Facilities management industry comprises companies that operate by providing services in the form of care and maintenance to institutional and commercial buildings and work spaces such as hospitals, malls, hotels, educational centers, convention centers, offices, arenas and many others. Even though facilities management is an umbrella term that encompasses multiple disciplines that ensure the functionality of the environment facilities management integrates technologies, people and processes the overall structure has not changed much except in terms of usage of technologies. The role of facilities managers has been evolving nowadays, as it now requires them to operate at two levels, one is the pure operational, requiring them to ensure the proper operation and maintenance of the building and its equipment, allowing for the safe, cost effective environment, and the strategic or tactical, in which they need to inform owners about the possible impact of their decisions regarding space and services.

 

Some common functions managed by facilities management include occupational safety and health, the industrial hygiene such as indoor air quality, display screen regulations, contractor safety rules, risk assessments, control of hazardous substances, fire protection and safety, smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, and radon detector maintenance, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, dry risers, maintenance of fire stoppers, security, access control, close circuit television and manned guards, disabled access, cleaning, waste management, mail room, photocopying, vending, parking, asbestos, and business continuity planning, as well as disaster recovery, lease negotiations, HVAC maintenance, building automation, and grounds maintenance and horticulture. With a vast array of responsibilities, the facilities management industry it covers a wide variety of activities. Facilities management comprises a wide range of services that are common to all organizations. Currently the facilities management has widened its reach to every infrastructural facility that requires maintenance including shopping malls, airports, hospitals, hotels, metro rail and others. With the passage of time facilities management is expected to experience robust growth riding on the infrastructural developments in the country. The major trends identified in the sector include standardization of procedures, facilities management as a stream of study, mechanization of services, project management and general contracting services continuing to evolve and investments and merger and acquisitions activity in facilities management sector.  The biggest sub-service of infrastructural services is cleaning, with an annual turnover of $65.4 billion in 2010 and an increase of 3.2% covering 46.8% of the total market of soft services, followed by catering at 32.2%, and security 5.7%. In rough economic times catering expenditures tend to diminish, while security expenditures are increasing, which is confirmed by these figures.

 

The need for innovative, strategic solutions within a consultancy framework which provide proactive, rather than reactive solutions continues to grow in importance in 2014, with this likely to represent a key battleground in the FM market in 2014, and for that facilities management (FM) is a management discipline that supports and improves core company processes and increases return on investment by result-oriented use of resources, services, and activities, vital to the success of any organization. There are several advantages stacked in the favor of facilities management, including, cost advantage, economies of scale, and efficient management of facilities and assets. One of the strongest arguments for facilities management is that it removes the weighty burden of peripheral activities off the shoulders, allowing the businesses to direct more attention towards core business. By outsourcing non-core functions, facility owners will have the ability to free essential resources for reallocating in revenue-generating activities. Despite the complexities posed by statutory regulations, IP protection and employee rights, efficient facility management strategies can still drive incremental growth. The market is set to expand, in the upcoming years, as small and medium sized businesses as well public facilities are waking up to benefits of facilities management industry.

 

Major players in the facilities management industry include ACME Facilities Management, BAM Construct UK, CMS Group, Dalkia, ETDE FM, FES FM, G4S, HS Facilities Management, ISS Facility Services, J J & B Projects, Kier Group, Laing O'Rourke, Level Facilities Management, Mace, NG Bailey Group, OCS Group UK, PHS Group, QFSL Cleaning UK, Reliable Maintenance, SGP Property & Facilities Management, Thomson FM, VFM Consultancy, Vogue Facilities Management, and WS Atkins.