COVID-19 has been very disruptive and created tremendous harm to the worldwide economy.
A report from the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council described the financial costs.
The article showed the Federal Reserve spent over $2 trillion on stimulus funding programs.
Businesses across most industries are struggling to cope with problems.
The commercial real estate sector is no exception.
Many U.S. firms have endured dramatic revenue decreases from a lack of demand for goods and services, while others accumulated risky amounts of debt in efforts to survive.
Commercial property and facility managers face significant concerns and uncertainties.
How will you adapt to the new environment?
Have you developed a plan to adhere to guidelines with the potential for reduced operating income?
New Requirements in the Commercial Workplace Environment
Let’s look at some of the costs of maintaining commercial real estate assets during the pandemic.
Physical Changes to the Working Environment for Social Distancing
The CDC Coronavirus guidelines promote social distancing in commercial buildings.
This runs contrary to trends over the last decade that transitioned workplaces to have unassigned seating and layouts that encourage collaboration.
Commercial settings with limited space need to install physical barriers in spaces.
Spaces that may need adjustments may include:
Lobbies
Restrooms
Lunch/break rooms
Organizations may also need to change break rooms or workspaces due to remote workers.
Policies on elevator occupancy and staircase accommodations may also be considered.
Enhanced Cleaning and Sanitizing Practices and Providing Personal Protective Equipment
COVID-19 has been shown to survive on surfaces.
Thus, regular (continual) cleaning and disinfection practices are necessary.
These cleaning tactics apply to:
- Doorknobs
- Light switches
- Handrails
Property and facility managers should also maintain an inventory of
- Cleaning disinfectants
- Hand sanitizer
- Facial coverings
- Gloves
- Other protective supplies
Improvements to Indoor Air Quality
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has been studying exposure to the virus from indoor air circulated through the HVAC system in commercial buildings.
Two of the essential practices for diluting airborne particles include upgraded filtration of interior air and expanding fresh outside air intake.
Maintaining Efficiency, Productivity, and Safety
Identify solutions that address COVID-19 and lower long-term costs.
Consider how new equipment, technology, or procedures can help reduce costs and increase benefits.
- Use data and technology, such as implementing higher efficiency lighting, HVAC, and other systems.
Features may include sensors for real-time monitoring and optimizing energy consumption through an Energy Management System (EMS). - Establish a way to gauge and calculate each aspect of your strategy.
Your solution should determine the actual return on investment.
In today’s competitive markets, many vendors are eager to offer value-added help.
They also want to provide advice to strengthen existing customer relationships.
These systems may also have new mobile apps and reporting features that you are unaware of.
- Using manufacturers, vendors, and service providers as a legitimate resource.
Often, we overlook the potential benefit of contacting our suppliers for input.
For example, if you invested in a new LED lighting system, you may not be using all available capabilities or tax credits/rebates.
Further, consider the reconfiguration of a building’s interior for social distancing.
There may be ways also to enhance ergonomics.
If successful, this may improve worker productivity.
It may also decrease costs related to worker’s compensation and the number of employee absences.
An industry-leading professional commercial cleaning provider can partner to enhance workplace health and safety through the utilization of the latest products and techniques for reducing the potential spread of COVID-19.
They should be closely monitoring the latest guidance and best practices from the CDC and other organizations involved in public health.
Lastly, organizations may be able to reduce costs by outsourcing to a facilities services company.
These savings may result from decreasing the high cost of employing an in-house staff.
As you begin factoring in the overall costs that result from employee turnover and benefits, the reduction in expenses and management oversight burden may become apparent.
We understand our clients’ challenges amid this global pandemic.
The team at Servi-Tek complies with the latest BSL-3 standards for cleaning and disinfection.
We work with our clients to develop customized programs that meet and exceed expectations.
Servi-Tek also offers a host of services for commercial assets beyond traditional commercial cleaning.
These include full-service maintenance and engineering solutions.
Contact us today to speak with a professional member of our team.
