Facility Manager: improve your expertise with this comprehensive guide
Learn who the facility manager is, their responsibilities, different types, average salary, necessary skills, resource management and the profession’s evolution.
In today’s corporate landscape, the Facility Manager is emerging as an essential figure. This versatile professional plays a fundamental role in ensuring that work environments are efficient and well-managed. In this article, we will explore who the Facility Manager is, what they do, the various aspects of the profession, how much they earn, and the essential tools for their work.
In fact, managing a Facility Manager’s tasks, with deadlines to meet, regulations to adhere as well as the coordination of technicians and suppliers, can become quite challenging. That’s why certain tools, such as facility management software tools, have become so important. They support the Facility Manager in their work, reducing response times, improving communication among involved stakeholders and enabling the most efficient activity planning.
Facility Manager: Who They Are and What They Do
The Facility Manager is an experienced professional responsible for managing corporate facilities and services, ensuring a professional and efficient work environment in line with the company’s objectives. They are responsible for optimizing services involving offices, facilities, utilities, security, telephone networks, and dining. The primary goal is to enhance efficiency and contain costs. It’s a role that requires multidisciplinary skills.
Typically, Facility Managers work as employees in large companies, industries, public or private entities, or Facility Management and engineering firms, handling a wide range of tasks that can be divided into hard services and soft services.
- Hard services refer to the management of physical infrastructures. This entails ensuring that everything, from technical installations to security, operates smoothly. The Facility Manager must plan and oversee facility maintenance and coordinate the staff responsible for these services.
- Soft services relate to employee well-being and the functionality of workspaces. Here, the Facility Manager is responsible for services such as cleaning, reception, and dining facilities. These service improvements are crucial for creating a comfortable and productive work environment.
Functions of Facility Management
Types of Facility Managers
The world of Facility Management is diverse, with professionals specializing in various areas. Some primarily focus on hard services, ensuring the maintenance of infrastructure and security. Others concentrate on soft services, enhancing the quality of employees’ work life. The choice depends on the specific needs of the company.
Average Salary of a Facility Manager
One aspect that may interest those considering a career as a Facility Manager is the salary. Undoubtedly, the level of experience and the size of the company can significantly influence the salary. In Europe, junior professionals can expect an annual salary of approximately €30,000-€35,000. With experience, this value can increase significantly, with salaries exceeding €60,000 for experienced Facility Managers. Overseas, such as in the United States, salaries vary widely, with an average ranging from $75,000 to $127,000 per year.
Education and Skills
To become a Facility Manager, a solid foundation of technical education is required. Degrees in Management Engineering, Construction, or Economics are common, but they are not the only paths. Specific training courses in Facility Management can be equally useful.
Furthermore, the required skills include a strong understanding of construction, good management abilities, and excellent problem-solving skills. To succeed as a Facility Manager, the following are essential:
- Economic and financial skills: Budget and financial resource management is crucial.
- Organizational skills: The ability to organize complex activities is essential to maintain efficiency.
- Communication skills: Effective communication with staff and suppliers is vital.
- Stress management: Dealing with complex situations requires effective stress management.
- Multitasking: The ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously is an advantage.
How a Facility Manager Manages Their Skills
Resource management is essential for a Facility Manager: they must analyze stakeholders’ needs and carefully plan the use of available resources to ensure efficient operation of buildings and services. However, their role is constantly evolving. Today, in addition to managing buildings and services, a Facility Manager is involved in environmental sustainability and innovation initiatives. They must address emerging challenges such as Energy Management, Risk Management, and Data Analytics to improve efficiency.
All of this requires precise organization, the ability to adapt to constantly changing situations, and the support of suitable facility management tools like usBIM.maint, which can enhance the productivity of maintenance processes by reducing time and costs associated with property and asset management.
