You want your business to succeed and effective facilities management is one of the essential ingredients in the performance of any organization. As buildings get smarter and technology becomes more pervasive and more sophisticated, it is essential to have highly effective facilities managers who will help keep your facility well-managed and maintained so its operations can perform optimally.
Why is Facility Management So Important?
Your business has a lot invested in its facility, equipment and in your personnel, so these objectives are highly important:
- Protect the health and safety of your people
- Make sure the business operates cost-efficiently
- Increase the life of your physical assets
- Meet the legal requirements of the operation
What Do Facilities Managers Do?
Every business relies on all aspects of its facility being in good working condition so that the business can run smoothly. Facilities management should be primarily a proactive role, focusing on planning ahead and creating solutions, rather than simply fixing what is broken. Facility managers ensure that the facility is maintained and operating smoothly every day. Their responsibilities can include some or all the following:
- Property and space management.
- Managing communications infrastructure.
- Creating plans for and executing maintenance, repairs and needed replacements.
- Testing and inspections.
- Environment, health, safety, and security conditions.
- Establishing and managing vendor contracts to maximize support resources. These can include catering, cleaning, parking, technology, and security.
- Dealing with emergency facility issues that may arise—anything that would compromise the safety, security or function of the facility.
- Ensuring that facilities meet the required government and legal standards.
How Do Effective Facilities Managers Prioritize Core Issues?
Effective facilities managers focus on processes and advanced planning to succeed with all functions and especially issues that may arise. As Abraham Lincoln reportedly said, “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.” A “plan ahead” suggested prioritization follows:
- Seriousness. Work on the tasks based on how serious the matter is to the facility and to the impact of not getting it done as quickly as possible. That can include possible physical damage or cost consequences.
- Safety. No company wants its employees getting hurt nor does it want the exposure to any liabilities.
- Legal issues. If a task is critical to keep the operation compliant with local and federal regulations, it must be acted on promptly.
- Occupant considerations. Address an issue if it makes working in the facility unpleasant or unproductive.
- Requestor. Act on issues that are important to the management team before responding to a minor complaint by a visitor, employee or customer.
- Common sense. Act on these issues—most will likely be minor such as water on the floor or a leaking sink—as they are necessary to do.
- Set schedule. Many tasks are effectively addressed with scheduled routine treatment, such as sweeping or cleaning machines. Of course, you’ll also have seasonal needs to address such as checking out your heating or air conditioning systems, scheduling snow removal and so on.
Traits to Look for in Facility Managers
Effective facility managers have these traits:
- Understand the mission and focus on the reason for the business
- Technically competent
- Customer service oriented
- High-performance standards and high sensitivity to legal standards
- Cost-conscious
- Decisive and action-oriented; proactive
- Attention to detail
- Good communications skills
ABS Facility Maintenance is proud to provide excellent and reliable facilities maintenance services to businesses and property owners nationwide. Contact us now to find out about our services and learn how we can help you meet your business goals.