book the space from the wayfinding app and get instant directions to it.
  7. Employee autonomy. On free-assign campuses, it’s important for employees to own a sense of autonomy. Wayfinding gives them that freedom. Whether they want a quiet workspace, somewhere near the cafeteria, or a desk with a view, exploring is simpler.
  8. Increased productivity. Employees spend less time wandering the campus and more time getting settled into their workspace comfortably. There’s also a certain productivity in understanding your bearings—you’re less out of your element when you know exactly where you are.
  9. Better space utilization. Wayfinding opens the door to spaces employees might not know about or think to use. When they know where these spaces are and how to get to them, they’ll use them, which boosts campus-wide space utilization metrics.
  10. Contextualized campuses. Wayfinding puts the campus in context, no matter how large it is. As they navigate around, employees become more familiar with where spaces are, what utilities they’re near, how to use certain spaces, and what the best routes are.
  11. Improved safety. Intelligent wayfinding systems can account for campus construction, on-site hazards, and other obstructions. They’re smart enough to navigate people around the problem, so they get to where they’re going quickly and safely.
  12. Better traffic flow on campus. Every campus has common areas and high traffic thoroughfares. Like a car’s GPS, smart wayfinding can route and re-route people across campus to avoid pile-ups and bottlenecks in well-traveled areas.

Wayfinding on campuses is essential. Even for those who are intimately familiar with the campus environment, the ability to rely on wayfinding software for routing and quick answers is key in helping the campus environment feel smaller and more personal.

Make navigation simpler

Employees will eventually get to the point where they don’t rely on wayfinding. That said, wayfinding is still a tool available to them for specific uses—booking a desk, finding a person, or locating an asset, for example. Whether they use it daily or only as-needed, wayfinding is the backbone of any corporate campus and the ebb and flow of movement throughout it.

Keep reading: The Five Major Pillars of a Wayfinding Program

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The Future of IWMS: Demand for Facility Tools on the Rise as Workplaces Digitize  

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With the growing number of point solutions in the market, some may think that an integrated workplace management system (IWMS) is no longer necessary. But, having one central tool to house all facility and asset data does have its benefits—and it’s becoming even more important when thinking about the future. Specifically, an IWMS is a key component when integrating building information modeling (BIM) and building management system (BMS) data to create a digital twin.

Analysts agree: An IWMS is becoming more important with each passing year. A Verdantix research report projects the market for IWMS solutions to reach $737 million by 2024, with a billion-dollar opportunity encompassing computer-aided facility management (CAFM) and computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) solutions in the periphery. The key driver behind the growing smart building software market? Digital twins and the potential for data-driven insights that empower more cost-efficient facility operations.

Archibus, by iOFFICE + SpaceIQ stands as an IWMS market leader. The platform offers comprehensive systems for optimizing built environments—whether you’re keeping up with growth, reducing portfolio costs, or optimizing the workplace to bring out the best in employees. Start simple, and evolve into a system that keeps your organization at the forefront of innovation.

Here’s a look at some of the ways Archibus sets the standard for IWMS and why companies across the world have made it their de facto platform for centralizing digital facility operations.

Manage data in one place for quick decision making

Point solutions are great for fixing a specific problem or bridging a unique gap in a data ecosystem. Unfortunately, they do little outside of what they’re intended to. As workplaces become increasingly digitized ecosystems, point solutions can’t keep up with synergistic demands. Businesses need a centralized platform for data aggregation and integration: a backbone for their digital ops.

Archibus enables a holistic view of your built environment by quickly integrating data with any platform, software, sensors, or other technologies in your tech stack. More important, it’s easy to add on and expand the workplace datasphere in the future with an open platform.

Meets your organization’s global and local needs

Business isn’t defined by borders anymore, and even small companies can have a global presence. The ability to meet global objectives while streamlining local operations is imperative to success. Archibus enables data-driven solutions at both macro and micro levels.

Adapt your built environment based on industry trends and best practices, as well as local, state, and federal regulations, and any other needs specific to your business. Archibus also leverages an experienced Global Partner Network that understands the market and your business, to provide unique solutions, tailored to enabling success at-scale.

Easily perform daily tasks

Whether in a traditional office format, a hub for flex work, or a coworking model, workplaces and broader facilities require everyday oversight. The scope of that oversight depends on the model and the needs of employees. Whatever the demands, Archibus empowers facility managers to realize and meet them.

Archibus’ IWMS platform leverages a more efficient and simpler user interface (UI), while delivering the full functionality and powerful user experience (UX) needed to execute a full range of essential tasks. From simple upkeep by internal staff to managing a team of third-party vendors, everyday tasks happen through Archibus.

Quickly launch across the organization

Easy implementation of the Archibus platform assists with a straightforward deployment and rapid adoption, from data entry to business outcomes. From facility managers to executive management teams, key stakeholders have instant access to powerful insights and performance-driven tools. It’s easy to get everyone on the same page with a cloud-based system that serves as a single source of truth for facilities data.

Best of all, Archibus offers help as you grow. Whatever or whenever the need arises, Archibus provides unmatched support and services backed by 35+ years of experience and a deep understanding of the global IWMS market. Archibus is even available out-of-the-box in seven languages, and easily configured for others.

Enhance your data

Integrated workplaces and smart building ecosystems are only getting bigger, more complex, and more important. The data they yield has the potential to drive key decision-making for organizations at every level of operation. Archibus brings it all together in one place, through unparalleled data aggregation capabilities.

Improve your energy, asset lifecycle, strategic space planning, and more with existing BIM data via a seamless bi-directional integration with Autodesk. Add GIS data for even more context. No matter how many inputs you have or the prevalence of the data itself, Archibus paves the way for building an advanced digital twin—and all the capabilities that come with it.

The IWMS era is only beginning

Point solutions are popular right now as companies begin to dabble in digitizing their facility operations. But, according to a report by IDC, they’re a far cry from the solutions these companies actually need.

“Too many organizations are missing the point of having an integrated workplace management system and are using an assorted collection of applications,” said Juliana Beauvais, research manager, Enterprise Applications at IDC. “Fully leverage all the capabilities of an IWMS to create a long-term strategy for your organization’s workplaces, campuses, facilities, and retail stores.”

Archibus is leading the charge into a future where digital facilities management is the norm. Our open platform allows organizations to manage their entire built environment, with integrations that support BIM, BMS, HR, and IT systems. Archibus centralizes key facility management components to help organizations manage their workspace, facilities, asset performance, and portfolio—all in one place.

Bottom line? Archibus makes workplaces good for business and great for people by providing an easy-to-implement, flexible, and scalable platform. The IWMS platform helps businesses manage their entire built environment and integrated data, no matter the size or scope of their operations.

Keep reading: What is a Smart IWMS and What are its Features?

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Leverage the CLEAN Future and LIFT America Acts with an IWMS

By Fred Kraus
Sr. Director Product, Archibus
iOFFICE + SpaceIQ

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently introduced two bills—the CLEAN Future Act and LIFT America Act—that are focused on clean energy and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in America by 2050.

What does that mean for U.S. workplaces? A lot. The impacts on businesses and organizations of all types are substantial. Managing the nuances of each act will require powerful technologies – such as an integrated workplace management system (IWMS) – to meet the stringent requirements geared toward sustainability.

What is the CLEAN Future Act?

The Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act is legislation designed to ensure the U.S. achieves net-zero greenhouse gas pollution no later than 2050. The policy also includes an interim target of reducing 2005 levels of pollution by 50 percent no later than 2030.

These targets have been set by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a global group that believes that all nations must work together to aggressively cut carbon pollution. The panel said achieving net-zero greenhouse gas pollution by 2050 will help the world avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.

What is the LIFT America Act?

The Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (LIFT) America Act is legislation aimed at reducing energy and water usage in U.S. facilities, including hospitals, community drinking water plants, and schools.

These changes are meant to modernize infrastructure, fight the effects of climate change, and improve public health standards. The policy is designed to improve:

  • Energy efficiency and clean energy
  • Electric vehicle infrastructure
  • Drinking water
  • Broadband internet access
  • Public health infrastructure

Impacts on U.S. Businesses and Organizations

The CLEAN Future and LIFT America acts will directly impact businesses and organizations by alternating building requirements and energy standards across the country. If passed, the CLEAN Future Act would require building owners to:

  • Benchmark annual energy and water usage via the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® – this applies to buildings greater than 50,000 square feet and buildings already in compliance with local benchmarking ordinances are exempt
  • Develop a model building energy code using ASHRAE 90.1
  • Increase building energy performance standards

The LIFT America Act will place additional requirements on federally owned structures, including:

  • Reduce average facility energy intensity by 2.5 percent each year (relative to their 2018 baseline)
  • Reduce potable water consumption by 3 percent each year (relative to their 2007 baseline), for a total of 54 percent reduction by 2030

Increasing Sustainability with an IWMS

Many organizations struggle to find cost-effective ways to reduce their carbon footprint and ensure employee safety and wellness. Technology can streamline processes to effectively track and measure sustainability goals.

An integrated workplace management system (IWMS) platform, including one offered by Archibus, an iOFFICE + SpaceIQ product, makes it easier for organizations to comply with the more aggressive standards outlined by the CLEAN Future and LIFT America acts. A web-based IWMS platform can track key processes like energy and waste management, which helps organizations better understand the impact they have on the environment.

Organizations can utilize Archibus apps to align with their unique business needs, including:

  • Sustainability Assessments: Regular sustainability assessments allow organizations to measure performance indicators, mitigate risk, and reduce their carbon footprint
  • Energy Management: Many organizations have inefficient energy management practices that are difficult to find and cost them thousands of dollars each year – benchmarking, tracking, and management tools help control costs and increase sustainability
  • Green Building: Whether companies must meet new legislation requirements for individual buildings or across their portfolio, the green building app will help them achieve those goals
  • Waste Management: Efficient waste management systems allow organizations to improve health practices and minimize risks
  • Emergency Preparedness: The right IWMS tools overlap with business continuity planning, helping organizations recover quickly in emergency situations
  • Hazard Abatement: Identifying and abating indoor environmental hazards can be time-consuming, but this feature streamlines the process and keeps organizations safer
  • Health & Safety: From workplace safety accidents to PPE, organizations can gain greater control over health and safety protocols
  • Hazardous Materials: Quickly retrieving material safety information helps to protect building occupants and cut compliance costs

Where to start: Sustainability Assessments and Energy Management

Businesses and organizations don’t need to wait for the CLEAN Future and LIFT America acts to launch sustainability measures. IWMS technology makes the concept of environmental sustainability a reality by tracking, ranking, and documenting details on the condition and use of physical assets.

Manual evaluation using spreadsheets and other archaic methods are replaced by objective and systematic ways to identify and prioritize facility replacements, upgrades, and renovations based on environmental sustainability criteria.

Using data from a central repository in Archibus, building owners/managers can:

  • Establish proactive sustainability processes that can improve operational efficiencies, enhance stakeholder work environments, and boost asset value
  • Identify which assets should be repaired, renovated or replaced to achieve environmental efficiency goals or support an existing LEED™ or BREEAM® rating program
  • Improve capital budgeting and planning capabilities by tracking costs and budgets associated with environmental deficiencies
  • Increase efficiency of sustainability efforts by integrating assessments with work order management and by using a unified data repository

An energy management solution is also easy to implement in order to aggregate, evaluate, and optimize energy and utility spending decisions and reduce unnecessary consumption and costs. With Archibus, organizations can:

  • Evaluate consumption patterns to help renegotiate rates and consolidate energy providers
  • Reduce business risk and exposure to changes in energy costs or carbon emissions regulation thought what-if analyses
  • Track energy expenditures against a business plan or objective benchmarks

For more information on sustainability assessments and using IWMS technology to set the stage for compliance with the CLEAN Future and LIFT America acts, visit www.archibus.com.

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Blog

Manage the Three Phases of Commercial Leasing 

By Danielle Moore
Director, Channel Marketing
iOFFICE + SpaceIQ

When it comes to commercial leasing, there are three key phases to consider: onboarding, operation, and termination. Organizations with extensive portfolios face the daunting task of tracking numerous leases in varying phases of their lifecycles and variable terms of tenancy. No two buildings are the same, which requires flexibility in a company’s approach to lease management.

An integrated workplace management system (IWMS), such as Archibus, by iOFFICE + SpaceIQ, provides a centralized repository, flexible dashboards, automated alerts, and other critical tools for efficient and effective portfolio management. The application helps portfolio managers streamline data entry, automate lease information-gathering and management, and improve analytic capabilities—all at a high service level.

Lease oversight at every phase

Lease administration is a different animal depending on where in the cycle a particular lease is. Portfolio managers need to be keenly aware of each phase and the duties that come with it:

  • Onboarding: The acceptance, setup, and activation of an asset
  • Operation: The payment, accrual, management, servicing, and maintenance of an asset
  • Termination: The formal close-out of an asset contract

Proper management throughout the lease lifecycle helps companies stay on top of their biggest overhead expenses. From negotiating terms and signing the best possible lease contract, to proper cost accrual and depreciation tracking, to archival of real estate asset data after lease termination, it’s critical to have a centralized system of management.

How Archibus Leases assists portfolio managers

Archibus Leases allows organizations to manage their entire portfolio—whether they lease or own properties. Portfolio managers gain access to a variety of tools and data resources necessary to handle every phase of the corporate lease lifecycle and approach each phase with tact.

Whether it’s automating lease administration tasks from the get-go or contextualizing lease costs into easy-to-identify trends and forward-looking budgets, Archibus enables a better standard of commercial lease management. Here’s how:

Onboarding

Onboarding is a crucial first step in the lease lifecycle. It establishes the asset and unlocks growth opportunities for the business—but only if portfolio managers are able to control overhead and optimize lease admin. Archibus brings broad visibility to onboarding, to ensure every lease contract gets off on the right terms.

  • Eliminate time wasted locating and reviewing leases and specific responsibility clauses
  • Confirm landlord vs. tenant responsibilities to avoid delivery and payment confusion

Operation

Whether for a one-, three-, five-year term or longer, real estate managers need to optimize the asset for the life of the lease. This means relying on data-driven insights pertaining to cost, performance, and budget, while also ensuring proper asset maintenance and compliance standards. Archibus brings critical data to the forefront, to enable a higher standard of lease oversight during the operational phase.

  • Provide immediate online access to lease details, to easily validate invoices
  • Monitor leases, options coming due, alerts and more from a single screen
  • Assign three levels of urgency to alerts, personalized for all portfolio types
  • Summarize monthly recurring costs across the lease portfolio for an entire year
  • Sort costs according to user preferences, such as geography, cost category, or year

Termination

Just because a lease is coming to an end doesn’t mean there aren’t important decisions surrounding how to handle termination. Real estate managers need insights and records to ensure they’re able to offload the asset smoothly and with full transparency for accounting and tax purposes. Archibus brings enhanced visibility to lease termination proceedings and ensures accurate, accessible, thorough records beyond the lease end date.

  • Ensure all necessary documentation is accessible to properly terminate a lease
  • Track all terminated assets for the purpose of transparent record keeping

Optimize commercial lease management

Overhead costs are the most burdensome for a business—but also among the most necessary when it comes to enabling growth. It’s important to find a tool to assist in lease management across your entire portfolio, no matter what phase of the lifecycle they’re in.

Archibus Leases helps real estate managers see every phase of the lease lifecycle as an opportunity to leverage an asset for maximum ROI. It’s a tool that keeps lease data in one place, to make it easier to track and manage your entire portfolio.

At a time when the cost of commercial real estate is high and demand for centralized workplaces is shifting, it’s never been more important to clamp down on commercial lease management with software that enables a better standard of oversight across all three phases: from onboarding, to operation, to termination.

Keep reading: What Can You Do with Real Estate Analytics?

Categories
Blog

Archibus OnSite Makes Fielding Work Orders Simpler 

High angle view of large group of multi-tasking entrepreneurs working at corporate office. The view is through glass.

Maintaining facilities takes an organized, concerted effort. There are so many facets of property upkeep to consider, each demanding its own approach to maintenance, repair, and improvement. Businesses need a tool on their side that enables not only visibility into these tasks, but also streamlined management of them. It’s why iOFFICE + SpaceIQ created Archibus OnSite.

Archibus OnSite is a new mobile solution that helps organizations efficiently manage preventive and corrective maintenance work orders, assets, and compliance. It’s designed with total facilities in mind, to enable groups and teams charged with keeping them up and running right.

Companies are taking a closer look at overhead

In the era of flex work, companies are paying more attention to the cost of overhead. What they’re finding are opportunities to cut back—not necessarily on space, but on the cost of maintaining that space. It’s all about cost optimization through better workplace efficiency.

Organizations are wasting too much time on administrative overhead: completing work orders in the office and planning work routes ahead of time. Instead, they need to efficiently maintain facilities and assets in a manner that optimizes for availability, uptime, good working order, compliance, and cost. They’re turning to Archibus OnSite to help them take a smarter approach to broad facility upkeep, and reaping the benefits that come with it.

How Archibus OnSite helps maximize overhead ROI

Archibus OnSite is built on a modern, mobile framework that makes facility teams and field workers more efficient. From fielding and sorting work orders, to built-in compliance checklists—Archibus OnSite puts critical resources in the hands of craftspeople charged with vital facilities tasks. Additional core features planned for the app include:

  • Location awareness for easy work planning and routing
  • Push notifications for instant reminders of what’s important
  • Questionnaire framework for regulatory compliance maintenance checklists

Unlike other maintenance solutions that focus solely on ticket management, Archibus OnSite takes a holistic approach to facilities management. It connects asset, compliance, and maintenance management with floor plans and maps to optimize the management of tasks—including locating and planning work.

Archibus OnSite optimizes maintenance operations by bringing visibility and flexibility to the actions that enable them. Beyond realizing the need for maintenance, upkeep, or repair, Archibus OnSite helps facility teams execute with purpose, to get the job done more efficiently and at a lower cost to the organization.

Archibus OnSite is part of a full-featured IWMS

Archibus OnSite works seamlessly with other Archibus modules to enable an even more streamlined approach to facility upkeep. The Archibus integrated workplace management system (IWMS) delivers a full profile of relevant data to Archibus OnSite users, giving them even more capabilities in the field, so they can do their job better. Over time, core synergies will include:

  • Connect to assets for a complete asset inventory and maintenance history to inform lifecycle decisions.
  • Extend to compliance and condition assessment solutions for a comprehensive view of assets under management.
  • Connect to space data and GIS to include floor plans, campus plans, and maps for wayfinding, planning, and locating.

Archibus OnSite allows facility teams to do more, faster. Robust integrations provide immediate, relevant data for an informed response to any support ticket, no matter where it originates or what the scope of work is.

Archibus OnSite as a comprehensive maintenance solution

As overhead costs loom large over organizations, Archibus OnSite ensures a higher standard of upkeep and quicker responsiveness that reduces asset maintenance costs and maximizes the ROI of the workplace using:

  • Robust and configurable workflows (approvals, estimating, scheduling, checklists, etc.)
  • Labor scheduling and workforce management and coordination tools
  • Part inventory management for simplified inventories and better cost control
  • Asset lists, maintenance history, reference documents, and compliance sheets

Archibus OnSite brings a broader level of oversight to facility upkeep and puts organizations more in-control of their response to everyday facilities tasks. No matter where or when maintenance demands arise, Archibus OnSite ensures a well-coordinated response.

The time for smarter asset management is now

Overhead costs may seem like a burden, but it’s vital to remember that real estate is an asset. To maximize asset ROI and more than justify the overhead costs that come with it, companies need to focus on the variables they can control—namely, their response to facilities maintenance.

Archibus OnSite is a ready-to-deploy, easy-to-integrate, versatile app that transforms the way an organization manages its largest asset. With seamless connectivity to other Archibus solutions, availability in seven languages, and the full support of iOFFICE + SpaceIQ behind it, Archibus OnSite will change the way companies think about and approach facility maintenance.

To learn more, check out our webinar or request a demo.