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Ian R Fielder, CEO, British Institute of Facilities Management

Facilities management (FM) often fails the "elevator test", which is to explain what job we do to a complete stranger in less that two minutes (the time it takes to enter a lift at the ground floor and exit on the top floor).

As defined by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), FM is the integration of multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace.

Effective facilities management, combining resources and activities, is vital to the success of any organisation. At a corporate level, it contributes to the delivery of strategic and operational objectives by aligning the outputs from all support activity with the key business objectives and stated strategy. On a day-to-day level, effective FM provides a safe and efficient working environment.

Many organisations today have "out-tasked" their contracted activities to specialist suppliers who can provide a cost-effective and efficient service against pre-defined service level agreements. This has been especially effective in areas such as maintenance, cleaning and security.

The private and public sectors have been quick to embrace the advantages of "outsourcing" not just the delivery of the service but also the management. This has freed up resource and allowed the client organisations to concentrate on their core business.

Many businesses have recognised that critical issues such as attraction and retention of staff are no longer just the concern of the HR team. Staff are becoming more discerning about their working environment and want the very best facilities in the office and at home.

Facilities managers must be able to demonstrate added value to the core business. For too long the Board has been too focused on the capital cost of a new building, not realising that the vast proportion of spend comes in the revenue line, maintaining the asset through its whole life.

Contact information

BIFM
67 High Street
Saffron Walden
Essex CB10 1AA

Tel: 01799 508606
Fax: 01799 513237
Website: www.bifm.org.uk
E-mail: admin@bifm.org.uk

 

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