Let me explain the difference between credential training and university course in order to make things a little more clear. When a student takes a university course, while certainly valuable at that point in time, unless the student keeps abreast of the swiftly changing built environments in 20 years the student’s knowledge may become redundant. The initials used after a person’s name holding credential training can only be used when the student maintains eligibility thresholds required by the education institution or FM association. This criterion varies from credential to credential but usually requires an annual renewal of education in the related field. If these criteria are not met in any given year, the professional would lose their credential. As an employer, I am more interested in hiring an FM professional who has a credential from an accredited education institution or FM association.
All levels of any Facility Management team require on-going training. We should also not underestimate the value of training the entry level positions such as housekeeping or landscaping employees. Imperatively, the on-going credible training and salary alignments coupled with improved FM Standard Operating Procedures will improve productivity, lower overall costs ensuring property and life are properly protected, and that business continuity plans are in place.
Property (Assets)
The Property or assets not only includes the superstructure, infrastructure, roadways, and grounds but the fixed and occasionally the rolling assets as well. IGBC predicts that by 2022 India will have over 10 billion square feet in green real estate. Green or LEED buildings while an admirable strategy also require special care to maintain them at the green level of standard. In addition, to keeping pace with Indian urbanism, according to Cisco, 700 million and 900 square million meters of residential and commercial real estate will need to be constructed. This presents tremendous career opportunities for capable FM professionals to maintain and protect the assets and occupants.
A paradigm shift is occurring from low price to cost value model. The industry must start addressing lifecycle which is the number of years or cycles an asset will operate before it is made redundant. Manufacturers will always sell to a willing market and once consumers start demanding a longer lifecycle, the manufacturers, will produce them. Inevitably, the products will cost more at the consumer level but the lifecycle costing is greatly improved. I recently toured a facility where a ringer for the mop bucket had failed after approximately 900 cycles (six months) whereas, one manufacturer abroad claims 40,000 cycles for their ringer lifecycle.
