International. According to an article published by the facility management service provider Danihers, by 2015 five trends will mark the evolution of this discipline in companies around the world. Collaboration, sustainability, data and technology, human resources, training and outsourcing, as well as compliance with standards, are the factors that will be at the head of industry professionals.
The definition of these five trends was based on information gathered by the company with surveys of industry leaders and data provided by the American Institute of Cleaning Sciences (AICS).
The first trend marks a need for greater collaboration between FM, IT and Human Resources departments, as companies are increasingly implementing facilities management in a more strategic way and not only limited to the operational role.
Likewise, organizations will continue to include sustainability in their business goals, so Facility Managers must research and implement sustainability strategies in both new and existing buildings.
By analyzing data such as energy use, alarm trends, and maintenance history, organizations can identify where problems exist and better plan how to fix them. Technology is enabling Facility Managers to manage their buildings like never before.
The fourth trend speaks of the importance of the relationship between the Human Resources and FM departments, so both must work together to offer adequate working conditions.
Finally, compliance with industry standards refers to the need for building managers to continue implementing different international regulations to make their lugres workspaces more efficient and cost-effective.
"The job description of Facility Management and maintenance professionals continues to change and expand beyond what was expected 15, 10 or even 5 years ago," the article concludes.
