When you search for the term, “IWMS” (Integrated Workplace Management System), you will find lots of results for IWMS software vendors with solutions that seem better suited to real estate and commercial organizations. These results seem directed at facilities professionals who manage millions of square feet of office, warehouse, and manufacturing space for private sector companies.
To find meaningful results, we recommend using “best IWMS software for Government” search term. By adding "for Government" to IWMS, you will find the results are much more relevant and useful to those responsible for maximizing the useful life of public sector facilities and assets - i.e. Director of Facilities, the Director of Real Estate, the Director of Public Works, and similar department heads across a variety of agencies.
The reason "why" is fairly straightforward. Companies and Government organizations have different perspectives on their property portfolios, and therefore different challenges and priorities. Private sector companies make decisions to maximize profits in the short-term, while public sector agencies must be good stewards of Government property and act in the public’s best interest over the long-term.
This doesn’t mean that an “integrated workplace management system” isn’t a good fit for Government organizations, it just means you need to find an IWMS software solution designed specifically for Government.
So, why has finding the “best IWMS software for Government” become so important? Governments are faced with many challenges including aging facilities, deferred maintenance, increasing energy costs, limited funding for capital improvements, pressure to better utilize space, and more. Many of the problems facing Government were apparent BEFORE March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 was a global pandemic; however, the pandemic amplified some such as space management.
Government Facilities Challenges:
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Deferred maintenance is a growing issue for many Government organizations. Limited budgets often mean that maintenance and capital improvements that should be done are instead postponed. When this occurs year after year, the growing backlog of deferred maintenance can be a harder and harder to catch-up on. The National Association of State Facilities Administrators estimates that every dollar NOT spent on building maintenance will cost a state as much as $15 to $30 to fix the resulting problem.
Aging and neglected buildings have a compounding effect on Government agencies. First of all, they impact the agency’s ability to service their customers, often the public. Secondly, maintaining and operating inefficient facilities comes at a higher cost, which eats into budgets. Lastly, with limited resources stretched even thinner, agencies can’t address preventive maintenance and capital projects that should be performed on newer assets, adding to the backlog of costs that will eventually have to be incurred.
Maximizing the use of space, planning for growth, and managing moves have always been challenging for Government agencies, and that’s without the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic introduced a whole new set of problems – problems without clearcut answers. Equipping staff to work from home, determining new occupancy standards, bringing staff back to the office, deciding whether to redesign or reconfigure space, shedding or acquiring new space, and the list goes on.
For these reasons and more, Government organizations must find a way to do more with less, which is exactly where an integrated workplace management system (IWMS software) can help.
The short answer is absolutely, yes. FacilityForce developed its first software solution back in 1991, which since then, has grown into one of the only IWMS software systems designed specifically for the needs of Government organizations. You can learn more about our history, what makes us unique, learn about some of our customers, and more from the FacilityForce About Us web page.
FacilityForce is focused on providing “the preeminent IWMS solution to Government organizations with significant investments in facilities and real estate” and has been for a long time. So, yes, there is an IWMS solution for Government organizations with complex infrastructure and changing needs.
This explains why FacilityForce has earned a customer retention rate of over 98%. A leader since 1991, FacilityForce has a veteran team dedicated to continued innovation to address the unique needs of Government organizations.
At FacilityForce, we’re more than just an IWMS provider; we’re a family dedicated to the successful stewardship of your Government property portfolio.