28 Feb Keeping Everything Running – Practical Tips for Facilities Managers

Working as a facility manager can feel like juggling a dozen balls at once as one has to manage and administer all the facility’s work properly. Supervising and making strategies for better running the business could be overwhelming. Here are some helpful tips to effectively run facilities by mitigating potential complexities.

Make a Work Plan

Facility managers must deal with breakage, faulty equipment, or improper machinery functions. It can disrupt the proper order of things. So, it is paramount to keep everything in check. Spare parts and tools for fixing different equipment should be readily available. Routine checkups, checklists, listing complaints, and examining the life and functions of varying machinery are important to mitigate and manage potential hazards.

Formulating an actionable and forward-looking annual master plan forms the keystone for successful facilities management. Look at past data, identify patterns, anticipate facility needs, and project likely future events. This master plan must provide flexible room for adjustments and unscheduled incidences that will occur along the way.

You must be familiar with how to manage the schedules. Standardized procedures using checklists will help you perform the right task at the right time. You must also track all the equipment so that they are in operation. The proper plan also helps to maintain safety.

Automate FM Activities

Automation extends to equipment management, such as facility lighting and HVAC systems. Integrating HVAC schedules with the building automation system grants superior control over heating and cooling. Likewise, implementing automatic lighting systems offers cost and energy savings for the organization.

You can use facility management software to generate and submit electronic work orders. It eliminates cumbersome paperwork and provides comprehensive insight into maintenance activities.

Build an Effective Team

A team can immensely lessen the burden of managing a facility. Team members are responsible for implementing ideas at the ground level and keeping them running. Task division according to individual skill sets can be effective and efficient. Motivating team members with rewards and acknowledgment keeps the team running everything smoothly on your behalf.

There must be proper communication among the team members where feedback, suggestions, and innovations evolve. Encourage the workforce to voice their grievances, innovative ideas, and possible solutions. Instituting regular meetings and interactive feedback systems could work wonders in this respect.

Streamline Operations

Coordinate various tasks and responsibilities for fluidity in your operations. The smoother the processes, the lesser the chance of complications arising. Implement diversified strategies for varying facility requirements, technical support, safety measures, maintenance, or services. Structuring your sequential tasks can improve operational efficiency while reducing time and cost.

Assess Potential Risks

Anticipating likely problems helps facility managers run things smoothly. Any equipment or machines that keep the facility running can and do break down. Lack of preparedness delays the efficiency and disrupts the productivity of a facility. You can easily tackle the problems if you are ready to deal with the situation. Proper homework is a must for easily solving any problems that get in the way.

Expecting problems helps facility managers develop comprehensive measures to solve issues urgently. Stockpiling spare parts, tools, supplies, routine maintenance, tracking the life of machinery parts, etc., should be done to run a facility effectively.

Digitalise FM Operations

Using facility managing software helps you avoid hefty books and manual logging. A computer readily provides you with the information, while turning pages from thick logs for minor details can be tedious and time-consuming. Opting for software per the facility’s scale and requirements can immensely increase productivity and data security. Besides, digitalization helps facility managers automate facility work, remotely access data, and lessen their carbon footprint.

Maintain Documents

Regularly maintaining logs of checkups, work carried out, team tasks, and stocked parts and equipment keeps you updated. It helps facility managers comprehensively analyze the facility’s work and develop strategies to keep everything running smoothly. Documenting helps allocate budgets and other resources to guarantee the effective and dynamic functioning of the facility.

Keep all documents and recordings in a well-organized system, physically or digitally. It might involve sorting files by date, project, or department. Consider moving towards digital storage if you haven’t already. It will save physical space and make sorting, searching, and backing up important files easier.

Keep backups of your important documents and recordings. If your files are stored digitally, back up your data in a separate hard drive or use cloud-based storage services. Limit access to important files to avoid misuse. Only authorized personnel should be able to access certain documents. Conduct regular audits to ensure all documents are kept up-to-date and properly maintained. It involves checking for irrelevant or outdated files that can be discarded.

Keep Up With the Laws

Compliance with the current rules, regulations, and industry standards can prevent the facility from bearing hefty fines. To avoid legal issues, a facility manager should keep up-to-date with local, federal, and provincial laws. Regularly assessing safety laws and regulations helps the facility analyze potential hazards and legal problems and strategize a proper plan to keep the facility running productively.

Use Data Analytics

Utilizing data to drive facility decisions is not a novel concept. You can leverage asset data to forecast and prevent breakdowns and utilize financial data for more precise budgeting. This analysis will undoubtedly improve the quality of decisions.

Business intelligence (BI) and analytics tools can evaluate the performance of the FM department. You gain deeper insights into facility operations after leveraging reporting and analytics capabilities in facility management. This data helps to analyze the trends and make well-informed decisions regarding asset maintenance, staffing, budgeting, and overall facility operations.

With these practical tips, you can optimize and revolutionize your approach to stay on top of your game. Are you looking to level up your career game? At Riveter Consulting Group, we match qualified facilities managers like you with top employers. Feel free to browse the current openings and apply for a position. Your expertise in efficiency and problem-solving deserves the best placements. Your perfect job could be just a click away!