How diagramming software can simplify facility management

If you manage your organization’s facilities, such as offices, warehouses or other operations centers, you know that there are many details to oversee. From managing expensive hardware to conducting building maintenance to addressing security issues, there’s a lot to remember and a lot that can go wrong if something gets skipped or forgotten. Without documented processes in place, it’s hard to get the job done effectively.

To that end, one of the most powerful tools at your disposal is diagramming software. Simple, shareable diagrams provide concrete ways to design outstanding systems and ensure they’re followed.

Floor plans and seating charts, for example, can illustrate the facility itself, while process maps and other kinds of flow charts can document the processes used to run it. You can also use these diagrams to monitor facility operations by linking them to refreshable, real-time data about the people, equipment and systems they describe.

Here are a few ways that facility managers can use diagrams to stay organized, save time and stay on track.

Create a data-linked floor plan

Document the building or facility you run with a floor plan. It’s a simple way to keep a close eye on all the space you manage and plan effectively for future uses.

Diagramming software provides ready-to-go floor plan templates and building-specific shapes, such as electrical outlets, windows, office furniture, computers and servers. You can easily connect those shapes to essential data about them, such as server maintenance information or the details of your HVAC system.

A diagram like this helps you understand the facility at a glance, so you and your team can make better decisions more quickly.

It’s also a valuable way to plan. Say there’s an unused part of the building that needs transitioning into new offices for an entirely new wing of the company. A visual representation of the structure and its assets will help you design the new space to optimize staff experience while keeping tabs on costs and resources.

A diagram is easy to share, too, whenever you need to onboard employees, provide upper management with updates or show an external contractor where to go.

Document protocols for facility staff

The facility staff needs to know how systems work, in addition to the equipment’s location. A process map or flow chart can clearly explain what tasks are involved in important processes, such as work orders, emergency protocols or routine maintenance. Process maps can also show when each task needs to happen, which ones depend on other tasks and who is responsible.

This visibility means everything can run more smoothly. There won’t be confusion around roles and responsibilities. Thus, fewer things will slip through the cracks, as everyone will be able to refer to a simple, visual representation of the order of operations. Well-documented processes can make a huge difference when it comes to efficiency, consistency and quality.

Diagrams are also great for new employee training. When new staffers come on board, they will know what to do right away, for example, when they notice a need for a major repair or want to report a security concern.

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Manage your building’s assets and inventory

Create a visual map of all your valuable assets such as IT equipment or product inventory using a floor plan template or fully customized diagram. Link those diagrams to external databases or spreadsheets so you can easily learn vital information quickly.

For example, you can link a shape representing a piece of equipment directly to its maintenance data. When was the elevator last checked? Which outlets aren’t working? Maintenance staff can enter their notes into a spreadsheet, and then the diagram refreshes when the underlying data does.

Pair your floor plans or other diagrams with automation software to ensure crucial tasks get done on time. Schedule automated alerts for when routine maintenance is due or when a certain task in a workflow is complete.

Make a comprehensive, up-to-date staff directory

If you manage a large facility, it’s especially important to have an up-to-date staff directory to maintain security. Providing receptionists and other front-of-building staff with an intuitive, easy-to-read org chart that includes employee headshots and contact information can be a great way to promote safety and a sense of community.

Some diagramming software makes it easy to build an org chart directly from an employee database or Excel spreadsheet in just a few clicks. This way, the org chart updates when the database is updated.

You can also link from an org chart to a seating chart or floor plan, and vice versa. This keeps relevant information all in one place. Anyone with an org chart can understand, for example, where a specific employee sits, what equipment he or she uses, if he or she changed desks recently and so on.

Understand overall building performance

The constant barrage of daily tasks can make it hard to see the big picture. But facility managers are often required to launch big-picture initiatives, like cutting overall operational costs, increasing environmental sustainability or planning for future growth.

Flow charts can help with this. For big construction or maintenance projects, for instance, create a flow chart or project timeline to help plan the project, manage contractors and monitor work progress over time.

Using diagrams such as floor charts linked to data can also help you understand the allocation of resources. Which desks are always empty? Which pieces of equipment continually fail? Is there a part of the building that always seems to use a lot more electricity than it should? Questions like these are easier to answer when processes, assets and systems are all well-documented.

Embedding data-linked facility diagrams in business analytics software can also help organizations make big decisions. Data such as energy usage, asset inventory and maintenance costs are much easier to digest visually. Pairing those visuals with other company data makes it much easier to strategize.

Facility management is complex. There are so many moving parts. But getting things to run effortlessly is a whole lot easier with clear, clean visuals. From floor plans to flow charts, these simple tools can help you save time, money and headaches—and plan effectively for the long term.

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How diagramming software can simplify facility management

Create a data-linked floor plan

Document protocols for facility staff

Try Visio free for 1 month

Manage your building’s assets and inventory

Make a comprehensive, up-to-date staff directory

Understand overall building performance

Get started with Microsoft 365

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