Successful Facility Management Requires a Customized Data Collection Process
“An objective and defensible facilities conditions assessment is critical to efficient management of any facilities portfolio. Unfortunately, the data obtained in most assessments collected or represented in a manner to enable confidence in associated costs for deferred maintenance requirement, or [to] allow for integration into efficient, robust, and integrated planning, procurement, and project delivery activities.”
As depicted in the graphic below, both initial and updated field data collection is essential for the lifecycle of a facility management portfolio.
Click on the graphic to see the entire article by Peter Cholokis of 4BT.
Field data collected on paper checklists or extracted from PDF reports require additional time for manual input and are subject to transposition errors. Mobile data collection (using smart phones or tablets) provides many advantages, including the incorporation of photographic documentation. Many Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms have pre-set data collection sets which limit the asset/portfolio managers ability to obtain customized data specific to their requirements.
Utilizing a mobile template created for a specific project or a portfolio of buildings allows the asset/facility manager to obtain the targeted granular information they require for their decision-making process. This also allows for consistent updating of the project equipment information through monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual inspections. A standardized assessment methodology and locally researched detailed cost data is imperative to the success of the efficient management of any facilities portfolio.
The CSTAT mobile data collection platform was developed for one purpose – customized field data collection. As shown below, CSTAT provides an easy-to-use mobile template that can be customized to a client’s exact specifications.
Facility condition assets/audits are critical to the long-term management of any facilities portfolio. Just remember, the entire process starts with field data collection. The best way to achieve success is collecting the field data you require for your decision-making process.
CSTAT can provide the collected field data in an Excel spreadsheet or through a customized searchable dashboard. CSTAT can also populate the data into an existing PDF form or incorporate into a Word document. Should a client already use capital planning or facilities management software, the field data can be pulled from the CSTAT platform via an application protocol interface (API).
This is an example of a public sector portfolio owner self-reporting survey. CSTAT can create surveys/inspection forms with any level of detail a client requires.