The practice of facilities management is evolving faster than before due to the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing expectations by the demand organisations.

The purpose of FM is to improve the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business of organisations – ISO 41013:2017

A Facility Management System (FM System) provides a standard guide for functional FM or FM service providers on managing their inter-related processes of its services in achieving their objectives. It provides an overview and understanding where the FM fits within the organisation’s core business.

The benefits of having a standardised approach to facilities management are such as:

• Optimised use of resources, life cycle performance and costs;
• Enhanced risk management for protection of people, business, property and environment;
• Compliance with the legal requirement;
• Strengthened resilience and agility; and
• Consistent and continual improved services.

One of the key benefits of ISO 41001:2018 is that it adopts the process-based management approach in managing and continually improve the processes to achieve the FM policy, objectives and key results. All the FM activities, from procurement to resolving a customer complaint, can be considered as processes. It will undergo the following phases:

• Documenting the processes;
• Analysing the performance of processes; and
• Taking measures for improving the processes.

Here are some of the benefits of implementing a process-based management system, though these are not exhaustive:

• Improved process efficiency, greater performance and reduced costs;
• Enhanced visibility of work routines and practices with greater clarity of roles;
• Improved consistency, avoid or minimise duplication of works;
• Increased customer satisfaction due to transparency of operations;
• Improved individual ownership of the process, support risk mitigation and compliance with legal requirements.

In summation, adopting ISO 41001:2018 will simplify what seems to be complex in facilities management to promote performance improvement.

ISO 41001:2018 is applicable for both functional FM, within the demand organisation, and FM Service Providers.