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Trends in Facilities Management
Posted on Jan 22, 2010 by Thornton Brothers |
Facilities management jobs are becoming more popular and more sought out. Skilled managers are recognized for their ability to efficiently operate offices, plants and other physical spaces necessary for a company to carry out their business. Defined as the profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology by the International Facility Management Association, facility management positions rank number 11 on an www.msn.com list of expected jobs to have high salary growth in the coming year compiled by CBSalary.com and SalaryExpert.com
And while salaries may be on the rise, economic trends indicate that in today’s market, cost cutting is essential for these managers. The recession has inspired several trends that affect the way facilities managers conduct business. Across all industries, companies are looking for ways to cut costs, and in the realm of facilities and how they factor into the bottom line, facilities managers are employing any number of tactics to operate more efficiently in order to function more cost effectively. Those tactics may mean cutting back on services, eliminating physical space, reducing operational costs, and evaluating current spending.
Reducing Services:
Reducing services such as cleaning and janitorial assistance is often the most obvious. Companies may reduce frequency of service compensating for it by asking employees to pitch in – emptying their own trash, cleaning up work areas, etc. Some companies may even sacrifice the convenience of nighttime cleaning crews, opting for daytime shifts that oftentimes charge a lesser rate. For most companies, janitorial services are essential and they are not willing to eliminate them all together, but look to reduce frequency to aid in cost savings.
Eliminating Space:
Square footage factors into the cost of running a business. Heating and cooling, lighting, cleaning and paying for space is expensive and companies that can afford to shrink their space are doing so. Some are subleasing parts of their office or facility, creating a new stream of rental income while also benefiting from shared utility costs. Others are simply closing off unused space saving on utilities and maintenance.
Operational Costs:
Managing electricity usage can factor into cost savings by revealing how much and when energy is used. Automatic systems are available to run energy sources like lighting, heating and air, etc. only when the space is in use, saving money and resources when no one is in the space. In addition, electricity monitors display usage, providing a real-time view of exactly how much electricity and money is consumed. Monitors are thought to reduce usage and cost by 20% simply because it makes them more aware of how their actions translate into kilowatt hours and dollars.
Evaluating Spending:
Companies are also taking a hard look at where they are spending their money. In addition to reducing some essential services like janitorial, companies are evaluating whether they can reduce or even eliminate others. Landscaping, for instance, seems to be among the services facilities managers are reducing or eliminating. Managers are also looking for standardization as a way to save. Take copiers for instance – if they all use the same toner, managers can buy in bulk and save.
Looking at industry trends for facilities management likely reveals practices seen throughout the business world. Companies are all looking for ways to save and become leaner which should help business recover quicker as the economy improves over time.
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Comments
Hi this is nice information for the trends in facilities management i also want like Facilities Management information thanks for sharing this.
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Trends in Facilities Management
Posted on Jan 22, 2010 by Thornton Brothers
Facilities management jobs are becoming more popular and more sought out. Skilled managers are re...
Tagged: facilities management, facilities managers, northeast georgia janitorial supplies, athens janitor...
