Main topics of facility management
Being an independent discipline, FM covers some important topics that I want to list:
- cost of ownership. There are upfront and ongoing costs of owning facilities. The management of any facility must understand and cover these costs, from planning to disposal
- life cycle cost. As a general rule, all economic analyzes and comparisons should be based on life cycle costs. Wrong decisions are often made when only capital or upfront costs are taken into account
- service integration. Good governance means integrating the various services of a facility (e.g. design and operation)
- operations, maintenance and sustainability plan. Operators and contractors should be actively involved in the plan review process
- delegation of responsibility. In large organizations, FM functions should be grouped into budget programs, with a manager responsible for each program
- economy. The trick is to identify and compare costs with comparable partners, and make these comparisons regularly
- efficiency increase. Efficiency must be constantly evaluated through benchmarking schemes, user feedback and bypass management
- the quality of life. The head of the comapny must actively promote and protect the quality of life of employees. Safe workplace - minimum; a workplace that promotes individual and group productivity should be the goal
- integration of elements. The facility manager is the company's expert on the facilities (place), on the factors that determine the success of the work (process), on the analysis and documentation of these factors and systems (technologies), on employees (people) and on how they function together
- reduction and flexibility. Since the nature of this work is always partially reactive, the facility manager must ensure flexibility in terms of facilities, organization and procedures of the department
- facilities as assets. Facilities should be viewed as a valuable asset (not just in the accounting department of an organization) that makes numerous contributions to the company's mission. If this concept is accepted by management, then the rest of the mission automatically becomes easier. There is more and more evidence that workers judge employers by the quality of facilities, and in this case it becomes easier to argue
- facility management as a business function. Facilities deserve to be managed in a businesslike manner. Tools should be developed in parallel with the organization's business, aligned and planned to the same extent
- facility management as a continuum, from planning to disposal. This is not a series of discrete projects
- maintenance. Facilities management provides only one product - service support. The nature of FM is likely to be one of control and conformity when it should be flexible and serviceable. This is especially acceptable for the public sector. A quality program is based on how the customer perceives the service, and this must be achieved in several ways. A successful service program depends on long-term relationships and commitment at all levels.
- subcontract. The head of the company should be a flexible service provider. Traditional contracting methods are often associated with poor service, unsatisfactory performance, higher costs due to change orders, and poor cooperation between contractor and facility manager. Contracting should be based on ethical principles and results, and should emphasize partnership and fairness for all parties