Smart Strategies for the Management of New Facilities

Regardless of the building type or functional profile, large contemporary buildings share fundamental attributes and characteristics that beg a clearer understanding from an operating perspective.

Buildings need to be set up by proper facility services providers, including cleaners, security officers and engineering technicians.

As the building ages, equipment and building materials will deteriorate over time. Unless the building possesses an effective, long-term facility asset management plan, it is likely to face a dilemma in building maintenance in which routine inspections and maintenance cannot catch up with diminished performance due to inadequate reinvestment in the building. Unsurprisingly, incidents such as accidental fires and building systems interruptions and breakdowns tend to happen in aged buildings with insufficient re-investment and ineffective management.

The cost of owning and running a building does not stop with construction but is perpetual. After construction is completed, usage of the building incurs routine operating expenses as well as periodic costs to sustain optimal building performance, also known as “(facility) capital expenses”. The “building life-cycle cost” is the sum of acquisition cost, operating expenses, utility bills, janitorial services, security services, engineering services, and management fees and re-investment expenses for occasional replacement, adaptation or renovation. Naturally, the operating costs of a building tend to increase gradually over time while capital expenses will vary according to use, quality of construction and quality of equipment.

Omitting these considerations in the upkeep of contemporary buildings and complexes can pose significant risks and potential damage to the building, its users and its owners.

Good management is key, and good managers cannot afford technically myopic, short-term results. It is vital to recognise that maintaining a certain level of building performance at all times and assuming the cost of that effort is imperative to the useful lifespan of the building.

Building management must address two layers of challenges:

lShort term and regular: Ensuring that the facility is operating under standard conditions and at desired levels

lLong-term and strategic: Sustaining performance and capabilities of the facility in supporting its core functional areas

Strategic management of a modern facility will require integrating long-term vision, strategic planning and competent operating management skills. The discipline of managing large properties or facilities is known as facility management (FM), which stresses the intersection of technical expertise and business resource management focused on supporting efficient and supportive environments for a building’s everyday operations and maintaining the building’s physical assets over time. FM also administers the functional tasks regulating facility occupancy, including health and safety risk management, workplace and workspace management, operations and services management, asset and project management, environment management, energy management and business continuity management.

To improve and maximise its FM capabilities, an organisation should start by reviewing its current practice and repositioning it to best support core operations at both the operating and strategic levels.

FM has been extensively studied and researched at the Faculty of Architecture of Chulalongkorn University, and its Centre for Facility Management Study (CFMS) regularly publishes materials on property and building management and organises forums and conferences on matters relevant to FM.

Written by Sarich Chotipanich and Wanlaya Patanapiradej from the CFMS.