INFORMATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT
MAINTAINING YOUR ASSETS
The core of a Facilities Group is the policies, procedures, processes, and data required to manage the Assets of the organization. No organization (in any industry) can afford to accept their current level of proficiency. To effectively pursue improvement, it is necessary to “define the gap” between the current conditions and the goal of an integrated management tool.
INFORMATION NEEDS ASSESMENT (INA)
An Information Needs Assessment (INA) helps us identify the type of information that is currently supporting the managerial decision process and what legacy technologies are being used to support these “flows of data”. Through an interview process, information is gathered as to work flows of management, supervisors, maintenance, accounting, scheduling, human resources, asset management, and key customers. The output of these interviews includes a series of flow charts illustrating information flowing into and out of each work “node”. This is then provided as to appropriate recommendations for work flows within the Computer Integrated Facilities Management System (CIFMS) software as well as ASP or network characteristics of the required technologies.
The INA process is used for identifying and supporting the selection of the major modules of a CIFMS application such as:
- CMMS – Computer Maintenance Management System
- CAFM – Computer Aided Facility Management (Space)
- EM – Environmental Management (asbestos, lead based paints, chemicals)
- CR/BC/DR – Crisis Management / Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery
- CM/PM – Construction Management / Project Management
- GIS/CAD - Geographical Information System / Computer Aided Drafting
- In today’s world, all these modules should share data and “talk to each other”
Once the INA has identified the information paths, the existing policies and procedures, the internal work flows, and the functionality of the existing and required software tools, the next step is to write and support the RFP process to select the vendor and software that most closely matches your needs. For most organizations, that is the selection of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
COMPUTERIZED MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMMS)
The implementation of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) program provides you with the management tools for tracking maintenance and project related labor and material costs, preventative maintenance tasks, warehouse inventories, warranties, and outsourced contracts all integrated into your existing ERP or accounting systems. This integrated information approach gives you the ability to make real-time business decisions and develop innovative solutions, while improving your daily operations.
Are you having trouble taking care of your Facilities and Infrastructure?
Over 50% of all CMMS programs fail in the first two years because of lack of manpower or financial support. Given the complexity and the interwoven nature of maintenance problems, a broad view must be taken when designing improvement strategies. A purely technical or management approach, taken without any effort to address financial issues, can often result in failure. However, a detailed and comprehensive effort may be too overwhelming for public agencies and private entities staff to undertake. Efforts may have to be concentrated on a few critical areas.
Who can help your company?
For the past 8 years, the leaders of our Facilities Management Services Division have worked with companies and public agencies providing them with the following services in the Computer Integrated Facilities Management System arena.
Please Contact Us to find out how ISES Corporation can assist you in implementing a Business Software tool suited to your business needs.