Effective Facility Management plays a crucial role in the smooth operations of any business, ensuring that the physical infrastructure supports the organization’s goals and objectives. It encompasses a diverse array of services, ranging from building maintenance to janitorial services, security and more. When it comes to running and maintaining the buildings, organizations have two options – outsource end-to-end facility management tasks or handle them in-house. The decision between the two requires careful consideration, planning and evaluation of business goals and the competitive landscape. Let’s take a more in-depth look at their pros and cons.

Outsourcing Facility Management

It involves hiring external service providers to handle various aspects of the organization’s facility needs.

Pros

1. Cost-Effective: Outsourcing leads to cost savings in many ways. This eliminates the need for hiring and training full-time staff and managing additional overhead costs.

2. Expertise and Specialization: Facility Management companies are experts in their field and possess deep knowledge of industry best practices and the latest technologies. Outsourcing facility management helps organizations stay up-to-date and operate at peak efficiency.

3. Focus on Core Activities: By outsourcing facilities management, organizations can redirect their resources and efforts towards their core business functions which can directly contribute to increased productivity and profitability.

4. Flexibility: Outsourcing facility management tasks provide organizations with the flexibility to scale up or down the services based on the current needs. This agility can be beneficial for businesses with fluctuating demands, seasonal operations or those undergoing rapid growth or contraction.

5. Compliance: Statutory compliance, which can be big hassle is taken care by the IFMS. It also includes the health & insurance part.

Cons

1. Loss of Direct Control: One of the major drawbacks of outsourcing facility management companies is the potential loss of direct control over day-to-day facility management operations. This can be a concern when there are some specific preferences or issues that need immediate attention.

2. Communication Challenges: Outsourcing facilities management may be challenging as it becomes difficult to align the goals and priorities of the third party with those of the business. Misunderstandings or delay in communication may lead to dissatisfaction or service disruptions.

3. Risk of Vendor Dependence: Relying on an external facility management service provider can lead to service disruptions in case of vendor facing some issues or changes in their management.

4. Confidentiality Concerns: Sharing sensitive data and information with the third-party service provider can be a threat to data security and confidentiality.

In-house Facility Management

It involves the recruitment and management of a dedicated team to handle all the facility-related tasks.

Pros

1. Direct Oversight and Control: With an in-house facility management team, businesses have direct control over all the aspects of facility operations. This allows for immediate adjustments, prioritization of tasks and a hands-on approach to problem-solving. This may involve day-to-day participation.

2. Company Culture: In-house teams have a better grasp of the company’s culture, values and objectives. This leads to a more personalized approach to facility management ensuring tailored solutions to meet the unique requirements of the business.

3. Job Loyalty: In-house teams have a stronger sense of loyalty and dedication towards their profession, leading to a higher level of commitment to work and service quality.

Cons

1. High Cost: Sustaining an in-house facility management team can be financially burdensome due to costs associated with hiring, training, benefits and salaries. Additionally, businesses may face higher procurement costs for services as compared to outsourcing.

2. Limited Expertise: An in-house facility management team may possess a deep understanding of the company’s operations but may not have the same level of expertise that a dedicated facility management company may provide. Staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices may also be more challenging. Multi-tasking is not accepted by the technician.

3. Administrative Burden: Managing an in-house facility management team can be administratively burdensome. Overseeing staffing, training, compliance and day-to-day operations can divert resources away from core business activities.

4. Lack of Scalability: In-house teams may encounter challenges in adapting to fluctuations in the size and scope of facility management needs. Hiring or laying off the manpower can be a costly and challenging task.

Conclusion

The choice between outsourcing and in-house facility management is not one size fits all approach and hinges on the organization’s specific needs and preferences. With a careful consideration of various factors such as budget constraints, expertise and level of control, organizations can make an informed choice that aligns with their long-term success. Many organizations find a hybrid approach, combining both outsourcing and in-house facility management. For instance, they may outsource certain services while retain in-house control over critical functions. It is imperative to meticulously assess specific requirements and consider the pros and cons of each approach before making a final decision.

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Integrated Facility Management – A consolidation of various facility services rendered under one umbrella is gaining a lot of momentum. Organizations are switching towards adopting an Integrated Facility Management program rather than relying on individual contractors for different services. An Integrated Facility Management program helps the organization to maintain its facilities, buildings and equipment in a way that offers the best value to the property owner and its employees alike. An IFM program allows to focus on the core business and leave the stress of streamlining work processes resulting in increased efficiency at the workplace.

Having a separate service provider for individual service can be a hassle for the organization in the long-run. Here, a well-structured integrated facility management comes into action and helps to eliminate various problems such as –

. Lack of communication with individual service providers
. Inefficiencies that disrupt the overflow
. More costs incurred for clients
. Dealing with numerous POCs to solve the issues

An Integrated Facility Management program overcomes all these issues by using latest technology and tools to facilitate all the Hard Services like Building Maintenance, Plumbing, Electrical, Lighting, HVAC as well as the Soft Services like Housekeeping, Horticulture, Sanitization etc. under one tab. Here’s what Integrated Facility Management Services can do for a business –

1. Reduces Operating Costs

The biggest perk of having appointed a facility management company is that the organization doesn’t have to delegate different facility work to different vendors. This defers any additional cost that a company would have to pay in exchange for individual services.

2. Enables Clear Communication

Integrated Facility Management enables clear communication between vendors and different departments. It eliminates the unnecessary step of going through the hassle of reporting to separate departments. A facility manager reports the issues directly to the management for prompt action and better decision.

3. Streamlines Business Operations

Even routine tasks can become stressful when there are different service providers involved. Since Integrated Facility Management offers different facility services under one umbrella, it streamlines the operations and helps to save time and money. It makes the daily tasks easier by putting them under the responsibility of one Facility Manager having the technical know-how to simplify them.

4. Improves Overall Productivity

When one manager is in charge of all the facilities then it automatically reduces the redundancy and potential overlap of services and professionals which results in an increase in overall productivity of the organization. A Facility Manager, by having a single budget for integrated facilities management reduces material and vendor costs.

5. Increases the Life of Assets

A facility management program results in the prolonged lifespan of facility’s assets by initiating proper maintenance and suggesting adequate repair of certain assets inside the facility which saves a considerable amount of money in the longrun.

Conclusion

One can choose the right service provider for the business by assessing the requirements of facility. In comparison with overseeing every task and every individual service multiple times, Integrated Facility Management lends increased visibility leading to effective management of teams, reduced operating costs, prompt responses to requests and greater focus on the bigger picture. It is a one stop shop for all the facility management needs of an organization and a proven way to streamline facility services and tasks. Implementing the changes across multiple sites gets easier while using an Integrated Facility Management Program.

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Pollution is a bothersome dilemma in the current world that requires keen attention to every possibility. The times have changed over the past years and have completely turned the world’s outlook on life upside down. With the most modern technologies at play and the urge to invent the fastest solutions, it is indeed forgotten that ‘something’ lives at stake in order to make for an advancing tomorrow.

Harmful pollutants, Industrial wastes, radioactive emissions, noise pollution (that almost every person down the road goes through) along with visual pollution that defies the possibility of a clean and green view. The figures to this catastrophe are whammy and we’re only talking about India as a Country.

•  Car Emissions:75% pollution comes from vehicles alone where about 90% of the pollution is found in urban areas.

•  Noise Pollution: About 3% of people are exposed to over 80 decibels due to noise pollution. The question is whether you are soon to count yourself in that 3%?

•  Water Pollution: 50% of the water bodies are contaminated by industrial waste, misbalancing the ecological equilibrium and slowly striving towards a dry planet.

The figures are worse and so will be the planet’s face before it vanishes from the universe. If the righteous measures are not taken, the day is not so far given the current scenario.

But in a fast moving life how is one to think of the planet when they barely have any time for themselves. So we thought of coming up with some smart solutions for everyone hat can easily be incorporated in the daily life and save the environment from further damage. Let’s have a look:

CARPOOL & TELECOMMUNICATE: Carpooling is a handy solution when it comes to reaching a destination aimed by a mass of people. With the handy apps available that solve this issue, why not show a little care for the planet and save on money, fuel and time along with the harmful emissions from vehicles.

Telecommunication on the flip side is suitable when driving down to a place isn’t necessary and the conversation can be taken on call. This saves time and of course the unnecessary pollution the environment may be sneaking away from.

NO SMOKING: Limit the smoking zones in your area at office or residential complexes and thrive for a healthier way of living. Smoking or passive smoking pollutes the air while the cigarette butts litter the environment and the toxic chemicals in the remains mix with the water bodies and affect one’s health in drastic ways, whose symptoms worsen with time. The building maintenance authorities can enforce strict rules against smoking hazards and relieve the bad effects of such a practice.

ADD PLANTS: Adding plants to your office interiors will not only beautify the look of your surroundings but guess what? It’ll also purify the air naturally, rendering you a clean, healthy and safe environment. The deal is, you won’t have to make an extra expense on air purifiers.

PRINT LESS & RECYCLE: With the country going digital, printing resources were saved. The same can be at workplaces or homes if we can make the most out of our screens. Avoid printing often unless absolutely necessary and use your smart phones or tablets to carry out the desired tasks. On the flip side, power off devices like your laptops, tablets, ipads etc when not in recurrent use. Whilst saving resources, electricity counts. The facility management system on the other hand, can incorporate a segregated waste disposal plan in the buildings, so that the respective waste reaches the respective dustbin and the recycling process is easier and quicker.

AVOID SPRAYS & FRESHNERS: This is surprising. We all tend to use room fresheners and sprays to change the smells around. But who knew what these products contain is actually harming the environment? Not that these products are harmful on their own, but they contain hydrocarbons and compressed gases which are much harmful for the environment’s health. The more we use them, the more they worsen the harm.

USE REUSABLE PRODUCTS: Buying product that are a onetime use could be great unless it’s an exigency. But if the environment calls for it, then its best to switch to products that can be re-used. This saves on a lot of manufacturing cost and a mountain of disposed products in the dump pit.

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