Aligning your FM Objectives with your Corporate Governance Strategy

Corporate governance is not just a set of processes, customs, policies, and laws affecting the way a corporation is directed, administered or controlled. Corporate governance also includes the relationships among the many stakeholders involved and the goals for which the corporation is governed.

So how does this affect the Facilities Management team within an organisation? An interesting survey was conducted by our company, FM Innovations, recently which listed a set of questions aimed to extract what the main frustrations are for a Facilities Manager. The result was surprising not in its content but because the main 2 frustrations are universal.

The first big frustration is budget allocation and how difficult it is to convince management that FM requires a substantial budget to be effective. There is still a blinkered perception that if it ain’t broke, then why fix it – and if it’s run thus far on a limited budget then why do you need more? This attitude can lead a company down the track to legal penalties and many companies find this out the hard way.

The second biggest frustration is recognition. For most large corporations, as far as the other staff are concerned, the facilities run themselves and you only hear from anyone when there is a problem – the air conditioning isn’t high enough, let’s contact Facilities. However, do they actually understand how important the facilities department is to their well being? This is where the Facilities Manager can make his mark – become known within the corporation and gain the respect and support deserved to run a successful property portfolio.

A savvy Facilities Manager will have a detailed operational FM plan in place which will be strategically aligned with the relevant staff who are key contributors to the smooth execution of the plan. These are not just the obvious staff in your FM team or the contractors who conduct the physical work. These are the varying departments within the organization who contribute to the success of the holistic facilities management portfolio.

For example, HR is a very important player in the success of an FM strategy.  They are the legal liaison between the organization and the employees, they are to uphold the employment and safety laws as well as follow the practices that the employer authorizes, which may differ within federal guidelines.  The Human Resources function provides significant support and advice to line management. The Facilities Manager needs to have a solid relationship with HR in order to be up to date with new processes and practices that will affect the FM deliverables – a good relationship with HR will help you to be at the forefront of the corporations’ directives and objectives and could potentially save you from any future legal situations.

The IT department – another extremely important relationship to nurture. All smart businesses will have software tools and systems in place to effectively manage their FM. This is imperative if a company is to avoid fines and legal action resulting from inattentive risk management. This is particularly relevant to Essential Safety Measures and compliance issues. As your business requirements become more demanding, so will the burden on your IT infrastructure. A good relationship with IT means you can work together to reach a holistic corporate FM IT goal.

There are consultants and businesses who can help you to establish these interdepartmental relationships and to advise on the most suitable FM systems for your business.

For information on accredited FM partners and software solutions, you can contact Kristiana Greenwood, Director FM Innovations Pty Ltd on 03 9600 1646 or email