Understanding Facility Management in Assets, Facility, and Business Continuity

Facility management plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth running of any organization. It involves the strategic and efficient management of facilities and assets to support business continuity and overall operational excellence. This article delves into the importance of facility management, particularly within the context of assets and business continuity.

Facility Management: The Manager's Responsibility

When a company's manager takes full responsibility for everything related to the business, they are essentially embracing a holistic view of facility management. This includes overseeing assets, facilities, and operations to ensure that the organization can function effectively even in the face of unexpected challenges. Facility management is not just about maintaining physical assets; it is about creating an environment that supports business continuity.

Facility Asset Management: Lifecycle Planning

Facility asset management is often referred to as lifecycle planning. This approach focuses on the entire lifecycle of assets, from acquisition to retirement. The goal is to create a comprehensive framework that ensures high-value assets are managed effectively. Lifespan planning involves several stages:

Acquisition Operation Maintenance Renewal Retirement

By carefully planning these stages, facility managers can optimize the performance and cost-effectiveness of their assets. For instance, a facility manager needs to pay close attention to the efficiency and service level of maintenance contracts for HVAC systems, ensuring that the asset operates at peak performance while keeping costs under control. Similarly, for software licenses, asset management contributes to better budgeting, while for vehicles, it affects accounting practices.

The Importance of Investment in Facility Management

Lack of investment in facility management can lead to serious business continuity issues. It is essential to recognize the potential risks, even before addressing them. A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is a critical tool that identifies interdependencies and acknowledges risks. Once the BIA is completed, a business continuity professional should organize a meeting with risk and facilities management to discuss mitigation strategies. Possible solutions may include:

Balancing the risk Acquiring additional critical machines Transferring the risk through externalization Automation if possible

These solutions are measurable and cost-effective, making them ideal for inclusion in a solid business continuity plan.

The Holistic Approach to Business Continuity

Business continuity management is not about replacing traditional business operations and maintenance plans. Instead, it complements these activities. Business continuity management ensures that maintenance and upgrades are integrated into the broader strategy. For example, while the production or operations team is responsible for ensuring that machines are ready for use, business continuity management ensures that a backup plan is in place if unforeseen circumstances arise.

Facility management and business continuity management are interlinked but distinct disciplines. The roles and responsibilities of each team determine which will handle specific issues. Facility managers take ultimate responsibility for the management of assets and facilities, while business continuity managers focus on disaster recovery and mitigation strategies. The two teams must work together to ensure that the organization is prepared for any eventuality.

Utilizing Technology for Facility Management

Many progressive facility managers use advanced tools such as Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) to streamline and simplify their operations. These technologies help in tracking and managing assets more efficiently. If you are interested in exploring such tools, you might want to check out solutions like CloudApper Facilities, which you can find in my bio.