Facility Managers Survey 2012 - December 2012

By Darius Helm

Facility managers are as busy and overburdened as ever, but it looks like many of them are still finding the time to adapt to the shifting economic climate in an effort to increase efficiencies and reduce operating costs. Even though renovation work is sluggish and new building and leasing is just about flat, there’s evidence that facility managers are more focused on sustainability than in the past few years, using it as a tool to improve operations.

More often than not, the prioritization of sustainability is closely related to the state of the economy; in a strong economy, buyers and decision makers are more inclined to favor environmentally sustainable solutions, and when the economy is weak, as it has been for the last few years, sustainability tends to go on the back burner. However, this year’s facility manager survey (which is conducted every two years) indicates a greater emphasis on green. Furthermore, quarterly surveys conducted by Facility Planners + Architects, Inc. (FP+A), a leading consulting business in the facility planning and management market, reveal that facility managers are increasingly focused on implementing green programs at their facilities. According to FP+A, the manufacturing, storage and distribution sector is leading the way, followed by the corporate sector.

WHO THEY ARE & WHAT THEY DO
Facility managers are responsible for the operation and maintenance of commercial buildings, and that means everything from running HVAC to doing renovations. Many facility managers run several buildings—even dozens or hundreds of buildings, depending on the size of the corporation—and they’re often responsible for millions of square feet.

Fewer than a third of this year’s respondents have a background in facility planning, and 25% cite an architecture and design background. This year, 8% of the surveyed facility managers reported having a background in construction and project management.

For the complete Facility Managers Survey results, see the December 2012 issue of Floor Focus Magazine.