MANAGING
Facilities Management
In a New Building
Always Involve the Facilities Manager from the Get-Go
BY ANDRE KLOPPER AND DAVID PIERRE-EUGENE
When it comes to building a new premise for your business, your Facilities Management( FM) professional should be first on your go-to list. Why, you may ask? Because facilities management is about far more than just bricks, mortar and maintenance. It’ s about people.
Studies show that environment plays a huge role in staff engagement and retention. A safe, happy workforce is an engaged and productive workforce, and that’ s good for business.
The role of the Facilities Manager The Facilities Manager’ s responsibility in any new building is to:
• Ensure that the design and facilities accommodate the tenant’ s needs;
• Future-proof the building against changing requirements;
• Ensure that maintenance and upkeep is kept to a minimum;
• See to the finishes, accessibility, and operational aspects of facility maintenance.
Most buildings are designed on a commercial basis and, from an aesthetic point of view, by working from the outside in. The FM professional brings to the design table both the tenant’ s needs and the operational aspects needed for the building to work for the community for which it was intended.
Practical experience gives the Facilities Manager a unique overview of how the various systems work. This includes knowledge of building finishes, and any possible maintenance difficulties they come with, as
36 MARCH 2017 SA Real Estate Investor www. reimag. co. za