Facilities management: Not just any old job

TOPdesk clients illustrate the growing need for an application to support their facilities processes

The lift is stuck. I want to reserve a room. Can I also order catering? Can I place an order with a supplier? The toilet is blocked! Demands like these may be somewhat unusual for an ICT service desk employee. Yet such requirements play an important role within organisations and there is now software to deal with these sorts of issues. In response to this trend, a Facilities management version of TOPdesk Professional will soon be available.

Adopting the trend

We’ve carefully considered what the development of a facilities version could mean for both TOPdesk the organisation and clients of TOPdesk. A number of TOPdesk clients have, upon their own initiative, already setup TOPdesk for the support of their facilities processes. This decision was made easier due to the number of important similarities between facilities and ICT processes. So, whether you log a printer malfunction or a light bulb needs replacing, doesn’t matter a great deal. Similarities can also be seen with regard to carrying out changes and administering maintenance. There are thus many reasons to follow this trend and seriously consider the possibilities of developing a TOPdesk version, geared towards the support of Facilities management.

Investigation

The number of clients who wish to also support facilities processes within their organisation using TOPdesk is increasing. Certainly we want to help by offering the right solution with TOPdesk software. For this reason we are carrying out an ongoing investigation, with regard to Facilities management, by looking at our clients, within our own departments and at developments in the market.

We began this process by listening carefully to the requirements and desires of our clients. What do they need in terms of the support of facilities processes, for instance when overseeing technical maintenance and for the management of stock and keys?

A recent study has also been carried out as part of a Masters thesis for the Masters program Innovation Management at the Technical University in Delft, the Netherlands. Jurgen Koster investigated how we can best gear TOPdesk towards the support of facilities processes. Jurgen concluded that, among others, developers of Facility Management Information Systems (FMIS) recognise the benefits of working according to processes. TOPdesk software is already ahead in this regard as much of the application is based on ITIL. Facilities applications are currently task-oriented; therefore a functional approach to the facilities process is taken.

Finally we needed to widen our knowledge of the market. What is currently available on the market in terms of Facilities management? As a result we discovered a large advantage of TOPdesk software with regard to the existing facilities applications - reservations.

One important component of Facilities management is the option to make reservations. Lease management, a current TOPdesk module, already offers this possibility. This module is one of the reasons why several TOPdesk clients have been able to use TOPdesk software for Facilities management purposes. In the meantime the module has been fine-tuned for facilities management purposes and has been renamed ‘Reservations and Lease management’. This change in jargon was necessary, as facility managers and ICT managers speak a different language.

Development: Application and Language

Configuration management and SLAs? Oh, you mean Asset management and Contract management. Although the traditional TOPdesk version was well geared towards basis activities such as logging calls and managing equipment, we are currently working on the development of a version which has already undergone several technical adjustments, not to mention attuning the lexicon. Our Development, Sales and Consultancy departments are working closely together to create an application which, in both form and language, meets the requirements of facilities managers.

An important addition to TOPdesk 3.7 is the free objects. It is now possible to register other objects which are important for the facilities process, such as rooms, keys and company cars. In October we anticipate the release of the Property management module for TOPdesk Enterprise. The big advantage of this module with regard to the existing Branch management module is that more information can be registered regarding property and rooms. Consider for instance the size of rooms, the number of people a room accommodates and maintenance tasks. Thanks to these additions TOPdesk for Facilities management is nearing completion.

It’s all about ITIL

Our investigation revealed that Facilities Management Information System (FMIS) producers appear to be shifting towards ICT. However ICT support software is made up of complex processes. For this reason FMIS producers see ITIL as an instrument to tailor their software more towards process methods. This makes the task of appropriating an ICT software application to Facilities management that much easier. Years of experience with ITIL have shown us that a ‘problem’ or ‘change’ (ITIL terminology) is more than just an incident with a particular status. Such processes require special attention. And that is what current facilities applications have failed to recognise. Various sources have led us to believe that in the future the possibility exists for a similar process methodology as ITIL, yet geared towards facilities processes.

Approaching one central body

For an ICT supporter such as TOPdesk, wishing to lure itself into the realms of facilities management, the chance is great that new opportunities will arise. We are referring here to the ‘Shared Service Centre’ concept. For some organisations this has been a great success. Others meanwhile have become stranded in the process or simply do not wish to consider such a concept.

Shared Service Centre; One stop shop; Central Service desk; Service point. The message is clear - for all your questions and comments concerning both ICT and facilities you can report to one location. The benefits of this are also easy to see. Costs can be saved by bringing your support services together. It is more efficient and client friendly as employees still only need to dial one number, start up one application or walk to one central location. One service point and two applications is also a possible combination, or something in between.

When ICT and facilities employees are prepared to work together, the Shared Service Centre has many advantages, yet it is not essential. In practice disadvantages have been come across in many organisation, for instance when a significant cultural difference exists between the ICT and Facilities departments.

The Future

We are very optimistic about the development of TOPdesk for Facilities management. The feedback we have received from our clients up until now has been most useful. Your ideas and suggestions are always welcome. (AD)
Wij zijn zeer optimistisch over de ontwikkeling van TOPdesk voor facilitair beheer. De ideeën en feedback van onze klanten kunnen we ook nu heel hard gebruiken. Wij vernemen daarom graag van u. (AD)

FACTS & FIGURES

According to the British Institution of Facilities management (BIFM) “Facilities management is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities”. Source: http://www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/about/facilities

Studies reveal that 27% of respondents in the Netherlands use an FMIS (Facilities management information system) to support facilities services. 13% use an ITSM application. 92% also use email, whilst 70% use a browser and 91% MS Office.
Market research suggests that, in the UK alone, the Facilities management sector is worth around £96bn per annum.

The Forecast for the UK market for facilities management is anticipated to demonstrate growth throughout the five year forecast period up to 2010. Overall, the potential market is expected to increase by 15% in real terms between 2005 and 2010, with annual growth levels fluctuating between 2% and 3% in real terms.

Fifty organisations currently use TOPdesk for Facilities management or a combination of ICT and Facilities management.