What is Facility Management?
To understand what Facility Management entails, we first need to define the term Facilities, which refers to the physical assets and spaces an organization uses for its daily operations. This includes buildings, offices, warehouses, and more.
Beyond the spaces themselves, the term also encompasses the support services and essential infrastructure required for the proper functioning of these environments, such as:
Facility Management, therefore, involves planning, operating, and maintaining these physical spaces and essential services within an organization. This includes:
The main objective is to ensure that the work environment functions efficiently, safely, and comfortably, meeting both the employees’ needs and the company’s goals.
Why is Facility Management important?
Primarily, to ensure that an organization’s assets and infrastructure are well-maintained while meeting operational needs.
When executed effectively, this practice helps avoid issues such as equipment deterioration, workplace accidents, lack of essential supplies, and high costs associated with emergency repairs.
Saving time and resources
Facility management enables the centralization and automation of processes, saving time and optimizing resources.
By eliminating the need for manual task management, managers can reduce waste and focus on long-term planning and innovation.
Ideal conditions for productivity
A well-managed environment is crucial for promoting employee well-being and efficiency.
Factors such as adequate lighting, temperature control, and ergonomic workspaces have a direct impact on productivity.
Preventive equipment maintenance, for instance, ensures comfort and safety, creating an optimal environment for efficient work.
Reducing operational costs
Facility management is an effective tool for cutting costs without compromising service quality.
According to ABRAFAC (the Brazilian Facilities Association), companies that adopt structured facility management practices can reduce their operational costs by up to 20%.
This is achieved mainly by eliminating waste, renegotiating contracts, and optimizing energy consumption.
Best practices in Facility Management
Facility management is a complex area that requires strategic planning, attention to detail, and the use of suitable technologies to achieve results.
Here are some best practices that can transform your company’s operations
Strategic planning
Before implementing anything, it’s crucial to set clear objectives aligned with the organization’s overall strategy. These objectives should include short-, medium-, and long-term goals, outlining expected results in terms of savings, efficiency, and safety.
Strategic planning should also define performance indicators (KPIs). Examples include average response time to incidents, cost per operation, and employee satisfaction rates.
This allows teams to be more proactive, identifying problems before they escalate and capitalizing on continuous improvement opportunities.
Prioritizing preventive and predictive maintenance
By prioritizing preventive and predictive maintenance practices, companies can anticipate problems, minimizing unexpected failures that could lead to financial and operational losses.
Preventive maintenance involves scheduled actions to preserve assets, such as regular inspections and replacement of worn parts.
Predictive maintenance uses advanced technologies to monitor equipment performance in real time. This helps predict failures before they occur, ensuring greater reliability.
Supplier management
Choosing reliable suppliers is just the first step. It’s also essential to establish clear contracts defining responsibilities, deadlines, and expected quality standards.
Furthermore, regularly monitoring supplier performance is key. Metrics such as on-time delivery, service quality, and cost-effectiveness should be evaluated.
Management software can centralize this information and identify opportunities for renegotiation or replacing partners that fail to meet expectations.
Continuous monitoring and performance analysis
Continuously monitoring and analyzing performance indicators is critical to aligning facility management with company objectives.
Real-time dashboards, for instance, provide updated data on operations, enabling quick decision-making. Additionally, periodic reports help identify trends and plan future improvements.
Compliance with regulations
Staying compliant with applicable regulations is a crucial responsibility in facility management. This includes adhering to occupational safety, health, and environmental preservation laws, as well as industry-specific regulations.
Non-compliance can result in fines, shutdowns, and even reputational damage. Staying up to date with regulatory changes and conducting regular audits ensures operational practices meet legal requirements.
The Facility Management quality standard: ISO 41001:2018
An essential standard in facility management is ISO 41001:2018, the first international standard developed specifically for facility management systems.
Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), it provides a comprehensive framework for organizations to establish, implement, maintain, and continuously improve their facility management systems.
ISO 41001:2018 covers areas such as strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, risk management, performance evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Organizations following this standard align their facility management practices with their strategic objectives, ensuring greater efficiency, consistency, and reliability in operations.
The standard was updated in 2024 to include actions related to climate change awareness, integrating these considerations into management practices. This evolution reflects the growing need to connect facility management with more sustainable practices aligned with global environmental challenges.
Organizations certified under ISO 41001:2018 undergo rigorous audits conducted by certifying bodies to ensure compliance with established requirements.
Additionally, the standard was updated in 2024 to incorporate actions related to climate change awareness, integrating these considerations into management practices. This evolution reflects the growing need to connect facility management with more sustainable practices aligned with global environmental challenges.
Organizations that achieve ISO 41001:2018 certification undergo a rigorous audit conducted by certification bodies, ensuring their systems comply with established requirements.
Integrated technology use
Technological integration is one of the best practices to achieve efficiency in facility management. With the right tools, it’s possible to centralize information, automate processes, and generate detailed reports.
Additionally, technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) enable remote monitoring of equipment, while Artificial Intelligence assists in demand forecasting and strategic decision-making.
For example, smart sensors can automatically detect increased energy consumption in a building and alert managers to investigate potential causes.
Exati Software for Facility Management
With Exati’s system, it’s possible to simplify and optimize the management of services in public and private buildings, as well as urban spaces.
The integrated platform provides comprehensive control, from asset and inventory management to the execution of preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance.
Check out the main features:
Exati unifies managers, technical teams, and operational staff in one place, fostering efficient communication and consistent results.
Conclusion
Facility Management is a crucial component for ensuring operational efficiency and sustainability within an organization.
By adopting practices such as preventive maintenance, continuous analysis of indicators, and the integration of IoT and Artificial Intelligence technologies, companies can optimize their operations, enhancing competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
In an increasingly dynamic and demanding landscape, adapting and embracing technology are essential for transforming processes.
If you’d like to learn more about how Exati’s system can assist you, schedule a demo today.