Facility management is the professional management of buildings, workplaces, equipment, and related services to ensure that physical spaces remain safe, functional, and comfortable for the people who use them.
Agenda of a facility manager typically include:
- building maintenance management
- project management and budgeting
- space planning
- operational health and safety management
- hiring and overseeing contractors
- management of security, cleaning and other operations
Modern facility managers utilize specialized property management and maintenance software, often called a CAFM system (computer-aided facility management system).
Facility management vs. inventory management
Facility management is closely connected to other areas of the organization and its operations, such as maintenance, HR/legal department and even inventory or warehouse management.
However, the main difference between facility and inventory management is their focus: While inventory management primarily takes care about the stock, materials, goods etc.; facility management focuses mainly on the warehouse itself as well as on the rest of the company’s premises and their daily operations.