The Management of the Large University Campus - Term Paper Example

Understanding Facilities Management Support Services Operations Executive Summary This report intends to review the services with the intention to provide the management of the large university campus with rational suggestions for delivering its support services in a more effectual and efficient way in the interests of its staff and students. In this regard, various imperative aspects have been discussed in the report that include identifying the delivery options for support services, determining the ways for recognising users requirements and the procedures of managing as well as monitoring the support services among others. From the discussion, it was inferred that n developing the safety systems associated with the management and control of contractors and in-house staff undertaking support services work and managing support services budgets, would eventually aid the university to deliver the services in a more efficient and effectual manner. Table of Contents Introduction 4 1.Support Services and Options for Delivery 5 1.1A Description of the Typical Range of Services 5 1.2An Explanation of Different Options for Delivery of Support Services 6 1.3Explanation of Cost Effectiveness of the Various Delivery Options 6 1.4 Explanation of the Relationship between the Facilities Management Strategy and the Preferred Delivery Option 7 2.Identify Requirements, Manage and Monitor 8 2.1 Ways of Identifying the Requirements of the Users 8 2.2 Explanation of How Support Services are Managed and Monitored 10 3.Health & Safety 10 3.1 Explanation of the Importance of Safety Systems 10 3.2 Explanation of the Role of a Facilities Manager 11 4.Management of Budgets 12 4.1 Explanation of How to Determine, Monitor and Manage Support Services Budgets 12 4.2 Identification of Adverse Budget Variation and Explanation of the Options for Reconciliation 13 Conclusion 14 References 16 Introduction Facility management is fundamentally described as a profession, which entails manifold disciplines for ensuring effectiveness of the operational functions in terms of place, people and business procedure incorporation along with latest technological advancements (Booty, 2009). It is worth mentioning in this regard that the scope of facilities management has grown completely due to certain crucial factors. These factors include increased level of globalisation, gaining momentum of liberalisation along with internationalisation, adoption as well as execution of innovative technological advancements and prevalence of extreme business market competition. Observably, most of the business organisations, educational and financial institutions belonging to this modern day context prioritise adopting the notion of facility management with the intention of performing effective operational or business functions and delivering quality services to their valuable clients. It would be vital to mention in this similar context that the facilities managers often aid the modern business corporations, financial and educational institutions to fulfil the above objectives making effective strategic planning towards performing its business operations in an effective manner. In this similar context, facilities managers typically focus on utilising best business practices with the aim of enhancing operational efficiency by lessening operational costs while raising productivity (Graduate Prospects Ltd., 2014). With this concern, this paper intends to provide the University Management of a large university campus, which is spread over 3 sites, with suitable recommendations for delivering the services in a more efficient and effective manner. Various significant aspects, including support services along with options for delivery, identification of the requirements of the users, management as well as monitoring of the support services, importance of health with safety concerns and controlling the budgets, would be discussed in this paper. 1. Support Services and Options for Delivery 1.1 A Description of the Typical Range of Services An array of services has been apparently observed encompassing the notion of facilities management in all sectors of public, private and the modern day not-for-profit economy framework. Most commonly, this array of services has been observed to entail day-to-day services like waste management, purchasing, managing finances, workplace compliance, security as well as general building maintenance and strategic services such as facilitating the management to make effective decisions with the objective of the smooth functioning of the company. The other strategic services of facilities management include fostering teamwork along with innovation, enhancing operational efficiency and developing the overall performance of the workforce. In respect to the large university campus, the services encompassing facilities management are commonly identifiable in terms of messenger services, reprographics and mail room services. In this regard, messenger services generally include gathering as well as circulating internal university related mails. On the other hand, mail room services typically encompass providing courier services to the universities. These sorts of services are often found interlinked with the messenger services. Finally, reprographics services entail printing any sort of board meeting paper, brochures, small handbooks along with guides, designing business cards, desk diaries and promotional materials like postcards, folders and bookmarks among others (University of Oxford, 2013). 1.2 An Explanation of Different Options for Delivery of Support Services After acquiring a brief idea about the range of support services encompassing the dimensions of facilities management, it is quite indispensable to acquire a brief idea about the availability of different options for the deliverance of such services. It can be apparently observed in this similar concern that multiple options are readily available for the deliverance of support services to the organisations as well as the institutions. These options include in-house provisions, Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract, outsourcing, bundle service contract and single source contract among others. It would be vital to mention in this similar context that amid the above identified delivery options, in-house provision or management and single source contract can be taken into concern with respect to the regular operational processes performed within the large university campus. This can be justified with reference to the fact that most of the support services in the context of large universities are likely to be managed as well as serviced through the above stated delivery options due to their cost-effective nature along with obtained benefits in terms of time-efficiency and lesser complexity hazards. Moreover, these delivery options are also observed to be relatively static, for which, the support services of various large universities are managed through these options (Musa & Pitt, 2007). 1.3 Explanation of Cost Effectiveness of the Various Delivery Options In order to provide a brief explanation for determining the cost-effectiveness of the above identified delivery options, it can be apparently noted that the delivery option of in-house provision or management is not so much cost-effective as compared to others, which include outsourcing, TFM and single source along with bundle service contract. This can be owing to the reason that the delivery option of in-house provision or management appears to be quite static and standard fashion in recent times. In this similar context, single source contract and outsourcing have been identified as quiet cost-effective, as these delivery options works upon cost-effective solutions making effective decisions. Apparently, bundle service contract and TFM does not seem to be cost-effective as compared to in-house provision or management, as these delivery options often incur huge expenses while performing various operational functions. Furthermore, because these delivery options require vast amount of resources for effective implementation, they cannot be duly considered as cost-effective, similar to single source contract and outsourcing (Musa & Pitt, 2007). It can therefore be affirmed that concerns related with cost-effectiveness, shall quite likely play a crucial role in determining the ease of the large university campus in adopting a proper and adequate delivery option, which is required to deliver various support services to the organisation in a timely manner. 1.4 Explanation of the Relationship between the Facilities Management Strategy and the Preferred Delivery Option It has been previously mentioned that in-house provision or management and single source contract can be the preferred options for delivering support services to large university campuses. Hence, it can be affirmed that a noteworthy relationship exists between the facilities management strategy and the above stated preferred delivery options. This can be justified with reference to the fact that the prime objective of facilities management strategy is observed to be delivering support services in a productive as well as timely manner, resulting in enhancing business or operational efficiencies of the institution overall. As the delivery options play an imperative role in facilitating cost as well as time efficiencies in the distribution process and balancing the support services to the clients with the same objective, it can be affirmed that there exists an association between the preferred delivery options and the facilities management strategy (Tucker & Smith, 2008). Thus, it is obvious that the large university campus, with the preferred options of in-house provision or management and single source contract, would be able to deliver support services to the students and the staff members, resulting in developing its overall business or operational efficiency at large. 2. Identify Requirements, Manage and Monitor 2.1 Ways of Identifying the Requirements of the Users There are certain ways of identifying the requirements of the users that can be often regarded as the steps ensuring a better comprehension of the business necessities. In this similar context, the ways include updating the existing services that are offered to the users, providing new services to the users, incessantly focusing on the service features and comprehending the demands as well as the preferences of the users (IST, 2010). In relation to the large university campus, it can be stated that the students are the users whose requirements can be apparently identified as updating the existing services, which might be identified in terms of learning materials offering new kind of services such as conducting seminars on knowledge management. Moreover, the other way of understanding the requirements of the users (i.e. the students or the learners of the university), lay in improvising the existing service facilities provided to them. These ways can also be regarded as significant steps, ensuring a broader understanding of the business requirements of the university. 2.2 Explanation of How Support Services are Managed and Monitored Support services within the context of facilities management in all sectors of private, public and not-for-profit economy are mainly managed as well as monitored through various operational or functional divisions, ensuring that they meet the required standards. One such division, which tends to manage and monitor support services, is Managed Support Services (MSS) Division. This particular division not only takes proper care of the ‘Warranty Calls’ regarding a particular product or a service but also involves itself quite actively in various other services like Annual Maintenance Contract (ACC) Services. It is worth mentioning that this division handles support services to ensure their compliance with the required standards through effective utilisation of the available resources and incorporating the operational procedures (Value Point, 2011). Correspondingly, it can be affirmed that the large university campus can manage and monitor its support services and ensure that these services meet with the required standards, adequately performing asset and space management activities, concerning over the security aspect, environmental sustainability and most vitally, accessing as well as effectually executing the accessible resources (University of Oxford, 2013). 3. Health & Safety 3.1 Explanation of the Importance of Safety Systems The importance of safety systems associated with the management and control of in-house staff members and contractors who are liable to undertake support services related works, can be ascertained by taking into concern the economic, legal and moral or ethical aspects. From the economic perspective, despite lessening costs, effective safety as well as health management, fosters business efficiency at large. It would be vital to mention in this similar regard that the ill health cases and the accidents within the campus mainly occur because of deficiencies in introducing occupational health along with safety management related initiatives. In relation to the legal aspect, the lawful regulations ensure conducting activities keeping in mind the welfare of the employees such as the contractors and in-house staff with the intention of safeguarding their health and safety interests while implementing support services. From the standpoint of moral or ethical aspects, the importance of health systems can be identified as existing in supporting organisations and institutions, which further helps the organisation towards preventing ill health and injuries of the personnel while undertaking various sorts of activities (Health and Safety Authority, 2006). Specially mentioning, the importance of safety systems can also be ascertained based on the above-discussed aspects relating to the large university campus. 3.2 Explanation of the Role of a Facilities Manager After acquiring a brief idea about the availability of numerous options for delivering support services, it is indispensable to acquire a brief idea about the different roles played by a facilities manager for offering support services to the clients effectively. In this similar context, it can be apparently observed that a facilities manager commonly have to perform the roles of Facilities Administrators and Facilities Officers through which, the manager controls, manages as well as organises and coordinates various strategic and operational aspects. It is worth mentioning in this regard that a facilities manager play a decisive role in organising security and most importantly, coordinating services linked with general administration, which ensures deliverance of support services in an effective manner. Apart from the above-discussed roles, a facilities manager is also involved in incorporating communications, making sure that the support service operations meet the governmental regulations along with environmental standards, administrating multi-disciplinary group of staff members and project planning among others (FMA, 2011). Based on the above discussion, it can be affirmed from a broader understanding that these roles of a facilities manager often ensure compliance with legislation and good practices related to the delivery of support services by a considerable extent. 4. Management of Budgets 4.1 Explanation of How to Determine, Monitor and Manage Support Services Budgets The support services budgets relating to the large university campus can be determined based on attaining its short as well as long-term needs. These may include development of the intellectual resources so that they are effectively utilised aimed at the ultimate enhancement of the campus facilities, updating active teaching laboratories as well as spaces and improvisation of communication systems prevailing within the university. Specially mentioning, the support services budgets associated with the large university campus can be monitored through designing such a budget, which covers both short as well as long-term needs of the university. It would be vital to mention in this similar context that support services budgets can be managed through several ways. These ways comprise enhancing the university’s culture as well as image, generating superior competitive position for the core business of the university, enabling changes in the entire support services operational procedures and delivering responsive along with effective support services to the university students (The Facilities Society, 2014). 4.2 Identification of Adverse Budget Variation and Explanation of the Options for Reconciliation Considering the adverse budget variations in managing the large university campus operations, it can be asserted that such alterations might generally occur at the time when the institution fails to utilise its respective valuable resources effectively. To be precise, in relation to the large university campus, adverse budget variations would generally occur while the process failed to improvise the university’s culture along with image, facilitate transformations in the support services operations, offering effective as well as responsive services and thereafter, offering greater competitive advantages for the university’s core functioning (The Facilities Society, 2014). This eventually urges the need for reconciling the budgets in order to restrict experiencing higher adverse budget variations. Specially mentioning, numerous options for reconciliation can be apparently observed to play a decisive role in preventing the organisation from adverse budget variations. In this similar concern, one of the options for adverse budget reconciliation is identified to be Base Budget Reconciliation. Conceptually, the notion of Base Budget Reconciliation is regarded as the procedure of reconciling the general fund budget of an organisation, irrespective of its belonging to educational and/or commercial sectors, which tends to minimise the risk of adverse budget variations to a maximum extent by evaluating financial spending plans for the respective financial year (University of Louisville, 2013). Relating to the large university campus, the idea of Base Budget Reconciliation can play a decisive role in protecting them from adverse budget variations through scrutinising the financial spending plans of the university for the respective financial year. Conclusion As observed, an array of support services encompassing facilities management in every sector of an economy. A huge figure of options for delivering support services are also observed as readily accessible that include outsourcing, in-house provisions, TFM, bundle service contract and single source contract among others. These options eventually support the large university campus towards attaining superior competitive positioning and attracting a significant proportion of students or learners by offering them with support services in a timely and effectual way. It would be vital to mention that the large university campus requires to manage as well as monitor the support services in such a mode, so that these ensures complying with the required standards. In this similar context, the university must develop effective safety systems associated with the management and control of contractors and in-house staff assigned with the job roles of delivering support services to the students in an effective manner. Thus, based on the overall study, it can be concluded that for delivering the support services in a more efficient as well as effectual manner, the management of the large university campus must come up with certain ideas. These ideas can be identified in terms of determining as well as managing support services’ budgets and identifying effective reconciliation options for mitigating adverse budget variations if any. References Booty, F., 2009. Facilities Management Handbook. Routledge. FMA, 2011. Facilities Manager. Facilities Management. [Online] Available at: http://www.fma.com.au/cms/images/Industry_Role_Description_FM.pdf [Accessed April 06, 2014]. Graduate Prospects Ltd., 2014. Job Description. Facilities Manager. [Online] Available at: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/facilities_manager_job_description.htm [Accessed April 05, 2014]. Health and Safety Authority, 2006. About These Guidelines. Workplace Safety and Health Management, pp. 7-54. IST, 2010. Identifying User Needs and Establishing Requirements. Lesson 7. [Online] Available at: https://fenix.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/downloadFile/3779576302060/Lesson%207%20-%20Identifying%20User%20Needs%20and%20Establishing%20Requirements%20(part%201).pdf [Accessed April 05, 2014]. Musa, Z. N. & Pitt, M., 2007. FM Service Delivery in Shopping Centres. Developing a Conceptual Framework for Determining the Best Options of Facilities Management Service Delivery in UK Shopping Centre, pp. 180-190. Tucker, M. & Smith, A., 2008. User Perceptions in Workplace Productivity and Strategic FM Delivery. University of Central Lancashire : Research Repository. The Facilities Society, 2014. What is Facilities Management? Strategies for Facilities Management. [Online] Available at: http://www.facilities.ac.uk/j/cpd/62-facility-management/118-strategies-for-facility-management [Accessed April 05, 2014]. University of Oxford, 2013. University Wide Services. Facilities Management. 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