6 Office maintenance tasks you can automate
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How to save time and maximise efficiency in the office!
Managing office space can be a tall order at the best of times. Automating routine and otherwise manual office maintenance and management tasks can, therefore, be a proverbial lifesaver. With the help of smart technology and tools, office management can be made infinitely easier, which, with business operations being so fast-paced nowadays, provides tremendous efficiency benefits.
While many organisations focus on siloed automation solutions, such as AI-powered customer service chatbots or streamlined project management, there’s no reason to suggest that internal office maintenance cannot unlock similar time-saving, resource-preserving and productivity advantages. Whatever your business sector or niche, automation can transform traditionally time-intensive responsibilities into efficient and value-adding processes, augmenting your teams and giving them ample support.
Let’s explore the key areas of office management and maintenance that can be empowered by automation.
1. Contract management and vendor relationships
Managing relationships with all of your business’s vendors, whether it’s cleaners, product suppliers, distributors, logistics partners or software providers, traditionally involves a plethora of paperwork and contracts. Implementing eSignature solutions like Signable allows you to automate the entire contract lifecycle.
From the initial onboarding processes to annual contract renewals, digital signatures eliminate the need for excessive filing, printing, scanning and physical storage. Cloud-based document management solutions also help you keep track of all activities and contracts, giving you complete control and oversight of what needs renewing or amending and when.
Consider how facilities managers, for example, can send maintenance agreements or routine maintenance checklists to multiple vendors simultaneously. They can track who has viewed and signed such agreements and contracts, while securely storing everything in a cloud-based system. This speeds up the process of arranging on-site visits and creates a transparent and compliant audit trail.
2. Maintenance scheduling and tracking
Implementing a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) strategy becomes significantly more manageable with automation. Contemporary maintenance management systems can facilitate the scheduling of routine tasks, the dispatching of work orders and the tracking of deliveries, among others. When integrated with automation-powered workflows, the sign-off on maintenance activities and compliance documents can be more organised and easily accessible.
3. Asset and inventory management
Businesses have a wide range of ongoing costs to manage, with office supplies and equipment being consistent reasons for expenditure. As such, inventory management can be a challenge.
However, with the help of automation, stock levels can be tracked in real-time, and purchase orders can be autonomously generated when supplies run low. Integrating these systems with electronic document systems allows purchase authorisation to take place in minutes, as opposed to days. The market for inventory management systems is growing rapidly, reaching a $2.25 billion valuation in 2024 alone, so there is clear potential in this space for automation to add value to a plethora of businesses with large amounts of inventory.
For example, when printer paper reaches a predetermined minimum level, the system can automatically generate a purchase order for new paper from a specific supplier. It can be routed to the appropriate personnel for digital approval via an eSignature, and sent to the supplier, all without heavy manual intervention. Provided it is supervised and updated regularly, this simplifies the process of ordering and replenishing stock.
4. Space utilisation and planning
As businesses evolve and expand, their space requirements also change, requiring sufficient room for new desks, equipment, and staff. Automated space management tools can help office managers track utilisation patterns and forecast future needs, with minimal manual intervention needed.
When it’s time to relocate, a free tool to help you find and compare the cost of office space can streamline the search process, while automation handles the countless documents involved in leasing and fit-out agreements. eSignature solutions help facilitate the processes of contract exchange and completion, meaning businesses – along with estate agents, landlords and internal stakeholders – can review and sign documentation remotely, reducing delays and time spent on this administration-heavy task.
5. Utility and resource management
Smart building technologies (a market poised to grow to $205.3 billion by 2031) can automate many physical internal features such as lighting, heating and HVAC systems, allowing businesses to optimise their energy usage in line with occupancy needs and patterns. The automation doesn’t stop there, however, with smart technologies also able to be integrated with in-house equipment, allowing companies to discover usage patterns and generate real-time reports.
Implementing automation solutions for utility agreements and service contracts can ensure organisations obtain continuous service and uptime while maintaining detailed digital records of all their data. Whether this is for regulatory compliance assessments or for identifying usage and energy optimisation opportunities, this information can prove invaluable if automatically calculated and generated.
6. Health and safety compliance
Upholding strict health and safety standards requires a steady stream of procedures, documentation and updates. Automation software (such as HSEQ software) can schedule periodic safety audits, track certification expiry dates, and ensure the timely completion of necessary inspections from third-party auditors.
Digital automation and signature workflows also prove invaluable here, allowing health and safety officers to sign off on inspections via any verified device. This creates a reliable audit trail while ensuring no critical safety tasks slip through the cracks unintentionally.
The role of eSignatures in office automation
While numerous tools and systems have to work harmoniously and seamlessly to provide offices with automation assistance, one of the key standout elements is eSignature solutions, acting as a vital bridge between different processes and procedures. Signable’s platform, for example, doesn’t just replace the need for physical paper documents and signatures – it transforms how organisations handle approvals, agreements and documents across a broad spectrum of office maintenance activities.
Key benefits include (but are not limited to):
- Reduced processing time for maintenance agreements and vendor contracts
- Enhanced security and compliance through detailed audit trails
- Improved accuracy in document handling and reduced manual errors
- Better accessibility with cloud-based document storage
- Increased visibility into document status and approval workflows
Looking ahead
With smart offices firmly on the rise, the role of automation in management and maintenance will only prove more influential in the months and years to come. While offices are already integrating and using AI and other automation technologies, more products and solutions will enter the market, giving office managers more food for thought when deciding how to create seamless, efficient workspaces that reduce administrative workloads and human error. With the right solutions seamlessly working together, offices can improve accuracy, maintain compliance, and augment their teams.
The key is to begin with crucial, critical processes where manual input causes the most significant bottlenecks and disruption. By entrusting specific office maintenance processes to automation, time-consuming challenges can become more efficient and support core business operations rather than hinder them. As teams become more comfortable with automated processes, while still maintaining a steady level of human oversight, organisations can gradually expand their automation initiatives to encompass more aspects of office management and maintenance.
Ready to streamline your office management and boost efficiency?
Sign up for a 14-day free trial with Signable today! Experience firsthand how our eSignature solutions can transform your document management, from speeding up contract approvals to enhancing security with detailed audit trails.
Dakota Murphey
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