A facility manager’s first priority is effective facility management, which along with the entire scope of a comprehensive and difficult operational position involves making sure that the entire portfolio and it’s facilities are properly maintained, cleaned, and serviced inside and out.
The role of facility services is to support facilities management and the overall mission of the organization by ensuring safe, clean, healthy, functional and efficient buildings by providing janitorial cleaning services, disinfection, maintenance, and more.
The first concern of a facility manager without a facility services provider is that the building could become run-down, unsafe, and costly to operate – which could negatively impact the organization’s bottom line and reputation.
That’s why a good facilities manager plans ahead and prioritizes facility services as a key component of their overall facility management strategy.
Facilities services refer to the range of services provided to support the effective operation and maintenance of buildings and facilities – this means that as a facility services provider, GDI Integrated Facility Services can keep your facility up and running.
Included in facilities services are soft services like cleaning and disinfection, waste management, security, grounds maintenance, and hard services like HVAC maintenance and energy management.
Daily maintenance of a building might include a sanitation specialist disinfecting high-touch points, a day porter emptying and sorting waste from office trash cans, and routine mopping or vacuuming of floors.
In short, facility services are all the ways we can support facility managers with their goals – by offering customizable packages that meet the needs of the building to make it a comfortable and enjoyable place to be for all its occupants.
large buildings that interact with the public on a daily basis to provide goods and services, including shopping centres, national retail stores, office buildings, hotels and more require consistent maintenance in lobbies, washrooms, and seating areas due to the high volume of people. These spaces are also often the first impression people get before they make a purchase or receive a service and can greatly impact their impression of the actual product or service they received.
Health and safety is also vital in commercial facilities, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 77% of office workers believe daily cleaning and disinfection is necessary for their health and safety. Commercial facilities are often open access, making them breeding grounds for disease-causing pathogens — not only COVID-19, but influenza, the common cold, and other viruses — as people congregate in and frequently touch shared objects and surfaces.
which are used for manufacturing or assembly of products such as distribution facilities and food plants, require facility services to support their daily activities and to comply with regulatory requirements set by governments and regulatory bodies. The equipment in industrial facilities is also highly specialized and requires professionals with experience cleaning air compressors, air conditioners, heat exchanges, hydraulic, lubrication, and water systems, cooling coils, process heaters, reactors, blast, oxygen, vacuum, and electrical furnaces, hydraulic reservoirs, tank chillers, evaporators, and more.
Food plants specifically require sanitation services to ensure health and safety and prevent contamination and outbreaks of salmonella, listeria, norovirus and more which cause shutdowns, recalls, and can cost upwards of 10M dollars - as well as a loss of brand reputation and trust.
are usually publicly owned or operated and include schools, healthcare facilities and government buildings. These facilities also have stricter health and safety requirements as well as additional privacy and security needs that mean facility services should be sourced from only one provider. This allows for background checks and staff training to be consistent and tailored to the institution’s requirements. These facilities often care for vulnerable populations such as children, patients, and seniors who not only require increased security, but also additional health and safety measures due to their higher risk of illness.
What is the difference between facility maintenance and facility management? All facilities require maintenance, and managing the maintenance of the building is a key responsibility of facility managers.
One of the main functions of facilities management is to maintain and optimize facilities – facility service companies support facility management by providing facility maintenance as a service, managing all tasks in one customized package, tailored to the needs of the industry and specific facility.
These key functions and responsibilities will encompass everything from regular cleaning to providing the best possible environment to staff, occupants, customers and more, to carrying out both routine maintenance and reactive repairs throughout the facilities.
A major trend in facilities management is the integration of technology, with the introduction of auto-scrubbers, building automation, and cleaning validation – many of which interact with the facility maintenance activities within a building.
As a facility services provider, GDI can help facility managers with:
The main goal of facility maintenance is to support facility managers in maintaining and optimizing the facilities they manage – creating an accommodating environment for all occupants. When people are comfortable they are happier, will develop stronger bonds with the company and will typically be more productive and satisfied.
More and more FMs are recognizing this responsibility and are looking at innovative ways to differentiate their environment and simultaneously contribute to the culture of the company. It is about improving the whole ‘customer experience’, from when an someone walks through the door in the morning to their departure at night.
Having a single provider for all your facility service needs, from cleaning to waste management, building repairs, and indoor air quality takes some of weight off of the facility manager, allowing you to focus on your core business activities.
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