Any vendor work order management program will come with challenges, but the challenges of traditional, paper-based work order management processes are extensive, reports Service Channel. However, conventional systems are laden with risk, poor visibility, and higher costs. Facilities Managers need to understand the top challenges in traditional work order management and use them to build the business case for a newer, advanced system.
1. Lack of Real-Time Visibility and Reporting in Traditional Work Order Management Processes
Gaining real-time asset visibility and energy insights are critical to successful work order management. When thinking about work order management, it is easy to assume that reactive maintenance needs are involved. However, even preventive maintenance may include work orders when the requirements go beyond the skills of your in-house staff. Failure to recognize such activities as part of preventive maintenance may lead to assumptions regarding reactive maintenance reductions and problems in the future.
2. Poor Accountability in Managing Work Orders Results in Unnecessary Delays
Another issue in older systems centers on accountability. Even if everything goes according to plan, says Buildings.com, the technician could overbill the service call. Moreover, how do Facilities Managers know if the repair was necessary and completed according to recommendations? To answer those questions, the value of an advanced management system becomes evident. New technology can self-diagnose and report repairs through sensors connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) which eliminates the risk of “blind trust.”
3. Decreased Traceability Contributes to Higher Spend for Field Service Vendor Visits
Poor traceability within assets and the work order system may also lead to billing and payment errors. Since traditional systems rely on paper, people may lose bills, fail to remit payment or make other mistakes. Fortunately, newer systems automate these processes, reducing the risk of error.
4. Traditional, Paper-Based Systems Are Built for Each Location, Not the Whole Company
Traditional systems may work well for a small, single facility. The system better suited for a single location across an enterprise is not feasible to adequately manage work orders. These simple systems do not share information, and they cannot help multi-site portfolio managers understand costs beyond generalized data. Whereas, a cloud-based work order platform stores data remotely, making it accessible and useful for anyone with authorized access.
5. Outdated Processes Coincide With Higher Maintenance and Management Costs
Outdated processes, even those using legacy terminal-based systems, can pose additional risks to maintenance and management. In today’s world, any information stored on a device could become a means of a cyber-attack. Cloud-based systems utilize the latest cybersecurity software to reduce this risk, and since they are often billed through software-as-a-service (SaaS) payment models, Facilities Managers realize benefits without the high costs of implementing a system in-house.
Enhance Your Work Order Management Strategy
There will always be challenges in work order management, and the number of work orders will only increase as businesses become more customer experience oriented. Those that do not have customers within the facilities have an advantage of only focusing on employee experiences, but the value of improved facilities management for guest and occupant comfort cannot be overstated. Stop wasting resources trying to manage work orders the old way; bring your organization into the future with work order management as an extension of the single pane of glass. Find out what to do to get started by visiting ENTOUCH online or calling 1-800-820-3511 now.