In today’s technology-driven environment, Facilities management is an important aspect of running a successful and smooth business operation, however, has this always been the case? As the complexity of buildings and their systems has advanced, Facilities Management has too, and within this blogpost, we will outline how it has changed throughout the ages, and how it may change in the future.
Within civilisation, the management of facilities has always been around in one form or another. For example, in ancient Rome, the water supply, and therefore the aqueducts, were managed by a Curator Aquarum, who acted somewhat like a Facilities Manager; they would ensure that there was a constant stream of water by: instructing engineers who had technical knowledge, being called upon when the aqueducts required clearing, and managing construction of new buildings and public works.
Much later on, following the industrial revolution, and the mass implementation of complex machinery and large-scale production lines, facilities needed far more maintenance; this is when we start to see formal maintenance schedules becoming more common, with structures and their systems requiring far more upkeep than in previous generations.
Facilities Management as we know it, however, came about much more recently. This can be attributed to the growth of office administration; with the rise in computers, lots of teams working together, and increasingly complex systems, there was a need for a change in the design of workplaces. This blog will therefore focus on the key events in modern Facilities Management’s history.
In the 1960’s Ross Perot coined the term ‘Facilities Management’, over in the USA. Facilities Management was, at this time, almost solely orientated towards IT networks/ systems, and system furniture/ office design.
Moving on to the 1970’s, the energy crisis forced organisations to evaluate and analyse their cost base. During this time, we also see what can be considered the birth of in the industry; system furniture manufactures are now ahead of their time, with most offices still only wanting standard desks and chairs, so Herman Miller decides that it needs to interact with more knowledgeable clients who understand the importance of optimising their workspace, and therefore understand the importance of their new system furniture. In 1979, Herman Miller puts together a group of knowledgeable clients and property advisors, and this becomes the Facilities Management Institute, with Dave Armstrong becoming the unofficial ‘father’ of Facilities Management. Although the emphasis was still on optimising workspace furniture, the Facilities Management Institute laid the groundwork, which would lead to organisations recognising the importance of corporate strategic planning.
In order to remove the exclusive connotations of furniture and space management from Facilities Management, and therefore allow it to develop, in the 1980’s the US National Facilities Management Association was formed; this quickly developed into the International Facilities Management Association. Leading on from this, in the 1990’s we then see a large period of change, with organisations now outsourcing more tasks to specialist providers. Facilities Management also starts to become rooted within the UK, in no small part due to new legislation which regulated things such as employees, working practices, and contracts; this is also most likely the cause of the differing style and execution of Facilities Management between the UK and the US; the US FM style is more process orientated, whereas that of the UK puts more emphasis towards the quality of work environment and good support services. Large projects which utilised the Private Finance Initiative also raised awareness of Facilities Management practices and their benefits.
Shifting into the new millennium, Facilities Management really starts to develop. The 2000’s see organisations set responsibilities for FM such as risk management, security (both physical and cyber), and corporate social responsibility. Technology also allowed for Facilities Managment providers to offer services globally, rather than just locally. Looking toward the 2010’s, Facilities Management is now a more mature industry. FM contractors are also growing in size, mostly through acquisition and mergers with smaller/ other FM companies. Towards the end of the 2010’s and into the 2020’s, we also see how reactive and adaptive Facilities Management can be, with COVID-19 and the necessary regulations that came into effect for businesses regarding the pandemic, such as enhanced cleaning and touchless technology.
Now, almost halfway through the decade, we have seen the rise of aids such as artificial intelligence, and a shift towards smart technologies. There has also been a significant focus towards sustainable practices, and a positive environmental impact. Facilities Management has had to adapt to ensure that it is ahead of the curve, offering clients services such as these so that their facilities can be as modern and optimal as possible.
Although the future is uncertain, it is very likely that Facilities Management will have a large role to play in the implementation of more sustainable practices, smart technologies, and optimised hybrid remote workspaces; this will make buildings more adaptable to fluctuating occupancy levels, and will let Facilities Managers collect more data so that they can help their clients improve on things such as lighting, heating, and space utilisation even further.
If you found the above interesting and would like to read further into the subject, we recommend books such as The Facilities Manager’s Desk Reference by Jane M. Wiggins, or journal articles like Facility Management History and Evolution from the International Journal of Facilities Management, which were used when researching this topic.
This article was written by SEFM, we are proud to offer Facilities Management services across the UK; if you need any help with your facility, fill out our form by clicking here and a member of our team will be happy to assist you!
