The primary goal of facility management is to satisfy customers. Employees, consumers, government agencies, consultants, suppliers, shareholders, and upper management are all examples of customers. The provision of a high-quality service is no accident; it necessitates careful planning, ongoing monitoring, and the implementation of continuous improvement initiatives. As a result, quality management is a core competency that integrates all activities by comparing performance to established benchmarks and targets.

Economic gain from increased market share, more sales, higher worker productivity and job satisfaction, better customer relations, community image, and competitive advantage fuels the constant drive toward best practice. Higher service quality must not only be achieved, but also be seen to be achieved. Regular performance reporting is useful in this regard, especially when based on objective, independent data. Facility managers must determine which key performance indicators best reflect the organization's goals and track trends in these indicators over time.

Total quality management (TQM) is an ethos that should pervade all levels of a company, regardless of size or business. Quality assurance procedures can help with this, and ISO certification can ensure that success is effectively communicated to others. Where TQM is practiced on a regular basis, there are clear value dividends. High-quality standards must be met in key performance areas such as occupational health and safety, indoor air quality, fire safety, security, and cleanliness. However, quality management has a broader scope – it is now common to conduct a quality assessment of facilities to compare them to industry benchmarks and identify areas that can be improved or are unsatisfactory. A building quality assessment is a methodical audit of the premises, whereas a due diligence audit is concerned with regulatory compliance.

Feedback from facility stakeholders is critical for identifying underperforming areas. Questionnaires and focus groups are used to gather information and are effective if participants believe their suggestions will be taken seriously and if they receive feedback on proposed courses of action. After about a year of operation, all new facilities should undergo a post-occupancy evaluation (POE), which provides a snapshot of performance that can be used to fine-tune the original design. However, there is no reason why POE cannot be implemented on a regular basis to assess functionality and customer satisfaction.

Quality management has evolved as a strategic tool for achieving business outcomes and increasing competitiveness. Lessons from history show how and why countries that once dominated industries fade away as new entrants bring new ideas and products to market. The range of tasks involved in FM, a quality management approach provides a method for developing and maintaining service standards. The opportunity then comes for continuous improvement of the service, which brings the benefits of client loyalty and staff motivation. As the industry develops and matures the use of quality management is an opportunity to gain competitive advantage for FM providers.

References:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hApSzBklZX_nFA3yhiydI0vj529rqsHO/view?usp=drivesdk