Facilities Management


Various definitions exist for the term "facilities management" and yet there is no consistent definition of its scope of activities. This might due to its extremely wide and all embracing activity, encompassing numerous functions such as asset management, building and engineering maintenance, office management and house keeping. The other rationale behind may be that facilities management is still an emerging profession and it is therefore difficult, or not advisable, to set a defined limit for its scope of services.

Amongst the definitions of facilities management, however, it could be noted that there exist some common themes, or characteristics, as follows:
- it relates to built asset - the workplace;
- it requires integrated multi-disciplinary professional services; and
- it shall support the organization in achieving its objectives.

No one individual, or profession, would be able to fulfil all the technical functions encompassed in the concept of facilities management. However, with the comparatively wide range of training in financial, contractual, managerial, building and engineering technology aspects, the all-round technical knowledge and involvement in development of the workplace, quantity surveyors are more able to interpret and define objectives of the client's organization, to coordinate and provide the appropriate facilities management services.