THE SCOPE OF FACILITY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The facility management (FM) as an industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing sector over the decade. However, the scope and identity of FM is still fuzzy as evidenced by the definitions and issues which attempt to describe its scope. In fact, FM is the multi-disciplinary kind of work that covers a wide range of various activities, responsibilities and knowledge. Moreover every aspect of an organisation seems to be drawn into FM. This article attempts to identify the current scope of the FM from professional perspectives by using models and frameworks to explain theoretically both operational and strategic levels. The article firstly focuses on organisation where FM is active, and how it works. These give full explanations on functions, characteristics, roles and main activities of FM as well as the relationship of all functions which are interrelated and must be developed in parallel. Then, the current scope is summarised to show that FM is an intermediary and integrating agent, working to reconcile the demand and supply sides of facilities in one organisation. FM provides and manages a variety of support services in order to orchestrate all the organisation’s functions, putting the accent on an integration of primary activities in both strategic and operational levels. Facility managers are expected to be knowledgeable and to have mastered a broad range of administrative and leadership skills. Moreover, FM should integrate knowledge of both facilities and management in order to work effectively. 76 THE SCOPE OF FACILITY MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION In the final decade of the last millennium, the facility management (FM) industry emerged as one of the fastest growing sectors (Reeves, 1999). Nowadays, the importance of FM is readily acknowledged in many companies which recognise the necessity of properly managing elaborate and expensive support facilities (Kincaid, 1994). The tasks are multi-disciplinary and cover a wide range of activities, responsibilities, and knowledge, because every aspect of an organisation will come under the purview of FM. The IFMA model of a triangle of ‘Ps’ sums up facility management concerns in today’s work place: people, process and place. These three factors are interdependent and have direct reciprocal relationships. As Armstrong (1982) pointed out, “we know there is a need to manage the physical environment in concert with people and job processes.” FM finds management solutions by positioning itself at the intersection of these three factors (Figure 1). This strategy makes sense, since people, process and place are the three main factors of organisations, and FM involves the whole organisation. The position of FM at the centre implies enhanced cooperation among the key factors in any organisation. However, FM is most active with factors relating to place. Furthermore, the possible direction for future scope of FM which will need to find new strategies and regimes is proposed. The article suggests new definitions of workplaces which, from FM perspectives, can develop with more imaginative views of the resources it has in hand. FM can extend the scope of its creative activity and can contribute in new ways to the organisation’s success. The other view on FM’s future scope may be shaped by possible directions of change in the future. The article also covers the scope of FM in Thailand which has a uniqueness resulting from effect by Thai culture and concludes with the current scope of FM in Thailand.