What is facilities management?

Introduction to facilities management

Have you ever considered the role of a facilities management service as a key part of your business? It can be an often overlooked, yet crucial element of how you plan for business growth. 

Facilities management joins together a number of specialist fields to ensure that you, your people, and your resources are safe and secure. Now more than ever, businesses are reevaluating their facilities needs as part of robust growth strategies that take into account changing market conditions and the global economy. 

This guide will outline what you need to know about facilities management so that your business can make an informed decision.

Facilities management overview

Your business’s facilities are likely to be one of your most valuable assets (on average, worth between 10% – 25% of indirect business spending). Therefore, it is worth developing an understanding of what good facilities management can do for your business. According to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the 11 core tenets of facilities management are:

• Quality
• Technology
• Human Factors
• Communications
• Project Management
• Finance and Business
• Leadership and Strategy
• Operations and Maintenance
• Real Estate and Property Management
• Emergency Planning and Business Continuity
• Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability

This comprehensive list is not exhaustive. As technologies develop, more and more areas are coming under the remit of facility managers. For example, the increasing shift towards smart buildings, the Internet of Things and unexpected global challenges such as COVID-19 require facilities specialists to constantly evolve alongside businesses. 

Even before the pandemic, facility managers have always been concerned with ensuring that the workplaces they managed were safe, productive, and adhered with many different types of regulations. This contributes to a motivated workforce as well signalling to your customers that you are a reputable organisation. 

A McKinsey report published in 2019 predicted that the global facilities management market would be worth over $1.9 trillion by 2024 (although this may have to be revised in line with the dramatic changes that have since taken place). Nonetheless, the value of the sector is a good indicator of how important it is to every economy in the world and why it is so important to choose a trusted facilities management provider.

Why your business needs a facilities management strategy 

Aside from providing a safe and secure place to work, facilities management services will also ensure that your business is operating in compliance with all regulations and laws that govern workplaces. There are strict penalties with non-compliance with these rules and they are rigorously enforced. 

You do not need to be an expert in carrying out risk assessments in your facilities if you have fully trained experts who can. As well as this, you have the reassurance of knowing that in an emergency situation, the appropriate professionals will respond effectively to limit risks to your staff and customers. 

Have you ever considered how difficult it would be to run your business without a fully stocked, accessible and clean meeting room? Or how impossible it would be to work in a building with faulty electric sockets, bad Wi-Fi, unclean office spaces or poor ventilation? By ensuring that communications and operations plans are followed and your vision for your workplace is carried out, facilities managers help your business to thrive. 

Ongoing developments in the field of climate change and environmental stewardship have meant that it is vital for your business to align with national efforts to reduce carbon output and achieve targets. One of the biggest efforts in this field has been the push towards sustainability. 

The British Institute of Facilities Management set out the importance of sustainability in a 2013 report. It recommended that businesses utilise the full value of sustainable facilities management practices in order to ensure sustainable growth and adhere to environmental targets. 

The future of facilities management

What does all this mean for the future of facilities management as well as the future of your business? Considering the disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about, it is a highly uncertain time for businesses, but our guide will provide you with the information you need to know about facilities management in 2021 and onwards.

Many new words and phrases entered the lexicon in 2020 and one of the most important was ‘social distancing.’ It is difficult to understate how much this will influence the future of facilities management. Every inch of office spaces and buildings must now be scrutinised and assessed to ensure that companies are following (constantly changing) scientific and public health guidelines. Promoting stringent hygiene practices and providing technologies that can reassure staff that the office environment is safe will be high priorities for 2021. 

There will undoubtedly be a renewed focus on sustainability and environmental action in the facilities management sector. The European Commission published its framework for sustainable buildings in 2019, providing a comprehensive and accessible guide to stakeholders for improving environmental performance. With customers more concerned than ever about the impact of climate change, this is one major element that can be handled by your facilities management provider. 

Conclusion 

As a business owner or senior decision-maker, it is not essential for you to be aware of all aspects of facilities management. Despite the challenges mentioned above, reputable providers have been successful in managing company assets, adapting to changing market conditions, and giving business owners peace of mind. 

As one of the UK’s most established facilities management businesses, SMC Premier Group began as a family business in 1982. It has grown to become a leading nationwide property services provider. 

Having achieved accredited recognition from the British Institute of Cleaning Science, Contract Health and Safety and ISO certification, SMC Premier Group is the safe choice when it comes to protecting your business’s assets. 

The core range of services we offer include: sustainable building services, cleaning services, compliance, facilities management (both hard and soft FM), and even bulk PPE supply.

We provide our services across all sectors, including healthcare, retail and logistics, industrial and manufacturing, public and commercial sectors, education, hospitality and leisure as well as utilities. 

If you would like further information on how we can support your business’s goals, contact us here.