Top 8 Best Practices for Facilities Management
Are you interested in understanding the top 8 Best Practices for Facilities Management to help organizations improve their facilities management performance and reduce costs? By implementing these best practices into your facility management operations, you'll have better services, happier staff, and lower expenses in the future. Here are just some of those best practices.
Have clear project ownership
Establishing solid and clear project ownership is the foundation of successful FM projects. For example, one of the basic services that facilities management companies offer is workplace delivery, where office furniture and IT equipment are delivered to buildings by installation technicians. The team needs to have in place an escalation procedure for potential installation delays or hardware malfunction. It also helps to have a backup plan in case there's an issue with the items on hand at the location. In addition, it's important to be efficient when ordering materials, with inventory control being closely monitored. Hence, there aren't any unnecessary holding costs incurred for such items as desks or chairs.
Conduct regular maintenance inspections
Workplace delivery is just one of the best practices that facilities managers can incorporate into their business. It allows building tenants to schedule and request repairs from a dedicated team. If there are any maintenance needs, tenants can be informed in real-time on what is going on and when it will be completed. Tenants will also feel more satisfied because they will get the service faster. They won't have to wait hours before hearing anything from the maintenance crew because they will be kept updated on where the service request stands.
Maximize building utility outputs through energy efficiency
We are not talking about using less energy but more effectively. Your buildings should be as efficient as possible, including your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. There are plenty of ways to maximize the outputs of these systems. For instance, having automatic controls such as a thermostat in your buildings can help you achieve peak performance when needed. You can also employ on-site renewable energy sources or implement time-of-use billing, which means you will have better control over when you use power during peak or off-peak hours.
Maintain a user-friendly environment
Maintain a clean, orderly work environment - work surfaces should be cleaned and free of debris, equipment should be neatly stored, and valuable items (i.e., computers) should be secured when not used. Maintaining a clean work environment will help keep the workplace looking professional and prevent accidents.
Use technology to improve communication.
Communication is a key component of an effective work environment. A team can only be successful if everyone knows what's going on and understands the importance of their role. With this in mind, facilities managers can implement seven communication best practices to help keep things running smoothly. Companies like ServiceNow offer features such as standard communication forms, customizable distribution lists, email integration, and more that ensure each person's needs are met.
Assign staff responsibilities at each level of the organization
A common best practice is using checklists or task-specific checklists in some cases. These items can be printed out and checked off by someone in the position who needs to complete them. This way, those responsible have a tangible reminder of what needs to be done and when it should be completed. For specific tasks that require more oversight than a checklist can provide, systems are usually put into place so that facility managers (FM) can track who is assigned what and who has completed their tasks.
Empower employees by providing training
The number one reason that businesses fail is employee turnover. With higher pay and benefits, it's hard to know what to offer to keep the best employees. Help your employees by providing the necessary training needed for the position. Training will help build skills and produce a happier, more knowledgeable employee that won't quit anytime soon.
Educate your employees about your Project Management processes
If your workforce is stretched thin, or you want to make your organization more agile, we have a solution that helps people know how to do their jobs and proactively maintain the buildings you care about. All it takes is deploying our ServiceNow Maintenance module to get started.
