That's right! It's time to discuss change management in Facility Management
10 years ago facility management is all about engineers in uniform with a hefty toolbox in one hand and a yellow cap in another. I don't really know why but I can somehow relate this to someone working in a mine (perhaps because of the yellow cap). But the point is FM 10 years ago is "nobody".
However that's all history.
FM is now "somebody" or even better "somebody important".
Facility Management is no longer viewed as engineering and operation. FM today is all about corporate strategy and how best to support the firm's direction, decisions and business continuity. Facility Management is the underlying art/discipline of service delivery aiming to support and improve core business efficiency.
All of a sudden everyone is looking at you!
More responsibilities, an increase in workload, investments and people are now judging you (ROI, KPI and all the other fancy 3 letters acronyms).
These are some of the key reasons why people turn to technology for help. One of the classical key findings of adapting technology with facility management is the comparison between USA and Japan.
USA is quicker in accepting and implementing technological solutions in facility management while Japan on the other hand is better in utilizing it (smart buildings etc.) despite being a bit slower in endorsing technology applications for FM.
FM Solutions SHOULD/MUST be integrated with corporate financial management system e.g. SAP or other ERP systems in order to leverage organization's existing investments.
And I conclude this article with a diagram which paints a perfect picture of how corporate facility management can be integrated with financial management system.
Enjoy!
Shivek Sachdev - Consultant
Thai Informatic Systems (TIS)
shivek@tis.co.th
shivek@thaifacility.com
http://www.thaifacility.com
(Source: Teicholz, Eric and Ikeda, Takehiko. Facility Management Technology: Lessons from the U.S. and Japan. New York: John Wiley & Sons.)
