Even McKayla Maroney can agree that flexibility is an impressive trait. Maybe it can’t secure a perfect vault routine, but technology has helped businesses in every industry become more flexible and efficient with their operations. Increased building intelligence has allowed them to increase productivity and capitalize on favorable shifts in the market.

The use of data management software is even working its way into the building maintenance sector, as it allows property managers to allocate resources more effectively. By tracking work activity, repairs, energy use and more, companies can manage their buildings more efficiently and in the process, save money on maintenance and keep their tenants happy.

Improving Building Operations with Technology

GreenBiz.com recently reported that smart buildings may hold the key to reducing the demand of city power grids. The federal government is encouraging pubic and private organizations to implement technology that allows them to track power usage to help identify cost-saving opportunities. Other factors, such as water consumption, that place demands on public resources can be monitored with the right technology. This is likely to encourage sustainable practices that will deliver real savings to property owners.

Sustainable Business noted that smart building technology is becoming very popular among school districts for just this reason. More than 90 percent of schools face budget issues, and the upkeep of the buildings represents a major cost. The source stated that The Clark County School District in Las Vegas is using smart building software to manage thousands of work orders for maintenance each year. The technology lets administrators know about potential maintenance issues before the affected classes. Everything from broken lights to leaky pipes is tracked and recorded, giving a comprehensive picture of the overall health of the building.

Property management companies find this technology useful for maintaining office buildings and warehouses, among other CRE markets. Building Engines provides firms with software designed to improve building management by allowing owners and managers to track issues, record service updates and identify potential problems before they affect tenants. Monitoring work orders and repair requests allows building managers to allocate their resources more effectively, which can help reduce overall maintenance costs. Fixing small problems before they become big issues save money and keeps tenants happy.

Keeping Up With the Competition

As more businesses adopt smart building technology, those that have not made it part of their management toolbox will fall behind the competition. Automatedbuildings.com suggested that recent advances in cloud computing will hold the key to improving building software further. These solutions give property managers and their staff increased flexibility. Accessing maintenance requests and other vital information through smartphones enables workers to move quickly from one assignment to the next, keeping ahead of major problems.

To keep tenants satisfied and operating costs reasonable, building managers will need solutions that provide insight and help them improve their productivity. Increasingly, those solutions have become centered on data management and monitoring activity for insight into performance and future trends. Commercial Real Estate buildings need to maintain a neat, professional appearance for their clients, making quick responses to essential situations. With increased control over resources and operations, owners can identify ways to improve building safety, efficiency and NOI.