Tools and technology are the systems, data and workflows the FM team relies on, from CAFM and helpdesk to asset and supplier data. When they do not give a reliable picture, skill gaps are hidden, compliance risk is harder to see and teams blame people for system problems. Check the information before you change the people.
Tools and technology are the systems, platforms, workflows and data the Facilities Management team uses to do its job: CAFM, helpdesk, asset records, supplier reporting and budgets. Good systems multiply a team's effectiveness. Poor ones create friction that wears people down and hides what is really happening.
What a systems problem looks like
- Manual workarounds and duplicate records
- No real-time view of what is happening across the estate
- Slow approvals
- Data nobody fully trusts
- Constant chasing for updates
- Staff complaining about the systems they are asked to use
Where it usually comes from
- Legacy systems that have not kept up
- Routine tasks that were never automated
- Poor adoption and inconsistent use
- Data held in separate places that do not talk to each other
Why it matters when you hire
New starters cannot work at pace if the systems slow them down, and good candidates notice. Worse, poor information makes it hard to see whether the problem is the people or the tools. Teams end up blaming individuals for what is really a systems failure, and recruit to fix the wrong thing.
What to do before you recruit
- Check whether you could evidence your compliance position quickly if a director or insurer asked today
- Find where the team relies on manual processes, and how much time they cost
- Train people on the systems you have before replacing them
- Decide whether the problem is the people or the information they are working with
When you do hire, test digital competence early in the process and be clear with candidates about the systems they will inherit.
Questions to ask yourself
- Which system frustrates the team most?
- Where do you rely on spreadsheets or manual processes?
- How much time is lost to admin each week?
- Do your systems tell you about problems before people do?
Where to start
The free FM Talent Scan check looks at tools and technology alongside five other areas of your function and the decision you are facing. It takes about five minutes and tells you plainly whether a full FM Talent Scan is worth doing. If you would rather talk it through, contact us or call 0207 118 4848.
This article is one of six on the areas the check covers: structure, capacity, capability, tools and technology, leadership and culture.
