Being in charge of a physical space can be stressful. Most people don't think about the effort that goes into keeping a place running as smoothly as possible—they just expect everything to work. Whether that's keeping the internet online, fixing leaks, or keeping employees safe and healthy, there's a lot on your plate—and it may not always feel like something that can be automated away.
While automation will never replace you, there are a thousand little tasks that it can take care of, so you can keep focusing on the important things in your day. With just a few Zaps (our word for the automated workflows you create with Zapier), you can save minutes, hours, even days over the course of your year, and use that time to be the superhero you are. Here are the Zaps we think every facilities manager should set up.
Be notified about upcoming events
When you've got a busy team, setting a calendar event may not always be enough to make sure things get done on time. Using this Zap, you can make sure that the whole building is alerted to important events like fire alarm tests, scheduled maintenance, or safety presentations. You can also target just your immediate team, to stay on top of meetings, tasks, and impending deadlines.
Send Slack channel messages for new Google Calendar events
Google Calendar + Slack
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"Heads up! Team meeting starts in 10 minutes." This Zap will be sure you and your team are ready for the next event with a Slack notification, automatically sent ten minutes before any new scheduled event starts on your Google Calendar.
Post new approaching Google Calendar events to Google Chat
Google Calendar + Google Chat
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This integration will effortlessly ensure that you and your team is ready for the next event. Once it's active, this Zap will automatically post a custom notification to Google Chat for each new approaching Google Calendar event.
Get messages in Microsoft Teams for upcoming Microsoft Outlook calendar events
Microsoft Outlook + Microsoft Teams
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Are you tired of people showing up late for meetings? Try this integration, which sends a message in a specific Microsoft Teams channel for upcoming calendar events in Microsoft Outlook.
Turn your emails into tasks
Work requests can come at any time, and turning an email into an actionable task can sometimes feel like its own full-time job. Using one of these Zaps, you can easily create tasks when you get new email messages.
Create Trello cards from new Gmail threads
Gmail + Trello
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Keeping up with emails can be difficult, but this integration lets you create a new Trello card for follow up later. After you set this integration up, this Zap will automatically create a card in Trello for you when you start a specified email thread in your Gmail account.
Add new starred emails to Todoist as tasks [Business Gmail Accounts Only]
Gmail + Todoist
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If you find yourself using your inbox as a to-do list, there's a better way. With the help of this Zap, any time you star an email in Gmail, it will automatically create a to-do item for you in Todoist.
Star Gmail emails to create Google Tasks
Gmail + Google Tasks
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Too many emails got you a bit crazy? Losing track of which ones need your attention? We have an integration for that! After set up, just star Gmail emails to add them to your Google Tasks list. Easy as that, you have your own checklist of emails to work on.
Turn messages into tasks
If your company is like Zapier, and uses Slack more than email, it can sometimes be difficult to tell when a chat message becomes something actionable. With Slack's Save Message feature, you can automatically turn a chat into a task in your team's Asana project or your personal Todoist, without interrupting the flow of conversation.
Create Asana tasks from new saved Slack messages
Slack + Asana
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Slack is where you find yourself coming up with new tasks. Asana is where you manage your tasks. To create new tasks in Asana right from Slack, use this integration and next time you save a Slack message an Asana task will be created automatically.
Add new saved Slack messages to Todoist as tasks
Slack + Todoist
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To create new tasks in Todoist right from Slack, use this integration. The next time you save a message in Slack, a Todoist task will be automatically created, saving you time for more important work.
Save contracts and invoices to the cloud
When you're working with multiple contractors at a time, keeping track of quotes and invoices in just your inbox can be a hassle. Using automation, you can take that virtual pile of paperwork and automatically save it to Google Drive folders, so that each file is exactly where you need it, when you need it.
Save new Gmail attachments to Google Drive
Gmail + Filter by Zapier + Google Drive
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It can be difficult to track down files attached to emails. Zapier can simplify your email and file management by automatically saving your email attachments to Google Drive for safekeeping. Whenever you get a new email in Gmail with an attachment, this Zap will save it to the Google Drive folder you want - just be sure to pick one when setting this up, otherwise we'll add the file to the root of your Drive. Get a step-by-step walkthrough in our
Notify your team when a task is completed
Not every automation has to be about keeping your team on track—sometimes they can be used to help them celebrate! When a task is completed, you can use this Zap to automatically let your team know, and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Send Slack channel messages for completed tasks in Asana
Asana + Slack
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When you have tasks getting completed, you'll want notifications sent to your team to show progress. This integration helps by automatically sending a channel message in Slack when there is a new completed task in Asana. Your team will be updated when tasks are completed so everyone is on the same page.
What else can automation do for you?
There are many ways to use automation to ease your mental load and reduce manual tasks. Check out these recommended techniques:
