Becoming a Qualified Facility Manager is not a day’s affair because a facilities manager’s job entails a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities are mostly belittled by the general managers of an organization as they believe it so small and simple until they are faced with the reality of it. It is to be noted that the functions of a facility manager range from strategic planning and maintenance to managing third-party vendors and support workers. Despite the large number of jobs necessary to maintain a building, the value of a facilities manager is sometimes neglected. Whether it’s because building owners prefer to manage their properties on their own or because they’re just unaware of the benefits that a skilled facilities manager can provide, this is a problem.
Detailed Job Description of a Facilities Manager
A facilities manager’s job description varies based on the facility and what company is using the company. Managers, on the other hand, are supposed to be in charge of standard building procedures. These include anything from strategic planning to day-to-day operation management to security and facility upkeep. As well as guaranteeing the tenants’ health and safety. So if the manager has the procedure to include facility management then the facility manager should be left with the proceeding of the procedure.
Inadequate awareness on how professional and how technical facility management is or can be could lead to shallowness in the opinion of managers about the FM activities.
Facility managers are typically required to oversee the administration of a variety of services, including:
- Regular maintenance and building repairs are scheduled and planned.
- Taking care of legal or contractual issues (with occupants and third-party suppliers)
- Providing the proper equipment and facilities for the inhabitants
- Following all health and safety standards
- Using space management to ensure that people are happy and safe.
- Assuring the safety of the premises
- Assigning and managing inter-building space
- Assuring compliance with government rules, as well as environmental, health, and security norms
- Advising businesses on how to improve their energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and supervising construction, renovation, and refurbishment projects
- Assisting firms in relocating to new locations and making leasing decisions
- Preparing written reports and suggestions
- ensuring that basic services such as water and heating are in good working order
After all, the fundamental goal is to keep facilities in the best functioning condition possible to create efficiency and effectiveness in the work place and finally generate profit and revenues, therefore one of the key responsibilities of a facilities manager is to ensure that tenants are satisfied and getting the most out of their built environment. The seemingly ignored effort to an Effective workplace management, such as the design of office layouts, ensuring shared spaces are clean, and supplying the appropriate furniture or equipment cannot be over emphasized, its impact in the success of the organization.
Becoming a Qualified Facility Manager is a highly demanding occupation and this is due to the fact that facility managers must consistently oversee all aspects of a building’s operations and is responsible for a wide range of tasks. Hard and soft services are the two types of services available. To help define the functions expected of a facilities manager, it’s important to understand the difference between hard and soft facilities management tasks, as well as which procedures fit into each category.
What Are Hard Fm Tasks?
Hard FM duties are those that deal with the physical space of a building, such as:
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Property planning, design, and strategy:
The bulk of businesses operate out of buildings, which are one of their most valuable assets and, after people, one of their most expensive liabilities. These assets and liabilities must be managed with the organization’s goals in mind, so that lodging and facilities service strategies are in line with business goals. Many operational managers are unaware of the benefits of this alignment, which can be a costly mistake that results in higher expenses, lower productivity, and a loss of competitive advantage. The facilities manager has a significant role to play in boosting corporate performance. There is the opportunity to contribute value by facilitating increased “well-being” and productivity from a happy and comfortable workforce, increasing customer experience, and lowering expenses through effective management, all of which will improve the organization’s success. However, the facilities manager must be present at the business plan meeting with the real estate manager. However, the facilities manager, along with the real estate manager, should be present at the business strategy table to ensure that accommodations and services are integrated into the organization’s overall delivery objectives.
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Using a proactive, reactive, or preventative maintenance strategy:
The stock-in-trade of most Facilities Management operations has historically been reactive maintenance. This is because it appears to be the most straightforward to implement, requiring fewer resources, less planning, and a lower initial commitment. Its inconsistency over time leads to unanticipated costs such as the full loss of vital equipment, overtime man hours, and safety concerns owing to a lack of adequate assessment of standard processes and safety regulations. The truth is that relying on reactive maintenance is merely kicking the can down the road.
While reactive maintenance isn’t bad, given breakdowns are almost unavoidable in Facilities Management, making it your primary maintenance strategy might be costly to your company.
Preventive maintenance, on the other hand, aims to avoid equipment failure before it happens. A typical preventative maintenance plan extends the life of your assets, reduces the need for repair or replacement, and boosts the bottom line of your firm.
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Contract administration:
FM contracting is essentially a commercial service contract arrangement, whether for: ‘Hard FM,’ which relates to the maintenance and the fabric of a building, such as mechanical and electrical services; or ‘Soft FM,’ which relates to the maintenance and the fabric of a building, such as cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning, security, and helpdesk are examples of ‘Soft FM’.
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Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance (HVAC):
Any commercial building’s HVAC service is essential to its occupancy. This is an important service that “touches” clients since they are aware of their bodily comfort, or lack thereof, right away. Customers in facility management frequently call and complain about HVAC. Parts of the work necessary to operate and maintain the HVAC system, such as boiler water maintenance, reconditioning fan motors, refrigerant management, or valve re-calibrations, are frequently outsourced by facility managers. The cost and resources associated with hiring and training employees to complete the work are frequently factors in the decision to outsource. If it is decided not to outsource the task, the job will be completed by the maintenance staff engineers. Staffing, operational requirements, equipment and supplies, safety and security protocols, documentation, and other aspects of HVAC operation should be addressed in both contract specifications (if outsourced) and operations manuals (for in-house personnel)..
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Inspections of lighting, plumbing, and electrical systems:
This Electrical Inspection Checklist is non-binding and non-exhaustive. The facility management supervisor or management staff in charge of workplace facility operations can make the necessary changes, such as adding new questions or removing/modifying existing ones, to meet the company’s work processes and conditions.
What is Soft Fm Tasks and How Do They Work?
Soft FM duties are those that involve the administration of services that a company relies on to maintain a safe working environment, such as:
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Ensure that all fire safety systems are operational and responding to emergencies:
When you’re managing a facility, you’re managing for success and growth. However, you’re also managing for safety. One of your most important roles as a facility manager is to ensure that your employees feel safe and supported in their work environment. You can do this through work space design, training, and access to safety equipment. When you’re working as a facilities manager, one of your roles is to ensure that everyone in your facilities is safe. You can do this by developing strong maintenance routines for safety equipment and other equipment and by designing work spaces in a way that allows everyone to move freely from place to place, including emergency exits.
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Services for waste management:
The critical stage of planning and developing a strategy and structure for the implementation of effective facilities management processes, procedures, and programs to drive operational efficiencies and productivity improvement in the workplace begins with effectively identifying problems, requirements, and goals in relation to facilities management. Facility managers Identify and track key performance indicators for your facility including infrastructure, goals, buildings, procedures, services, and facilities that are specific to your industry or business. Recycling, hazardous waste creation, total solid trash generated per day, annual landfill tonnage, and so on are examples. Facility managers Focus on one waste stream at a time, identify the sources, prioritize them strategically, and devise a plan of action. This will aid in maximizing resources and reducing complexity in complex systems with numerous stakeholders pursuing different objectives.
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Management of the budget:
Breaking down costs on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis is a smart idea. This will help to bring to light charges that could otherwise go unnoticed, such as seasonal facility fees. For example, in the winter, you may pay more for utilities and in the summer, you may pay more for landscaping. Similarly, if you wish to plan a spring renovation, you’ll be able to account for those charges more readily after your budget is broken down.
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Providing assistance to employees from various departments:
The foremost objective of a facility manager is creating an accommodating work environment for employees. This serves much broader goals, including attracting and retaining top talent, improving efficiency and productivity, and creating a positive workplace culture.
Breaking expenditures down monthly, quarterly, and annually is a smart idea. This will make costs like seasonal facility fees, which are often disregarded, more visible. In the winter, you might pay more for utilities, while in the summer, you might pay more for landscaping. Similarly, if you wish to plan a spring renovation, you’ll be able to account for those costs more readily once your budget has been broken down.
Why Is a Facility Manager So Important?
Most firms would struggle to increase the efficiency of their properties without the help of a facilities manager. This includes managing day-to-day operations, keeping buildings in good repair, and retaining a productive personnel.
A facility manager will oversee a variety of services on a strategic level. This includes synchronizing facility service demand and supply. In addition, you’ll be in charge of matters connected to your home, such as hosting on-site visitors and monitoring inhabitants’ health and safety.
How to Hire the Best Built-Environment Manager
Facility managers are in charge of a company’s property and buildings. They are in charge of a variety of services, including the supervision of team members such as technicians and project managers. They must demonstrate a blend of experience, talent, knowledge, and proactiveness in order to perform well. When looking for someone to manage a building’s day-to-day operations, keep in mind that the ideal facilities manager should possess the following four qualities:
Strategically-Minded
Planning and management responsibilities should be approached strategically by a qualified facilities manager. Facilities managers add value to a company’s bottom line through the contracts they negotiate and the KPIs they establish while also improving the company’s culture, reputation, and employee engagement.
Focused Individuals
Staff requires a suitable working environment in order to be productive. Someone has to fix the building if there is an issue. As a result, a facilities manager must have excellent communication skills. To produce results, they must first comprehend the issues that occur and consider them in their decision-making. According to the founder of the LinkedIn group “Integrated Facility Management is not just about the ‘desk’ job and all the processes,” says the author. It’s about what your visitors (and workers) go through on a daily basis as they travel through your department.”
A Problem-Solver is a person who solves problems
A facilities manager’s mentality should be focused on continuous improvement. Knowledge of the most recent trends is also important. This can be accomplished through the development of novel approaches. As well as re-evaluating existing agreements or contracts in order to uncover more cost-effective alternatives.
Analytically-Minded
A facilities manager will work with a lot of data throughout their career, including financial planning, legal and regulatory challenges, contract conditions, and building plans. They must understand how to manage this data and how to apply it to improve operations as well as how to safeguard and secure sensitive third-party information.
Article written by AbdulQudus Muhammed. You can reach him via email.
