From gut feeling to business intelligence

Business intelligence takes transparency in property maintenance to a new level. It helps you to see the bigger picture while giving access to the details.

The real estate manager can see the overall picture of property stock maintenance from their visualisation. Real estate managers and facility management companies are able to see the technical data that is relevant to them, such as completed maintenance activities for each asset. If deviations are detected, they can be tackled immediately.

Topi Korpela, Director of Customer Relations & Consultancy Services at Granlund, says that decisions in business intelligence are based on knowledge, not gut feeling. We collect data from the operations, and this data is refined and offered in an accessible form.

“We save time as there is no need to look for information from different sources or collect reports from each property separately. Operations become quicker and more efficient. The management can focus on what is essential.”

Business intelligence is spreading rapidly in different sectors. It is starting to become a part of the real estate business, which is occasionally considered rather conservative.

“Business intelligence has become more popular with the new BI (Business Intelligence) tools. Thanks to these tools, you can present the data in a visual form more easily than before.”

Choose meter management wisely

When it comes to real estate maintenance, data can easily be collected from the building automation or energy company, for instance. This technical data can be helpful, for example, in energy efficiency development.

Data can also be collected directly from the operators as all maintenance work is transmitted, received and acknowledged in the ERP.

However, not all data is helpful. It is important to collect data that is essential to the development of operations and to represent it in the correct form.

“It is more sensible to use the top-down approach when beginning to build meter management in an organisation. Most points of development can normally be found in big-picture management and its knowledge-based management.”

The systems must be easy to use

Digitalised operations and the right kind of technology are essential to collecting enough useful data.

“For instance, the content of the IT system must correspond to its operating environment. For example, the maintenance calendar must correspond to what is actually being carried out at the location.”

Of course, it is also important to get people to use the systems.

“It is essential that the systems are simple and easy to use.”

Korpela notes that as we are moving towards business intelligence and the right matters are being measured, the benefits will soon be visible.

“Supervisors will notice that working is no longer as erratic and it doesn’t resemble crisis management; rather, it will be more methodical. We’ll take control of the overall picture, be able to see the tasks that remain undone and fix deviations faster than before.”

Complete package from Granlund

Granlund Manager is a comprehensive property management tool that is easy to use.

“You can add operative maintenance, maintenance planning, energy efficiency and carbon footprint monitoring and different quality and auditing needs to Granlund Manager.”

Granlund also assists companies in digitalising their operations.

“You can get the complete business intelligence package from us, from an IT system to developing maintenance processes and designing meter management,” says Topi Korpela.