Workers who are involved with HVAC systems, for example, tend to be much more technology savvy. A lot of these folks have computers at home. The next step Managers hope the next wave of Internet and World Wide Web technology will bring with it advances in performance and the ease of use that create practical benefits for facilities and their departments. For example, King says one of the most promising benefits of Internet technology is its ability to give all areas of an organization immediate access to facility cost and performance data, the keystone of benchmarking. As Web-enabled software becomes faster, easier to use and more secure from prying eyes, it will enable organizations to feel more comfortable sharing greater amounts of data, both inside and outside their walls.
Managers also hope to eliminate more paperwork from all aspects of their operations.
This step includes doing away with paper in the work-order process, as well as doing away with cumbersome binders, paper services manuals and schematics in favor of online versions of these materials. Internet technology has arrived in full force, and it will continue to bring changes to facilities at a whirlwind pace. The challenge for maintenance and engineering managers now is to make strategic decisions that take into account the impact of the technology throughout facilities. The rapid rise of the Internet and the accompanying benefits that have come with it are tantalizing to maintenance and engineering managers looking for every possible edge to increase productivity, control costs and streamline operations. The potential dark cloud behind this silver lining is that managers, in some cases, might be tempted to invest in technology first and think about its impact later.