Is Facilities Management Stressing You Out?
Overseeing the management of a facility or operation can be a challenging task, particularly as running your facilities effectively often means spending a lot of time caught up in issues and trying to find ways to solve them.
Facilities managers usually handle multiple tasks at various locations, and it’s their role to ensure that the workplace runs smoothly, which can create a fair amount of pressure in their role.
With shrinking resources, and ever-increasing demands contributing to higher levels of stress particularly as the demands of the job never getting less complicated, it seems finding ways to cope with the stress of managing your facilities is essential.
So how is this achievable? How can you take the stress out of your building management?
Here we explore the 5 steps to successful facilities management to help you alleviate the stress from your day-to-day role.
How to Take the Stress Out of Facilities Management
1. Consider your Most Essential Services
So, which services is it that your company needs? Cleaning services? Handyman services? Porterage duties? Thinking about which facilities services can help to cater for your needs and the services you provide is a great place to start. For instance, most companies need a cleaning provider, from day-to-day cleaning to carpet cleaning and window cleaning, and each one of these services need to be included within a facilities management (FM) programme. But what other essential services do you require?
With so many tasks to juggle, consider asking yourself the following questions to help simplify your thought process in your decision making;
- What types of services do you need covered?
- Do you think there’s potential to improve effectiveness in your workplace currently?
- If so, which services would you change?
- Would you prefer these to be performed by one provider or separately?
- How often do you require your services to be carried out?
- Are there any further specialist services you require?
2. Software Can Alleviate your Workload
The arrival of computerised FM software has transformed the face of facilities management and improved the overall performance of maintenance departments irrespective of their size.
When selected with the appropriate functionality to suit your enterprise, the cost benefit of facilities software can be astonishing.
With the help of the right software, facility managers can fulfil the potential of their operations and reduce overtime considerably by for instance, decreasing the need for emergency repairs and maintenance.
3. Smart Building Technologies Aid Great Service
Thanks to smart digital technologies, facilities management no longer has to be about running around between different locations, dealing with complaints when important information about maintenance work is missed, having to juggle pass codes, keys and access issues etc.
The use of mobile and cloud technology can assist in many ways, connecting information channels, providing secure access control as well as offering an effective communication tool, all via an easy-to-use smartphone application. Such smart apps can ensure everything runs smoothly whilst enabling you to deliver a great service.
4. Allocating Time Effectively
Making the time to review your business operations can enable better visibility into where time is allocated within your business. With this insight, you could effectively forecast and identify ways to save your company money, but due to the significance of your workload, there isn’t always the time to do so. Try to ensure you make the time to review your operations, to ensure you aren’t wasting time, resource and money.
5. Putting your Trust in a Reliable Service Provider
Have you considered outsourcing your facilities management? This could help to alleviate your stress levels significantly. Building long-lasting and sustainable partnerships with FM service suppliers is a key component for your workplace success.
It’s simply a case of finding the right FM partner, as this will secure continuous workspace optimisation and enable you to access the latest developments and international best practices, as well as unleashing resources to focus on what is core for the company.
Maintaining a Stress-Free Work Environment
Maintaining a stress-free work environment is crucial for your physical and mental wellbeing, and if you’re experiencing even a little bit of stress at work, you should take action to reduce it. If you find that better facilities management can reduce the level of stress within your workplace, perhaps we can help.
AH Support Services have over 20 years of experience in the Support Services industry servicing London and the Home Counties. We are a professional Support Services Company offering a wide range of facilities, including cleaning & specialist cleaning, dedicated helpdesk services, painting and decorating, building works, porterage duties and handyman services. For more information, Contact us for more information.