Facility Managers Survey 2014 - Dec 2014

By Editorial Staff

The facility managers responding to this year’s survey report that they’re still having to do more with less, with average staff sizes and budgets continuing to go down, and they also note that new construction is still sluggish, with nearly 90% of upcoming projects instead focused on renovation. When it comes to flooring, they report increasing gains by hard surface products, from LVT to polished concrete, while broadloom continues to lose ground.

Facility managers are generally perceived as being harried and overworked, with wide ranging responsibilities that are constantly escalating. Add to that tighter working budgets and staff reductions, and it becomes apparent how critical organizational efficiencies can be to the maintenance, health and well being of a facility. And that has been the case for years, so the recession and sluggish economy have just exacerbated the problems.

The biennial survey reaches facility managers all across the country. Most of this year’s respondents work in the higher education sector, while others come from Fortune 500 companies, entertainment conglomerates, oil companies and even military institutions.

WHO THEY ARE & WHAT THEY DO
Facility managers are responsible for the entire operation of a commercial facility, be it a single building or a hospital complex or a university with hundreds or even thousands of buildings. And that generally includes responsibility for the actual buildings themselves, including all materials and all processes, as well as communications, environmental stewardship, health and safety, planning, code compliance, space allocation, and much, much more. That puts the responsibility for many of the running costs of a business, the overhead, squarely on the shoulders of the facility manager, so their job is more critical than ever in the current business climate.

As more and more responsibilities fall onto the shoulders of facility managers, a long-term trend seems to suggest that at the same time their authority is being diminished. 

For the complete survey results, see the December 2014 issue of Floor Focus Magazine.