Blog8 July 2013

RICS provide guidance on enhancing facilities managers’ effectiveness

Andrews Sykes – Working to enhance FM

Facilities Managers and Facilities Management partners are often central to our work with customers. However facilities management itself is often overlooked as an important part of everyday business processes.

Facilities management has not historically been at the centre of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) attention. However, after detailing that not enough of facilities managers’ time is spent on strategy (planning) compared to reacting, RICS recently published guidance on how facilities managers can enhance organisational performance. They championed the “strong working relationship” between real estate and facilities management, with the aim to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.

RICS stated that: “The management of facilities is much more than maintaining and servicing buildings. It is a management function providing support to corporate operations, enabling the organisation to better achieve its stated objectives.”

The guidance “provides practitioners with operational pointers to best practice in the management of facilities while exploring the depths of facilities management discipline and the advantages to organisations which position the facilities role appropriately within their corporate structures.”

The necessity of the guidance is stressed within the report, as for some businesses “facilities management continues to be regarded as a cost centre”. It is positive to hear about a collective drive in the industry towards better facilities management strategy and planning, because “there is a growing body of research evidence showing that poor lighting, poor cleaning, bad environmental conditions, poor heating, inefficient IT and poor quality furniture, particularly seating, has a negative effect on productivity.”

At Andrews Sykes we see both sides of facilities management – from both the reactive emergency hire and the contingency planning, strategy side of things. While emergencies will always happen, the FM provider who is proactive rather than reactive not only has peace of mind but is also guaranteed optimum service from external providers.

The call for facilities managers to enhance efficiency and effectiveness does not apply across the board – indeed, many individuals and providers already offer a strategic service. However the improvements based on RICS’ guidance will help the industry and roles be better appreciated at board level and above.

The consultation closes today at 1900, so you’ve a few hours left to make your contribution.