Should You Hire a Facilities Manager?

The role of a facilities manager is not an easy one to fill. That manager needs to be more than just familiar with the property but should also have exceptional management and people skills. If you think about the responsibilities associated with facilities management, you'd say that the job is for a 'jack of all trades.' A facilities manager should be able to respond to challenges immediately, making sure that emergency situations won't turn into chaos and sound decisions are made even under pressure. He/She should have the flexibility to handle various tasks all at once, from keeping the building and office space clean, functional, safe, and secure to scheduling and monitoring different maintenance works (lighting, plumbing, landscaping, waste management, electrical power and equipment, and other maintenance tasks).

It's good to know that hiring dedicated in-house staff for facilities management isn't the only option. The company can also consider hiring an external facilities management firm. Here are advantages to outsourcing facility management:

For reduced business cost

Cost savings of around 10% to 20% have prompted some companies to instead hire a firm that will handle various facilities management tasks, from cleaning to security and maintenance. Doing maintenance work in-house proves to be more expensive, more complicated, and more time-consuming. Hiring and training a facility management staff can also add more to the business' total operational spending. With the firm's own set of equipment and other essential resources, the company won't have to invest in machinery and other tools. The team can do a great job at maintaining the business space and facilities for less. With fixed costs being converted into variable costs, the company can even gain more flexibility out of this.

For better service delivery

With the firm's well-trained staff, different areas of facilities management can be handled expertly. The company won't have to worry about hiring qualified manpower and retaining sufficient staff. Training and overseeing these people will be the firm's main responsibilities. Another advantage to hiring an experienced facility management service provider is its wide network, consisting of affiliates and other service specialists. Some services can be subcontracted easily to provide the company with better price and service options. The firm can also have easy and cost-efficient access to high-quality equipment and tools. A professional facilities management firm can provide high-quality service, given its experience and expertise in the industry and available resources (including its network, equipment, and trained staff, from janitors and all-around electricians to plumbers and engineers).

For significant time saved on managing business space and facilities

By hiring an external service provider, the company can focus more on its core competencies and other essential business activities (e.g., career training and skills development for employees, business and investment strategies, etc.). The company won't only save more money from reduced business cost but will also be able to save considerable amount of time otherwise spent on managing day-to-day facility services. Aside from protecting the company's assets and investments by maintaining business utilities, properties, and space expertly, the firm can also offer sound consultancy advice and services for improved security, health, and safety policies, new designs and trends toward a more efficient and greener work environment, and better measures on property and utilities management, among other things.