This opening chapter sets the scene, by discussing the importance of facility management to an organization – typically, a facility owner, operator or occupier as the recipient of facility services – and how approaches can differ between organizations even within the same sector. There is no single arrangement for facility management that will fit all situations.
Facility management owes its success to the increasing awareness amongst facility owners as informed clients, their personnel and other users of a facility of the value that a well-managed facility can bring to the core business.
The following points, among many others, are covered in the chapter.
- There are several definitions of facility management. A standardized term now exists to emphasize the importance of people in facility management: organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business.
- In any discussion of facility management, it is also necessary to stress the importance of integrative, interdependent disciplines whose overall purpose is to support an organization in the pursuit of its business objectives.
- The correct implementation of facility management enables an organization to provide the right environment for conducting its core business as signified by the achievement of user satisfaction and best value.
- There is a close relationship between facility management and asset management – a key difference is that facility management is more focused on people and quality of life.
- If a facility is not managed properly, it can impact organizational performance and productivity. Conversely, a well-managed facility can enhance performance by contributing towards the optimal working environment.
- Facility management covers a range of functions, including real estate management, financial management, human resources management, health, safety, security and the environment (HSSE), change management and contract management, in addition to maintenance, facility services (e.g. cleaning, security and catering), business support services and utility supplies.
- There is no universal approach to managing a facility since each organization will have its own distinct needs – understanding those needs is the key to effective facility management measured in terms of user satisfaction and best value.
- Quality of service or performance is a critical factor in any definition of value and the relationship between quality (or performance) and cost (or price) has to be properly understood.