How to Improve Workplace Experience by IWMS
- Blog
- September 2, 2023
Workplace management refers to the management of services, technologies, and processes. This concept aims to improve the well-being of employees and the user experience. Efficient workplace management is more important than ever because companies are adopting hybrid work models. An integrated workplace management system (IWMS) unifies access to all facility maintenance capabilities by integrating workplace management, infrastructure, and corporate real estate into a centralized system. This helps businesses become more agile, improve operational efficiency, and optimize facilities management. IWMS is the ideal comprehensive workplace management solution for companies that need an efficient workspace.
What is an Integrated Workplace Management System?
Integrated Workplace Management System software (IWMS) is an advanced facility management solution that incorporates building management, corporate real estate, resource management, maintenance, and energy usage. This platform integrates multiple technologies into a single system, helping businesses become more efficient, improve employee experiences in the workplace, save money, and ensure the seamless functioning of hybrid workplaces. The term integrated workplace management system was coined by Gartner in 2004, and defines it “as a software platform used by corporate real estate (CRE), IT and digital workplace leaders to manage the end-to-end life cycle of corporate facilities”.
Core Components of IWMS
The five core aspects of an IWMS solution are:
- Asset & Maintenance Management
- Facilities and Space Management
- Real Estate and Lease Management
- Capital Project Management
- Sustainability and Energy Management
Let’s delve into the key benefits of these core components of IWMS.
Asset & Maintenance Management: IWMS facilitates the management of all data, including scheduling preventive maintenance, managing inventory, and tracking equipment. This eliminates the need for technicians to enter information into multiple systems. Facilities managers can assign work orders to fix faulty equipment and track their status on this platform. When all data related to assets is easily available in one place, it streamlines facilities management.
Facilities and Space Management: IWMS plays a significant role in streamlining facilities and maintenance activities, which include resource scheduling and space management. Floor plan visualizations help in analyzing space occupation, enabling easy planning of office moves, optimization, and utilization of spaces in the facility. By providing data on occupancy and configuring layouts, IWMS aids in effective space management systems, resulting in reduced costs and a better productive environment.
Real Estate and Lease Management: IWMS offers a high-level overview of the real estate properties, including their area, occupancy, and cost. It helps organizations manage real estate asset acquisition and disposal. IWMS provides visibility into real-time performance to make data-driven decisions. It enables the streamlining of lease renewals, which in turn reduces costs by avoiding overpayments. Improve the effectiveness of real estate and lease management through automated tracking, invoice validation, and reviewing lease commitments.
Capital Project Management: IWMS enhances the capabilities of an organization in managing its capital projects. An IWMS assists organizations in evaluating project outcomes and planning funding requests to meet business requirements. It supports project managers in all aspects of planning and executing the project, including monitoring documentation, costs, and schedules. Project managers can leverage the capability of IWMS to deliver project analysis, which helps them in making informed decisions by comparing project plans and progress.
Sustainability and Energy Management: IWMS helps your organization comply with environmental regulations and monitor all sustainability initiatives. It provides a comprehensive view of energy consumption, monitors waste management, and tracks energy usage and costs. The system can measure your organization’s energy usage and evaluate the energy efficiency of assets. By helping to identify areas where your business produces more waste, IWMS enables you to take appropriate actions toward achieving your sustainability and energy goals.
Benefits of an Integrated Workplace Management System.
Advantages of Implementation of IWMS
Reduce Facility Costs: IWMS software enables the efficient management of work orders and preventive maintenance. This reduces downtime in case of equipment failure. Additionally, it allows maintenance technicians and facility managers to access information on a single platform, increasing efficiency and lowering labor costs.
Optimized Use of Space and Resources: Proper planning and utilization of space and resources ensure the efficient functioning of your organization. IWMS provides access to blueprints, computer-aided designs, and floor layouts that help facility managers understand the square footage, occupancy, and vacancy. This facilitates the efficient allocation and management of space.
Improved Efficiency: IWMS streamlines various processes within the organization, ranging from asset management and work order assignment to lease accounting and regulatory compliance. Organizations can significantly improve their efficiency with an IWMS solution.
Better planning: IWMS facilitates the efficient planning of business operations, from scheduling maintenance to ensuring enhanced asset performance, to making better investment decisions. By analyzing the real-time performance of assets, IWMS can assist you in making timely decisions that ensure positive outcomes for your business.
Who can benefit from an IWMS software?
IWMS is software that can enhance organizational efficiency in vital areas, and individuals in various roles within the organization can greatly benefit from it.
CRE and Facility Managers
IWMS aids in CRE and facilities management, ensuring that employees, equipment, and resources are organized and functioning properly. In a hybrid workspace where occupancy and utilization of space and resources change over time, IWMS assists managers in improving workspace efficiency by providing adequate information about space and resource utilization and cost.
IT Managers
As IT managers are responsible for the company’s overall technical infrastructure, IWMS helps them manage all systems by streamlining workflows and increasing the efficiency of processes, thereby enhancing the organization’s productivity.
Environmental Energy or Sustainability Directors
IWMS is ideal for organizations trying to reduce their carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency, and improve compliance with environmental regulations. IWMS can assist sustainability directors in monitoring sustainability initiatives and energy consumption. By analyzing energy consumption patterns, directors can make decisions on optimizing, predicting, and reducing energy usage.
How is IWMS different from CAFM and CMMS?
The primary focus of Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) is on space and asset management. Unlike IWMS, CAFM operates on multiple technology platforms rather than a single one, and information is stored in multiple places. CAFM only deals with facility management and has fewer capabilities compared to IWMS. CAFM is ideal for small organizations with limited functionality.
CMMS is designed for asset tracking, preventative maintenance scheduling, and work request tracking. It does not have space, resources, and estate management capabilities. CMMS is best suited for organizations that require only asset tracking and maintenance.
IWMS is a superior solution compared to CAFM and CMMS. It covers the management of facilities and space, assets and maintenance, real estate, capital projects, sustainability, and energy. Ideal for large organizations, IWMS serves as a single platform that manages various areas of management, ensuring enhanced efficiency and productivity for the organization.
Conclusion
Undeniably, implementing IWMS can provide your organization with numerous benefits. Choosing the appropriate IWMS solution can assist your organization in managing various aspects of evolving workspaces. VLogic’s facility management software aids managers in streamlining facility operations by managing assets, facilities, and space, leading to increased efficiency at reduced costs.
