As with most IT systems, the real benefits of a top-class facilities management solution become evident when information is able to be quickly and easily shared among stakeholders. What better way of sharing information than via the Internet – it is, after all, what it was designed to do. Flow360 is a hosted solution and is therefore accessible from anywhere by anyone on anything that typically has a browser.

Where an organisation has a workforce requiring access to real-time, accurate information from a variety of locations, a hosted model makes a lot of sense, particularly as mobile data capability means that most users probably already have easy access to a browser application. Whereas in-house solutions require extensive configuration of security settings to enable remote access, eg VPN tunnels, firewalls etc, a hosted-solution takes care of all of these issues - and in some cases, to a much higher level than some in-house teams are able to provide.

Disruptions to in-house applications are common and happen for a number of reasons. How many times have you tried to access a system only to find that it’s ‘down’ because of hardware failure, a backup is being performed or an upgrade is taking place? These downtimes are both extremely costly in terms of time and productivity but also interfere with a system’s ability to deliver up-to-the-minute information regarding work in-progress.

From site surveys, through energy monitoring and reporting, to works orders, Flow360 provides on-demand, secure access to a seamless flow of information across locations, divisions, operations, people and projects. This means that the workforce can spend less time in the office and more time in the field completing essential tasks, whilst keeping records and their availability up to date, regardless of location.