A STUDY ON THE CRITICAL ROLE OF FACILITY MANAGEMENT AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS IN ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Sustainability has been a key agenda of many countries and companies in recent years. As we witness this evolution, the nature of Facility Management has evolved as well. Facility Management Professionals are also increasingly engaged with the evolving Sustainability policies, both directly and indirectly. The study investigates how Facility Management and Facility Management Professionals have been involved in achieving a sustainable and smart facility. A web-based survey was administered to identify the level of engagement and key roles facility management professionals have to play. A total of 54 respondents responded. Interviews were also conducted to understand corporates’ approach to Sustainability. Findings indicate that Sustainability is one of the top drivers of adoption of Smart Facility Management. The conclusion drawn is that the sustainability agenda tends to be influenced by Legislation and Building Owners/Upper Management. Majority of facility management professionals have a mid-level of engagement with improving Sustainability in buildings, which shows there is room for improvement. This paper therefore elevates the importance of FM performance management in Sustainability context taking into account the position of the facilities manager. This is seen as a way forward for the FM industry in Singapore to better express its value to the organisation. As Sustainability continues to be a priority, there is high confidence that roles of Facility Management Professionals would evolve to be more in par with Sustainability agendas.