As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency. One way to do this is to consider using an Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) solution. IFM is the comprehensive management of facility operations and maintenance activities in order to reduce operational costs, improve operational efficiency and performance, and ensure compliance with industry standards. In short, an IFM program like the one we provide at Powerhouse increases organizational agility while moving your business toward a more strategic foundation.
What Are the Benefits of Using IFM?
When you use an IFM solution, you reap a number of benefits. Including:
- Cost savings – By utilizing an integrated approach to managing your facility operations and maintenance activities, you can save money on labor costs by consolidating tasks into one service provider. This also allows you to take advantage of economies of scale when it comes to purchasing materials and supplies.
- Increased Productivity – An IFM solution can help you streamline operational processes by consolidating all your facility operations under one roof. This can free up employees’ time to focus more on their core responsibilities instead of managing multiple vendors or overseeing multiple tasks at once.
- Improved Overall Communication and Collaboration- When you choose an IFM model, you can direct more of your company resources to what matters. Removing the burden of facility management efforts on company leaders allows them to focus on your business’s core purpose, enhancing collaboration and communication and ultimately delivering a better employee experience in the workplace.
- Improved Compliance – With an IFM solution, you can make sure that your facility meets all applicable local regulations for safety, health, and environmental compliance. This helps protect your business from costly fines or other penalties due to non-compliance issues.
- Enhanced Quality Control – An IFM solution provides a unified approach to quality control throughout your organization because all activities are managed through one vendor. This ensures that all aspects of the process are monitored closely for accuracy and consistency in order to meet the highest standards of quality possible.
- Enhanced Use of Technology to Leverage Actionable Insights- “Utilizing a Computerized Maintenance Management System, CMMS, allows for maintenance costs to be tracked by trade at the site level across the entire portfolio and provides full transparency to the client. Using the data can allow for better business decisions around annual budgeting and capital spend,” explains Paula Kirk, Executive Vice President of Facilities Maintenance-Powerhouse.
- Reduced Risk – By managing all aspects of facilities management under one roof, you can significantly reduce the risk associated with running a business by minimizing potential liabilities related to contract disputes or regulatory violations that could arise from working with multiple vendors or suppliers simultaneously.
How does IFM differ from Traditional FM programs?
FM is the foundation of any organization operating out of a physical space. The people and processes keep your commercial building running smoothly, from the infrastructure to the assets and equipment in and outside of it. Its mandates typically include; electrical, plumbing, handyman, carpentry, HVAC, painting, emergency services, parking lot services, ADA remediation, general maintenance, and any combination of building and grounds maintenance, both scheduled and unscheduled responses to an unexpected event.
In a traditional FM program, organizations typically take one of two approaches. Hire a facility maintenance manager, boots on the ground at each location, overseeing facility needs themself for a specific location or two-create a facilities maintenance program with various vendors across each trade with a manager to oversee and coordinate for each of the organization’s locations. On the ground, this system can quickly spiral into a logistical nightmare, with managers over their heads, multiple service providers performing different tasks at different sites to different standards, skyrocketing costs, and a regional or executive director buried in paperwork and coordination efforts to keep multi-site organizations up to spec on their many facilities.
With both FM and IFM services, the goal remains the same – to maintain and enhance built environments. A true IFM approach shifts management from focusing on just hours and resources to focusing on performance or outcome-based management. This strategic approach allows facility owners to understand better the total cost of ownership, risk management, and process improvement – which translates to improved performance and effective management. The IFM approach is proven to be more effective and more strategic than traditional FM programs.
Powerhouse’s IFM approach consolidates all the FM efforts for a national, multi-site organization under one united team – a team that is integrated and performs the work collaboratively – as opposed to managing multiple vendors and contractors; you have one dedicated facility partner, one contract, one clear point of contact for all locations nationwide, one standard scope of service and a cost-saving, efficient organizational collaboration.
“Transforming to an IFM model allows clients to focus on their strategic goals by allowing Powerhouse to provide the tactical oversight and streamline their facilities management using our people, processes, and technology,” -Paula Kirk, Executive Vice President, Facilities Maintenance-Powerhouse.
Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) is an effective way for businesses to reduce costs while improving efficiency and performance in their facility’s operations and maintenance activities. It combats the old-school counterproductive approach of a traditional FM program by enhancing program transparency and efficiencies with streamlined structure and processes, comprehensive KPIs, and improved organizational decision-making for your organization across all your locations nationwide.
Should your Business Switch to IFM?
Is an IFM approach right for your business? The answer is yes if your business is in need of one or more of the following:
- Has multiple locations
- Prefers a centralized purchasing approach
- Desires a holistic approach to FM services
- Is looking to reduce costs of ownership over the lifecycle of your assets
- Prefers a simplified agreement with one supplier
- Has resources stretched thin at the regional or local level
- Is looking to reduce the cost of ad-hoc FM services
- Has multiple locations with a need for emergency services for natural disaster preparation, clean up, or restorative services
- Has a need for more streamlined compliance
- Desires more consistent and quality scope of service across all locations
If any of these needs align with what you want for your facility – the right choice for your business is clear – it’s IFM.
More and more Industries are transforming from a predominantly single FM outsourcing model to an integrated services model like the Powerhouse IFM model that meets all their facility needs. With one integrated approach, you improve overall customer experience, optimize how your space is used, and ultimately lower the total cost of ownership.
The real benefits of an integrated facility management approach do not take long to see. They repeatedly make themselves apparent. Whether it’s cost savings through economies of scale or increased productivity due to streamlined processes, there are numerous benefits associated with implementing an IFM solution in your organization.
Want to learn more about Powerhouse’s IFM Model? Click below:
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