Is Facility Management Really That Different Between Countries?

I saw an Interesting comment about my FM Pie diagram recently. Someone from the United Kingdom made a comment that it didn’t really apply in the UK.

Given that the FM Pie included the full range of responsibilities involved in managing a building of any kind, imagine my surprise that things might be so different in the United Kingdom.

After seeing more discussions on the LinkedIn groups, I realized that there are some perceptions and preconceived notions about the differences between facilities management in various countries. The tendency is a ‘we’re different’ or perhaps even a ‘we’re better’ approach.

It’s clear to me that the basic functions of Facility Management are the same no matter where you are. The difference is sometimes are simple as the terminology that’s used or how the various roles and responsibilities are divided up between individuals within a facilities management group.

Posted by Michel Theriault Oct 13, 2011

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I want off the FM system acronym wagon! What’s with all the 4 letter words – IWMS, CAFM, CMMS, IFMS and more!

FM Systems I’m getting more and more frustrated with the acronyms in use in our industry to deal with Facility Management computerized systems. Yes, I you read that right. I used a non-acronym to describe the other acronyms, and you know what, you probably knew exactly what I meant.

How about simply using a general yet descriptive term “FM systems” when we are talking about computer systems used in FM. No, I don’t mean the one from that company with the same name, I mean it in the truly generic sense: computerized systems that support FM functions. What else could be easier?

Posted by Michel Theriault Sep 11, 2011

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The Hidden Cost of Corporate Real Estate Space – Infographic Visual

This graphic does a great job of simplifying the total cost of corporate office space (plus a few other costs) in a way that a written explanation simply can’t – with visualization.

If you’ve never heard of an Infographic, this is one of them.

It’s a very tall image so we’ve split it and provided just the top and bottom parts here to give you an idea. There are a few other statistics about office costs that very interesting on the missing middle part. Either double click the image to the left or click the More button below to see the full-sized graphic.

It’s difficult to print out, but do it anyway and use it to demonstrate the high value of what you do as a Facility Manager for your organization.

Posted by Michel Theriault Aug 17, 2011

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Space and Occupancy Planning Tools – Do you have what you need to manage your space efficiently?

I recently had a chance to talk about space planning with David Spence from OfficeSpace at The Facilities Management Show in the UK where I was an invited speaker.

His experience confirmed my own observations – I see that for many companies, space planning in Facility Management hasn’t progressed much beyond the manual process I was using 20 years ago.

Very few Facility Managers and Office Managers seem to get the tools they need to properly manage and track space and occupancy. These tools are critical for a more efficient operation and more importantly, they are critical for collecting, analyzing and using information to make occupancy decisions that can save your company money. After all, the cost of space, whether you own it or lease it, is among the top expenses for most organizations.