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Integrated Facility Management: what it means and who prefers it

Integrated Facility Management is a strategy aimed at optimising physical workspace management with human resources and company activities. The aim is to improve the efficiency of the entire organisation and make it more flexible and capable of adapting to changes in the market.  

This is why so many companies today rely on Integrated Facility Management companies in ordinary times but, above all, in periods of corporate reorganisation involving digitisation and sustainability. 

What is Integrated Facility Management 

Integrated Facility Management is applicable to all services not related to a company’s non-core business i.e. space and Facility Management and maintenance, people services, logistics and security.  

Integrated Facility Management combines consultancy with the actual provision of certain specific services: this is why the first step in a strategy in this field is to define the objectives to be achieved, so as to draw up a plan that is consistent with the resources and time available, and to continuously monitor their achievement. 

When talking about Integrated Facility Management, there are many services available to choose from. We distinguish them mainly into soft and hard, i.e:

• soft services are defined as those that concern management and light maintenance operations, such as cleaning and sanitising workspaces, reception, mail and delivery management. Management of common areas and resources, management of archives and general logistics, as well as activities such as the maintenance of green areas, waste disposal management, and monitoring of the company fleet;
  
• hard services are considered those strictly related to the maintenance of systems, such as electrical, mechanical (hot and cold), civil and special systems: fire prevention systems, elevator systems, turnstiles, CCTV, etc. Also included in this category are services related to Energy Management and all phases – from conception to maintenance – of a turnkey office service. 

The benefits of an Integrated Facility Management strategy 

The activities required for Facility Management are therefore many and varied: is it possible to have a single point of contact for numerous intervention areas? The answer is yes and, to date, Integrated Facility Management is a sure way forward for those wishing to manage their physical assets more effectively. 

An external Integrated Facility Management partner offers benefits on several counts. Firstly, because an external company removes any additional burden on the company’s employees, leaving them free to concentrate on the actual business. Relying on a single team of experts under one roof speeds up decision-making processes, saving time and money. Also on the economic front, outsourcing facility management significantly reduces overhead costs for consultancy and expense reimbursements. 

Because of the aforementioned advantages, Integrated Facility Management also meets the needs of all those companies that decide to focus on sustainability, for example by investing in renewable energy and waste reuse systems. The expertise of an external consultant, the adoption of best practices and the integration of new digital systems ad hoc for Facility Management has a beneficial effect on the entire company, which is already on a challenging path.  

The same is also true for companies that want to accelerate the digital transformation process. Both digital and green transitions have important structural and operational implications: the support of an external partner and a conscious strategy of integrated facility management becomes essential.

These are all advantages that enable a company to cut costs and enhance its core business. It becomes clear therefore for companies that want to excel in the future, Integrated Facility Management will play a leading role.