The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world topsy-turvy and impacted our day-to-day activities.  Although we have moved on from 19, 20, and 21, the threat is still around. The best part, though, is that it has given opportunities to several industries to help mitigate the outbreak and learn to live with it.

The post-COVID scenario has increased awareness concerning the importance of cleanliness, ventilation, and maintenance management. Indoor air quality is one of the top concerns to businesses, facility managers, employees, and building occupants. As people today spend 90% of their time indoors (most of it in an office environment) it is not surprising if the indoor environments have higher levels of pollution than those present outside.

Today, the focus must be on overall workplace hygiene, adequate ventilation to maintain good air quality levels, frequent disinfection activities, and the implementation of social distancing norms to help make workplaces healthier.

A high level of pollutants can only increase the risk of picking up infections, leading to illnesses. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted several studies and concluded that indoor air pollution is a serious environmental health problem.

Under such circumstances, only contemporary facilities management software can address such factors to ensure businesses run smoothly by remaining hygienic and safe. It is prudent for enterprises to utilize such services at this juncture, as the industry offers immense benefits for the stakeholders. In this post-pandemic situation, the sector plays a vital role in ensuring the operations within organizations run smoothly.

This article delves into the benefits of facilities management in a post-COVID situation and why it is crucial to continue safety practices.

Space Availability Management

Workspace Management Software

Remote working has revolutionized the world’s job market, and more and more companies are offering their employees work flexibility. Today, the traditional office is being replaced by co-working spaces, hot desking, and shared office spaces. According to a survey by research and markets, the global co-working space market will grow at a CAGR of 12%, and the revenue figures will cross $ 13.03 billion by 2025. However, regardless of such exponential growth and the adjustments that come with it, the focus has to remain on hygiene, and better cleaning to keep the employees healthy and safe.

As a result, enterprises may require less facility space for their employees. One benefit is that companies can save on space and subsequently a lot of money.  However, this brings up a crucial point – going forward, space availability will have to be managed through schedules. Customized workplace management software for facilities management and workplace solutions will help coordinate this.

Quick Problem Solving

Workspace Management SoftwareThe COVID-19 outbreak is not only unfortunate but quite unexpected. It has taught us a lesson – that businesses must always be prepared for the unforeseen and unknown. For instance, a sudden roof or gas leak or an electrical fault could end in serious catastrophes if left unattended. With the coronavirus still at large, the focus remains on adequate ventilation systems, especially in hospitals with an overload of COVID patients who are susceptible to catching infections quickly. Having building preventive maintenance software in place not only helps prevent such unforeseen occurrences but also helps save time and precious lives.

Problem-solving is quicker and more efficient when you have customized preventive maintenance software that triggers alerts to facility managers, equipment vendors, and tradesmen with whom you have signed annual maintenance contracts (AMC). Your employees can focus on their core competencies, rather than waste time calling up someone to fix issues. Thanks to such customized software that makes your fault resolution process reliable to allow seamless operation of your business regardless of unforeseen issues cropping up out of the blue.

The Need to Focus on Health & Hygiene

Workspace Management Software

According to Statista, as of May 2022, 11.7 billion COVID vaccines have been administered worldwide, followed by booster jabs, but the risk of transmission still exists. Therefore, cleanliness, health, and hygiene will remain critical during the post-pandemic period. Today, businesses have additional challenges to maintain health and hygiene in the office. The cleaning process needs to be tracked and managed efficiently through workplace health and wellbeing software to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Keeping the workplace hygienic and well-protected help keep the workforce healthy and boosts productivity.

The post-COVID scenario demands that businesses need to add an extra layer of accountability to ensure the staff, occupants, and visitors to the office are safe and well-protected. Besides continuing the practice of hand-sanitizing, which has become part of our day-to-day activity. Maintaining social distancing norms is crucial, and is rendered easy by using an efficient workspace management software that can help plan spaces to keep employees safely apart while at the workplace as the post-COVID situation calls for efficient space management using effective space allocation software.

Contact-free Technology

Workspace Management SoftwareWhile on the topic of hygiene, today, we realize that technology is crucial to minimising the continuing spread of the deadly coronavirus, and other airborne viruses.  Enterprises need to be vigilant, and cleanliness highlights the necessity for implementing contactless solutions. It is a brilliant idea to implement contactless entry and exit systems through a smart building management system to make your employees and visitors feel safe while they are within the facility. Such contactless technology helps save time and energy and increases efficiency in the workplace.

Optimum Indoor Air Quality

Workspace Management SoftwareDid you know that traces of coronavirus particles can remain active for up to 3 hours after release? Clogged HVAC systems are ineffective as they impede airflow and allow the contaminants to circulate freely and accumulate within indoor spaces.  Hence, the HVAC systems in your office need to be properly maintained, lest they lead to increased spread of the coronavirus, including other common airborne viruses like the Rhinovirus that spreads the common cold. The risk is higher if any of your employees have respiratory problems as COVID can affect them quickly. To compound this, if the indoor air quality fluctuates often, it is a wise move for enterprises to install an air quality dashboard to alert their employees when the air quality deteriorates below tolerable levels while they are at work.

Customizing Workplace Space

Workspace Management SoftwareDespite the governments in countries worldwide relaxing social distancing norms, employees still prefer workstations to be a safe distance apart as it makes them feel comfortable while at work. Hence, post-COVID, workspace management software, and easy-to-use hot desk booking software are in great demand. Moreover, accessing spaces while cleaning is a lot easier, and there is also a restriction on the surface areas your employees need to come in contact with or touch.

Conclusion

Although the threat from the coronavirus has reduced drastically, it is crucial to ensure that the remaining traces of the coronavirus are completely eradicated. There is no denying the possibility that the way facilities are planned and managed post-COVID will play a vital role in the safety of millions of office-goers worldwide.

The coronavirus is not the only pathogen, there are others like the Rhinovirus, SARS, Ebola, and the Omicron (a coronavirus variant) that employees and occupants in a building need to be protected from.

Hence, today, the focus remains on maintaining high levels of hygiene, improving air quality, and managing space occupancy efficiently, with an increased focus on health and wellbeing to help create a healthier, safer, and more productive workplace. COVID or no COVID, thanks to cutting-edge facilities management software, you can adapt your office atmosphere to the inevitably changing climate that plagues the planet.