The workplace is also the physical manifestation of an organisation’s brand, and many organisations use it to recruit and retain both staff and clients. A poor workplace, by contrast, frustrates work, inhibits people’s productivity and can even make them sick. It will make them want to come to work and perform well once they’re there. A good workplace makes people feel well, energised, productive and enthusiastic about their work.
That is not generally a problem, though it is important to remember that the precise facilities management role is likely to be shaped quite significantly by the nature of the organisation in question.įacilities management (or facility management, as it is often referred to outside the UK) is well summarised in the emerging set of ISO standards for the discipline:Īn organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business.įacilities management is important because it ensures a safe and comfortable work environment for people.
Despite that broad spread, however, discussion of facilities management often defaults quickly to what goes on in commercial office environments.
They work in all sorts of environments - from offices, hotels and hospitals, to sports and leisure arenas, logistics centres, care homes and educational establishments including primary schools, universities and specialist research laboratories. Ensuring that this support is available in the right form, at the right quality and for the right cost is the domain of facilities management.įacilities managers, in essence, look after all the stuff that keeps an organisation up and running. A Brief Introduction to Facilities ManagementĪn essential guide to the key facts & figuresĮvery organisation relies on a mix of functions and services to provide the support essential to its core business operations.