Improving Workplace Efficiency

Limited access to first-rate technology and equipment is creating inefficient workplaces, a new survey of workplace and facilities management professionals has found.

The Total Facilities survey of more than 250 professionals, whose focus is on championing efficiency and productivity in Australia's built environment, found that one in four respondents (25 per cent) believed that inefficient technology and equipment was the biggest factor hindering efficiency in their workplace.

The survey also found that more than half of respondents (56 per cent) said the design of their workplace was negatively impacting the productivity of its workers, and one in five (20 per cent) blamed 'outdated processes' as hampering workplace efficiency.

Total Facilities Event Manager Andrew Lawson said that efficiency and productivity were essential to helping Australia compete in a global marketplace, making it all the more important for workplace and facilities management professionals to speak up about inefficient practices in their workplace to make a change.

"Championing efficiency and productivity in the workplace - and the built environment more generally - is integral to the role of a facilities management or workplace professionals," Mr Lawson said.

The survey also found that almost half of respondents (43 per cent) believed that more opportunity for employee training and education would help Australian workplaces to compete in a global marketplace, while one in four respondents (24 per cent) sited 'more opportunities to do things differently' would improve Australia's competiveness on a global front.

Mr Lawson encouraged industry professionals to attend the Total Facilities trade event in Melbourne next week to learn about the latest cutting edge products and solutions that will help create more efficient, sustainable and productive facilities and workplaces in Australia.

Attendees will also be able to hear from leading workplace professionals speaking at the event, who specialise in enhancing efficiency and productivity among employees, including:

• Bligh Williams, Head of Workplace Strategy at Workplace Space Planning Solutions, will share ideas on agile working, which is now being referred to as the new workplace philosophy;
• Marie-Claire Ross, The Corporate Culture Creator, will outline the four necessary steps to creating a mentally healthy workplace, which will in turn create a more productive environment.
• Jeremy Sampson, Engineering Manager at Crown Melbourne, will share insights on optimising maintenance using big data.
• Steve Woodrow and Malcolm Foort, of Flinders University and Zuuse respectively, will present a case study on building information modelling (BIM) in facilities management.

Total Facilities event registration is still open to workplace and facilities management professionals and interested parties can visit www.totalfacilities.com.au for details.

For free entry, register before the two-day event starts at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday April 6.