You’re not imagining it: Facilities leaders are tasked with tracking more data than ever before.
As colleges and universities continue to become more data-driven, Facilities leaders have been tasked with managing and tracking an unprecedented amount of data. In addition to operational and financial metrics, Facilities units increasingly track campus sustainability metrics, building condition, and utilities consumption at the campus, college, and building level. Beyond metrics, Facilities leaders also have more data systems to maintain, including customer satisfaction and post-work order surveys, building meters, and capital project databases. While Facilities leaders track more metrics today than ever before, many institutions struggle to translate reams of data into valuable information that drives operational improvements.
This resource is part of the Create a Compelling Facilities Dashboard Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.
There’s plenty of data of to manage, but little guidance on how to select the right metrics that will guide improvements for your team. Many institutions are building dashboards to focus in on the right subset of metrics.
Dashboards are a proven tool that other industries, such as retail and finance, have long used to manage, track, and analyze data to inform decision-making. There are three main challenges in building a Facilities-focused dashboard. Senior Facilities officers face three main challenges in building an impactful dashboard.
- The first is how to determine the subset of metrics that best measure Facilities performance. Given the countless ways to measure performance, SFOs often struggle to choose the metrics that best evaluate operational effectiveness.
- The second challenge in building a Facilities dashboard is how to display metrics in a compelling, accessible format. Poor dashboard design and layout can derail institutional efforts by making data difficult to interpret.
- The final challenge is how to choose appropriate targets and action triggers. Without performance goals or a formal system of red flags, leaders often fail to understand metric performance or act on negative trends.
We gathered four easy checks to apply to your metrics and build an effective facilities dashboard.
