Work order management systems continue to evolve rapidly in the world of facility maintenance. Today, these high-tech, integrated tools can access and provide data from multiple platforms and provide both retailers and vendors the information needed to make better, faster decisions that cut costs and improve efficiencies.

Recently, the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association surveyed the retail industry to better understand the state of FM work order management practices and their impact on retail store maintenance operations. Results of the survey are included in the PRSM Association Work Order Management Practices Benchmarking Report.

Some key findings include:

  • 93 percent of retailers who use metrics report improved vendor accountability and communications
  • Almost every retail organization uses insights gained from computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) to make decisions
  • 82 percent of suppliers and 93 percent of retailers believe CMMS standards would benefit the industry
  • Suppliers track IVR compliance rates, acceptance times, arrival and completion times, travel costs, customer complaints margins and net promoter scores
  • 70 percent of suppliers use data insights to advise clients on ways to save, and more than half use data to drive down costs and evaluate technician performance

More than half of multisite retailers connect with their suppliers online through a third-party CMMS to manage work orders. One-fourth use an in-house CMMS, while 17 percent use a vendor/supplier implemented CMMS. Seven percent of retailers still manage work orders manually using spreadsheets, emails, etc.