Over the past few years, the conventional facility management model has shifted in a significant way. No more is the role of the facility manager and his or her team primarily relegated to maintenance concerns. Integration and high-level involvement in the majority of a facility's functions are becoming more the rule than the exception for facility managers.
This shift is being motivated by a few key factors, namely a change in the composition of the facility management workforce and the emergence of new technology that increases the efficacy of the facility manager's efforts. As the industry continues to evolve, facility administrators must adapt their facility management strategies to accommodate the changes. This places an increasing importance on ensuring proper facility management training is adopted moving forward.
Accordingly, a facility manager and his/her team must get up to speed on new codes and standards. For instance, the International Code Council recently updated its International Energy Conservation Code. In addition to a new section pertaining specifically to residential buildings, the new IECC emphasizes ease of use, conservation and efficiency – elements that may require some facility managers to rethink their approach.
The facility management team must also learn emerging trends and technologies like Building Automation and Building Information Modeling (BIM). These tools have become key for facility managers.
Finally, today’s facility manager must consider new ways to teach new recruits as boomers retire in record numbers. The industry is facing down a potentially serious skills gap crisis. This has led to a need for creative thinking on behalf of facility managers, who must adapt their strategy to recruit and train more millennials.
Download the white paper, “How Facility Management Is Changing in 2016,” to learn more.
