By Stuart Ruthven, and Elliot Bate, Cloud
Why reactive FM spend is a visibility problem, and four questions to ask before choosing a platform…
Property directors rarely overspend simply because assets fail. They overspend when they can’t see what’s failing, where failures are recurring or how often the same problem has already been addressed.
A chiller fails in Birmingham at 4pm on a Friday. A security shutter won’t open at 8am on a Saturday. Nobody’s sure who’s responding, and by the time anyone checks, it’s the third callout this quarter. Repeat callouts on a single asset show exactly where to repair, replace or plan, but only if you can see them.
Every FM platform looks impressive in a demo. Here’s what to ask before signing off on one.
1. Can I see my whole estate in one place?
Managing an estate of 50+ sites, control starts with a live view of every location, asset and contractor – all in one place. That view should let you compare performance across sites, identify repeat failures, monitor spend and see who’s accountable for each task.
Without it, you can’t control costs, spot patterns or hold anyone to account.
2. Does the data drive the work?
The platform stores the data: assets, locations, histories. Workflow management drives the action: who does what, by when, and what happens if they don’t? The best platforms do both, in real time. The data triggers the work, and the work updates the data.
3. Can I trust what I’m paying for?
Plenty of platforms store data and track jobs. Far fewer build the people in too. Look for one that also:
- Gives you spend certainty through robust governance and full transparency
- Audits and validates every task using real-time data captured in the platform
- Tracks labour precisely, removing estimates and hidden costs
- Puts experienced ex-engineers on every quote to benchmark and challenge it.
4. Who’s behind the software
A platform is only as good as the team driving it and the engineers responding through it. So whichever software you choose, ensure that you get to know the team behind it. Understand how decisions, escalations and technical reviews are handled. Driving an effective platform needs smart people at every stage. That’s why we built Freedom to support our own service first.
Curious how your FM platform measures up? Book a free estate review with Carrie Brown, Cloud’s Head of Commercial: [email: freedom@cloudfmgroup.com]
Stuart Ruthven is Director of Product at Cloud
Elliot Bate is Product Manager at Cloud
Cloud are listed as #3 in the PropTech Top 50 for 2026 and were recognised by Global Tech Insider magazine as ‘Best PropTech and Facilities Management Services – London 2026’
Find out more about Cloud and the team behind the Freedom platform: https://cloudfmgroup-20005040.hs-sites-eu1.com/fm-briefing-fm-software
