In this white paper, we discuss industry standards, the range of disciplines IWMS spans, external systems (e.g., CAD, ERP, human resources) that interact with a solid IWMS, and the costs avoided when innovators enforce data templates and processes throughout the enterprise.
Research
Publication Date: June 2007
Authors: Kristian Rowley
ID Number: T007061507
Why do leading organizations
implement Integrated Workplace
Management Systems (IWMS)?
Decision makers in every major industry invest heavily when it comes to Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS). Why? A true IWMS consolidates real estate, facilities, operations and project management processes onto a single platform for measurable results that improve business. The following white paper shows the benefits received and minimum requirements an IWMS technology should provide. The white paper discusses industry standards, the range of disciplines IWMS spans, external systems (e.g., CAD, ERP, human resources) that interact with a solid IWMS, and the costs avoided when innovators enforce data templates and processes throughout the enterprise.1 Executive Summary
The returns from Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) are dramatic. For example, Aberdeen research suggests that a customizable workflow engine reduces project management cycle times by 30 to 50 percent . A local government estimates it saved $180,000 per year by vacating two buildings. An organization can save 30 percent by implementing a solid Integrated Workplace Management System. Many companies have used an IWMS to reap savings worth tens of millions of dollars, with some of those savings exceeding $100,000,000.
In this white paper, we discuss industry standard needs, the range of disciplines IWMS spans, external It is generally accepted that systems (e.g., CAD, ERP, human resources) that usually interact with a good Integrated Workplace organizations can extract Management System and the costs avoided when 10% to 35% savings in labor innovators enforce data templates and processes expenses with controls on throughout the enterprise. We also provide workplace maintenance. specific examples of Return-on-Investment (ROI) and describe how organizations lower Total-Cost-of- One organization in the Occupancy (TCO). manufacturing industry saved over $190 million in two In our "Strategies and Solutions" section, we discuss the formal definition of IWMS and dig deeper into years with real estate and four primary applications: real estate, facilities transaction management.management, maintenance operations and projects. For real estate, we focus on high-cost properties, lease administration tasks, common transactions like sale-leasebacks and the roles involved. In the facilities management sub-section, we discuss an emphasis on space and move/change control. While maintenance operations teams strive to reduce response times, lower costs and elevate customer satisfaction, project managers focus on areas such as asset delivery, planning, risks and performance metrics. A true IWMS captures these applications from a single technology platform.
Our discussion expands into the advantages of IWMS. IWMS drives workplace processes through easy-to-use portals and combines real estate, facilities management, maintenance operations and projects applications on a flexible platform. While IWMS for real estate management reduces expenses, orchestrates lease administration, performs real estate transactions and delivers regulatory compliance reports, IWMS for facilities management administers space assignments, improves occupancy ratios, lowers costs and controls moves/changes. For service requests and maintenance, IWMS innovators improve return on assets through condition assessments, maintenance schedules (both demand and preventive) and automated workflow processes that perform in the most demanding environments. After we describe how IWMS improves project management, we introduce IWMS for the retail industry, which improves top and bottom-line performance, reduces the average time to open and re-model stores, eliminates lease expense leakage and minimizes over-runs or delays.
Aberdeen, "Capital Asset Life Cycle Management: Optimizing Enterprise Performance through Better Asset Intelligence," January 2004
2 The Need for Integrated Workplace Management
When real estate and facilities operations run smoothly, they tend to recede into the background. The people using these incredibly expensive assets are unaware of the many systems and processes that continuously deliver critical resources like space, air conditioning, electricity, furniture and com... [download for more]
