Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the assignment the student will have:
- Understand and appreciate the approach, terminology and scope of facilities management and how this has changed over time;
- Appreciate the strategic and operational skills relevant to managing the maintenance of individual or groups of buildings;
- Be aware of the importance of space utilization and the importance of planning for the future;
Overview
“Obsolescence is a serious threat for built property. Given its immobile, long lasting and capital intensive character and its societal and cultural significance on the one hand and the high uncertainty about their future lives on the other, minimizing obsolescence is indispensable for the up keeping of the physical, economical and societal investments involved”
Van Der Flier, K. & Thomsen, A. (2011)
As noted in the excerpt above building obsolescence can have a wide range of contributory factors and can present a range of economic, technical and managerial challenges. The facilities manager can have an influence on a wide range of the ‘internal’ factors that contribute to obsolescence and are well positioned through maintenance, repair, management, technical interventions and adaptation planning to reduce the potential risk of building obsolescence.
Scenario
You have recently been appointed as the Senior Facilities Manager for a multi-campus urban University (with five locations in the once city). Your new role presents with a number of challenges requiring both strategic and operational skills, an understanding building maintenance and management and an ability to plan for the future. The Universities main concern regarding its built assets is how to avoid premature building obsolescence. The first task they have set you is to produce a strategy paper detailing how the facilities management team can contribute to the Universities goal of minimising obsolescence in their built assets.
Task
Produce a structured report setting out how your team can contribute to this key goal. The report should make particular reference to maintenance strategies, performance benchmarking, contingency planning and disaster recovery all related to the given scenario.
