Facilities Operational Management - Essay Example

Introduction Facilities management refers to the process where an individual is responsible for managing buildings, and other infrastructures. This is on behalf of the owners of these properties. It involves the integration of a variety of activities within the building1. This might include constant repairs, cleaning of the building, inspections, etc. The major aim of facilities management is to protect the facilities under consideration, ensuring that they serve their purposes. Buildings are always vulnerable to vandalism, and hence it is essential to protect them from anybody seeking to tamper with their quality2. Facilities management is an old profession, and it can be traced to the later centuries when the building technology emerged. However, this industry of facilities management began to be recognized in the 1970s, with the arrival of caretakers and janitors. This paper analyzes this concept of facilities management, and the various activities of a facility manager. Facilities Manager and the Staff: The roles of a modern Facilities Manager are to coordinate, control and organize the operational and strategic management of buildings and facilities in an hospitality industry. This is to ensure that a proper and efficient operation environment is provided to the staff within that organizational framework. He needs to create a working environment to his staff so that productivity can be attained3. Other roles include training of the staff and developing them, especially the weak employees who need to be controlled so that they can deliver4. In terms of payment, these professional make sure that there employees are paid and appraise the good performers at all strides made. They offer the terms of dismissal, transfers and suspension to their employees and create a benchmark that is not to be passed no matter what. Still on legal terms, they define working periods for the staff generally 48 hours for permanent employees5. They have the mandate to keep incident reports and inspection report of how the organization is fairing. They give certificate and safety hand book to their staff. Operational aspects of the building and the Facilities Manager: The building has to be ensured that it has be allocated enough space and these procedure has to be done accurately. The feasibility check should not reveal surprises once the deal of space allocation is finalized. Due legal mechanisms should be followed to ensure that such types of spaces are secure. The facilities manager should ensure that a safe, comfortable and productive environment for the entire employees and customers visiting the building are kept. He should make sure that there is efficient use of building facilities, electrical and mechanical systems. He should also encourage employees to use demountable walls for their office and conference to attain greater flexibility and consistency in service delivery6. In addition, the manager is required to follow some regulations. The main requirement being workplace regulation of 1992.This requirement looked at the health, safety and welfare and their associated code of practice (ACOP).Also building regulations of the year 2000, should be adhered to no matter what. For the hospitality industry for instance, putting up a hotel require mass investment in property and special legal procedures to be followed. Especially if one is working for a 5 star hotel, is key just as much as legal mechanisms. Facilities Manager and the Customers: For The Hospitality industry to thrive, it requires the consorted effort of both the facilities manager and the customers to be in good books. The facilities manager is expected to provide services to the customers that use the facilities, for example in hospitality industry, customers want better service delivery ranging from food to beverages and to alcohol7. They are expected to meet certain requirements and offer support where possible. A facilities Manager is always identified by their strong listening abilities. This means they need not have ears to listen but to listen attentively and provide consistent products to customers. Provision of services that satisfy the customer is a sure way of increasing the profits an organization makes8. When there is need for information, the facilities manager should make it upon himself that necessary information is provided, especially through advertisements, and use of a customer desk for that matter9. They are required to create a conflict free environment for their customers because it is through this customers that they do receive their pay10. Customers should be willing to call such places home because of the reception and hospitality provided. In the hospitality industry, the service provider must ensure that they are courteous, and concerned for all the needs of their customers. Through this action, the hospitality service provider will satisfy the needs of their target customers, hence achieving some profits. Facility Operators, funding agencies and the Hospitality Industry: The hospitality Industry is one the biggest sectors in the world economy. It encompasses a variety of service industries that range from food service tourism and hotels. It suffers greatly, from the fluctuations in the market economy and this makes it very vulnerable. Hospitality Industry include the companies or organizations that provide food , accommodation, or both of them to people11. The hospitality industry comprises of two major segments, namely entertainments and accommodation. Provision of entertainment services is centered on bars and clubs. Provision of accommodation normally occurs through pent houses, campgrounds, resorts, hostels, hotels, motels, and serviced apartments. This industry also provides the bar and club services. Services offered under this category include fast foods, night clubs, and restaurants12. The hospitality industry also is made up with the provision of tourism support services like airline cabin staff and its travel agents. The role of these travel agents is to analyze the various tourism opportunities, and guide visitors to these sites13. Corporate entertainment is among the most thriving business activity amongst the corporation. Corporate entertainment refers to private events that are held by companies. This is for purposes of entertaining staff, clients, and various stakeholders of the company, or the industry. Large hotels normally carry out this activity in conferences, which can host a large number of people. A hotel is a business that can also provide lodging services in lieu of payment. lodging is always given in exchange for a predetermined amount of money. For purposes of being competitive, modern hotels are equipped with climatic control instruments, personal wash room facilities, etc. Luxurious hotels offer their guests with WIFI connectivity within the rooms and the surrounding environment. These establishments are managed by highly qualified managers and functions like cooking are done by professional chefs at all instances. There are several factors influencing the distribution of hospitality industry on a global sense. These factors include, technological innovations, communication, levels of incomes, political, social, and environmental changes. These factors have an impact in determining the demand of services produced by the hospitality industry. Impact: The role of Facilities Management is significant, this is true in the way they work, by acting as facilitators between the end user (occupants within the family) and the client (owner or investor or donor) to deliver Facilities management’s main functions in the operations and management of facilities14. However they poses a significant influencing role over the service and supply of goods and activities through procurement, specification and performance management. There is also an influence over the investor and the owner of the facility through the selection of new facilities, refurbishment and operational performance rating15. As a good facilities manager, who is focused on value addition and better productivity, efforts should be adhered to attaining these goals from an informed position. The facilities manager is expected to about the conditions and regulations about his management board. The energy should be focused on identifying what the board really wants in line with the vision of the organization16. Moreover, he needs to know the role played by the owners of the facilities, the employers, the management board, local authorities and different funding agencies. He needs to make sure that guidelines that control the organization’s performance are kept up to book.For instance time sharing program, car parking facility amongst others. The social tradition of funding agencies need to be noted at all lengths of time.A recruiting policy should be kept clean. For instance, there should be key points in recruitment of future Facility Managers. This may include; as superior managers, the company seeks to recruit professional Facilities Managers with proven record of achievement both in terms of education and professional career growth. It seeks for employees, with better knowledge about Facility management and should possess first -hand information on how they are intending to improve this organization. Other than the obvious look at simple facts marriage status and how they think this could help in their performance in other words, look for responsibility among them. At the end offer a test question that can help distinguish the best from the rest in recruitment. This will help improve the productivity of employees in a way that focus would be on achievement and hard work. On the other hand a facilities manager is allowed to participate in different environmental and social activities like local clubs and cultural program. This would help initiate a better customer appreciation to the Facilities Manager in terms of service. Corporate social responsibility is meant to raise awareness about a certain problem in the society but in essence it is the organization that is benefitting. This is through their daily sales and service to customers. Conclusion As a professional Facilities Manager, there is a need to focus on an individual’s brilliance within future Facilities Managers’ recruits. The desire or urge to push for greater heights in growth and development, in terms of their careers should be considered during recruitment process. Also, the need for experience shouldn’t be left unturned, because this is what will help out in outsourcing other professional experiences to the organization.There should be a continued industrial involvement, awareness of current issues and legal requirements so that, the individual can offer reliability when need of such calls for. There should be greater networking skills within the next Facilities manager, because this is the only way to establish better business relationship with the other peers in the field of work. Much emphasis should be placed on this by the management. In addition, as a senior Facilities Manager, there is a higher desire to be equipped with facilities manager who has greater interpersonal skills. These skills could be edger from other applicants seeking the same post. Look at what attitude is presented and make sure that it is natural and not faked by the respondent. Excellent communication skills shouldn’t be missed. This includes careful examination of written and verbal skill of any prospective employee. This would form the basis of image representation as a senior worker in the institution. Bibliography: Barrett, P, and F Edward, Facilities Management the Dynamics of Excellence, 3rd ed, Hoboken: Wiley, 2013. Best, R, Workplace Strategies and Facilities Management, Online-Ausg. Ed, Oxford: Routledge, 2012. Read More