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.

The post Integrated Facility Management or Individual Services first appeared on Facility Management Company.

It is no secret that today’s consumers are more oriented towards simplicity and centralized systems. As a result, many facility managers are integrating their services to ensure that there are efficient operations and to improve the quality of life for tenants and employees.

In fact, studies show that integrated facility management services are crucial in ensuring an organization’s productivity as well as the wellbeing of its people making integrated facility management a fast-growing market. This is because of the strong demand for continued price reductions, improved energy management, single-contract solutions as well as the move towards intelligent building. This in turn makes the idea of one provider for multiple services quite attractive

There are many benefits to outsourcing integrated facility management services to one facility management company. Here are some of the core benefits that integrated facility management offers towards reducing operational costs of a society:

⦁ Costs Related to Multiple Service Providers

By using an integrated facility management company, this reduces added costs associated with engaging multiple service providers and reducing the number of contracts each provider oversees. This not only lowers the costs of engaging multiple providers but also reduces costs related to overall management of the service providers as well as the costs of maintaining these multiple contracts.

⦁ Reduce the Cost of In-house Staffing

Engaging integrated facility management services ensures a single-contract outsourcing. Besides simplifying management and lowering the costs of hiring different contractors, this also cuts down on the direct as well as the indirect costs of performing these services in-house. Performing facility management services in-house leads to overseeing costs of staffing, quality control and materials as well as the hiring of contractors along the way. Using an integrated facility management company will ensure that significant cost savings are made which can then be redirected into better use.

⦁ Save On Energy Costs

In today’s society, improving efficiency is a valued service. The technology and services provided in integrated facility management are essential in reducing energy consumption. Typically, buildings waste about 30 percent of energy in the support of the built environment due to running equipment outside schedules as well as using excessive energy due to simultaneous cooling and heating. Building integrated management software and hardware are used by the service company to identify eliminate this wastage and excessive use and therefore reduce energy consumption. This in turn reduces the energy costs and therefore results in significant cost savings due to resource management and operational efficiency.

On overall, engaging integrated facility management services not only allows the society enjoy lower operational costs but also results in acquisition of the latest technology and best practices which improves the total cost of ownership.

The post Integrated Facility Management can Reduce Operational Cost of a Society, Read How? first appeared on Facility Management Company.

Rainwater harvesting is crucial for all homeowners. Days when people harvested water only for countering drought no longer exists. For an effective facility management plan, it is prudent to ensure your home’s safety from the effects of excessive water hazards like flooding and erosion. Besides, your home requires a non-stop supply of water for carrying out a plethora of domestic chores which can otherwise be managed more efficiently if only a few precautionary measures are taken.

If you own residential rental units, controlling water use, and protecting your property from water damage can be a big task. You’re safer when you procure facility management services which help you identify the possible buckets of conservation.

By harvesting rainwater, you can reduce your utility bills, forego the cost of bottled water, and use natural and safer water for everyday use. For people who live in low rainfall areas, harvesting water is their best opportunity to preserve water.

If you’re building a new home, an integrated facility management company can help you plan for any rain eventuality. Such a company will advise you on the best ways to maximize rainwater harvesting and protect your home.

Techniques for Harvesting Rain Water

Affordable rainwater collection techniques mean anyone can harvest rainwater right from their homes. You can collect rainwater from the rooftops and runoffs. Rooftop water is less contaminated and more appropriate for domestic use.

How to Collect Water from the Rooftops

You can collect rainwater from the rooftops by capturing it with gutters. The method is suitable for concrete and iron-roofed houses. The captured water then flows to water tanks, underground reservoirs, or the garden areas where it adds to the purpose more effectively.

Water collection efficiency is high when you use gutters. You can install gutters after or during the construction of your home.

Integrated facility management services allow for total incorporation of water and energy backups. Prospective homeowners can seek the services of a facility management company for an extensive water management plan.

A water management plan can allow homeowners to build reliable rainwater harvesting systems that can sustain the effects of extreme rainfalls and floods.

An efficient rooftop water collection system prevents water from flowing into storm drains and sewers, thus vital for a home homestead.

Use of Barrels

Use of barrels and cisterns is the most common method of collecting rooftop water. The technique suits areas with reliable rainfall patterns, and it is easy to implement.

Dry System/ Use of Large Water Tanks

Dry system technique involves placing large water tanks next to your house. The tanks collect water from the gutters during rains, and the method is useful for homes that consume large amounts of water.

Wet System/ Underground Reservoirs

Facility management companies recommend the wet system for its reliability. With the method, rainwater collects from several rooftops and flows to underground reservoirs. Piped connections supply the water to your house like regular tap water.

In an era like today, it is imperative that we use natural resources to carry out our daily routines. The best way forward shall be to walk hand in hand with the environment and constantly keep coming up with new ways to live a lifestyle that is eco friendly and makes for a better tomorrow.

The post Methods of Domestic Rainwater Harvesting during Monsoons first appeared on Facility Management Company.

The office hours were ending and with the clock’s movement, my heart was racing. I could hear the rustling sound of footsteps and whispers echoing in the hallway while the desks around me were slowly emptying. I told myself ‘Concentrate Jenny. You don’t want to spend another evening working late in the office’.

It was the toughest time of my career as I was struggling to break new dawns and prove my potential with the new project assigned to me. I worked in the sales which involved visiting various clients throughout the day along with making reports and proposals for the next projects. We were a team of 4 other members but I had more things to orchestrate as I was heading the project and didn’t want to faulter at any cost.

Being a strong willed and a very determined woman I am least perturbed by any hurdles in the way. Needless to say it was just an illusion that opened my eyes to reality.

One evening, as everyone was packing up for home and happily fleeting ahead to the exit doors, I sat there quietly watching it all happen. Nothing seemed odd at first, until I realized, that I was alone in the quiet of the floor. Usually there are guards aboard who’d only stay till 7:30 PM but it seemed like they’d changed duties and had apparently gone to some other wing for their next shift. There was dead silence all around me.

Without paying much attention, I slipped back into work and starting finishing my presentation. A few hours later, I realized it was 9:00 PM and I had missed booking my cab to go back home. I still wasn’t done with my job and to my horror, my phone ran out of battery. Charging it up would only call for more wait and I was already very late, so I decided to head downstairs to find some help.

Since the lifts were shut I had to take the staircase to walk 9 floors down and reach the building exit. Luckily, there were 2 building guards still around who asked me if I needed any help? I explained them everything and they instantly agreed to escort me back home (which was 30 mins away) in their official vehicle. I was relieved to think it’s safe to travel by an office cab this late (it was 9:55 PM by now).

In order to gain something, one has to work hard. As for me, I just had to finish my presentation and make the most of the given opportunity. Though it was hard to take this challenging opportunity being a single mother, however, I wanted to do this for my son and give it my best chance.

The next morning was seemingly no different. The day started with multiple location visits and as I got back to office, I sat down with papers piling up on my table which I had to finish soon so I could get home to my son in time. I continued this schedule for the next 3 days and was someway fearing to work all alone in my huge building.

One evening, as the clock hit 8:00 PM and witnessed me fussing over the mountain of work pending for me, I far sightedly noticed one of my facility management staff walking my way with a glass of water nicely placed on a tray. I paused and looked at him. He smiled at me politely and offered me some water saying ‘Ma’am, you work very late in the office unlike the others. The building staff told us how difficult it was for you to manage your ride back home the other day. Our building head noticed your working pattern and suggested that a few of us stayed back in the premise to ensure that you felt safe and looked after. Please have some water’’.

It was the sweetest thing anyone could help with. Nobody wants to stay back late in the office mulling over a thousand things to execute all alone. But to have the staff sit around while I worked was such a sweet gesture. About 20 mins later I wrapped up and went down to the main exit where to my surprise the staff had made arrangements for my ride back home. The driver at their premise stayed nearby so he agreed to drop me home late after the office hours and each time I took the service, I paid him some cash.

As things were getting busier and my facility staff was more prominently coming to my rescue, I started to feel safer working late at office.

One day I reached office early as I had no meetings to finish. Alas! For one day I’d reach home in time. Suddenly my colleague tells me I was being called by my boss! I didn’t know what to expect. So I picked up my presentation and dashed into his chamber. There were my team members and my boss just smiling at me while I stood there gazing at them with a blank expression.

My boss told me that he’s heard from the building’s facility staff that I was working late in the night and facing hassles being a single mother. They also told him how they let some of their facility staff stay in the office till I was around and how they made sure that I was concentrating over my job instead of worrying about being alone and safely riding back home.

My boss was really impressed by the extra efforts I was putting into the project and honestly he wouldn’t get to know until the kind building head told him of the situation. As my boss was expressing his happiness, he glanced through my half finished presentation and offered me to work as the senior Sales head for his department. This meant that I’d no longer have to make multiple visits to different sites and stay back late in the office to finish my occupation. They planned on hiring another team member and insisted that I’d rather focus on strategy formalization for their projects. Clearly, he was impressed with my hard work.

My happiness knew no bounds. I deeply thanked my reporting manager and the team for putting me through this. Of course, I owed a huge thank you to the facility staff that helped in pushing me this far.

Staying late, having someone to make sure that you’re taken care of and ensuring that you reach home safely are tiny things that make a huge impact in someone’s life. As they stand true in personal situations, they also stand true in an official set up.

An employee will only stick around if he/she is properly taken care of. Which is why your integrated facility management moves a step ahead to ensure your well being at its best. As for me, I believe they did more than their responsibilities.

I work in the same organization today as the senior sales head and have more than 6 team members reporting to me. I wouldn’t have crossed this milestone if my facility staff didn’t cooperate, sit back late to ensure my safety and thrust me to the next level by apprising my manager of the extra efforts I was putting in. Really, I owe a huge part of my success to their praiseworthy efforts.

Jennifer Lorenzo
(Senior Sales Head
A Multinational FMCG)

The post Facilities Management and ‘My road to success’ An employee’s story sharing her personal experience first appeared on Facility Management Company.

Every organization has a facility team that looks after their maintenance work, cleaning, security, parking and the safety of employees and the building. They take care of all the background work required to keep an organization running smoothly. Right from looking after the maintenance work to providing temporary ID’s to new joiners they make things efficient for everyone in the organization. To ensure smooth functioning of the work managed by the integrated facilities management team, they must have an automated work system. Below are a few ways a facility management company can automate work in their daily activities.

A Centralised Web Portal

A facility management team receives requests from various teams such as – operations, HR, training, and vendors. It is quite overwhelming to go through each request through emails and phone calls. If each team sends them a request through one web portal, it will be much easier for them to be organised and manage every request more efficiently.

Also through the web portal, the requestor will know the status of their request. There will be transparency, and it will avoid any clashes between different departments and avoid the chances of redundant requests.

Authorising Requests

The workflow management system is a centralized web portal for all employees in the organization. If the facility team needs to undertake a project for the better functioning of the organization the portal should give the ability to put up the project details in the portal. The authorities who authorize the project work should have access to look into the complete details of the project. The portal should have the functionality to authorize or reject the project. In case if a project work and the cost are approved by higher authorities, they can start the work right away without any delays. There are times; they have to keep waiting for approvals. However, with an efficient portal, they can send the details of the project, cost and the reason for the project, and all the details of the project can be documented in the portal. The senior management can access the portal to find complete details of the project and authorize after considering factors required for authorizing the project.

Providing Security and Access

Today, most organizations issue ID cards or badges to everyone who enters their office building. Without an ID card, no one is authorized to enter the building. Issuing or printing an ID card should be an automated process.

The work of a facility officer becomes challenging when there is a new training batch and issuing ID cards are not automated. There are times when there are around 18 to 25 employees joining at a time.

For the smooth flow of the issue of ID card to new hires, there should be a system through which the HR team could send the communication to the facility team. The communication should include the number of employees, name of employees, and the trainer’s name. If the facility officer is made aware of the new joiners well in advance, they can create the badges well in advance and keep it ready before the new joiners arrive.

Vendors and Contractors

Providing a clearance pass for vendors is another task of facility officers. A vendor should send a communication beforehand so that the facility officer can get the clearance pass and ID card ready for the vendor. The vendor should be provided with the portal link where they can send the request. This will make work easy for both parties.

Reporting Safety Incidents

There should be a form through which any supervisor can report any incident that occurs in the facility. The form should be easily available through the portal, kiosk or mobile device. The reported incidents should be visible in the workflow management tool. This will help them to take action quickly and also generate reports on the incidents that occur on the premises. Additionally, this will also help them to periodically conduct maintenance work and pay extra attention to where accidents occur.

An automated system will give better visibility and help in smooth functioning of the systems in the building. The automated system will make work more efficient, and the facility team can minimize negligence.

The post Top 5 ways a facility management company can automate work first appeared on Facility Management Company.

Every organization is on the lookout for ways to minimize its expenditure while maximizing its revenues. The amount that goes into energy bills on an annual basis has been declared to be highly alarming which has prompted organizations, companies and even residential properties’ owners to opt for Maintenance services for the primary motive of achieving a means to chalk down energy consumption, the costs associated with it and harness its resources towards other productive means.

More than 60 percent of the total energy usage in a typical office building is used for temperature control and lighting, making the system a basic consideration when it comes to managing or reducing the energy consumption in the building.

Building maintenance services help in laying out the methods and effective means to run an energy efficient building which not only goes beyond solely reducing the energy consumption, but also effectively monitoring the same such that an optimum control level is maintained at all times.

Building Design:

In managing and reducing the amount of energy to be used in an office building, building management services plan the building design with the organization’s management such that it ensures little use of artificial lightning during the day.

These energy efficient offices are laid out in a way that the daylight could have enough illumination, without having to opt for blinding artificial lights within the building infrastructure, resulting in lower energy consumption, and more savage.

Building Insulation:

Integrated facility management proposes and affects an energy efficient building with advanced insulations which helps in maintaining the heat loss or heat gain within the building. This will help maintain the temperature in the offices at all seasons with a little need to use cooling or heating systems.

 Energy Efficient Lighting

Installation of LED and fluorescent lighting will greatly reduce energy consumption and heat emission from the system, which will translate the building infrastructure into a cooler environment with cool rooms and work halls. This will save energy on two fronts i.e. lightening and temperature control systems.

Upgrade HVAC System

An upgrade of the HVAC system to the more modern ones that are energy efficient could seem expensive at first, but remains the cheapest means of managing energy consumption especially considering the bill that goes into it in the long run.

Automated Control System

An automated system that generally switches off the entire electric circuit pertaining to the different parts of the office building when it’s not in use should be implemented. This will greatly help in monitoring the energy wastage at conference rooms, store rooms, etc when not in use.

Shutdown and Unplug Unused Appliances

This manual means of reducing energy consumption is as effective as any, if not more. This can be put in practice by all employees at any business employing which, it can bring about great changes in the energy consumption of that building which can be an asset to an organization’s expenditure and safety.

Beyond simply managing the consumption of energy and the reflection on the annual bill at a business, the work place environment becomes a safer and comfortable place because the possibility of risk occurrence that may arise from electric usage also decreases, while the environment is more comfortable as the heat from lighting and energy burning is greatly reduced.

This process also helps save the costs of running the facility and business since there’ll be a reduced amount of power usage which will reflect in the electrical bills.

The saved cost can then be applied in other critical areas of the business such as employee health care, workplace renovations and luxury and comfort management which will help any business draw more attention towards retaining its employees while they contribute at their best taking the business to the pinnacles of success.

The post How To Maintain Energy Efficiency In Buildings first appeared on Facility Management Company.