Six Common Problems Caused By Poor Facility Management (And How To Fix It)

Research has established that facility management is not always considered as a major component of overall management. 

Most organizations place a low priority on facility management. This is due to the inability of facility owners to appreciate and recognize the importance of undertaking an all-inclusive facility management plan as part of an organization’s core functions. 

Most times, facility owners hire non-professional managers, defer maintenance and allocate limited budget on maintenance expenditure.

In most cases, poor facility management can be attributed to insufficient funds and human resources or technical expertise.

Below are the 6 common problems caused by poor facility management and how to fix it.

Problem #1: Unplanned Periodic Maintenance

Poor facility management causes excessive demands for unplanned periodic expenses on maintenance.  Maintenance of buildings are not factored into the building design and construction stage rendering them susceptible to frequent faults and damages.  Also, the inability of the management of such buildings to routinely respond to these maintenance concerns translates into poor facility management.

How to Fix It

Organizations are encouraged to include professional facility managers in the building plan and construction stage. Professional facility managers have the technical know-how to put measures in place that facilitates smooth running of properties, buildings and other utilities.  Professional facility managers are a must-have for the effective running of a facility as they perform tests on the efficiency and durability of building equipment to ensure productivity of the organization.

Problem #2: Unbudgeted expenses

When facilities are poorly managed and the associated facilities fall 

into a state of disrepair, huge sums of funds will be needed to restore the facilities to the state of serviceability and standard for habitation. Most times, these huge sums are out of the budget, leaving the owners of such facilities to make unnecessary spending. In most cases, organizations fall into the hands of fraudulent and incompetent technicians, who charge lots of money to get few things done. 

How To Fix It

In order for organizations to be at their optimum best and focus on core business activities they need to engage professional facility managers. This saves a lot of expenses that would have been spent on damages. They keep a professional eye on the state of the facility, while evaluating and tracking the organization’s resources in order to save cost and improve efficiency. 

Another way to fix this is to engage the use of technology such as smartOps in your facility management plan.

Problem #3: Threat to life and property

The effect of poor facility management has manifested in several health and safety threats and in worst cases, loss of lives. A very prominent example is the collapse of buildings. When a property is poorly managed, there is a high chance that maintenance is ignored. Residents are left at the mercy of damaged utilities and if left unattended, may become a threat to their health and safety. It has also been argued that effective facility management increases the economic lives of facilities and conversely, the poor facility management generates building deficiencies and short economic lives of the building.

How to Fix It

Organizations are mandated to comply with Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) regulations and standards. This is to ensure the safety of lives and properties. Regardless of the type of facility, all organizations need a comprehensive, well-documented safety management system to ensure all residents are safe.

Professional facility management companies provide an analysis of all risks present, with an outline of how to remove said risks. This safety plan helps set up a framework for the organization to follow.

Problem #4: Bad Customer reviews

When a facility is poorly managed and things are not functioning as they should, the residents directly feel the impact. This leads to several complaints and bad comments about the management of the facility. These bad reviews can negatively affect business.

How to Fix It

Every organization can leverage technology to make their activities easier. Using SmartOps for example can help organizations to do a survey of their customers/clients. This will inform the organization on areas where they need to improve upon, before it becomes a backlash. SmartOps will not only obtain clients opinions but also provide a report that can be worked on.

Problem #5: Lack of Real-time Data of Facility Management Operations

Poor facility management leaves organizations ignorant of the current state of the affairs of the property/building. When a facility is poorly managed, one can only imagine the gaps in data collection and reporting. They may employ the use of several tools and go through many hassle before getting the much needed data. 

How to Fix It

Getting in touch with the right facility managers like GreenKey FM can put a stop to this endless task. They can employ the use of data generating software like SmartOps. Generating data is not enough if insights cannot be drawn from it. With SmartOps, all data collated are presented in a report format providing facility owners with vital information.

Problem #6: Struggle Managing Technicians

Technicians can be a bit much to handle, yet they are very important when it comes to facility management. When a facility is poorly managed, it becomes a struggle to track technicians’ performance and professionalism. For proper functioning of a facility, technicians are required to contribute their best service. When poorly managed, they may relent and deliver poor services which will mount a lot of pressure to the facility owner.

How to Fix It

The easiest way to get rid of dishonest technicians is to outsource your facility management. Facility management professionals like GreenKeyFM have all the right tools in place and the chances of dealing with incompetent technicians are eliminated. With this, organizations can focus on their core business activities, while getting the best from their facility management.

Ready to fix all your poor facility management problems?

We have all the solutions you need in one place. You will not have to look anywhere else. Contact GreenKey FM to help you evaluate, plan, monitor and implement the best facility management services for your organization.