3 WAYS TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Technology has changed the world we live in. Now, with the click of a button, you can order dinner, a car or a movie right to your house. Your cell phone allows you to take high-quality photographs, surf the internet and call someone on the opposite side of the globe, all with the same device, and you can keep track of how healthy you are just by wearing a bracelet that sends data about your vitals to your computer.

These new advances have changed how many businesses are run, including Facilities Management. So, without further ado, here are 3 ways in which technology is drastically changing the landscape of Facilities Management in 2016.

Technology is Allowing Us to Collect Real-Time Data: In the past, it’s been difficult, if not virtually impossible, to collect and record real-time data about an organization’s long and short-term operations. Today, with the use of intelligent analytics tools, it’s possible to closely monitor many different aspects of an institute of higher learning’s operations, and this allows Facilities Managers access to real-time, specific information that can be used to make informed decisions about policy and procedure.

Automation Means Machines Can Self-Regulate: Most of the day-to-day operations of a university or college revolve around taking stock of what items in the facility need to be fixed, re-stocked, or purchased. With self-automating machines, though, gone are the days of the morning walk-through. New devices that connect to the internet are programmed to replenish their auxiliary products as necessary, essentially creating their own maintenance tickets and closing them without the help of humans.

Electronic Payments De-Stress Billing: Keeping track of all of the regular and contracted expenses of an university is extremely difficult. Luckily, electronic payment vehicles like PayPal and ApplePay make it easy to schedule and send payments to all of the people who handle the nitty gritty of the school’s operations, thereby rendering the paper check a thing of the past.

Exciting new technology is being developed and released every day, and I’m interested to see how new innovations in tech influence and change the practice of Facilities Management in Higher Education in the future. Please check back in the future for more information about the intersection of technology and Facilities Management, and thanks for stopping by.