It is challenging to think about the exact definition of facility management due to the expansive scope of this service. If the sales manager is mainly responsible for the handling of the tasks of a company’s sales team, the functions provided by facility management services are more than the usual oversight for managing facilities. Thus, companies are having a hard time maximising the benefits of having a highly efficient facility manager.
Knowing the importance of facility management services is crucial in getting the most from this line of work. To understand what facilities managers do and about their responsibilities, it is necessary to break down the duties and responsibilities under their services by looking at the four key pillars of their profession, and which are:
#1: Supporting the Workforce
The main task of a facility manager is making a cooperative and considerate work environment for all employees. It includes other smaller goals, such as hiring and retaining valuable workers, thinking of ways to boost efficiency and productivity, and making a positive workplace culture.
Facility managers also offer employee support in other ways, including regulating desk arrangements, working on employee directories, simplifying space utilisation, and leading the team’s emergency planning. They also work as a bridge between the company’s top executives and the employees. It means whenever an issue arises, and they are the ones who must find a way to solve the problems. They are also responsible for creating the necessary planning data for the C-suite executives and look for a long-term approach to optimise the workplace.
#2: Implementing Processes
Another important function of facility management is bringing order to the workplace. The order makes a structure of expectations, which would lead to an organisation that provides a positive impact on how people interact in the workplace.
Some of the processes that facility managers can establish in their company include submitting the necessary work order request, reserving a slot of a space or room within the facility, checking in visitors and guests in the office, and planning emergency action. They also serve the roles of determining governance areas and conforming to various processes to tackle them. When a new situation comes out, they are the ones who will establish order from the chaos and create a framework that can be repeatedly used whenever the same situation arises in the future.
#3: Improving and Upkeeping Facilities
As the name suggests, facility managers are mainly involved in the improvement and up keeping of the office. But aside from making sure that the physical building is in its prime form, the facility managers are also responsible for asset management and future planning.
Some of the main responsibilities that facility management services must focus on include looking for vendor contracts and maintaining them, taking care of repair and maintenance of the building, facilitating cleaning and decoration of the workplace, and leading the on-site and off-site property management.
#4: Integrating Technology
In a world where technological advancements regularly arise, facility managers need to keep track of the changes and apply them to the workplace. Managing the office needs aggregated data to help derive important decisions in running the business. The managers need to figure out and implement the appropriate technology that is appropriate for their business.
Some of the responsibilities of facility managers when it comes to technology include knowing the appropriate Internet of Things (IoT) devices based on the required data collection, integrating these IoT devices into the workplace’s regular facilities, learning the costs, advantages and ROI of various smart technologies, and using the aggregated data to boost the workplace transactions.
Facility managers may get more information about facility management services by enrolling in courses to improve their knowledge. It will help them in handling the tasks better for the benefit of the company.