Breadth is the hallmark of a new survey that paints a portrait of the facility professional today and highlights issues that will shape the industry over the next decade.
Perhaps the most noteworthy element of breadth is the range of industry players that came together to conduct the survey. In addition to Building Operating Management, the roster includes IFMA, BOMA, AFE, APPA: The Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, and FMLink.
Breadth is also a good way to describe the results of the survey. More than half of survey respondents, when asked for primary job responsibilities, checked operations and energy management, facility planning, and construction and project management; more than a third said space planning and environmental health/safety. It should go without saying that, with the facility crowd, multiple responses were permitted.
What’s more, the facility management agenda is growing, and not just in bread-and-butter facility areas. When facility professionals were asked what responsibilities had been added in just the last year, disaster planning, additional facilities, strategic planning, and CAFM drew double-digit responses. So did document management, food service and IT.
The message is clear: Facility executives are expected to be resources to their organizations in an increasingly broad array of areas associated with physical assets. Facility OneSource is one tool to help meet that demand.
