Facilities (or facility) management is the business of managing, coordinating and integrating activities in any built environment such as an office, hospital, school or hotel with the objective of optimising the environment for individuals performing there. In short, facility management ensures that everything is available and functioning properly for building occupants to do their work.
Facilities management is similar to property management except that the term is usually only applied only to larger commercial properties with more complex management requirements. Among the facilities that need to be managed are the waste services and maintenance operations, building upkeep, security and various other services that the running of a modern building complex requires. Much of the work involved in facilities management can be handled by computers running customised facilities management software.
The services provided by facility management can be classified into hard and soft services. Hard services are more tangible and include building maintenance and the air-conditioning system. Soft services can include cleaning and hygienic services as well as monitoring the work of contractors such as builders and electricians.
The duties and responsibilities of facilities managers range from basic administration to space management strategy to the development of communications infrastructure. It's an ongoing process and has wide-ranging effects on the motivation, safety and satisfaction of employees who work in the building. What's more, such factors as an organisation's identity and image depend on effective facilities management.
It's a true multi-disciplinary endeavour demanding a competence in a wide range of disciplines from computers to interior design. Becoming a facilities manager is a demanding task but one with its own unique challenges and rewards.
Facilities management is similar to property management except that the term is usually only applied only to larger commercial properties with more complex management requirements. Among the facilities that need to be managed are the waste services and maintenance operations, building upkeep, security and various other services that the running of a modern building complex requires. Much of the work involved in facilities management can be handled by computers running customised facilities management software.
The services provided by facility management can be classified into hard and soft services. Hard services are more tangible and include building maintenance and the air-conditioning system. Soft services can include cleaning and hygienic services as well as monitoring the work of contractors such as builders and electricians.
The duties and responsibilities of facilities managers range from basic administration to space management strategy to the development of communications infrastructure. It's an ongoing process and has wide-ranging effects on the motivation, safety and satisfaction of employees who work in the building. What's more, such factors as an organisation's identity and image depend on effective facilities management.
It's a true multi-disciplinary endeavour demanding a competence in a wide range of disciplines from computers to interior design. Becoming a facilities manager is a demanding task but one with its own unique challenges and rewards.