Facility management

Facility management or facilities management (FM) is a professional discipline focused on coordinating the use of space, infrastructure, people, and organization. Facilities management ensures that physical assets and environments are managed effectively to meet the needs of their users. By integrating maintenance, safety, efficiency, and comfort, FM supports organizational goals within the built environment. The profession operates under global standards such as ISO 41001 and is guided by organizations like the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
The concept of facilities management originated in the 1960s, primarily in the context of IT systems management. The term was coined by IBM alumnus and Electronic Data Systems founder Ross Perot, to describe the integration of network management and support services. Over time, it expanded to include broader elements of building and operational management.
Facility management as integral to the processes of strategic organizational planning was represented during a 1979 conference sponsored by Herman Miller. Following the meeting, the furniture manufacturer opened the Facility Management Institute (FMI), with its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The National Facility Management Association (NFMA) was formed in 1980, separating the overall profession from a single enterprise. In 1982, the NFMA expanded to form the International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
In 1986, the first professional FM organization was launched in the UK, as the Association of Facility Managers (AFM).
Facility management encompasses interdisciplinary business functions to balance the demand and supply of facilities and services. The term “facility” includes all tangible assets supporting an organization, such as real estate, buildings, infrastructure, HVAC systems, IT services, and more.
In 2017, ISO 41011 defined FM as the "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." The ISO definition was formally adopted by BIFM in August 2017. ISO 41001:2018 provided a management framework to implement these principles.
Facilities management is divided into two major categories:
According to the IFMA: "FM is the practice of coordinating the physical workplace with the people and work of the organization. It integrates the principles of business administration, architecture, and the behavioral and engineering sciences." In a 2017 global job task analysis, IFMA identified eleven competencies of facility management as:
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management, formerly the British Institute of Facilities Management, adopted the European definition and through its accredited qualification framework offers career path curriculum ranging from school leaver level through to master's degree level that is aligned with the European Qualifications framework.
FM may also cover activities other than business services: these are referred to as non-core functions and vary from one business sector to another. FM is also subject to continuous innovation and development, under pressure to reduce costs and to add value to the core business of public or private sector client organizations.
Facility management is supported with education, training, and professional qualifications often coordinated by FM institutes, universities, and associations. Degree programs exist at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Facility Management has been a recognised academic discipline since the 1990s. Initial FM research work in Europe started in universities in the UK, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, where academies funded research centers and began to establish courses at Bachelors, Masters, and PhD levels.
Early European FM research centers include the Centre for Facilities Management (CFM), founded in Glasgow in 1990; the Centre for People and Buildings at Delft University of Technology; and Metamorphose at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The University of Moratuwa Faculty of Architecture in Sri Lanka has offered a BSc. degree in Facilities Management since 2006.
In 2018, 50 universities and research institutions were represented in EUROFM. The German Facility Management Association (GEFMA) has certified 16 FM study programs and courses at universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany.
As of 2021, IFMA accredits university degree programs in the United States, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Facilities managers (FMs) operate across business functions. The main priority of an FM is keeping people alive and safe. Facility managers need to operate at two levels:
The FM department in an organization is required to identify, analyze, evaluate, control, and manage many environment and safety-related issues. Failure to do so may lead to unhealthy conditions leading to employees falling sick, injury, loss of business, prosecution, and insurance claims. The confidence of customers and investors in the business may also be affected by adverse publicity from safety lapses.
The threat from fire carries one of the highest risks to loss of life, and the potential to damage property or shut down a business. The facilities management department will have in place maintenance, inspection, and testing for all of the facility's fire safety equipment and life safety systems, keeping records and certificates of compliance.
Protection of employees and the business often comes under the control of the facilities management department, particularly the maintenance of security hardware. Staffed guarding may be under the control of a separate department.
Maintenance, testing, and inspection schedules are required to ensure that the facility is operating safely and efficiently in compliance with statutory obligations, to maximize the life of equipment, and to reduce the risk of failure. The work is planned, often using a computer-aided facility management (CAFM) system. Building maintenance includes all preventative, remedial, and upgrades works required for the upkeep and improvement of buildings and their components. These works may include disciplines such as painting and decorating, carpentry, plumbing, glazing, plastering, and tiling.
Buildings may be designed with a view to minimizing their maintenance requirement.
Cleaning operations are often undertaken out of business hours, but provision may be made during times of occupations for the cleaning of toilets, replenishing consumables (such as toilet rolls, soap) plus litter picking and reactive response is scheduled as a series of periodic (daily, weekly and monthly) tasks.
The facilities management department has responsibilities for the day-to-day running of the building; these tasks may be outsourced or carried out by directly employed staff. This is a policy issue, but due to the immediacy of the response required in many of the activities involved the facilities manager will often require daily reports or an escalation procedure.
Some issues require more than just periodic maintenance, for example, those that can stop or hamper the productivity of the business or that have safety implications. Many of these are managed by the facilities management "help desk" that staff is able to be contacted either by telephone or email. The response to help desk calls is prioritized but may be as simple as too hot or too cold, lights not working, photocopier jammed, coffee spills, or vending machine problems.
Help desks may be used to book meeting rooms, car parking spaces, and many other services, but this often depends on how the facilities department is organized. Facilities may be split into two sections, often referred to as "soft" services such as reception and post room, and "hard" services, such as the mechanical, fire, and electrical services. Due to climate change, FM providers are increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance compliance considerations.
All organizations should have a continuity plan so that in the event of a fire or major failure the business can recover quickly. In large organizations, it may be that the staff move to another site that has been set up to model the existing operation. The facilities management department would be one of the key players should it be necessary to move the business to a recovery site.
In many organizations, office layouts are subject to frequent changes. This process is referred to as churn, and the percentage of the staff moved during a year is known as the "churn rate". These moves are normally planned by the facilities management department using a computer-aided design (CAD) system. In addition to meeting the needs of the business, compliance with statutory requirements related to office layouts include:
Consideration may also be given to vending, catering, or a place where staff can make a drink and take a break from their desk.
Since 2009, Global FM has sponsored a "World FM Day". to celebrate and recognize the contributions of facilities management professionals. The event highlights the role of the facilities manager in driving sustainability, innovation, and operational excellence worldwide.