Facility Management Nuances - Essay Example

Facility Management Name Institution Name Course Name and Code Date Introduction Building and facilities are important in socioeconomic development. The effectiveness of the facilities depends on the contribution of different stakeholders. Some of the stakeholders that play an important role include government, owners of the building, management, customers (users) and employees. The facilities are also vulnerable to environmental and operation challenges and threats. It requires effective management to ensure the facility operates as designed and expected. To fulfill these requirements, the facility manager and the security manager play an important role. The paper discusses the roles and responsibilities of facility manager and security manager. In addition, the paper discusses technologies used in a high rise building in ensuring the facility operates effectively. Role and Responsibilities of a Facility Manager The facility manager plays critical business function in determining the effectiveness of the facility (Shah, 2008). The facility manner maintains the integrity of the building through ensuring the facility accomplishes the designed and assigned expectations (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). For example, a facility manager ensures utilities and services are available to fulfill the requirements of the users. The facility manager also ensures the credibility of the building is championed. The facility manager is supposed to ensure the entire operations of a facility operate based on stated requirements (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). For example, the facility manager should create measures and approaches to guarantee the success of operations. For instance, the facility manager should create users’ satisfaction through providing high-quality services and products. The owners of the facility had an original expectation of constructing the building (Aksorn and Hadikusumo, 2008). For example, the owners of the facility require a return on investment meaning that the facility manager has to employ measures and strategies to fulfill the objectives and aims of the owners (Smith and Tardif, 2009). The facility manager effective allocation of resources and minimizing on costs while capitalizing on quality is important. The facility manager should also create a conducive environment, which results in attracting more users and customers to access the facility (Fried, 2015). The success of any facility depends on the number of users (either users or persons visiting the facility), and the facility manager is supposed to strategize to bring the users to spend or utilize the services and products offered by the facility. In a facility, numerous functions take place (Smith and Tardif, 2009). For example, different employees with different experiences are required to provide services and products to satisfy the requirements of the users. A facility brings together different departments that need to be linked and coordinated to fulfill the requirements of the users (Eastman et al. 2011). A facility manager through the skills and experiences that the facility manager has can ensure the different departments and related functions complement each other (Chanter and Swallow 2008). In addition, scheduling of activities, providing guidance and cultivating a positively-defined culture are important functions, which a facility manager has to uphold. A facility manager should have strategic skills and be able to manage the facility strategically (Barrett and Baldry, 2009). In analysis a building, numerous variables have to be analyzed including the legal requirements, operational practices, resource allocation, and organization space. A facility manager understanding of these numerous variables, and balancing with the requirements of the investors and users is important (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). The variables are also important to other employees and management to effect the numerous processes taking place in the facility (Smith and Tardif, 2009). Hence, the facility manager recognition of different requirements of the building, and the stakeholders involved, and balancing these different processes, determines the effectiveness of any facility. Therefore, a facility manager should strategize to balance the different requirements of the different stakeholders. Role and Responsibilities of a Security Manager Without security, a facility cannot operate effectively. A security manager should collaborate with other departments and stakeholders in ensuring the facility operates effectively. For example, a security manager cannot accomplish their duties effectively without the contribution of the facility manager (Eastman et al. 2011). The facility manager engages with the security manager and allocates the resources and employees to fulfill the requirements of security (Smith and Tardif, 2009). In addition, the security manager plays numerous roles associated with facility managers, such as planning, organization, and allocation of resources but on a minor scale: plans and organize the security department (Takabi, Joshi, and Ahn, 2010). The security manager is supposed to understand the strategic requirements of the facility, and the objectives of the owners of the facility (Smith and Tardif, 2009). Understanding the guiding principles and general requirements of the facility should define the approaches in which the security manager should employ. The security manager is supposed to control the movement of the users and visitors (Wu et al. 2013). In each facility, the movement depends on the functions and the needs of the users of the facility (Eastman et al. 2011). The security manager employment of strategies to determine persons accessing areas of the facility may include approaches such as managing lifts and using locks to determine movement (Smith and Tardif, 2009). The security manager assigning duties to monitor the display security system, make arrests and collaborate with security agencies, such as police are integral to the operations of a security manager (Smith and Tardif, 2009). Security manager should define the security levels of different sections of the facility, and implement the requirements of the security measure (Rondeau, Brown and Lapides, 2012). It also includes managing the crowd and ensuring spaces in the facility are utilized effectively. The facility has defined operational requirements, and the facility should continue providing the users the appropriate services and products (Eastman et al. 2011). The security manager should capitalize this requirement through ensuring the utilities and services are available, and risks to the facility are addressed. For example, the security manager is supposed to manage evacuation systems, lighting, HVAC, and fire protection systems (McMains and Mullins, 2014). Security manager understanding of these different processes and functions are crucial to determining the strategic direction of the facility (Kerzner, 2013). Disruption of business should be avoided at any cost, and the security manager is supposed to ensure the facility credibility is championed. In any facility, there are building codes and standards. These codes and standards have to be upheld, and the security manager supervises and determines fulfillment of these codes and standards (Eastman et al. 2011). The integrity of a facility is crucial and is depend on appreciating the rules and regulations in place (Smith and Tardif, 2009). The security manager advising the facility manager, the owners of the facility and other stakeholders when it comes to codes and standards is crucial to the effectiveness of the facility. Hence, uploading facility codes and standards are inherent for any security manager. Technologies Used in a High Rise Building The credibility and integrity of a high rise building depend on the integration of technologies and management (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). Numerous technologies are used to effect the requirements of the facility, and ensure continuity is encouraged. The fire management systems are integral technology since fire disrupts the effectively of the building (Pidgeon, 2010). However, the use of technologies should incorporate numerous measures including making tradeoffs, protecting assets, and community relations, satisfy site requirements and meet codes and standards (Eastman et al. 2011). The fire management system addressing the different requirements of the building and suppressing of fire are crucial and depends on the effectiveness of systems in place. Therefore, the technological components should incorporate the function of the facility (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). For example, the technological component required in an industrial facility is different from a mall. Hence, understanding the different processes and requirements of a building are important in integrating the technological components. The fire control system is among the numerous components used to address complications that may arise in a facility. The role of fire control system includes detection of fire, providing audible and visual alert and respond to the fire incidents (Eastman et al. 2011). The effective of the system depends on the appropriateness of the technology employed. For example, the fire alarm system should incorporate numerous functions, which complements each other. For instance, the fire alarm system should have in-house monitoring systems, fire suppression system, annunciators, lift control panel, and access control panel (Della-Giustina, 2014). Others are dialer system e.g. used to send the alarm and HVAC control, which incorporates numerous processes (Eastman et al. 2011). The processes include smoke vents, and fans extract smoke, air ducts, and vents auto close, creates safe compartments, and positive pressure fire routes to control or prevent the spread of fire. Technology complements fire management and safety (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). It comes in different forms and aims to satisfy different facility requirements. For example, the building can be designed and construction with focus on smoke and fire containment (Eastman et al. 2011). The designing and technologies are used to prevent, detect, contain and extinguish the fire incidents. Life safety is important, and through the use of detectors is crucial. Understanding the types of detectors whether automatic sensors or manually operated devices is important (Atlas, 2013). Some of the automatic sensors include ionization smoke detector, flame detector, gas detector, photoelectric smoke detector e.g. light reflectance and light obscuration (Della-Giustina, 2014). In addition, heat sensing detector such as rate of rising spot detector and fixed temperature spot-type detector, are used to determine temperatures. In addition, manually operated devices should be available and include “break glass” and flow switches (Winch, 2010). A single technology cannot operate effectively, and bringing together different technologies is important. For example, the manual devices may be used in instances when the automatic devices are not operating (Della-Giustina, 2014). Other technologies also exist that aids the accomplishment of high rise buildings. For example, to improve and speed the movement of people, lifts are provided (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). The design of the lift and use of the lift has to incorporate the safety and health measures, and also to fulfill the requirements of the lift (Eastman et al. 2011). The lift should also be strategically located within the movement areas within the building. The electrical and mechanical systems should complete the functions of the facility. The advancement in technology means that the building should support the newer technologies through the provision of measures and strategies to support new technologies (Eastman et al. 2011). For example, Internet cables are commonly used, and these cables and other utility attachments/extensions should be strategically located to prevent chances of obstructions or causing accidents (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2011). Moreover, the electrical wiring and electrical attachments location or positioning within the building should be clear, and supported with effective documentations (Smith and Tardif, 2009). It is aimed at ensuring locations are known, and maintenance can be done easily. Conclusion In conclusion, a facility is developed based on the requirements and expectations of the owners. However, the effectiveness of the facility requires different stakeholders including facility manager and security manager. The facility and security manager should work together and support each other since their roles and responsibilities complement each other. The facility manager supervises the entire operations of the facility including organizing, planning and strategizing while the security managers supervise security requirements and allocates duties and resources based on the needs of different situations. However, the security manager operates based on directives of the facility manager, and also the security manager advice the owners of the facility. Technology assists the operation of the management of the facility. Different types of technology exist, but the common ones are used in suppressing or addressing fire incidents. For example, the fire alarm and detection systems are crucial in championing the credibility and integrity of a facility. References Aksorn, T., and Hadikusumo, B.H.W., 2008. Critical success factors are influencing safety program performance in Thai construction projects. Safety Science, 46(4), pp. 709-727. Atlas, R.I., 2013. 21st century security and CPTED: Designing for critical infrastructure protection and crime prevention. London: CRC Press. Barrett, P. and Baldry, D., 2009. Facilities management: Towards best practice. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Chanter, B. and Swallow, P., 2008. Building maintenance management. California: John Wiley & Sons. 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