• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Groundbreak Carolinas

MENUMENU
  • News
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • 2020 ABC of the Carolinas EIC Awards
    • AEC Industry Blogs
    • AEC School Directory
    • Asbestos Resources
    • Content Marketing
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Economic Forecasts
    • GroundBreak Carolinas Newsletter Archive
    • Health and Wellness
    • New Silica Standard Resources
    • Workforce Development Resources
  • Subscribe

GroundBreak Carolinas

Your source for construction industry news in the Carolinas

MENUMENU
  • Featured
  • Business
    • Accounting
    • Government Affairs
    • Management
    • Human Resources
    • Finance, Bonding, & Insurance
    • Leadership
    • Marketing & BD
    • Operations Management
    • Legal
    • Risk Management
    • Technology
  • Markets
    • Commercial
    • Distribution / Warehouse
    • Government Facilities
    • Health Care
    • Hotels / Hospitality
    • Industrial/Manufacturing
    • Mission Critical / Data Centers
    • Residential/Multi-Family Residential
    • Office Buildings
    • Power / Energy
    • Retail / Shopping Centers
    • Roads, Bridges and Highways
    • Schools (K-12 and Higher Education)
    • Strategy
  • Workforce
    • Apprenticeships
    • Education
      • Colleges
      • High Schools
      • Technical Schools
    • Recruiting
    • Safety
    • Training
    • Veterans Programs
  • Operations
    • Architecture
    • Contracting
    • Energy
    • Engineering
    • Equipment
    • Facilities
    • Products
  • Projects
  • People
  • Economic Development
  • Partners
  • News
  • Events
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • AEC Industry Blogs
    • AEC School Directory
    • Asbestos Resources
    • Content Marketing
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Economic Forecasts
    • GroundBreak Carolinas Newsletter Archive
    • New Silica Standard Resources
    • Workforce Development Resources
  • Let’s Talk Construction

Business | Facilities | Technology

Survey Reveals Majority of Facilities Teams Are Unprepared for Catastrophes

by ARC and AIM on November 15, 2017

Survey statistics in the just released eBook, “Information Management for Facilities and Operations” show that building managers and their facilities teams aren’t as prepared for the next catastrophe as they’d like to be. Released by AIIM Market Research and ARC Document Solutions, the eBook highlights trends in facilities management on preparedness and recovery, including cloud storage and accessibility of building information, the ability to respond to emergencies, and succession planning to preserve knowledge and information.

“As a company, ARC promotes the use of solid building information practices so it was a privilege to partner with AIIM on conducting this ground-breaking industry research,” stated Brian Bailard, EVP and general manager of ARC Technology Solutions, a unit of ARC Document Solutions. “Vice President and Chief Analyst of AIIM Market Intelligence Bob Larrivee’s independent survey analysis provides valuable insights for strengthening the ability of facilities managers to respond swiftly and effectively during a catastrophe while improving their day-to-day operations.”

The survey reveals a catastrophe in a commercial building or public facility can be expected every two years, far more often and at a far higher cost than previously believed. Catastrophe types incurring the highest costs include water, fires, wind-related and earthquakes and overall, there was an average cost of $500,000 in damages to buildings.

Accessing information, including emergency response plans, ranked as one of the top three challenges faced by facilities teams following a catastrophe. Of the survey respondents who cite having digital policies and procedures in place, only 29% report these documents are in the cloud, and only 15% say they are accessible on mobile devices. The standard practice of storing information in paper form is far more vulnerable in a catastrophe than information stored in the cloud, adding urgency to implement technology resources that provide a more comprehensive approach to preparedness.

The survey also shows that facilities teams are overworked and incurring far more overtime than previously thought. Average overtime budgets are approaching $50,000 for facilities management staffs. Information inefficiencies and disorganization of warranty information prove to be a substantial cost for building managers. The survey also highlights that searching for information consumes a substantial amount of time that can be better spent performing preventative maintenance.

Facilities team workers as a group represent an aging workforce according to the survey; on average, 29% of facilities team workers are age 55 or older. Many of these workers are the sole source for specific building information details, making the preservation of information difficult once they retire. When they retire and leave the building, so does their knowledge, which adds to the challenge of onboarding new employees as quickly as possible. The survey includes estimates of how long it takes new employees to reach full productivity.

“Historically, facilities, engineering and operations teams have been viewed as non-revenue drivers, resulting in fewer budget dollars allocated for productivity and emergency readiness tools,” observed AIIM’s Bob Larrivee. “This survey strongly suggests that bottom line performance can be improved with technology tools that make accessing critical information easy and fast.”

“The survey results highlight the urgency for facilities and operations teams to adopt modern practices for building information storage and retrieval to be prepared for the next catastrophe,” stated Brian Bailard. “The added benefit of cloud storage is enabling anytime, anywhere access to facilities dashboards via mobile devices.”

The eBook contains insights from a survey conducted in August 2017 by AIIM to their 190,000+ global community of facilities and operations professionals. Analysis of the survey was provided by Bob Larrivee, who noted the survey’s timeliness in light of recent hurricanes in the Southeast, wild fires in California and Oregon, and tragic mass shootings.

For more survey findings, download the eBook. A free, 1-hour webcast will also be held on November 30 at 11:00AM PT to discuss additional survey insights and analysis.

 

Topics: Business, Facilities, Technology
AIIM, ARC, Facility Management

Primary Sidebar

What We’re Reading

  • Mount Airy manufacturer seeks Surry County incentives for $12M expansion
    Source: Business North Carolina Published on May 28, 2025
  • Grace Church plans youth ministries center in downtown Greenville
    Source: Upstate Business Journal Published on May 28, 2025
  • Spartanburg/East Upstate notes: Designs complete for Spartanburg city/county complex
    Source: Upstate Business Journal Published on May 28, 2025
  • Williams Development, True Homes launch 231-home project in Winston-Salem
    Source: Business North Carolina Published on May 27, 2025
  • Turkish company to make $82 million investment in Goldsboro, create 216 jobs
    Source: Business North Carolina Published on May 27, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Design-Build for Manufacturers: Collaboration is King
  • Senior Executives and Young Leaders Give Firsthand Advice to New Graduates Entering AEC Industry
  • Tariffs and the Transformation of Construction Financing and Delivery
  • Optimism and Opportunity: SCEDA’s 2025 Conference Highlights South Carolina’s Economic Momentum Amid Uncertainty
  • Western NC Construction Career Day Draws 600 High Schoolers: Inspiration for a Resilient Region
  • Search
  • News
  • Careers
  • Resources
    • 2020 ABC of the Carolinas EIC Awards
    • AEC Industry Blogs
    • AEC School Directory
    • Asbestos Resources
    • Content Marketing
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Economic Forecasts
    • GroundBreak Carolinas Newsletter Archive
    • Health and Wellness
    • New Silica Standard Resources
    • Workforce Development Resources
  • Subscribe

Footer

  • About GBC
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Editorial
  • Submit Event
  • Partnerships/Contributors

Sponsorship Opportunities

Join Our Mailing List

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
By clicking Submit you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2025 GroundBreak Carolinas LLC.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use