Efficiency in managing a property is fast becoming a key incentive for a tenant and can differentiate a good building to a well sought-after site.
Making sure the lights work and the foyer is tidy, is not the benchmark anymore, given the changing way tenants use a building. Nowadays, its not 9 to 5, but close to 24/7, and as a result the property managers and landlords, must offer the appropriate level of service.
To this end facilities management has moved to the top five of requirements demanded by a tenant.
The newly listed cloud technology group, Urbanise, has now arrived on the property scene and it is close to signing its first tenant, understood to be in the retail sector, to use its Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, which is designed to connect building operators with their clients, suppliers and the people who live and work in the buildings.
In simple terms, it allows the users of the building, the workers, to connect with the managers, through technology, that is quick and easy. For example, if there is a leak in the building, the tenant can use a smart phone to report the issue with the property manager, directly.
The manager can then connect, instantly and without unnecessary paper work and unanswered phone calls, to a local plumber, who is also on the SaaS platform, to get the fault repaired.
Given buildings are used longer during the week and increasingly over the weekends, having instant access, via a mobile, is being welcomed.
Ben Churchill, chief executive of Urbanise, said the technology will allow building operators to co-ordinate service delivery, maintenance and support online; access building services using their computer, smart phone or tablet suppliers to partner with building operators to offer additional services and using an e-commerce storefront or portal, the building operators can remotely monitor energy consumption to identify inefficiencies and track energy savings.
"We see this as a tool that will allow tenants, landlords and the building manager, to all connect instantly to solve any issues which will create efficiencies in time and money," Mr Churchill said.
While he could not comment, the group is said to be close to signing up a major shopping centre owner as its first Australian contract.
Boxed in by regulations
One of the major issues impacting development is the inconsistent planning regulations across the country.
And the hardest hit sector is the large format retailers. Trying to build or expand a site to accommodate these big box retailers has been the bane of a developer's lot for years.
Retail is one of the biggest employers in the country and bulky goods, now called large format retailers, has large staff requirements. These stores need specialists to advise on the products and then have efficient and swift delivery systems and follow-up warranty service.
And with the housing boom, the demand for whitegoods and other large items, is also rising.
In a wide-reaching report, commissioned by Philippa Kelly at the Large Format Retail Association, it calls for planing reform.
Investment plus competition equals jobs, is the title and it calls for increased competition and uniform planning regulations across the country in this ever-expanding sector.
