Facilities Management Outsourcing
"Facilities management" can seem a very esoteric term to those not in the know; "facilities" could mean so many things, as could "management", so it may be startling to know that this sector of business services is well-defined enough for there to be companies dedicated to it. This is not to say that facilities management covers a wide range of possible services, of course. The facility in question is a building – an office building more often than not – and the management refers to managing whatever services are needed for the continued good functioning of the building outside of its specific use. For example, an office complex contains a call centre. The call centre business itself is not part of facilities management, but the maintenance of the building's power systems, sprinkler systems and fire alarms, elevators, and air conditioning systems all are. Without these services the efficiency, and legality, of the office structure and the business within it would be severely compromised.
These services may seem like the kind of thing that would normally be carried out by the company occupying the building, but this may not always be the case. Such a company may not have the internal resources in order to properly manage its facilities, or it may prefer the simplicity of hiring a specialised facilities management company to do this for them. Facilities management outsourcing like this can save money and hassle for a company that just wants to get on with its day-to-day business.
Facilities management consultants are specialised in their field, meaning they can manage facilities much more efficiently than a company whose primary focus may be selling insurance. Usually this efficiency is economic, i.e. they incur less costs despite providing the same services. This is generally because the facilities management consultancy has experience in facilities management, so they know how to avoid unneeded and excessive costs. However, facilities management consultants may be able to achieve efficiency in other areas. If a facilities management consultancy manages a building's power systems it can – through specialisation and experience – reduce the energy consumption of the building. This energy efficiency can have a serious effect on the carbon dioxide pollution output that the building is responsible for and on the environment. Energy consumption equals carbon dioxide production, and the energy consumption of buildings and facilities is significant when you consider that 30-40% of a typical country's total carbon emissions is attributable to buildings.
Facilities management outsourcing helps reduce companies' costs and can reduce the harm they do to the environment. In today's society and economic environment, where cost reduction is becoming more and more important and governments are doing their best to reduce their country's harmful carbon emissions, it is clear that facilities management consultants have a significant role to play.
These services may seem like the kind of thing that would normally be carried out by the company occupying the building, but this may not always be the case. Such a company may not have the internal resources in order to properly manage its facilities, or it may prefer the simplicity of hiring a specialised facilities management company to do this for them. Facilities management outsourcing like this can save money and hassle for a company that just wants to get on with its day-to-day business.
Facilities management consultants are specialised in their field, meaning they can manage facilities much more efficiently than a company whose primary focus may be selling insurance. Usually this efficiency is economic, i.e. they incur less costs despite providing the same services. This is generally because the facilities management consultancy has experience in facilities management, so they know how to avoid unneeded and excessive costs. However, facilities management consultants may be able to achieve efficiency in other areas. If a facilities management consultancy manages a building's power systems it can – through specialisation and experience – reduce the energy consumption of the building. This energy efficiency can have a serious effect on the carbon dioxide pollution output that the building is responsible for and on the environment. Energy consumption equals carbon dioxide production, and the energy consumption of buildings and facilities is significant when you consider that 30-40% of a typical country's total carbon emissions is attributable to buildings.
Facilities management outsourcing helps reduce companies' costs and can reduce the harm they do to the environment. In today's society and economic environment, where cost reduction is becoming more and more important and governments are doing their best to reduce their country's harmful carbon emissions, it is clear that facilities management consultants have a significant role to play.
