Is there anyone out there who still thinks that facilities managers should not be involved from the earliest stage of a construction project? Here two architects and authors restate the case. Stephen Brown says that as a profession of professionals, facilities management bridges the gap between builders and users, and Alastair Blyth says it links building and business performances
Use this rich resource
Facilities management means fixing the heating and cleaning the office — a commonly held, if distorted, view. But it is a fact that relatively informed building users, owners and property professionals alike are confused. The role has developed rapidly to the point where it has become all things to all men. To employers, facilities management is anything from 'janitorial services' to 'strategic property asset management'. BIFM identifies 18 possible base qualifications and 30 activities. Meanwhile professionals from more narrowly defined professions, such as architecture and surveying, have little knowledge or experience of facilities management and regard its involvement as something to fear.

Facilities management is a profession of professionals. That its members are drawn from a wide skill base is therefore inevitable. Why then is facilities management so heavily biased towards the post-completion stage of building projects? What can be gained from its earlier involvement?

Research has shown that typically 10 per cent of all projects are deemed to have failed in some respect before construction even begins. One of the primary factors is failure to fulfil the functional needs of the building's users and subsequent managers. User participation in the project does not necessarily lead to their satisfaction, but often results in expensive briefing processes. The Egan report, Rethinking Construction, identifies targets for the improvement of the construction industry as a whole. However it contributes little to the reconciliation of expectation and realisation within the design process, an area in which facilities management is rarely involved.

There remains a gap between project instigators and users. Facilities management however has the opportunity to bridge this gap for the benefit of the whole team. But to do this it needs an accessible knowledge base, an acknowledged model for the facility brief, and a defined and understood role.

The combination of knowledge gained during the project and its post-occupancy evaluation data could provide a significant resource for future projects. But it is rare that a design team even attempts to discover this rich source.

Employers have begun to appreciate the benefits that strategic facilities management can provide, but few have acted upon this realisation. The facilities management brief hence remains underdeveloped in most projects.

The inclusion of facilities management as a strategic resource — not a bolt-on fixer — in the design team, is fundamental to any serious attempt to close the performance gap. Without strategic linkage and management of all aspects of supply and demand throughout the project team and its stakeholders, progress is unlikely.

If facilities management wishes to attract high- calibre students and to influence the strategic design process further, it is essential to send a clear message to building owners, users and traditional consultants defining the facilities management role, methodology and benefits.

Inclusion of facilities management as an equal member of the design team can act as a resin to gel together the matrix of professions involved. However much effort will be required to overcome current prejudices and misinformation.

Stephen A Brown is a director of The Charter Partnership and author of 'Communication in the Design Process', copies cost from Spon Press, tel 01264 343071

Recognise the strategic value
Facilities managers often find they are not involved in the early stages of briefing for a building project. Yet it is at this stage that their knowledge of the fit between business and building is vital. As a result they are left to manage buildings or adaptations ill suited to the organisation's needs.

At the same time facilities managers themselves are often action oriented and operationally focused, whereas what is needed is the long view, being able to recognise the dynamic between the organisation and its buildings.

Strategic briefing is the process of managing change in the built environment over time. It is a continuous process of matching an organisation's needs and resources to its business objectives. Briefing is interactive and must involve all parts of an organisation. Feedback and learning are central, whether during a project, from one project to the next, or, on the building and organisation's performance.

For many organisations, the briefing process starts with a flurry of ideas and excitement as it becomes clear that a building project is required. However, at this early stage organisations are faced with a dilemma. They need to take momentous decisions when there is least information available. The potential for making savings and creating best value is greatest at the beginning of the process. But it diminishes once decisions are made about the type of project and its procurement. Strategies for managing this uncertainty are vital despite the temptation to rush into a building project.

The strategic briefing process must consider short-term need as well as how both the organisation and building handle an uncertain future. Feedback shows that building performance affects business performance. There are strong relationships between comfort in an environment and how much control people feel they have, and how productive they think they are. The level of building management must be linked to the level and sophistication of technology within a building to create an optimum working environment.

Facility managers are central to the briefing process because they are instrumental in bringing together the needs of senior managers and staff, and the needs of the business and buildings. This is a strategic role not just an operational one.

A coherent briefing strategy will provide a framework around which to structure both organisational and property strategies and maximise the benefits of facilities. A structured process will help achieve established objectives, clearer priorities and understanding of true need. Often, designers are responding to an incoherent set of wishes driven by a variety of personal agendas within an organisation.

To get the most out of their facilities management teams, organisations need to recognise their strategic value. The question for facilities managers is how best to maximise their knowledge about both business performance and building performance, and the links between the two so that they can develop this vital strategic role for themselves.