Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The significance of facilities management, as a means of handling non-core business services, is now being recognised. This book offers a progressive view of how facilities management applies to organisations of all kinds, focusing in particular on the issues of customer satisfaction and value for money.

It bridges the gap between a theoretical treatment of the role of facilities management in supporting the core business of an organisation, and its implementation. It deals with the issues which all practitioners should consider before embarking on a particular plan.

The question of whether or not to outsource, health and safety issues, contract administration, service performance and measurement, and public-private partnerships are all given detailed treatment. Practice points and checklists are used to reinforce the many issues raised in the text.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword (p. viii)
• Introduction (p. ix)
• Abbreviations (p. xi)
• 1 What is facilities management? (p. 1)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• Key issues (p. 1)
• Rationale for facilities management (p. 2)
• Defining facilities management (p. 3)
• Approaches to facilities management (p. 4)
• Informed client function (p. 4)
• Value for money (p. 6)
• Risk (p. 9)
• Conclusions (p. 10)
• 2 Developing strategies for facilities management (p. 13)
• Introduction (p. 13)
• Key issues (p. 13)
• Developing a facilities management strategy (p. 14)
• Strategic analysis of facilities requirements (p. 15)
• Developing solutions (p. 19)
• Strategy implementation (p. 20)
• Relationships between client organisations and service providers (p. 22)
• Case study - Developing a strategy (p. 23)
• Organisational change (p. 29)
• Trends towards building intelligence (p. 31)
• Conclusions (p. 31)
• 3 Outsource or retain in house? (p. 33)
• Introduction (p. 33)
• Key issues (p. 33)
• Attributes of service (p. 34)
• Customer service (p. 34)
• Uniqueness of service (p. 35)
• Priority, flexibility and speed of response (p. 35)
• Management implications and indirect cost (p. 37)
• Direct cost (p. 38)
• Control (p. 38)
• Overview of options and implications (p. 39)
• Market testing (p. 39)
• Further implications of outsourcing (p. 42)
• Conclusions (p. 42)
• 4 Human resources management implications (p. 44)
• Introduction (p. 44)
• Key issues (p. 44)
• Impact of changes (p. 45)
• Appropriate management structure (p. 45)
• Employment obligations (p. 46)
• Functions, job descriptions and skills (p. 47)
• Performance appraisal (p. 48)
• Productivity in the workplace (p. 48)
• Case study - Practical human resources issues (p. 50)
• Conclusions (p. 54)
• 5 Policy and procedures for outsourcing (p. 56)
• Introduction (p. 56)
• Key issues (p. 56)
• Overall approach (p. 57)
• Strategy (p. 59)
• Tender documents (p. 62)
• Tendering process (p. 64)
• Ongoing relationships (p. 66)
• Conclusions (p. 67)
• 6 Policy and procedures for in-house provision (p. 69)
• Introduction (p. 69)
• Key issues (p. 69)
• Definition of services (p. 70)
• Identifying stakeholders (p. 70)
• In-house capabilities and skills (p. 71)
• Departments as customers (p. 71)
• In-house team approach (p. 71)
• Service provision reviewed and improved (p. 72)
• Conclusions (p. 72)
• 7 Service specifications, service level agreements and performance monitoring (p. 74)
• Introduction (p. 74)
• Key issues (p. 74)
• Stakeholders' interests (p. 75)
• Need for service specifications and service level agreements (p. 76)
• What is a service specification? (p. 76)
• What is an SLA? (p. 79)
• Critical success factors and key performance indicators (p. 82)
• Performance monitoring (p. 83)
• Updating service specifications and SLAs (p. 87)
• Quality assurance systems (p. 87)
• Conclusions (p. 88)
• 8 Legal, and health and safety considerations (p. 90)
• Introduction (p. 90)
• Key issues (p. 90)
• Relevant legislation (p. 91)
• General policy (p. 91)
• Organisation and administration (p. 92)
• Safety rules and practice (p. 92)
• Ongoing management (p. 93)
• Stress, employees and the organisation (p. 97)
• Case study - Stress in the workplace (p. 98)
• Conclusions (p. 99)
• 9 Facilities management service providers (p. 101)
• Introduction (p. 101)
• Key issues (p. 101)
• Preliminary approach (p. 101)
• Types of service provision (p. 102)
• Managing agent (p. 103)
• Case study - Facilities management in the public sector (p. 104)
• Managing contractor (p. 110)
• Total facilities management (p. 111)
• Which approach is best? (p. 112)
• Conclusions (p. 113)
• 10 Managing service provider and supplier relationships (p. 115)
• Introduction (p. 115)
• Key issues (p. 115)
• Service providers and suppliers (p. 115)
• Types of relationship (p. 116)
• What kind of relationship is needed? (p. 118)
• Conclusions (p. 119)
• 11 Contract management and financial control (p. 121)
• Introduction (p. 121)
• Key issues (p. 121)
• Contractual approach and terms (p. 122)
• Payments (p. 122)
• Cost monitoring (p. 123)
• Performance-related payments (p. 125)
• Change control (p. 126)
• Contract administration (p. 126)
• Contract review (p. 127)
• Conclusions (p. 128)
• 12 Benchmarking performance (p. 130)
• Introduction (p. 130)
• Key issues (p. 130)
• Continuous improvement (p. 131)
• Benchmarking practices (p. 132)
• Measuring performance (p. 132)
• Benchmarking facilities management (p. 134)
• Other benchmarking (p. 136)
• Conclusions (p. 139)
• 13 Private investment and partnership (p. 141)
• Introduction (p. 141)
• Key issues (p. 141)
• What is the PFI? (p. 142)
• Facilities management and private sector participation (p. 142)
• Output specification (p. 143)
• Benefits of private investment and partnership (p. 144)
• Risk and private investment (p. 145)
• Problems with private investment and partnership (p. 145)
• Conclusions (p. 146)
• 14 Training and development (p. 148)
• Introduction (p. 148)
• Key issues (p. 148)
• Backgrounds of facilities managers (p. 149)
• Core competence in facilities management (p. 149)
• Studying facilities management (p. 150)
• Continuing professional development (p. 152)
• The future for facilities managers (p. 152)
• Getting advice (p. 152)
• Conclusions (p. 153)
• Appendices
• A Prevention of fraud and irregularity in the award and management of contracts (p. 155)
• B Risks involved in outsourcing (p. 162)
• C Contractual approach and terms (p. 164)
• D Sections for a service level agreement (SLA) (p. 168)
• E Guidance on the private finance initiative (PFI) (p. 169)
• Useful Names and Addresses (p. 170)
• References and Bibliography (p. 173)
• Index (p. 176)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Brian Atkin PhD, MPhil, BSc, FRICS, FCIOB is active in research, education and training in the fields of project management, construction management, surveying, information technology and facilities management. His publications are many, as are his research awards of which those in facilities management and workplace design and productivity are the more pertinent here. He earned his doctorate in the field of construction planning during his time in the Department of Construction Management & Engineering at the University of Reading in the UK, where he became Professor of Construction Management and Deputy Head. Brian Atkin continues as Visiting Professor at Reading and holds or has held professional appointments at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and the University of Hong Kong. He is a Director of Atkin Research & Development Limited, a management consultancy founded some years ago to help in raising company and project effectiveness in the construction sector.

Adrian Brooks BSc (Hons), MBA, ARICS is a chartered quantity surveyor with an MBA from City University Business School. Whilst working as a commercial manager for Bucknall Austin he procured maintenance and support contracts, subsequently developing a range of innovative procurement techniques for facilities services generally. In 1992 he joined the group's facilities management company, FBA, developing strategies for a number of Government departments and private sector clients. He subsequently became FBA's Consulting Director with the responsibility for consulting and the company's research and development. Following formation of the Citex Group, he is now a Director of Citex Consulting. Adrian Brooks continues to provide strategic advice to organizations internationally and is a regular speaker on best practice techniques and facilities issues. He is the co-originator of Microscanfm, a unique facilities diagnostic tool.