International. IFMA, Sociedad Española de Facility Management, recently held a forum in which the added value and benefits of this discipline in the business field have been discussed.
During the event it became clear that one of the main advantages of Facility Management is the contribution to improving the performance of the organization with respect to people, processes, finances and the environment.
To achieve this goal, it is essential to achieve an adequate environment, and, for this, the facility manager must take into account both the physical and mental well-being of the workers. That balance leads to greater productivity for the company and, therefore, cost savings.
"The added value provided by a facility manager is often difficult to measure. For this reason we are working on the creation of a universal and adaptable system of indicators that companies can use according to their interests", says Victor Collado, director of the Research Commission of IFMA Spain.
There are several focuses of action with which a facility manager can add value to the organization:
- Physical environment. Actions that result in the modification of any aspect of the physical environment in the workplace, from transport and access to the building to comfort zones, through aspects related to flexibility, technological and service support, security, etc.
- Services. Interventions that involve changes in the very definition of the service. This includes the introduction of new services or the disappearance of existing ones.
- Supply chain. Those actions that involve changes in service contracts with external suppliers.
- Strategy and planning. Functions that involve changes in the service delivery strategy, from its organization and planning to its implementation and control.
- Relationship with the business. Actions that imply changes in the relationship between Facility Management and the organization.
- Internal processes. Actions that involve changes in the internal management processes and / or operation of the Facility Management unit without changing the service levels or the internal contract with the organization.
To achieve a real impact and provide a true differential value, IFMA Spain proposes the creation of an added value analysis team (VPA), made up of those professionals most directly related to the Facility Management area, as well as service users, internal customers and prescribers.
