Facilities Management

organizations across the globe rely on facilities management to operate successfully In this guide, we'll explore facilities management how it varies and what it takes to become a strong facility manager

Formal Definition-

Many things go into supporting the core functions of an organization, especially when considering the vast gamut of industries that require facilities management it could be a manufacturing company with buildings across multiple locations, a manufacturing company with one large production facility, or a commercial office space renting out a single floor of a city skyscraper whatever the industry you find yourself in, facilities management (as a facilities manager ) ensures your physical spaces and assets can support your organization's needs 

Why is facility Management important?

all organizations exist to fulfil a core function: generating. This is the essential spine of any successful organization, which they support in a variety of ways 

Facilities management functions

The title of facilities manager can mean various things depending on the size of an organization and what industry they serve Their job responsibilities can also be fulfilled by people with different job titles, such as director of facilities, director of operations, property manager, and many others 

the easiest way to understand the role of a facilities manager is to break down the facility management services into two categories: hard services and soft services

Facility manager vs property manager

A role commonly confused with that of a facility manager is that of a property manager and it's easy to understand why owners and organizations are different entities. this is not applicable in owner-occupied facilities ( i.e. the organization leaders are also the building owner)

In those commercial real estate situations, however, a property manager and facility manager will be present. the critical difference is that the property manager is employed by the property owner, while the facility manager is employed by the residing organization As such, property managers oversee everything to do with the commercial building themselves (building and grounds maintenance, utilities capital improvements, etc.), while facility managers oversee everything relating to the occupants, employees, and assets inside (workspace management, asset maintenance, catering, etc.)

How is a facilities management department structured?

Like most things relating to facilities management, the department structure varies greatly depending on the size and industry of facilities management.

For smaller organizations, the facilities management division may consist of only one individual who oversees everything when referring to a single facility and is very involved in the day-to-day operations

as organizations scale, specific services are delegated to focused facility professionals or teams. for example ,a maintenance manager transportation director or production manager may come on board to own those specific services. other organizations may split their management based on zones , locations, buildings, or regions, overseen by building managers or regional managers. in either of these situations, the facilities manager (or, more likely, the facilities director or vp of operations ) is free to handle more strategic tasks in collaboration with the executive leadership.