For most organizations, site assessments remain manual in nature. Someone in the field collects data by hand. After they leave, they compile other important information such as photos and building commentary. Unfortunately, this approach usually results in drags on efficiency and poor data quality. Site assessments involve a myriad of external and internal building metrics, and there can be hundreds of data points to analyze. Multiply this over an entire portfolio of assets and it’s easy to see how inefficiencies can start to emerge.
Through our clients and active data assignments, we have found several manual processes that, when eliminated from site assessments, can drive efficiency and better data quality. In fact, a recent process improvement study we conducted showed a 60% increase in efficiency when eliminating four key manual processes from site assessments:
Gathering Data with Clipboards and Paper
Organizations should focus on automating data capture as much as possible in site assessments. This involves spending time outlining what critical building component data needs to be collected beforehand, and using a software platform to manage the data capture process. 4tell™’s Facility Condition Assessment Software helps classify, quantify and summarize building data immediately upon collection. The result of this process is that the majority of the work, including QA/QC, is already done before leaving the field.
Adding Building Narrative After the Fact
A key part of site assessments is written commentary about the status of building components. However, most organizations add commentary after leaving the site, relying on memory to complete their evaluations. One way to make the process more efficient is by having teams dictate their assessment on site into a tablet or smartphone, in addition to capturing images at the same time.
Labeling and Organizing Images
Photos are a critical part of a good site assessment. They help illustrate the condition of assets in a way that words and data may not completely express. Why, then, do so many assessors snap photos on one device and take notes somewhere else? It’s easy for these to get disconnected; and poorly lit, disorganized images add nothing of value to a final report. Instead, look for software that allows you to add photos to the report as you go. That way, it’s clear from the outset what each image represents.
Figuring Out How Much Data to Collect
A focus on required data is essential to generate efficiency during a site assessment. However, most organizations focus less on structuring or defining which specific data they need, and instead try to capture as much data and information as possible on site. We have seen many clients take more photos than needed, or add commentary that is not required. The issue with this approach is that building managers must manually filter and sort through unimportant data before getting to what they actually need from the assessment. Performing tasks that do not contribute efficiently to the deliverable obviously reduce project margins, but also drive data quality issues.
Building Efficiency into Site Assessments
By taking a disciplined approach to site assessments via guided software and focusing only on tasks that contribute to the required scope, organizations can complete them much quicker and with higher degrees of data accuracy. Not only does this lead to the increased quality of information, but also client satisfaction and improved margins overall.
Eliminate these and other manual processes from your site assessments with 4tell™’s Facility Condition Assessment Software. Contact us to learn more.
Photos: sirtravelalot / Shutterstock Inc