Even facility executives who have the best relations with top management have frustrations. Access to senior managers does not ensure adequate funding or support for important initiatives.
Things are all the more difficult for facility executives who don’t have links to top executives. So it’s understandable if these facility executives conclude that trying to get top management’s attention is a waste of time. Frustrating, yes, but not a waste of time.
A case in point: a corporation where CAFM software extracts data about the number of employees from the enterprise asset management system. The problem is that the CAFM system can generate a more accurate employee census. “Their number is generally 10 to 12 percent off,” says the facility executive.
The day is approaching when the CAFM will be exporting headcount data to the enterprise resource management system. “It’s a slow process,” says the facility executive. “We’re going to have a hard time convincing the bean counters. But it’s coming.”
That facility executive often finds himself denied access to important information and left to address emergencies that could have been prevented. But he’s a perfect example of the doggedness that is an important characteristic of successful facility executives. He is not only determined; he is enthusiastic.
“Facility management is a young profession,” he says. “We have not made it into the boardroom but we’ve made great strides.” It’s not always easy to think of the glass as being half full. But in a field as full of frustration and opportunity as facility management, optimism may be as important to success as any other quality.
