WALNUT CREEK, Calif.,
Nov. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- Survey statistics in the just released eBook, "Information
Management for Facilities and Operations" show that building
managers and their facilities teams aren't as prepared for the next
catastrophe as they'd like to be. Released by AIIM Market Research
and ARC Document Solutions, the eBook highlights trends in
facilities management on preparedness and recovery, including cloud
storage and accessibility of building information, the ability to
respond to emergencies, and succession planning to preserve
knowledge and information.
"As a company, ARC promotes the use of solid building
information practices so it was a privilege to partner with AIIM on
conducting this ground-breaking industry research," stated
Brian Bailard, EVP and general
manager of ARC Technology Solutions, a unit of ARC Document
Solutions. "Vice President and Chief Analyst of AIIM Market
Intelligence Bob Larrivee's independent survey analysis provides
valuable insights for strengthening the ability of facilities
managers to respond swiftly and effectively during a catastrophe
while improving their day-to-day operations."
The survey reveals a catastrophe in a commercial building or
public facility can be expected every two years, far more often and
at a far higher cost than previously believed. Catastrophe types
incurring the highest costs include water, fires, wind-related and
earthquakes and overall, there was an average cost of $500,000 in damages to buildings.
Accessing information, including emergency response plans,
ranked as one of the top three challenges faced by facilities teams
following a catastrophe. Of the survey respondents who cite having
digital policies and procedures in place, only 29% report these
documents are in the cloud, and only 15% say they are accessible on
mobile devices. The standard practice of storing information in
paper form is far more vulnerable in a catastrophe than information
stored in the cloud, adding urgency to implement technology
resources that provide a more comprehensive approach to
preparedness.
The survey also shows that facilities teams are overworked and
incurring far more overtime than previously thought. Average
overtime budgets are approaching $50,000 for facilities management staffs.
Information inefficiencies and disorganization of warranty
information prove to be a substantial cost for building managers.
The survey also highlights that searching for information consumes
a substantial amount of time that can be better spent performing
preventative maintenance.
Facilities team workers as a group represent an aging workforce
according to the survey; on average, 29% of facilities team workers
are age 55 or older. Many of these workers are the sole source for
specific building information details, making the preservation of
information difficult once they retire. When they retire and leave
the building, so does their knowledge, which adds to the challenge
of onboarding new employees as quickly as possible. The survey
includes estimates of how long it takes new employees to reach full
productivity.
"Historically, facilities, engineering and operations teams have
been viewed as non-revenue drivers, resulting in fewer budget
dollars allocated for productivity and emergency readiness tools,"
observed AIIM's Bob Larrivee. "This
survey strongly suggests that bottom line performance can be
improved with technology tools that make accessing critical
information easy and fast."
"The survey results highlight the urgency for facilities and
operations teams to adopt modern practices for building information
storage and retrieval to be prepared for the next catastrophe,"
stated Brian Bailard. "The added
benefit of cloud storage is enabling anytime, anywhere access to
facilities dashboards via mobile devices."
The eBook contains insights from a survey conducted in
August 2017 by AIIM to their 190,000+
global community of facilities and operations professionals.
Analysis of the survey was provided by Bob
Larrivee, who noted the survey's timeliness in light of
recent hurricanes in the Southeast, wild fires in California and Oregon, and tragic mass shootings.
For more survey findings, download the eBook. A free, 1-hour
webcast will also be held on November
30 at 11:00AM PT to discuss
additional survey insights and analysis.
About AIIM
AIIM is a global, non-profit organization that provides independent
research, education and certification programs to information
professionals. AIIM represents the entire information management
community, with programs and content for practitioners, technology
suppliers, integrators and consultants. They provide the education,
research and certification that information professionals need to
manage and share information assets in an era of mobile, social,
cloud and big data. www.aiim.org
About ARC Document Solutions
ARC provides technology and document solutions for every stage of
the building lifecycle. ARC solutions deliver productivity
improvements and cost savings by providing instant access to
accurate facilities information anytime, and on any mobile device,
online or offline. Facilities managers use dashboard apps to view,
update and share documents for maintenance requests, during
construction projects, and in the event of an emergency.
www.e-arc.com (NYSE: ARC)
Copyright ©2017. ARC. All rights reserved.
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