Over the last two years, organisations in every sector have had to rethink how they create and maintain a safe, hygienic workplace. For most organisations, this doesn’t mean doing the extensive levels of deep cleaning being employed by the NHS & Care sectors. However, it does raise the issue of whether health and safety standards for every sector need to go beyond just using the appropriate cleaning materials and chemicals.
As organisations look to move to a more sustainable way of working, paper-based checklists are starting to transfer to digital options. These digital options can help organisations demonstrate they are meeting compliance standards. Some can also provide reports to help organisations identify trends in the data and make appropriate changes to working practices. Here we look at some of those digital options.
Cleaning compliance
One way to prove compliance is by using cleaning audit software, such as Asckey’s fmfirst Cleaning. The software allows you to create, manage and report on cleaning audits easier than paper-based checklists. It allows you to set up different functional areas representing various usages and degrees of risk. These areas can require different cleaning frequencies and levels of monitoring and auditing that the software can help maintain.
Over the coming months, all healthcare organisations need to demonstrate compliance with the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021. These standards aim to provide a way to measure performance and seek to drive improvements. Asckey’s fmfirst Cleaning can help healthcare organisations prove compliance with these new standards, which now include a star rating.
Outside of the healthcare sector, cleaning audit software can be too complex and this is where survey software can step up. It digitally collects data that proves compliance standards are being met. It also provides dashboards that help users identify trends and areas of improvement.
fmfirst Survey is a more tailored auditing/survey software that can be used for the quick and accurate collection of data. This data enables users to prove compliance and identify possible risk areas, similar to cleaning audit software but not as in-depth.
The software can replace paper-based forms and checklists, supporting sustainability, plus it provides a digital audit trail of completed tasks. fmfirst Survey can be used for efficacy audits, fire risk assessments, Premises Assurance Model and user feedback. For anything that involves Q&A data collection, survey software can help.
Meeting sustainability goals
Digitising processes provides accessible evidence that compliance standards are being met. It also allows for organisations to meet their sustainability goals.
For years Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software has been helping the FM industry with more efficient task and asset management. However, it is now being used as a tool to help organisations meet sustainability objectives.
CAFM software is an incredibly big data resource, managing tasks, assets and everything in between. It can help organisations demonstrate effective compliance and maintenance management and can help support and improve an asset’s lifespan. As a result, you will reduce waste as you remove the need for unnecessary replacements. Well-maintained assets use less energy and therefore have a big impact on meeting sustainability goals.Managing work digitally is a simple way to improve sustainability. Mobile-friendly CAFM apps remove the need for paper-based checklists and work orders as you can access all the information you need at your fingertips. Digital records speed up service times as everything is accessible in just a few taps resulting in personnel being able to always access the latest support documentation. This saves time and means personnel in the closest proximity to the tasks can turn up with the right equipment, helping reduce carbon emissions as it removes the need for unnecessary trips.
From buildings to equipment, the purpose of CAFM software is to help organisations manage their assets in a more cost-effective, efficient and informative way. By having such a system in place, organisations can prove compliance with regulatory, industry and local standards.
At Asckey, we aim to help keep facilities management simple; helping the right people get the right information at the right time. To discover more about how we can help your organisation, please get in touch.
