Real estate and construction industry is looking for best practice to face future

The continuous growth of facilities management is also the topic of FM Expo being held in Dubai from 24 to 26 of May 2009.

Sustainable planning, construction and management are more important than ever. Why these topics are relevant, is explained by Uwe Forgber, Conject's director in Dubai, a pioneer in providing software for the real estate and construction industries.

Forgber comments:

"We have been assisting clients with facilities management for years. In Germany, it has been a classic topic for many years, while in Dubai it is still under developed. Previously project developers only had their sights set on the planning and construction phases, now the effects of this shortsightedness has hit them full force. Many buildings are still being realized - but who will be operating them and how? For this reason a transformation is underway. Especially in times of crisis it is now vital to learn from mistakes made in the past."

Conject developed a web-based software platform supporting all core processes of real estate projects and existing buildings - from construction planning and building to operating (Facilities Management), selling and marketing. With its FM-software Conject concentrates on all relevant processes needed to optimize the management of a building.

For example when cities have to manage millions of square metres of office space, it is unimaginable to do this without technical support. The perfect example is Berlin, the capital of Germany, which saved more than EUR160m (Dhs784m) in 3 years by deploying the new technology. State owned areas could be used and managed more efficiently. Not only large office complexes were part of the optimization plan.

Also buildings divided into small sections, as well as specialized properties such as police and fire stations, schools or court houses were included. Restoration, maintenance and service, as well as support and contract management are important factors for the conservations of value in property and real estate.

Together with Conject, private companies as well as public administration can manage their properties and real estate projects competently, based on clear and up to date information. Investments, for example for maintenance or energy savings in buildings, can thus be structured efficiently and controlled object by object.

Uwe Forgber believes what happened in Berlin can be easily achieved in the Middle East: "In a short time frame Berlin achieved the entire implementation of the system. Today Berlin is well positioned commercially and also enforces strict cost management policies. With Conject you choose a system displaying exactly those processes which real estate experts urgently need to carry out in their daily business; tracking of measures (property inspection, construction project control) or area management (contract management, concentrated use of space, CAD) and portfolio management (strategic area management, benchmarking)."

What is needed in Germany is also in demand in Dubai and the entire region. With Conject, managers are able to reconstruct an exact evaluation of surface area utilization. How much space is available and where? Which areas can be combined or even sold? Basically which areas can be brokered?

"Conject makes all of this information available conveniently and concentrated into one platform," states Dr. Uwe Forgber. He further adds, "All you need is an internet connection with which you can log into our portal."