What is Facilities Management?
Facilities management (FM) deals with the logistics and operations of a particular commercial space, such as a factory, apartment building, etc. Facilities managers are tasked with creating an environment that’s compliant, safe, and comfortable for those who use the facilities.
The term was coined by Ross Perot, a former IBM employee, to refer to network management of IT systems, but has come to include all elements of commercial space management. The term is divided into two sections: Hard FM and Soft FM. Hard FM deals with physical assets, including plumbing and wiring. Soft FM are the tasks performed by people, like custodial services, lease accounting, and groundskeeping.
Why Does it Matter?
Proper facilities management is necessary to create a space and infrastructure that is functional and safe and abides by health and compliance laws. With the ever-changing standards and requirements for commercial spaces, facilities management often relies on software that keeps track of tickets, tasks, and more. This means that facilities users are safe, functional, and taken care of by management.
