Facility mangers seek inclusion in project development, sustainability

Facility managers have condemned their exclusion from most project developments in the country, saying the gap which currently exists between them and architects have continuously led to increased difficulty in managing and maintaining most structures after delivery.

The managers, under the aegis of African Facility Management Institute (AFMI), said the need for a coherence partnership between project managers, architects and facility managers during project developments would aid innovate aesthetics for easy facility maintenance after project delivery.

Speaking at a one-day workshop organized for Facility Managers in Lagos, Mohammed (MKO) Balogun, CEO, WSP FMC Nigeria Limited—a facility maintenance company—stressed the need for architects to put the local environment into context when designing buildings.

“It is important that architects put into perspective our local environmental conditions and challenges when building in Nigeria so that even after delivery, these structures can be easily managed and maintained by facility managers,” he advised.

Continuing, he said, “Facilities and structure management processes must also ensure environmental sustainability, even as the world inches towards a green environment.”

Balogun further stressed the need for effective communication between projects managers, facility managers and clients who will eventually use facilities on delivery while building is in progress.

His advice to facility managers is to see their expertise as value adding rather than cost centers, noting that if they localize best practices and standards worldwide to the Nigerian market their clients would see them differently.

On tips to ensuring effective facility management, Balogun, highlighted the need for effective documentation, strategic planning, data comparison and analysis.

“Regular facility review is very important; because it helps validate records and data which are key beneficial instruments for any facility manager, as efficiently managed equipment or structure leads to longevity,” he added.

The gain in facility management companies merging for big projects was also highlighted by Balogun, noting that “joint bids are encouraged for enormous projects because partnerships are vital to performance contracting and definition of projects outcome from the onset because of the in-depth project evaluation by both teams.

“As facility managers, the onus is on us to up the stakes as the world have migrated from methodologies to results, he said, adding that clients are no longer interested in processes but result”.