6 Questions to Help you Choose the Right Facilities Management Company

The constantly changing responsibilities of facilities management require a dedicated team with skills and experience. This means outsourcing a facilities management company. These six questions will help you settle on the right facilities management provider.

What Is Facilities Management?

Facilities management involves services in facility planning and maintenance to support the sustainability, functionality, comfort, and safety of buildings or real estate and its equipment. It incorporates people and processes to ensure efficiency and productivity around the facility. While the scope of facilities management services differs from one facility or tenant to another, general functions of facility management include:

  • Maintenance and repair (proactive and predictive)
  • Business support services
  • Lease management (including lease accounting and administration)
  • Space and occupancy management
  • Housekeeping
  • Critical and emergency systems management
  • Real estate management
  • Catering and hospitality services and service vendors
  • HVAC, energy, and electrical management
  • Grounds maintenance and pest control

Do not confuse facility management with property management. Facility management deals with the building’s concerns, productivity, and comfort of tenants, workers, and organizations. Property management is the responsibility of the property owner (or employed property manager) and focuses on maintaining the physical building and its functionality.

Choosing a Facility Management Company

Ask the following questions before you settle on a facilities management provider:

1.   Reputation

Ask around about the company’s reputation, including online reviews, to find out if they’re a reputable company. A good company should have physical/personal reviews and online reviews (including reviews in the BBB (Better Business Bureau). If you can’t find anyone who knows or has used them, call the company and ask about their information, services, and experience. Use the information you get to decide if it’s a company you can work with.

2.   Accreditation

Accreditation will give you insight into the company’s experience, compliance with law and regulations, commitment to the industry, and professionalism. An unaccredited company might be fraudulent or just inexperienced. If the provider is an integrated management system (ISO) certified, that signifies efficiency and quality.

3.   Experience

In facilities management services, size matters. You’ll need a service provider with the right experience and capabilities for buildings the size of yours. While business operations differ, quality services are constant. Ask the maximum square footage the provider has previously managed to find out if you fit within their capability. In addition, ask whether the provider has worked in your industry before to know whether or not they understand what’s expected of them.

4.   Technology

Facilities management technology is a bonus that can improve the services offered. Having an established workflow, communication, and tracking tools encourages collaboration between the service provider and in-house staff. Technology can provide important task automation, planning or documenting audits, repair or maintenance tickets, and overall streamlining operations.

5.   KPIs

Your needs differ from those of other companies the service provider has served. Providing KPIs, such as special needs and specific operations, is important to ensure you’re getting services that fit your company. You’ll also be able to measure success based on your company specifics.

6.   Staff

As a business, you need professional and reliable staff. This will give you dedicated personnel to serve your needs and commitment to work. Part of facilities management extends to emergency service provision, and only professional staff can understand that. Check the staff profile of the company and see how professional they are in addition to their experience.

Endnote

To choose the right facilities management company for your business operations, you need to ask the right questions. Check the company’s reputation, experience, and compliance, and find out if they have dependable and professional staff. You also need a company that leverages process automation and system flow technology.

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