Developing FM
| Critical questions for the profession |
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| Written by Michael Glass, July 2006 | |
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FM has reached a stage in its development where some hard questions need to be asked. The process doesn't have to be threatening - it can be a means of stimulating motivation and action. Here we consider some key issues, for now and the future.
Why are we constantly trying to find out what FM is? We now have the pleasure of at least four 'official' definitions of what FM is about. The BIFM makes it short and all encompassing by saying: "Facilities management is the integration of multidisciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace." Then we have Asset Skills, whose definition may still be evolving but shows a preference for a simpler view, referring to the "integration of support activities" essential to an organisation's successful performance. The International Facility Management Association reverts to the rather grander view: "a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology". Most recent is the European contribution. CEN 348, the technical committee working on new standards, suggests: "Facility management is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities." But this remains in draft, as the development process still has many months to run before finalisation and publication. Heaven help us when Global FM really gets going. I would bet my laptop on them coming up with a new definition in the first year of operation. My take on this, for what it's worth, is that FM is basically indefinable as it is all things to all men and depends to a great extent on your line manager. But at least the BIFM definition explains reasonably clearly the role and responsibilities to a stranger. Are we a profession, a trade or neither?I firmly believe we are a profession. But the inclusion of more and more corporate members could be devaluing our member status. There is a place for all members in the Institute as long as it is easily recognised what the purpose of an individual's membership is. A supplier of lamps could be a corporate member, but if ten of that sort of member attend an event where there are only five FM practitioners, those five may well feel out-numbered, under pressure and unwilling to come to the next event. We have to temper all we do to benefit the majority member, the FM practitioner.Why are so few facilities managers trained in FM?What other job lets you call the Fire Brigade, taste lunch and knock down a wall, all in one day? Fireman Sam, Jamie Oliver and Bob the Builder eat your hearts out.But we are still not sexy, or enough in the public eye. Why do so few school leavers see FM as a career choice? We have an obligation to change things and make it happen for the next generation of facilities managers. Try visiting your children's school and telling them what FM is about. Try 'adopting' a college of further education. Try developing a serious training programme for your team. Training in FM can be as basic as any management training. I was advised by a general manager many years ago that as soon as you start in a new role you should find and train your replacement to allow you to leave and climb the next rung of the ladder as soon as possible. Training is key to our success, and to the success of newcomers to the profession. Why is FM training so expensive?When you look at the maths, someone appears to be making a mint - but who? £600 a day times 20 delegates: take off room hire, lunch and beverages; even take off course materials and pay the lecturer/presenter a cool £1,000 for their time, and there is still too much change sloshing around. What would be better for our profession - to train 20 facilities managers at £600 each or to train 200 at £60? Which would bring about more FM excellence?Is membership of the BIFM mandatory?Looking at the back of FM World or other FM periodicals, you would think so as every job ad implies Institute membership is an advantage. But what does MBIFM tell a prospective employer? Is it a sign of professionalism or of an ability to pay £115?I believe that there should be a standard for MBIFM that clearly demonstrates what a qualified facilities manager is capable of doing, capabilities gained through a mix of education and practice within the discipline. Is the current application process sufficiently robust, and sufficiently auditable, to ensure that employers get the professionals they think they are getting? The reciprocal question is, of course, does all the hard work to gain MBIFM give you something back once you have it? From the activity levels of members in the Regions we might assume they are satisfied, as typically less than 5 per cent attend events over the year and the volunteer involvement that drives activities typically drops closer to 2 per cent. But does that mean they are satisfied, or that they are so dissatisfied they see no point in getting involved? This is a serious point, and we need to work at communication in various ways to ensure that we know the answer. How many facilities managers are there in the UK?First, consider that every hospital, every office and every factory - indeed, just about every building in the country - has someone managing the facilities. The job title may vary, but a conservative estimate might put the total number of facilities managers (whatever they call themselves) at something over 100,000. Last year, research led Asset Skills to suggest a figure close to 60,000.Turn then to the advantages that FM can bring a business: synergy in services, enabling the core business to operate undistracted, improvements to the working environment and resultant good productivity. should be seeking out all the facilities managers and giving them the benefits of BIFM membership. As a result, our country's competitive edge would be sharpened massively. Where will technology take us?Think back only ten years - no iPAQs, no Blackberrys, no laptops, no mobile phones, lucky if we had a PC on the desk.In just that period, we have advanced to drafting articles on the train and emailing them to editors, holding mobile conference calls, and seeing the results posted on the Internet so that all interested parties can read them - or even hear them - later. What will we be taking for granted in five years' time? My five-year-old son can use a PC, borrow my iPAQ and manage my mobile phone. When he looks for work in 15 years what tools will be available for him to use? Working away from the conventional office did have drawbacks: speed of connection - now overcome with broadband, even available in cafes and pubs; carrying paperwork with you - everything can be available electronically now; seeing the person you are talking to - video conferencing on your laptop or your phone resolves that. In a survey undertaken by Vodafone in 2004, more than 80 per cent of the people questioned said they were equipped for mobile working, with 42 per cent equipped with mobile data technology. By how much have those figures risen over the past 18 months, with the reduction of transmission costs and the improvement of connectivity throughout the UK and Europe? Are facilities managers preparing for this sort of change, or are they just too busy with the pressures of now? Professor Richard Scase has noted: "Britain has changed. There are now more people working in the UK in Indian restaurants than in the coal, steel and shipbuilding trades." We need to learn to utilise the technology available now - and that which is coming our way soon. The alternative to such change may be extinction - or perhaps learning to cook curry. Yes, the office will still be needed; but the desk space can shrink and convert to areas of inspiration and creativity, where the social mix of workers can bring out inventiveness. Changing demographics can help us to fill staff and skill gaps if we use the technology wisely. But here's another question: if the need for building space diminishes and our customer base shrinks, will our employers still need a facilities manager? There are only three letters between A for adapt and E for extinct. They are B, C and D - be creative or die. About the author Michael Glass is Development Director of FM Data Services and Chairman of the BIFM Midlands Region. Please visit www.sds-group.co.uk |
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