Author: MaintenX

Facility Management is not the easiest of professions, not only because of how much a FM needs to know, but also because of the frequent lack of available data. As we bring value to our companies, we must also share the information and skills we have learned with our fellow FMs, as well as those looking to make Facility Management their profession in the future. Here are some tips we’ve picked up along the way.

Analytical Skills

Facility Managers deal with many kinds of information and often have to analyze this information to make decisions. People in this field are also responsible for reviewing company procedures and guidelines and analyzing them to find ways to improve business and facility efficiency.

Communication Skills

Communicating effectively and efficiently is a valuable skill to have in many sectors, but in Facility Management it is a critical one. Facility managers must often talk with their employees and contractors to make sure everything is completed on time and in an efficient and effective manner. They must be able to clearly explain their role and get along with their coworkers, employees, and contractors.

Facility management is a very important feature of every business. When someone is in charge of managing the safety and maintenance of the building and equipment of a business, safety and well-being for all increases substantially, while the number of repairs, costs and injuries go down. To learn more about facility maintenance, call MaintenX at (855) 751- 0075.

Predictive maintenance techniques and practices are designed specifically to define the state of equipment to calculate when maintenance should be done. This approach is different from preventative maintenance because tasks are performed only when needed.

The benefit of predictive maintenance is that it allows for simple scheduling of corrective maintenance, while preventing equipment failure. The idea is “the right information at the right time”. Other advantages include prolonged equipment life, increased safety, fewer accidents, and optimized equipment operation.

Uses of Predictive Maintenance

There are many uses for predictive maintenance in a wide variety of industries, including:

– Locating potential overloads in electrical panels

– Recording increased temperatures within electrical panels to prevent component failures

– Detecting drops in temperatures that could indicate a pressure leak

Today, advantages of predictive maintenance are accepted in many industries, including:

– Increased component operational life and availability

– Allows for preemptive corrective actions

– Results in decrease in equipment and/or process downtime

– Lowers costs for parts and labor

– Provides better product quality

– Improves worker and environmental safety

– Raises worker morale

– Increases energy savings

Disadvantages

– Increases investment in diagnostic equipment

– Increases investment in staff training

– Money-savings potential is readily seen by management

Though predictive maintenance is an enticing idea for many companies, its implementation isn’t always successful. The main reason for this is usually a general lack of planning and/or management support, which is important to any successful program.

Want to get help for your maintenance programs? Learn about the solution that will make your life easier at MaintenX!

Public facilities are designated for functions related to the health and well-being of the people in a specific area.

So, public services and facilities have a big impact on the quality of life residents and others enjoy while using them. Quality public services are key elements for a sustainable community mad can reduce crime while increasing general community safety.

Facility Maintenance maintains public facilities like:

– parks

– recreational facilities

– swimming pools

– office buildings

– warehouses

– libraries

– park irrigation systems

– lighted trail systems

– parking lots

– bridges

– tunnels

– stairways

– overpasses

The work groups which form a public maintenance force are comprised of carpenters, electricians, and plumbers who perform maintenance work, such as graffiti removal, on public properties.

Facility Maintenance handles repair requests and performs scheduled preventative maintenance. The range of building maintenance includes:

– lock and keys

– door and window replacement and repair

– structural framing and repair

– drywall repair

– painting

– plumbing

– heating and cooling

– lighting

– emergency generator operation

– electrical problems

– etc.

Public Facilities is usually managed by a Facility Management team usually led by a Facility Manager or a Director of Facility Management. For large institutions, usually, there is an additional team which works directly with the client and their representatives.

Who uses Public Facilities?

Many public institutions take advantage of Public Facilities’ services, like:

– Schools

– Hospitals

– Roads

– Railways

– Libraries

– Post Offices

– Courthouses

– Parks

– Government Administrative Offices

– Prisons

– Local

Public Facilities Management has a broad scope and is very important to the health and safety of communities.

Different businesses have different facility needs. You may have an office, many offices, a floor, or ten floors within a single building. Some buildings may be found in an urban setting or freestanding in a suburban or rural area.

No matter how you cut it, the facility is the physical place where your business activities are conducted, and it needs to be maintained so your business will run smoothly. So make a facilities management plan that meets the needs and demands of your specific building and business, and designate someone qualified to implement that plan. Enter the Facilities Manager.

Facilities Manager Responsibilities

Facility Managers have a lot on their plate. Their duties include:

– Monitoring the efficiency of an organization

– Ensuring that the business receives maximum value for its facility-related expenditures

– Procuring real estate, leasing (or facility construction, renovation, and relocation)

– Monitoring all aspects of the facility maintenance so that the business can operate at highest capacity.

– Tracking and responding to environmental, health, safety and security regulations.

– Anticipating future facility needs in areas as diverse as lighting, new space for expanded assembly lines, – and automation.

– Educating the workforce about standards and procedures.

Cost Savings:

Cost—short and long-term—is one of the biggest factors in any company’s decision-making process. The largest cost a company will face, apart from labor, is occupancy, so it makes sense that someone should manage those costs professionally to prevent money from slipping through the cracks.

Do you need a facility manager?

The decision to hire a facility manager is determined by the stage of growth and productivity of your staff and overall business. But it is something you should seriously consider. It can end up saving you and your company a lot of money while increasing efficiency.

Facility Management encompasses numerous strategies to ensure the functionality of a building by integrating people, process, and technology.

Professional Facility Management as a business function has the objective of coordinating facilities and the services offered or needed within a public and private organization.

Facility Managers are busy people, and sometimes that gets in the way of other necessary actions. They can sometimes neglect the fundamentals while chasing a new trend.

Usually a Facility Manager’s role can be split into two areas: ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ services. The hard  services are about the actual structure of a building and its systems like:

– Building fabric maintenance

– HVAC repair and maintenance

– Ensuring proper operations and efficiency

– Safeguarding workers

– Meeting safety and building codes and government regulations

– Decoration & furniture refurbishment

– Elevator and escalator maintenance

– Fire safety system maintenance

– Plumbing & drainage maintenance

– Minor project management

– Overseeing remodeling projects

Soft services include:

– Cleaning

– Recycling

– Security

– Pest control

– Grounds maintenance

– Waste disposal

– Internal plants

In addition, a FM must be in charge of tracking and responding to environmental, health, safety and security regulations, anticipating future facility needs in areas as diverse as fluorescent lights, new space for expanded assembly lines, automation, and wiring for new computer networks.

Facility Management is a critical part of any organization’s day-to-day operations, assisting in its core business by providing a safe and effective environment in which to operate.

Facility Management encompasses methods and practices of building management and infrastructure management. It integrates people, places, processes, and various technologies to keep the physical side of a company running smoothly, allowing it to focus on its business.

The Facility Management services market has entered a high maturity phase, owing to an increasing awareness with end-users, though the market will continue to grow fairly steadily. High infrastructure development has led to increased demand for more specialized vendors who have the skill to operate in both technical and non-technical functions within a given business.  

There is a growing recognition that facility management contributes to the health and well-being of the employees, customers, and clients who work within their buildings, thus increasing efficiency, happiness, productivity, and profitability—key aspects of any business’s bottom line.

Ever-changing work styles have significantly affected both employee behavior and the vacancy rate of buildings, which affects how buildings operate. Facility Management continues to face the many challenges that come from open office environments, increasingly open work schedules and hours of operation, and shifting occupancy rates.

These trends, however, don’t stand alone as influencers of Facility Management, but they have strong connections to it. The most successful Facility Managers will be those who can proactively meet the challenges of current trends while not getting lost in the process.

Facilities Management is becoming increasingly important, appreciated, and innovative than ever before. But what are the basics of Facility Management? A Facilities Manager has a range of responsibilities, which include:

– Ensuring proper operations and efficiency

– Safeguarding workers

– Complying with codes and regulations

– Saving the company money

– Increasing productivity

– Creating a comfortable environment for employees, clients and customers

What areas are covered by Facilities Management?

Facilities Management is involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations, some areas of responsibility include:

– Building maintenance

– Cleaning

– Catering and vending

– Archiving

– Health and safety

– Mail

– Contract management

– Security

– Waste disposal

– Recycling

– Utilities

Day-to-Day Responsibilities:

A Facility Manager has a lot on their plate. Among other things, Facilities Managers need to:

– Prepare documents

– Supervise and coordinate the work of contractors

– Plan for future development

– Meet with vendors and contractors

– Negotiate prices

Health & Safety Management

Health & Safety is a key part of the Facilities Manager and managing the Health & Safety of the site is the key to a thriving and successful work environment.

The consequences of not complying with health and safety regulations can be quite severe. Apart from the obvious risk of injury or death to an employee or client, they can also include:

– Fines

– Imprisonment

– Bad publicity

– Loss of customers

– Loss of staff

Practice good communication, get feedback from the customer and, most importantly, act on problems as soon as you hear about them. You must ensure the customer or client is kept in the picture at all times. This is vital to good customer relationship management.