Why use a property asset management tool?

Today, public or private property management involves a whole series of complex and diverse issues. 

They are mainly of three kinds: economic, regulatory and operational.

Economically, it is essential to know all about the property, its real value and condition, to schedule investments and renovation work in the short or medium term. But also to know how the building is used, to see whether it is being put to the best possible use, as well as many other issues.

For regulations, there is an obligation to know if the building conforms to regulations and prevailing norms. The consequences for failure here can be heavy and even dramatic.

On the operational level, ensuring that everything is in good working order, that scheduled services are actually being provided, that the buildings are still adapted to the use they were designed for and that renovation and maintenance work is well adapted and optimised.

All this may seem obvious, but when you are managing dozens of buildings with a wide range of uses, this can all very soon turn into a major headache.

Imagine a local authority landlord needing to maintain rental properties in an area or a region with a high turnover of tenants. It is vital to have information about the state of the properties, and especially about the sanitary facilities, the public areas and facilities. This information is essential if you want to maintain or even to improve the value of your property, to invest in building new accommodation in line with your objectives contract.

Similarly, property management in hospitals means making sure:

- that norms are respected (and given their increasing complexity, this is a tall order)

- that buildings can be reorganised to adapt to changes in patient treatments

- that the property is perfectly maintained, sometimes with the extra burden of having a listed historic building, and all in a context of big reductions in financial capacity.

The whole process may prove particularly difficult. Property is the first item on a balance sheet and the second biggest source of expenditure in the operating account. It is clearly a major issue that needs to be perfectly under control if the right decisions are to be taken in the long or short term.

As can be seen in these two examples, and given continually increasing demands, efficient property management is a complex challenge, involving very important issues. 

This is why a modern and efficient property-management tool is needed.

The key is to have easy access to reliable information in real time, so that you can make the right assessments and take the right decisions.

At a click and in a clear, visual way you need to be able:

• to access the exact size of surfaces areas (offices, flats, technical and public areas) and their use. Information must also be available through your management system
• to manage your areas in a continuous and optimised way
• to have the information you need about equipment, where it is situated, etc.
• to get an overview of your buildings, of ongoing or future renovation work
• to manage your properties according to their use, whether for private or public owners
• to be ready for the BIM revolution, while continuing to manage your present system
• etc.

As outlined above, to do so you will need a source of reliable data that can be used in your other systems (financial, rental administration, CMMS, etc.), while providing a global or detailed view of your property, in line with your needs, enabling you to answer different requests, to take the right decisions and enhance the value of your property over time.

It is now almost unimaginable to do without the right information in real time and in a highly visual way, so that you can meet the needs of your organisation and take the right decisions about your buildings. The value of your property and its operation are at stake.

Our Archidata platform meets these needs, which are most probably also your own, if you work in property management.

In a future article, we will see how this platform can take you from 2D to 3D, using your existing plans, how it can help you adopt BIM and also the added value it can bring to your work.

Want to find out more? Visit our website and contact us: commercial@algotech.fr