The Intricacies Of Facilities Management

Facilities management (FM) is an essential, yet lesser-known facet of ‘facility’ operations that is prevalent across every sector throughout the world. It’s especially important within the commercial, educational and residential sectors. Traditionally, FM has been shunted down the list of a business’ priorities and building issues are dealt with as and when they arise usually by an office manager or administrator. However, it makes shrewd business sense, to outsource a business’ FM needs to an external, specialist company such as Munday + Cramer in order to make the crucial process a priority. This blog will go into a little more detail about what facilities management involves and exactly why it’s needed.

What Does Facilities Management Entail?

It’s one thing for us, as a company, to expound with great vigour and gusto the need for facilities management within your business, however, facilities management itself is an incredibly broad discipline that encompasses all aspects of a facility’s managing. The truth is, what’s involved varies depending on the business and sector in question. However, facilities management has some key components that are universal whatever the facility, and these include:

• Building Management & Janitorial Services. This can include deep cleans, repair works, renovations and general maintenance. No one ever wants to consider a facility’s failings, at least not until they occur, but often by then it’s too late and can be more costly to resolve. The provision of clean, running water in a facility is a prime example of something often taken for granted, a facilities management team will manage water treatment services and have tests regularly implemented by contractors for diseases such as Legionella to prevent this health and safety risk.
• Records Management. This involves building up logbooks, maintenance manuals and guides pertaining to the facility being managed. This helps build a paper trail meaning should anything go wrong within the facility, it’s much easier to ascertain and pinpoint areas where issues may have first occurred.
• Facility Security. This is particularly important for those facilities containing valuable assets, information or products or those facilities that cater to demographics requiring safeguarding, such as schools. These security provisions can range from CCTV monitoring to onsite personnel.

Ultimately, facilities management can encompass any part of a building or facility’s operations, from reprographics to photocopier filling. If it’s a function within a facility, the chances are FM will be able to manage it.

Why A Strategic Approach Towards Facilities Management Is Vital

FM has traditionally been dealt with in a reactive fashion, as opposed to a more proactive manner. With a business’ success hinging massively on efficient operational practices, such proactivity is imperative. At its core, FM helps ensure the smooth and efficient running of a facility; in many ways, it is this that serves as the foundation for a business’ overall success. A strong facility management plan helps reduce risk to businesses and people through preventative action. This reduces cost as preventative measures are cheaper than resolving problems in a reactive manner further down the line. Finally, professional facilities management helps your business/facility work towards increased forecasting of costs, thus saving your business money in the future.

Implementing CAFM

Computer-aided facility management (CAFM) is increasingly being used within facilities management. It follows the more general global trend being seen towards automation and data-driven processes within businesses. Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) takes up a large portion of FM operations. CAFM software is able to schedule this work far more easily; it prevents the crossing of wires, so to speak, and makes it far easier to keep decision-makers at facilities on the same page. It also enables a much more analytical approach to the reporting process. CAFM software makes it much easier to demonstrate the positive impacts of FM work.

Utilising An Approved Supply Chain

One of the main benefits of implementing an approved supply chain within your facilities management is the transparency that it provides your business. Transparency and accountability are two big buzzwords in this new decade. The reason they’re so vital? Compliance. An approved supply chain removes the danger of falling foul of compliance guidelines. It also reduces your facility’s overhead costs and improves the mitigation of risk. Moreover, it plugs financial leakage within your facility’s cash flow.

Facilities management is not an element of business operations to be overlooked; this blog has only scratched the surface as to the services involved. The bespoke implementation of FM will ensure that your company, school or project runs in the most efficient, quality-controlled way possible. So, if you’d like to find out more about Munday + Cramer’s facilities management services, click here.