How phenomenal would it be if facility managers could see into the future? While technology isn’t quite there (yet), FMs can take certain steps to future proof business operations. As facilities grow and have the ability to take on a higher volume of responsibility, optimizing your processes to manage the new tempo is essential. Rather than paddling to stay afloat, successful businesses look ahead and optimize their processes to, later on, tackle unexpected events and potential threats with ease.
If you’re a facility manager who is looking to set a strong foundation to create a future proof company, easily grow your operational capabilities, and stay up-to-date on the latest facility management trends, this blog post will teach you how to be confident when making the tough operational decisions. Keep reading to learn how you can use future proofing to establish a cohesive, forward-thinking ecosystem that improves the daily lives of every person, customer, and staff member who walks through your facility’s doors.
Continue reading on below to see how you can future proof your businesswith these key considerations!
What is Future Proofing?
Future-proofing is a business practice that involves anticipating future needs, trends, and events to optimize processes to alleviate the potential effects and stress of these events. As companies evolve and take on new responsibilities, being able to ingrain future proofing processes will be an essential business practice for companies looking to scale.
You may feel confident in the state of your business today, but what will tomorrow bring? Creating a future proof company gives your team the tools it needs to adapt to changes in the environment, allowing your business to survive and thrive during times of uncertainty.
Future proofing a business may look like:
- Testing new business strategies, marketing messages, and work processes
- Moving to a digital-first work environment
- Exploring new talent management strategies such as outsourcing and contracting
- Re-defining what growth looks like and setting new goals
- Analyzing past events and predicting future events (and their subsequent reactions)
A future proof business will be able to take on unknown challenges in stride because it has anticipated and created actionable plans for potential future events. A future proof business relies on being proactive rather than reactive.
Why Future Proofing is Important
It’s important to think about your business with a proactivemindset to overcome obstacles with pre-conceived methods rather than react to the challenges in real-time. A future proof business can survive the curveballs because it has anticipated future challenges and can make the necessary adjustments to combat these challenges.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of why creating a future proof company is so important in the modern world. Things change quickly, new threats arise daily, and no one can predict what tomorrow holds. The pandemic accelerated the need for workforce changes like flexibility and autonomy, team connectivity, and communication enhancements, and completely shifted the role of the modern-day facility manager. The pandemic completely reinvented the way the build environment is designed and managed, deepening the need for digital transformation within the facility management industry.
What was the solution to many of these post-pandemic needs? Digitized systems and automated processes. This was true across several industries, and facilities management was no different. You, and many other facilities around the world, likely experienced:
- Reduction in on-the-clock staff members causing productivity to decline.
- Frustration due to outdated systems that do not cooperate well with digital-first, autonomous task management of the modern era.
- Disruption in workflows caused by staffing issues, outdated systems, and complicated communication barriers.
Four Facilities Management Trends to Watch in 2022
One part of creating a future proof company is leaning into the latest trends and technologies. Using knowledge of where the industry is heading will help drive decisions that positively impact the business and keep you from operating in the past.
1. Outsourcing. The workforce is changing, thanks in part to modern technology and the effects of COVID-19. The increase in hiring outsourced talent has been trending across industries as companies rely on a more flexible workforce. It’s predicted that by 2025, the outsourced FM services market will be worth $1 trillion!
2. Digitalization of facilities management. Facility management is going digital, fast. Gone are the days of messy piles of paper work orders, sticky notes, and bulletin boards. Over the years, facility managers have digitized work order requests and communication, and now even more of the process is handled on computers, phones, and tablets.
3. Data and analytics. Along with the digital conversion of facilities management processes comes a new way to dive into analytics. With this new wealth of data at your fingertips, digitalization makes it easier than every to identify trends, pain points, and opportunities for improvement. Reporting is an integral part of businesses as they scale–you can’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been.
4. Facilities management software offerings. Just google ‘facilities management software’ and you’ll see how many options are on the market to assist you. When choosing which facility management software is right for your and your team, keep in mind not only how much it will help you in the short run, but how it will help you achieve your long-term goals. Here at FlowPath, we believe in present and future day growth, and equip you with the tools needed to make that happen. Learn more about how we take a personalized approach to automation by connecting with us today.
Benefits of Future Proofing Your Facility
One of the most impactful The major benefits of future proofing your facility is that your team and your business are more prepared to handle potential challenges. With automated processes and interconnected technology, you can future proof your business with an operating model that helps your facility run smoothly and efficiently.
Some of the benefits of future proofing your facility with enhanced technology and processes include:
- Increased staff productivity on a day-to-day basis
- Reduced panic and stress when faced with unknown challenges
- Improved communication between team members, managers, and executives
- Organized note-taking, data gathering, record keeping
- More efficient time management
How to Future Proof Your Facility with FlowPath
Are you ready to take the first step towards a future proof company? Automating your antiquated facilities management processes will not only increase overall efficiency but will also ease the burden of tedious admin tasks and smooth workflows for your team members.
FlowPath can help with all of this by creating an increase in operational value through:
- Faster workflows. FlowPath software makes it easy for facility managers to see a complete view of what tasks need to be done, what tasks have already been done, what is coming up in the future, the status of available inventory, and more all at their fingertips
- Increased team transparency. Custom permission levels allow you to grant users access to information on current work order initiatives, enhancing collaboration with direct communication
- Insightful reporting. Historical data lets you analyze what worked and what didn’t, helping you improve your workflows and initiate changes that benefit overall productivity
- Better service providers. Your customers are happier because your team members are more efficient. Less strain on your team = better service for your end-user
- Collaborative teams. Your team members have the tools they need to be successful, like better communication and transparent workflow. This creates multifunctional teams that work better together
What’s more, we recently took our customer feedback into account and re-designed the platform to stay current with our customers’ needs. Now, FlowPath makes it easier than ever to filter work orders by custom needs, easily manage notifications, and customize task views to your preferences.
The recently enhanced user interface was updated to include:
- Clearer, easier navigation
- Upgraded work order capabilities
- Thoughtful design and user flow
- More options to stay organized and have information readily accessible
What are you waiting for? Start your free trial and get on your way to future proof business status.
Do you need more proof that FlowPath should be in your future? Contact us today to schedule a demo!
FAQs About Future Proofing
You know what a future proof business is at a high level, but you may still have some questions. Totally normal! We’ll break down the most common future proofing questions for quick reference.
What is future proofing a business?
Future proofing a business is the process of looking ahead to develop and implement improved processes and workflows that minimize the risk of failure or loss in the event of a potential threat.
Is future proofing possible?
Future-proofing is never 100% achievable unless you are a certified fortune-teller. Because no one can predict what will happen in the future with complete certainty, future proofing is more about implementing processes that minimize the effects of future stressors and equip your team members with the tools they need to do their jobs better in the face of uncertainty.
What does the term future proof mean?
When we say a company is future proof, it means the company is equipped with the processes and methods to tackle unknown future stressors.
