As a certified facility manager, your day-to-day responsibilities involve a lot of decision-making, from fine-tuning HVAC schedules for energy efficiency to negotiating vendor contracts. However, one of the most strategic decisions you will ever make is choosing the right service model for your client. Should you comply with the traditional Facilities Management setup or embrace an Integrated Facilities Management approach? Each of them significantly impacts your client’s operations, costs, and long-term business strategy.
Let’s explore the key differences and evaluate which model best supports your client’s business goals.
What is Facility Management (FM)?
In a traditional FM model, a certified facility manager is responsible for offering individual tools and services that aid the functionality, safety, and sustainability of buildings. These services are classified into two categories
Hard Services
It includes HVAC, building maintenance, fire safety, or any other factors associated with the building itself.
Soft Services
These services enhance the occupant’s wellbeing, which includes janitorial, security, catering, or landscaping.
While the traditional Facility Management approach is simple and straightforward, it might not be the most efficient one for every business. These fragmented services, even though offered by a certified facility manager, can lead to slow turnaround times and higher costs.
What is Integrated Facilities Management (IFM)?
Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) takes one step forward. Instead of juggling multiple vendors, IFM offers a unified team that manages everything — often with shared digital infrastructure and performance metrics. This approach offers better visibility to certified facility managers in terms of the total cost of ownership, managing risks, and thereby enhancing processes which translate into effective management.
Watch the following video to explore more about what IFM and FM have to offer:
Explore our IFM approach today!