FACILITIES OPERATIONS AND

MANAGEMENT
Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................................................3

Task 1 1.1 Responsibilities of facilities manager.........................................................................4

1.2 Facilities manager’s responsibilities regarding the building.................................................5

1.3 Role of Facilities manager towards customers......................................................................6

1.4 Changing roles of facilities manager according to nature of employer................................7

Task 4...............................................................................................................................................8

4.1 Evaluation criteria of facilities operations.............................................................................8

4.2 Evaluation and Review Procedures.......................................................................................9

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Whether you work at a company that specializes in manufacturing, service or a mixture of the
two, your core of the organization is its operations. The central value addition of the firm takes
place between the inputs and the outputs. This is the part of the firm that gives it a core
competency, a unique feature that is not easily replicable because they are not simply a
formula, but the whole setup, the embedded training in human resources, the habits of the
routine work and the culture that lends to the organization’s success.

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Task 1
1.1 Responsibilities of facilities manager towards staff
Facilities management

Maintenance, repair work, cleaning, inspecting and maintaining standards set forth by
regulatory commissions— these are just some of the tasks related to facilities. In the case of
hotels in the hospitality industry, the role of facilities managers are set at the topmost priority
as the establishments is the main attraction for the customers, and the better the facilities run
the more customer satisfaction.

Job delegation
Delegating job has to be a fair unbiased task that the manager does to ensure the mutual
benefit of the facilities and the staff.

Employee welfare
The employees require proper monitoring against hazards of health and safety. They require
fair use of their skills, and require vacations and entertainment. They require training and skill
development in addition to maintaining work-life balance.

Staffing Levels
Staffing is a complicated quantitative task that the manager oversees with the help of intuitive
software. The employee’s opinions, sickness and holiday needs have to be considered while
implementing staffing.

Supporting HR Roles
HR requires to understand what kind of work conditions the employees are looking forward to
better understand and describe it to potential recruits. This asks for the facilities manager to be
a valid source of information in educating the HR as laymen about the facilities so that they in
turn can assist fresh hires.

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1.2 Facilities manager’s responsibilities regarding the building
Making the building accessible

The stairs, the elevators or escalators of a facility seems fancy and decorative at first glance, but
has a much more operational use when guests stay at a hotel for an extended period of time. It
is the job of the facilities manager to make sure the guests who stay longer and more
frequently do not feel trouble or inconvenienced at all, and they have ease of access to and
from the building.

Maintenance and repair

The colloquial “don’t fix it if it’s not broken” is not applicable to hospitality facilities. The
facilities require a high class maintenance that can only be upkept through regular and
scheduled repairs. Cleaning might sound like a hygienic task, but it prevents rust off metal,
keeps wood shiny for longer periods essentially saving costs of big refurbishes.

Mechanical and electrical systems

These systems are very elaborate, and requires monitoring. These are essential elements of the
facilities too, but they might be hazardous if not kept after from day one. Standard work
practices need to be taught to protect employees from hurting themselves and the equipment.

Refurbishment and security

The door locks are the security measure and privacy seal of the guests at a hotel, so is of
paramount importance. The main entrance, the lobbies and the elevators need to be well
guarded. The employees in charge of security footage, and inspection need to be vigilant about
the importance of keeping a clean record. When too old and antiquated, these facilities require
refurbishments.

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1.3 Role of Facilities manager towards customers

Identifying customer needs

The empathy skills of a manager will teach him to identify what the customer needs at a certain
time before the customer has the opportunity to even ask for it. Instead of spending time and
resources behind unproductive means, responding to customer needs will guarantee
satisfaction.

Good service delivery

Employees do not only have to behave well with the guests, they have to perform their function
like professionals. If the employees at a hotel performs a substandard job, the hotel’s standard
falls with it.

Customer care

Customer care is the extra effort behind making the guests feel specially treated that compels
them to become repeat customers resulting in increased customer retention.

Customer service

When the customer feels inconvenienced, the manager’s chief responsibility is demanded. The
aim is to resolve swiftly, accurately and reward the customer’s experience.

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1.4 Changing roles of facilities manager according to nature of employer
Public Sector

The facilities that fall under the spectrum of public sector generally is bigger and more service
than profit oriented. The cost of running a public school is very high but it also serves a large
number of citizens, thus the importance of such facilities. The collective interest supersedes
individual needs.

Private Sector

Customers are given the highest priority. The individual attention in a private facility is always
greater than that of a public, and thus higher costs. Managers require maintaining corporate
standards according to marketing strategy.

Owned

Managers of owned facilties enjoy a higher freedom and financial security than that of leased
properties. The managers can alter the physical assets— buildings, shrubbery etc. The legal
issues are simpler, and quicker.

Leased

Leased property managers need to understand the contractual relationship of the lease well to
make decisions that preserves the owner’s legal rights. The business requirements need to be
prioritized with the current situation of the asset versus its long term pay off to be financially
feasible.

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Task 4
4.1 Evaluation criteria of facilities operations
Site access

Site access is evaluated through several factors such as proximity to public roads, distance from
necessary optimum placement, any impediments that are blocking way to entrance and their
reasons for being there etc.

Site conditions

The site itself is defined by the neighboring facilities although they are not the firm’s internal
control elements. The managers thus search through their knowledge for legal restrictions and
their own legal rights to speak to the cause of the problem about fixing such impediments.

Zoning considerations

The internal departmental and zoning configurations might be required to adapt to the changes
in the customer behavior over time. Therefore the zoning needs to be evaluated for customer
and employee convenience.

Utilities

Utilities performance and cost is evaluated. Any wastage is accounted for, and the reasons
behing the waste is identified. The deals regarding long term utility supply are updated and any
better deals are compared.

Building condition

The building physical appearance, strength, health and safety have to be examined by
professional mechanics and governmental regulatory organizations to pass quality control
standards regularly.

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4.2 Evaluation and Review Procedures
Self Evaluation

The individual departments in charge of building, bathrooms, storage facilities, stairways etc
will have to be decentralized the responsibility to govern themselves and make certain
decisions from their end. This will ensure the timely and accurate disposal of facilities. On the
other hand, the routine checks from the internal departments will be a source for information,
and their performance appraisal.

Site Visit

The facilities manager himself has to physically visit the location of equipment present to
inspect with his eyes the information and the real life situation. The manager will in his visits
reiterate the policies of facility management, and get updates about the history of the facilities
in the past quarter to manage the records.

Written Report

Written formal reports submitted to the senior management detailing the facilities current
situation, contrasting with the condition of the same of the last quarter. These reports create
accountability, and provide information to make decisions about allotting a bigger or smaller
portion of the budget behind routine operations, equipment replacement etc.

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Conclusion
The facilities and operations manager has to take responsibility for customer interactions and
equipment provision and maintenance alike making it a combination of human resource and
quantitative and mechanical functions. The operations manager thus should make attempts to
understand all aspects of his facilities not being confined to his office spaces rather visiting the
locations whenever possible. He also needs to keep regular contact with the suppliers and
dealers that control variables that determine his staff’s potential to perform well.

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References

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association.

Levitt, J., 2009. Facilities Management: Managing Maintenance for Buildings and Facilities. 2nd
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Sarkis, J., 2002. Greening the Supply Chain. 2nd ed. s.l.:Springer.

Ifma.org. (2017). What is FM - Definition of Facility Management. [online] Available at:

https://www.ifma.org/about/what-is-facility-management [Accessed 11 Jul. 2017].

Marketingstudyguide.com. (2017). Cite a Website - Cite This For Me. [online] Available at:
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world.co.uk/comment/blog/public-or-private/ [Accessed 11 Jul. 2017].

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