Contract documents

September 6th, 2024

Introduction

Facilities are often taken for granted, and it’s easy to see why. In the throes of the busy work life where revenue and profit generation, new product introduction, advancement, and so many other variables dominate the scene, the facility housing all these meaningful actions can easily get lost in the shuffle. But here’s the reality of it all. Although occupants often overlook or are simply unaware of the critical role it plays in their success, a facility is easily one of the most significant investments an organization makes, and that truth is about so much more than dollars and cents.

Facilities are more than stairways, floors, elevators, glass, and steel. They’re complex structures and key contributors to the success of any business, and no one knows this better than the Facility Manager. Their guidance, input, and expertise are unparalleled, and while they’re more often than not working behind the scenes, no one can hide their impact. Facility Managers allow staff to work in comfortable environments efficiently and effectively but make no mistake about it: all Facility Managers are not created equally.

Profile of a Successful Facility Manager

All Facility Managers are not created equally, but the successful ones have a lot of the same traits, including the following:

1. Vision for the facility: The significance of a facility may be difficult for most employees to comprehend, but the value is never lost on a good Facility Manager. This person always keeps the health and well-being of their building at the forefront of their mind. Things that go unnoticed by others never escape their purview as they establish a vision for the facility, constantly focusing on the current and future state and how it impacts operational success.
2. Proactive mindset: Successful Facility Managers don’t wait for a crisis to occur; they’re proactive, moving with a sense of urgency, making sure plans to remedy the challenge before it arrives. A down HVAC system, a busted boiler, or a sprinkler system that malfunctions — all challenges that occur in the life of a facility, can significantly hamper productivity, making a Facility Manager with a proactive approach a must.
3. Strong organizational skills: Facilities are living organisms that require extreme amounts of coordination of duties and attention to detail. With so many moving parts and pieces, strong organizational skills are a luxury: for a Facility Manager to thrive and run a successful operation, they’re a necessity. From meeting with vendors to establishing relationships with outside service providers to scheduling in-house maintenance, juggling those balls, and many more are the hallmarks of a successful facility manager.
4. Effective communication: Facilities talk, but Facility Managers are their voice. Facility Managers communicate the needs of a structure through the various chains of command, responsible for funding maintenance, replacement, and service. When things go awry, Facility Managers must also be able to communicate in general terms without compromising the integrity of the message or the depth of their needs.

Conclusion

Facilities are tremendous investments that can provide many years of returns, but only if they’re managed the right way. Managing includes hiring professionals who understand a facility’s various needs and are willing to go the proverbial extra mile to see that those needs are consistently met. Every facility has functionalities, but not all facilities have a vision, and that’s where Facility Managers come in. Facility Managers bring purpose to a structure, and when this happens, it becomes more than just a place to work. It becomes a critical piece of the organization’s success.

When it comes to care and maintenance, facilities don’t take care of themselves, and this is where proactivity, communication, and organization, traits every successful Facility Manager has in abundance, come into play. All these skills help prolong the life of a facility while improving efficiency, productivity, and morale, things every business wants and things they’ll experience when they put their environment in the hands of a successful Facility Manager.

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 AIA Contract Documents has provided this article for general informational purposes only. The information provided is not legal opinion or legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship of any kind. This article is also not intended to provide guidance as to how project parties should interpret their specific contracts or resolve contract disputes, as those decisions will need to be made in consultation with legal counsel, insurance counsel, and other professionals, and based upon a multitude of factors.