Bratislava, November 26, 2020
Author: Tomáš Korpáš, Director of Property Management Division ENGIE Services
Digitalisation is now a universal top topic and it is not avoiding Facility and Property Management services either. Digitalization is also closely linked to the ENGIE Group’s wide range of services, which are gradually being standardized in the area of comprehensive property management. It is in this segment that we see enormous potential in improving, automating, streamlining and making our services more transparent.
The reality of digitalization of real estate management in Slovakia
Digitalization in real estate management in Slovakia is currently provided by various partial solutions, which are not always designed and intended for this segment. This fact reveals a huge potential for all players on the market. We still see a large number of non-digital, outdated administrative activities in property management in Slovak companies. Technicians and maintenance workers almost every day write out various paper forms – work reports, service sheets, log books or object books. These then have to be manually processed and digitised, which is administratively very demanding, often error-prone and, above all, unsystematic. In addition to the costs associated with printing the forms and renting space for archiving, companies also have to pay for administrative support that manually transcribes the records and then processes them into other systems.
But it could be otherwise
To be fair and not to be generalizing, it doesn’t look like this in every company. I’m glad to see that we are already a few significant steps ahead at ENGIE as well, and our goal is to be the digital leader in this segment.
In the 21st century, property management should be digitised and automated as much as possible. One of the standard working tools of a technician for these solutions should nowadays be a smartphone or tablet with the necessary software. After performing each work activity (whether in the form of predefined checklists or ad-hoc requests), the technician would record the action on the mobile device, take a picture of the completed activities, electronically sign the form and send the information with one click for further automated processing. Complex paper signing, copying, administration and filing would be eliminated. Data processing would be faster, outputs or reports would be easier to evaluate, and the client would have real-time access to all project data. The great news is that clients in Slovakia are now open to new trends and expect proactivity from asset management companies towards streamlining their activities and communication digitalization. Cost savings and better transparency of the work performed is certainly interesting for both parties in this case.
Digitalization of Facility and Property Management is a priority for ENGIE
What is our vision and at the same time our clients’ expectations in the context of digitalization? We are continuously working to ensure that all relevant information about objects, facilities and projects is easily shareable, editable and then automated in the field via smartphones and tablets. That’s why we at ENGIE have internally committed to digitizing almost everything we can in this segment by the end of 2021. What exactly does this mean? Our goal is to integrate all paper reports, checklists, protocols and forms into electronic formats and comprehensive CAFM systems on all projects. Exceptions will be records that must be produced in hard copy form for legislative reasons – e.g. fire equipment logs.
We are not at the starting line
As I mentioned above, ENGIE has already had its digital beginnings thanks to the years of expert work of our teams. We are now actively using several sophisticated online property management tools. We are not content with the status quo, but are always working on improving existing tools and finding new ones. There is quite a large range of software on the market, but it is often the case that the actual usability of these applications in the field is complicated. That is why we customize some software solutions to be user-friendly and to serve our specific needs. In addition, we work extensively with software developers and programmers who create customized programs and applications according to our specifications. New products include an efficient tool for the passporting of objects and equipment, the creation of service reports (electronic protocols for servicing air conditioning, HVAC, gates, car doors…), a tool for Space Management, simplified HelpDesk systems, applications for automated data collection from energy, technical, operational equipment, etc. The programs are easily editable via smartphone or tablet and at the same time can be paired with the QR code of a specific device.
App (responsive mobile view):
Application for electronic passporting:
Application for electronic service reports:
Application for electronic worksheets/service sheets:
Service report export template:
Sample Work Statement/Service Sheet:
During the development of their own applications, programmers actively cooperate with our engineers and maintenance technicians who test their software directly in the field. This method has proven to be successful for us, as practice has shown that there is often no need to develop complicated applications with a lot of functionality that is not used most of the time anyway. The software for our technicians needs to be simple, clear and easy to use. Thanks to this, we have noticed a greater willingness among our colleagues to learn how to work with them and to positively accept innovations in this area. In addition, constructive feedback from technicians on the software design saves us time later on with complicated system updates and upgrades.
The versatile C3NTINEL
A very interesting tool, with elements of artificial intelligence, is our own ENGIE application C3NTINEL, which can link, clearly visualize, analyze and evaluate almost any data. The application was primarily developed and used in the energy management field, but offers great possibilities in the visualization of efficiency in industry or in the operations of commercial and administrative centers. In C3NTINEL it is possible to integrate not only energy data but also operational data such as – operating time of equipment, amount of material produced, parts produced, traffic of objects, operating times of buildings and so on. This information is then automatically analysed and evaluated online. The system visually and clearly displays the real efficiency of specific equipment, production lines or entire plants. Based on the analyses, it is not only possible to evaluate their efficiency, but also to compare their production parameters, production capacity, energy consumption and to propose measures for further optimization and thus save considerable operating costs. We can also provide our customers with services related to the use of C3NTINEL in the form of Guaranteed Optimization and Guaranteed Energy Service (GES), in which clients do not pay for the services upfront. The project is only paid for after its implementation, from the guaranteed savings achieved, which can also be a competitive advantage for our clients.
Digitalisation is one of ENGIE’s strategic priorities in the property management segment. The results we have achieved in this area and the new applications that make our colleagues’ work easier and data processing more transparent for our clients on a daily basis confirm that we are moving in the right direction.
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If you are interested in learning more about our services or digital property management applications, please contact us: obchod.sk@engie.com.