Facility Management: The Big Twelve

The Big Twelve

• The Big Twelve is a roadmap for success in facility management, consisting of 12 key actions for facility managers.

Assess and Plan

• Conduct a thorough assessment of physical facilities and operations, and regularly update it.
• Develop a facilities master plan that covers at least 10 years, including a recapitalization plan.

Organize and Structure

• Ensure the organizational structure is right, distinguishing between staffing and organization.
• Recognize that staffing is a blend of staff, contractors, and consultants to minimize cost and maximize flexibility.

Measure and Evaluate

• Measure and track key metrics to manage facilities effectively.
• Develop a customer-based quality program that incorporates multiple means of obtaining customer input.

Manage and Report

• Determine the necessary information for management and develop automation to produce it.
• Institute facility business planning that feeds into company business planning, using the company's criteria and systems.

Show Results

• Focus on delivering results, as companies don't pay for good intentions and plans alone.
• View the facility management department as a business within the company.

Contract and Partner

• Use innovative contracting, as low-bid contracting can result in unsatisfactory results.
• Partner with contractors and consultants, but demand performance from them.

Communicate and Promote

• Develop a public relations plan that targets each identified constituency.
• Obtain management commitment to good facility management, as it affects revenues, costs, and quality of life for employees.

Facility Management Themes

Life-Cycle Costs

• Use life-cycle costs as the basis for economic analyses and comparisons.

Integration of Services

• Integrate different facility services, such as design and operations, to ensure good management.

Delegated Responsibility

• Group FM functions into budget programs, with a manager responsible and accountable for each.

Cost-Effectiveness

• Identify and compare costs with meaningful benchmarking partners, and make regular comparisons over time.

Efficiency Improvement

• Continuously judge efficiency through comparators, user feedback, and management-by-walking-around.

Quality of Life

• Actively promote and protect employees' quality of life, aiming for a safe and productive workplace.

Integration of Elements

• Recognize the facility manager's role as the company's expert on facilities, processes, technology, and people.

Redundancy and Flexibility

• Ensure redundancy and flexibility in facilities to adapt to changing needs.

Learn the 12 essential actions for facility managers to achieve success, including assessment, measurement, and planning.