San Diego-based Gafcon Inc.’s Return-to-Office service allows those who own, operate and manage property to implement a pandemic readiness solution that provides a technologically savvy, efficient and cost-saving way for property owners looking to welcome people back to a healthy, safe workspace. Relying heavily on available technology, Gafcon’s service offers an organized, efficient way to manage multiple projects, contractors and even the expenditure of government funds across multiple facility locations while ensuring that spaces are ready for use.
Commercial property owners can use this expertise in deploying technology to prepare spaces for tenants to return during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owners are relying on government checklists, guidance and funding to ensure they have the people and finances in place to address everything from workstation distancing and conference room uses to air ventilation and handwashing stations. Failure to implement these return-to-office readiness elements is not only a liability, but can be the difference between life and death.
In 2017, during another type of emergency, hurricanes Irma and Maria left a trail of destruction across the U.S. Virgin Islands, including many uninhabitable homes. While Federal Emergency Management Act funds were available to help with the rebuilding, local agencies overseeing the recovery faced challenges in coordinating the emergency home repairs while meeting FEMA’s stringent, and sometimes vague, documentation and reporting requirements.
Gafcon helped the local housing agency upgrade existing software so it could be used to not only set up processes for data collection, validation, reporting and to track progress, but also — importantly — to manage all activities and documentation for FEMA reimbursements.
Step 1 – Assessment: Based on the how a property is used and the industry(ies) using it, Gafcon reviews systems, assets and technologies already in place and makes custom recommendations for space management and re-allocation, templates to conduct readiness checks, and a roadmap for installing or upgrading existing software systems that track these activities.
Step 2 – Solution: Gafcon helps key departments work together toward return-to-office readiness and drive accountability for the entire team. The property manager uses Gafcon-recommended standards of practices to manage facilities’ condition assessments, create work orders, measure and track readiness activities in real time, and facilitate efficient collaboration between team members. Human resources departments use it to ensure that return to office conditions are established, know when and how key milestones are met, and communicate with employees.
Step 3 – Ongoing Usage: In addition to the long-term tracking of government funds, which will be important when seeking reimbursements or loan forgiveness, the ongoing process is an important tool for helping property managers ensure a healthy workplace into the future. This also includes readiness should another COVID-19 — or natural disaster of any kind — shut down or require property closure.
If you would like to learn more about this service and schedule interviews with Gafcon representatives, please reach out to Denise Nix at TW2 Marketing. For more information on Gafcon’s technology solutions, please visit gafcon.com.