Clean Your Data and the Benefits Will Follow

11/3/2023

Are we clear just how important it is to have clean, reliable facilities data? Because I don’t think we are. 

For years if not decades, maintenance and engineering managers have heard the words: Accurate, comprehensive data is essential. And with each new generation of technology and each new management tool and strategy, its level of criticality rises. But is the message really getting through? 

Sessions at the recent World Workplace 2023 in Denver highlighted a range of emerging and evolving strategies designed to help managers find greater efficiency, productivity and sustainability. These ideas obviously got top billing in session titles and descriptions, but the central role of data in making them work could not have been clearer. 

Implementing a new-generation CMMS or IWMS? If technicians do not gather and enter data properly, it’s doomed.  

Using key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify problems and maximize productivity? None of it matters if the data that KPIs track and report is inaccurate. 

Trying to understand how artificial intelligence (AI) might benefit an organization? AI requires solid facilities data on which to operate if it is to identify opportunities. 

AI is the hottest topic around, and the interest within facilities in its potential benefits is growing quickly. But none of the benefits can happen unless managers first ensure that the building blocks of accurate data — among them, sensors, software, tablets, and trained technicians and system administrators — are in place and functioning properly. 

Clean, reliable data is not a sexy topic. But as with facility maintenance itself, organizations that hope to benefit from new ideas and technologies cannot succeed without it. The sooner that message sinks in, the better for managers and their departments. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.