What Reports are Required of an IWMS System?

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The reports in an IWMS system are mostly used to make strategic decisions. Utilization of space is one of the more common reasons to invest in an IWMS.

When I was helping a tech company sell their real estate to another company they told me that the numbers the IWMS system was producing did not line up with the numbers that the real estate company was producing. They told me that I had a couple of hours to figure out why. I found out the real estate company had excluded the vertical penetration of the building. I stayed late and walked all eight buildings with the real estate representative and proved all of my numbers. This resulted in a $30 million increase of the sale of the buildings. This made my job worth the work.So who are the people that are going to read these reports and learn from them? There are four basic audiences that I break it down into.

1) V and C level

These are CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, and all other chief executives and vice presidents. This group is looking for summarized data sheets packed full of numbers that will help them make strategic decisions. They are looking for anomalies so they can dig down and ask questions and figure out why the anomaly exists.

2) Managers/Directors

These people help to drive and accomplish the decisions made by the chief executives and vice presidents. The reports that are tailored for this level are similar to the V and C level, but are more detailed. This allows them to get to the depths of an anomaly and make decisions.

3) Individual Contributor

This level manages the raw data that provides the analysis for the company. They need very granulated reports that allow them to input and modify data for the two previous levels.

4) Staff at Large

The data for this level has basic information like locations of conference rooms, how to submit a work request, how to change the temperature, where are the hotel spaces in every building, etc. These reports allow all staff to search the IWMS system and then schedule or request what they need.

IWMS reporting at all four of these levels makes for a very strong system. The reports used and produced by the IWMS system justify the expense of the system. While they are not the most expensive systems that exist, they are not the least expensive, either. Sometimes these systems are reduced or removed in order to save money for the company. Without the reports produced directly form the IWMS system, it can take longer to see that there actually are results coming from using the IWMS.