Companies across the world rely on facility management to function effectively. In this article we’ll look at the process of managing facilities and how it differs and what you need to know to become a successful facility manager.
What is the term “facilities management?
In short, facilities management involves the daily operations required to ensure that a physical space is in line with the needs of an organization and its the primary function.
There are many factors that go into supporting the primary tasks of an organization in particular when it comes to the wide range of sectors needing facilities administration. There could be schools that has facilities spread across several locations and a manufacturing business with a large manufacturing facility or an commercial office space that is rented out to only one floor of a towering city skyscraper. Whatever field you are in the facilities manager (a facility manager) makes sure that your physical space and assets are able to meet the needs of your company.
Why is it important to manage facilities?
All organizations have the essential purpose which ranges from earning profits to providing for the needs of a community. The management of facilities is an fundamental element of any organization that is successful. They assist in a variety of ways:
Productivity
The primary function is to ensure that the personnel, employees and the occupants of the space are able to perform their jobs effectively. This includes ensuring that the workplace is neat, tidy and accessible. This includes making sure that all equipment, vehicles and other technology is functioning correctly when required.
Safety and comfort
The most important factor in productivity is making sure everyone in the building is safe and at ease. Making sure that the equipment and buildings are checked to ensure they meet standards for safety is essential in reducing risk and liability. Facilities managers also look at how a facility can ensure the comfort of its occupants.
Profitability
Safety, efficiency and comfort should be achieved efficiently. Facilities management is usually the most expensive cost due to its extensive impact on the whole enterprise, therefore all efforts to cut down on unneeded operating costs are vital to the bottom line of the company.
Scalability
As companies expand, grow their capital assets, relocate or adjust to changing workplaces (the introduction of virtual workplaces for instance) Facilities management is the key to making sure the success of these transformations. The team should be familiar with the insides and outsides of facilities and also the people and assets inside them, so that they can best advise on opportunities that may arise.
Sustainability
Beyond EHS (environment health and safety) compliance, facility management have a social obligation to promote greener practices within the business. This may mean a reduction in energy waste, improving energy efficiency, or applying the latest best practices. Sustainable facilities management can create the image of the brand the company and decreases overall energy usage costs.
Facilities management tasks
Facilities manager may refer to a range of different things, based according to the dimensions of the business and the type of industry they are in. The responsibilities of their job can be performed by individuals who hold different names (director of facilities director of operations, director of facilities, the property manager or maintenance supervisor and many more).
The most straightforward way to comprehend the function of a facility administrator is by breaking the services of facility management into two types hard and soft services.
Technology for managing facilities
More than ever before, Facilities management teams are accountable for the storage of reliable and up-to date information as well as implementing sustainable practices in their facilities, and prioritizing the building as well as environmental quality.
There are numerous technologies that can assist teams in achieving these objectives.
Utility tracking software
Many organizations are looking to reduce costs for energy use, maintain their facilities as efficient as is possible and set sustainability goals. However, the majority of them fail to take advantage of these plans due to the manual process for collecting data. Utility tracking software can automate this laborious process by importing the data from a company’s utility bills into their software for managing facilities. Staff can use this software to:
- Find out how to help capital investment projects as well as upgrade of equipment
- Review the breakdown of costs for building in order to identify any inefficiencies or waste
- Improve energy efficiency for each structure and forecast future energy consumption
- Examine and compare costs across buildings in order to identify inefficient processes
Sensor technology
The top facilities management teams utilize sensors to inform the operation and help make buildings more efficient. Air quality, occupancy and equipment sensors can notify you to any abnormalities in data collection. The data collected can help improve the comfort of the occupants and their health equipment performance, as well as the efficiency of your building. For immediate action take the initiative to connect these sensors to your facility management system, which will allow you to schedule workers, prioritize work and make operational decisions based on data.
Software for managing facilities
The Facility Management Software is software tool that assists in the day-to-day activities in facility administration. The software assists companies:
- Maintain your buildings in a safe and clean condition for your occupants by providing regular maintenance and custodial service for the entire area of your facility
- Make sure that details don’t slip between the cracks by having an organized maintenance schedule as well as an intake procedure
- Unify your communications into one location , with live updates for everyone that is involve in the project.
- Make informed decisions based on data based on the performance of equipment and staff
There are clearly defined kinds of software like RealCube that manage facilities (CMMS software CAFM software IWMS software and EAM software) however, the boundaries are a bit hazy. Each software company will have their own set of features (regardless of the category they belong to).
If you are deciding on the software that will be use to run your facility it is best to begin by identifying the capabilities you want of your business before selecting the best software.
