Soft facilities management
[edit] Introduction
Facilities management is the ‘...integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities’. Ref EN15221-1: 2006 Facility Management – Part 1: Terms and definitions. It is concerned with the management of facilities at both a strategic and a day-to-day level to deliver operational objectives and to maintain a safe and efficient environment.
Facilities management is an interdisciplinary activity with a high concentration of maintenance tasks that can be broken down into two types:
- Hard facilities management (the fixed, physical fabric of the facility, which cannot be easily removed).
- Soft facilities management (the services that help the facility to function).
[edit] Soft facilities management services
Soft facilities management services typically make the workplace more comfortable, pleasant and easy to use for building occupants and users. They can also affect health and safety, security and so on.
Soft facilities management services services might include:
- Car parking.
- Catering and hospitality.
- Cleaning.
- Landscaping.
- Pest control.
- Post management.
- Security.
- Waste management.
- Window cleaning.
Soft facilities often involve some degree of human interaction from professionals who handle these tasks.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Business process outsourcing (BPO).
- Carbon neutral contract.
- Facilities management.
- Facilities management audit FMA.
- Hard facilities management.
- Insourcing.
- ISO/PAS 45005 Guidance for working safely during COVID-19.
- Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management IWFM.
- Maintenance.
- Maximising maintenance budgets after lockdown.
- Move management.
- Vested outsourcing.
Featured articles and news
Homes England supports Greencore Homes
42 new build affordable sustainable homes in Oxfordshire.
Zero carbon social housing: unlocking brownfield potential
Seven ZEDpod strategies for brownfield housing success.
CIOB report; a blueprint for SDGs and the built environment
Pairing the Sustainable Development Goals with projects.
Types, tests, standards and fires relating to external cladding
Brief descriptions with an extensive list of fires for review.
Latest Build UK Building Safety Regime explainer published
Key elements in one short, now updated document.
UKGBC launch the UK Climate Resilience Roadmap
First guidance of its kind on direct climate impacts for the built environment and how it can adapt.
CLC Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy 2025
Launched by the Minister for Industry to look at fatalities on site, improving mental health and other issues.
One of the most impressive Victorian architects. Book review.
Common Assessment Standard now with building safety
New CAS update now includes mandatory building safety questions.
RTPI leader to become new CIOB Chief Executive Officer
Dr Victoria Hills MRTPI, FICE to take over after Caroline Gumble’s departure.
Social and affordable housing, a long term plan for delivery
The “Delivering a Decade of Renewal for Social and Affordable Housing” strategy sets out future path.
A change to adoptive architecture
Effects of global weather warming on architectural detailing, material choice and human interaction.
The proposed publicly owned and backed subsidiary of Homes England, to facilitate new homes.
How big is the problem and what can we do to mitigate the effects?
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
A number of cool guides to help with the heat.
The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy: A 10 year plan
Previous consultation criticism, current key elements and general support with some persisting reservations.
Building Safety Regulator reforms
New roles, new staff and a new fast track service pave the way for a single construction regulator.
Comments
Facilities management service providers are playing an imperative role in the current economies by managing and sustaining various maintenance services effectively. There are many soft facilities management service providers who offer reliable services to us at affordable rates. Thank you for sharing this wonderful and detailed article on soft facilities management. It was very informative and I enjoyed reading it. Keep on writing and expecting more such relevant articles in the future.