Featured article by Bryan Christiansen, Founder and CEO of Limble CMMS
Photo by Laura Davidson on Unsplash
As businesses continue to manage the after-effects of the pandemic, more workers are actively seeking to transition from full-time desk work to working remotely or on flexible schedules. Some might be working remotely on a permanent basis.
One obvious result of this change is that several large office complexes will be occupied at far below capacity. But, even with reduced occupancy, vital systems like lighting and HVAC must remain functional.
An ideal way to address this situation is to adopt solutions that can help with managing office spaces remotely.
Below, we’ll discuss five of these technologies. Fortunately, these solutions are already well within reach and readily implementable to help advance office space management towards a more flexible future.
1) Safety inspection and monitoring systems
These are cloud-based safety inspection solutions powered by AI. They enable maintenance personnel to conduct remote visual monitoring of at-risk infrastructure and safety installations.
With these systems, companies can seamlessly conduct virtual asset inspections and improve HSE compliance with features like automated gas leak detection and safety monitoring,
Advancements in this technology mean that it now goes beyond the norm of HD video streaming. For example, some brands allow multiple participants to conduct inspections in real-time, share documents, take pictures, upload inspection checklists, add comments and notes, and automatically generate inspection reports.Â
2) IoT Technology
Through a system of interconnected machines and sensor inputs like temperature, vibration, and humidity, managers can remotely monitor physical assets in office space bygathering and analyzing asset information using the Internet of things (IoT) technology and other infrastructure.
From the point of measurement, machine data is sent seamlessly and securely to the cloud. Based on that information, maintenance personnel can receive alerts, assess the situation, and respond accordingly. Through remote asset monitoring, maintenance teams can avoid neglecting maintenance management and the building depreciation that would follow.
3) CMMS Software
Traditionally, maintenance technicians worked in small groups in close proximity, usually under the direct supervision of a supervisor or a facility manager.
But now that there’s a need to work at a distance or stay away completely, maintenance staff can still deliver good quality work without being physically monitored. This is possible by deploying a cloud-based computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
For remotely monitored office spaces, a CMMS comes with key features that will enable facility managers to continue coordinating maintenance activities regardless of their location. Starting with the maintenance plan, they can view, create, adjust, and assign tasks to technicians using the Work Order module and ensure that no task is overlooked or forgotten. They can also monitor ongoing work and receive updates from technicians in the form of text, videos, and pictures as the job progresses.
These days, most CMMS brands offer their services as cloud-based SaaS solutions that can be adopted quickly. Among the many features that they offer, CMMS solutions allow multiple users across different locations to log in remotely using internet-enabled mobile devices.
Therefore, workflow is optimized and efficient since every member of the team can access maintenance information, communicate faster, and remain updated with relevant information at any time of the day and from anywhere.
4) Access control and security systems
Remote security systems have been around for a while now. They offer effective 24/7 security coverage for different buildings and are a popular choice for sparsely occupied office spaces. Usually, these systems include fixtures like wireless video surveillance, vandal-proof security cameras, and motion detectors, to mention a few.
After installation, the setup is monitored remotely by security specialists located at an off-site station. From that station, every part of the office space can be monitored and the operatives will receive an alert if there is an anomaly. All this happens without the need to have people physically walking the grounds.Â
5) Drone technology
Drones, also referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are a category of aircraft designed to fly without a human pilot aboard. Drone Technology has grown exponentially since the first models were introduced in the 1930s. Today, drones incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that enable them to fly autonomously.
Modern drones can be fitted with a variety of gadgets like high-resolution cameras for recording videos then streaming that information back to a mobile device. In addition, sensors can be mounted on drones as well. For offices, these sensors would measure parameters like pressure and humidity.
For office space management, drones are a valuable tool for inspecting installations in hard-to-reach areas like on rooftops or in confined spaces.Â
In Conclusion
Although remote office space management is a subject that wasn’t so commonplace a few years ago, the reality is changing. Now it’s becoming a necessity that building owners may have to tackle for years to come.
By researching further on the technologies discussed above and adapting them to each unique building and organizational needs, facility managers and their employers could be better positioned to ease the challenges of remote office management.
About the Author
Bryan Christiansen is the founder and CEO of Limble CMMS. Limble is a modern, easy-to-use mobile CMMS software that takes the stress and chaos out of maintenance by helping managers organize, automate, and streamline their maintenance operations.
