Leads 2 Business Blog

23 Nov 2017

L2B Blog: How to study to become a Facilities Manager? A look at internships and universities

by Claire Donaldson | posted in: Frequently Asked Questions, General | 4

If you are looking to study to become a Facilities Manager, then I imagine you already know what might be involved. If not, please see below:

What is a Facilities Manager?

A facilities manager is the ultimate organiser, making sure that a workplace meets the needs of employees by managing all of the required services.

A Facilities Manager will be responsible for the management of services and processes that support the core business of an organisation and ensures that an organisation has the most suitable working environment for its employees and their activities.

This is a diverse field with a range of responsibilities, which are dependent on the structure and size of the organisation.
Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings and premises. Likely areas of responsibility include:
• building and grounds maintenance;
• cleaning;
• catering and vending;
• health and safety;
• procurement and contract management;
• security;
• space management;
• utilities and communications infrastructure.
The duties will probably vary depending on the nature of the organisation, but will generally focus on using best business practice to improve efficiency, by reducing operating costs while increasing productivity. A facilities manager can be employed in all sectors and industries and the diversity of the work is reflected in the range of job titles, for example, operations, estates, technical services, asset or property manager.

Salary:

I’m sure the end result when deciding to study to become a Facilities Manager, is to be employed as such and have some idea of the competitiveness of the salary. Obviously, this would depend on your experience and the organisation you end up working for. According to Payscale Human Capital: “Facilities Manager Salary (South Africa): A Facilities Manager earns an average salary of R357,994 per year. Pay for this job rises steadily for more experienced workers, but goes down significantly for the few employees with more than 20 years’ experience. Most people with this job move on to other positions after 20 years in this career.” Let me reiterate, this a statistical average that takes all manner of different variables into account.

Vacancies:

The next question is, are there opportunities for Facilities Managers out there? When doing my research, I found any number of vacancies advertised on any number of advertising sites. The job descriptions varied from company to company, as would be expected. Duties ranged from budgeting and routine site inspections to managing staff and getting your hands dirty, with handyman skills and qualifications. The remuneration offered ranged from R16,000.00 a month to R30 000.00; often dependent on qualifications, experience and the extent of the duties required.

Learnerships:

It’s at this time of the year, that I see a lot more Learnerships and Bursaries being advertised in the media. However, when looking specifically for “Facilities Management”, I can’t say any jumped out at me. Due to the diverse and varied nature of the job, I can’t imagine it’s as clear-cut as some professions. Based on the variety of formal qualifications required/requested and the heavy lean on actual experience; Facilities Management definitely requires adaptability and a
diverse skill set.

Study Options:

I did find courses for Facilities Management offered by a variety of educational entities, namely:

The University of Cape Town (UCT) offers a Short Course in Facilities Management, through Getsmarter
Enterprises University of Pretoria (Pty) Ltd offers a Short Course in Facilities Management

CEA Career Excel Academy offers a Facilities Management Programme (FMP), a course held over three days

The Academy for Facilities Management (A4FM) is a specialist higher education institution that specialises in facilities management.

It goes without saying that when you decide to study, you ensure that you are studying with a reputable and qualified organisation.

The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) recognises the need for training within the industry and offers endorsements for reputable training providers. Please see http://www.safma.co.za/Training

Facilities Management is as diverse and varied as the organisations that require it. And with the right qualification and experience, you can find the right fit.

Sources:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/facilities-manager
http://www.payscale.com/research/ZA/Job=Facilities_Manager/Salary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facility_management
http://www.safma.co.za/

About Claire Donaldson

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.

16 Nov 2017

L2B Blog: Who are the biggest Facilities Management Companies in South Africa?

by Audene Harris | posted in: General | 4

Before we establish who the big facilities management companies are, Let’s recap of what facilities management is.

What is Facility Management?

• All services required for the management of buildings and real estate to maintain and increase their
value.
• The means of providing maintenance support, project management and user management during the
building life cycle.
• The integration of multi-disciplinary activities within the building environment and the management of
their impact on people and the workplace.

What is the role of a Facilities Manager you ask, their number one priority is keeping people alive and safe. They operate on two levels:

1. Strategically-tactically: helping clients, customers and end-users understand the potential impact of their

decisions on the provision of space, services, cost and business risk

2. Operationally: ensuring corporate and cost-effective environment for the occupants to function

Let’s look at the BIG Facilities management companies within South Africa. When I was asked to write this Blog, I could only think of two and I thought they are the biggest and most popular, little did I know.

Sanitech

Who is Sanitech and What do they do you ask?

Sanitech was founded in the early 1980’s. They are the first portable toilet hire company in South Africa to supply sanitation facilities to areas where no sanitation infrastructure exists

Sanitech’s Toilet Hire division has over 20 branches nationwide and 2 branches in Africa (Zambia and Botswana) with the largest rental fleet in the country with over 25,000 units and 200 vehicles.

They Specialise in :
◦ Integrated Hygiene: this is a seamless solution catering for large industrial and mining companies up to small corporate offices
◦ Daily Cleaning: this their core business.
◦ Deep Cleaning: heavy duty cleaning utilising specialised chemicals that focus directly on removing built-up body fats, grease and grime.
◦ Specialised Cleaning: Sanitech has expanded their unique offering of Integrated Services with Specialised Cleaning Services.
◦ Washroom Products: supplies a comprehensive range of effective, durable and reliable hygiene products.
◦ Pest Control: removing a wide range of undesirable insects, rodents and other pests on a regular basis necessary to maintain good hygiene levels in the workplace.

Broll

Who is broll and what do they do – You probably thinking that Broll is a Property Management Company… well guess again,

Broll Facilities Management is dedicated to the coordination of and functionality of space thus letting you focus on your core business. In addition to Broll being property managers, they are also one of the many few Facilities management companies responsible for day-to-day operation and care of prestigious educational institutions and world-class sports stadia.

Broll offers a wide variety of services for companies in terms of Facilities management below are some examples:

Within the corporate environment

• Turnkey outsourced management
• Space planning and asset tracking
• Fleet management and courier services
• Risk management of the business-critical computer centre
• Hard and soft-service provider management

Within Schools

• Maintenance of boarding facilities and staff housing- Project management of expansions
• Coordination of all school events in association with the Occupational & Safety Act
• High-volume usage of all facilities
• Maintenance of all sporting facilities
• Conservation programmes for the upkeep of grounds and other key facilities
• Management coordinated around peak times
• Water-treatment plants and swimming pools

Within Sport facilities
• Action plans for event operations and emergency procedures
• Management and coordination of corporate hospitality
• Working with international sporting bodies regarding legislative requirements
• Working with the host broadcaster for audio and visual feeds
• Working with various security-service providers, particularly for international teams

Bidvest Facilities management

Bidvest Facilities management? Who are they? And Do they really do Facilities management you ask….. they will YES!!!!

Bidvest Facilities Management is one of the largest Facilities Management solutions companies in Southern Africa. They have a contact centre which operates 24/7/365. Bidvest offers End-End Services. Bidvest’ Facilities management solutions include Facilities Solutions, Engineering Maintenance, Property Management, and Professional Services.

Their Focused solutions include the following :

•Mobile Generators
24-hour servicing, maintenance, and refuelling support, even in remote areas
•Utilities Management
outsourced administration service with end-to-end financial management of large volume utilities billing queries.
•Mobile Maintenance
Basic electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and general building maintenance on a scheduled contract or a planned project basis by multi-skilled staff
•Training Academy
State-of-the-art technical training centre, MERSETA accredited, with various training initiatives offered to clients’ facilities staff as well as the wider public
•Telecommunications Services
Maintenance and servicing of telecommunications facilities including data centres, network buildings, telecommunications, masts and towers, and all network supporting infrastructure.
•Structure Integrity Inspections
Integrity Inspection services of structures that comply to statutory requirements, such as billboards, masts

Eris Property group just like Broll Property also offer the service of Facilities management and not just Property management.

Listed below are some of the services Eris Facilities Management Division offers:
• Technical services (Building structure interior and exterior)
• Business support services
• Soft services
They commit to excellence and allow them great control over the quality of service delivery, flexibility and the ability to maximize efficiencies to reduce costs

FFM

Ok, Ok before you ask who, what, where and how…is FFM??

FFM stands for Full Facilities Management. They are a self-funded Black-Owned & Managed Facilities Management Company. They provide Turnkey Facilities Management Solutions. They’re founded in a rural KwaZulu-Natal. They also provide a full and comprehensive Asset, Facilities and Property Management Services, ranging from Planning to Implementation.

Their services are aimed at the Government departments, Quasi-Government Institutions, Regulatory Bodies, Corporate and Private clients.

Their services include:

1. Building Management (Design, Adjacencies, Tenant Installations, Office Designs, Drywall partitioning, Glazing and Frosting, Painting)
3. Furniture Design, Supply and Rental
4. Security and Access Control Equipment specification, Configuration, Supply and Support
5. Project Management
6. Building Fabric Maintenance
7. Space Management
8. Office Automation Rental Services specification, Configuration, Supply & Support
9. Managing Building Services
The below diagram shows how FFM is different from all other Facility management companies, or as they would say, this makes FFM unique

Servest
Servest seems to be one of the well-known facilities management companies that I know of.. think about it, the hand dryer, the sanitary bin in ladies bathroom is all Servest.
Servest is one of South Africa’s Leading Integrated Facilities Management
Company. They are a multidisciplinary business positioned to coordinate all of your facilities-related services.

Servest offers a variety of different services:
Pest control
They provide effective solutions in the commercial and industrial markets.

Servest treat and control all forms of structural pests including:
• Cockroaches
• Rodents
• Flies
• Ants
• Fleas
• Bedbugs
• Silverfish
• Mosquitoes
• Wasps
• Midges/fruit flies
• Termites

Other specialised services for pest control include:
• Rodent monitoring and control (avoiding infestation, damage and health risks)
• Insect monitoring and control
• Bed bug control (using unique, innovative and proven techniques)
• Insect identification services
• Independent pest control technical audits
• Compliance with South African legislation and international quality standards

Hygiene
Hygiene by Servest is found mainly in the Washroom – at malls, office parks.
The services provided include hospitals, some schools.

Chemical Deep Clean
The Ablutions are a big hot spot for bacteria build up and viruses. This is and probably will be the most unhygienic environment. They put us, our colleagues, and visitors at risk with this.
This explains why this is one of servest’s main focus.
Below are some of the services they offer under Hygeine:
• Urinal traps
• Long urinal drains and gulleys
• Underneath toilet rims
• Showers walls and drains
• Basin overflows, drains and piping
All equipment is used according to HACCP standards, this is to ensure that there is no cross between high-risk units (such as Toilets & urinals) and low risk unite (such as basins and showers)

Kitchen Solutions

Servest also offer specialised deep cleaning services for your kitchen, to simplify the process for effective results. Specialised deep cleaning services for your kitchen, to simplify the process for effective results.
These services include:
• The cleaning of extractor fans (this is what attracts a grease build-up on the canopies, filters and extractors that can become a serious fire hazard)
• Cleaning of stove areas (this is especially important as grease on floors means slippery conditions that can result in injuries)
• Cleaning of deep fryers and surrounding work surfaces (this is where grease and dirt build up. This is an ideal breeding ground for carrying diseases.
• Cleaning of wall plugs (areas, where dirt build-up, promotes increased cockroach activity)

Office Plants

Office plants also form part of the servest Facilities Management.
Not only will your office be clean, but it will also look beautiful.

Services offered:
• Beautifully designed natural and artificial plants
• Eye-catching designs and impressive indoor displays
• Scheduling service plans for all plants
• Specialised designs, installation and maintenance of atrium and special events

Water

Servest also offers water purification services. There are two types of systems they offer:

Manually Filled Systems:
The filtration of on-site tap water.

Inline Systems:
The filtration connected directly to a water supply where tap water is automatically filtered and available for use.

Below are different types of water purification they offer.

• Desktop water dispensers and purifiers
• Free standing water dispensers and purifiers
• Water fountains and industrial water fountains
• Mineral pots (portable desktop water purifiers)
• Reverse osmosis systems and under counter filtration systems
• Water treatment systems
• Replacement water filters
• They install it and you enjoy it
Servest also offer bottled water – (500ml) in cases of 24 bottles per case, or 18.9lt PC bottles.

A Quote on their website: “Quality water you can trust” – Servest

Compass Group

This is a first for me ..I have never heard of Compass Group – Probably been living under a rock…. EEEEK… So who is Compass and what do they do…

Compass group is owned 75% by Compass Group PLC and 25% by Thebe Investment Corporation.
Compass Group PLC is one of the largest food services and facilities company in the world, They operate in over 50 countries and providing their services to over 30 000 clients locations.
Thebe Investment Corporation is the oldest most established BEE organisation in South Africa.

Supercare is part of Compass group and deals with the facilities management.

HYGIENE SERVICES
They provide a range of specialised services, including maintenance and regular refilling of products so that hygiene facilities and operations are hassle-free and effective.

• Wall Mounted Soap Dispensers
• Toilet Hygiene Services
• Air Freshener Dispensers
• Hand Dryers
• Dust and Industrial Floor Mats

SPECIALISED CLEANING
This is a complicated and difficult cleaning processes such as deep cleaning or floor cleaning. There is nothing they cannot clean – from upholstery to ceilings to from escalators and high windows. There are no impossible jobs or hard to reach spaces.

Something to think about:

Does a clean office impact productivity?

Sources:

http://www.safma.co.za/About/About

http://www.safma.co.za/Business

http://www.fastmoving.co.za/retail-services/business-intelligence-115/bidvest-facilities-management-316

www.broll.co.za

http://compass-group.co.za/3-reasons-why-a-clean-office-is-important/

www.eris.co.za

www.fullfacilitiesmanagement.co.za

https://www.servest.co.za/services/water/

Image sources:

About Audene Harris

I started working at Leads 2 Business in August 2014 in the Telesales Department as an Accounts Co-coordinator. I am extremely privileged to be apart of a dynamic Sales team and an empowering Company. I am a very out-going person with many characteristics, and love to help when a client needs any assistance.

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6 Nov 2017

Did you Know #DYK: What a Facilities Manager does and the Facility Manager’s responsibilities

by Cindy Hartley | posted in: Did You Know | 0

Facility Manager
A Facility Manager is responsible for managing the building and making sure that it is managed and
maintained by the owners and their tenants. There are two types of Facility Manager: a Hard and soft
Management and in some instances the same manager can facilitate both jobs depending on the size of the
development

Hard Facility Manager is in charge of the planning and construction side of the building, this
generally includes everything to do with the construction of the building e.g building budgets, labour as
well as maintenance of the machinery that is used during the construction phase. The Hard Facilitates
manager also manages all the contractors making sure that they perform the duties that they have been
paid for. I would like to say that this type of manager is known in the industry as a “Project Manager”

A Soft Manager is also known as a Property Manager and is responsible for maintaining the already
constructed building on a day to day basis. This includes managing all cleaning and security contractors.
The responsibilities of a Property manager are as follows:

Security – Making sure that the security company that has been appointed is carrying out the service that
they are being paid for and the building is a safe environment for the staff and clients to make use of.

Cleaning – Making sure that building is cleaned and presentable at all times, this includes making
sure that hygiene contacts are in place and ablutions are clean.

Gardening – Making sure that the gardens are maintained and are kept neat and tidy, this creates an impression of the building and it’s value especially when looking to lease out offices.

Staff – If there are staff employed to clean the grounds and gardeners for the gardens, they would need to be managed and given daily tasks to perform.

Health and Safety – Making sure that any contractors working on site follow proper Health and Safety procedures. This also includes making sure that all fire equipment is regularly serviced.

Sources:

Facilities Manager image

https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-a-property-manager-2124842

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To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

About Cindy Hartley

My name is Cindy Hartley I have been working with Leads 2 Business managing the property portfolio since February 2017, I am very passionate about property and enjoy every aspect of facilities management.

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2 Nov 2017

L2B Blog: What is SAFMA?

by Candice Van Aswegen | posted in: Frequently Asked Questions, General | 1

When I hear the term facilities management I think of companies like Servest, Bidvest, Broll etc. It is a question often asked by building owners and occupiers as well as professionals in the property industry.

So… What exactly does facilities management entail? Here are a few definitions from various websites:

What is Facility Management?

All services required for the management of buildings and real estate to maintain and increase their value.
The means of providing maintenance support, project management and user management during the building life cycle.
The integration of multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace.

Simply put, it is the management of buildings and services.

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) defines FM as a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology.

FM can be split into two areas of hard and soft services. What is the difference between the two?

Hard Services – are ones which relate to the physical fabric of the building and cannot be removed. They ensure the safety and welfare of employees and generally are required by law. These include:

Building fabric maintenance 5. Air conditioning maintenance
Decoration and refurbishment 6. Lift and escalator maintenance
M & E plant maintenance 7. Fire safety system maintenance
Plumbing and drainage 8. Minor project management

Soft Services – are ones which make the workplace more pleasant or secure to work in. They are not compulsory and can be added and removed as necessary.

Carrying out a Facilities Needs Assessment will help you to identify which services are actually needed by the company and which are unnecessary. These include:

Cleaning 5. Recycling
Security 6. Pest control
Handyman services 7. Grounds maintenance
Waste disposal 8. Internal plants

How important is Facility Management?

Facilities management has gained importance over the last few years as businesses have identified that well-managed buildings and utilities help companies function effectively and efficiently. Facilities management team consists of professionals involved in the day-to-day analysis, maintenance and repair of the company utilities. The facilities management team should also actively be involved in strategic planning activities that help in cutting costs and increasing employee productivity.

According to a Deloitte report on the “Strategic Role of Facilities Management”; almost 75% of facilities professionals agreed that facilities management has a significant strategic impact. However; only around 20% of a facility manager’s time is spent in strategy and planning activities while a whopping 53% is spent on the regular day-to-day operations.

About SAFMA (South African Facilities Management Association) – www.safma.co.za

“The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) is a self-sustaining body recognised locally and internationally for its meaningful role in the South African Facilities Management Community. SAFMA defines Facilities Management as an enabler of sustainable enterprise performance through the whole life management of productive workplaces and effective business support services.

SAFMA offers its members many benefits, including sharing expertise with other facilities management professionals in South Africa and internationally, access to an advisory service, networking events, establishing contacts overseas, keeping up-to-date on local and international facilities management trends.

The primary objectives of SAFMA are to facilitate, promote and support skills development for Facilities Managers through working with the Quality Assurance Councils and with Endorsed Training Providers – thereby enhancing skills supply. SAFMA aims to promote and encourage networking between Facilities Management Professionals to ensure an exchange of information and best practice. Click here to read more”.

The end goal for any business is to cut costs, improve staff productivity and increase ROI. An effective facilities management process is vital to an organisation as it covers almost all the business aspects and their role in strategic planning helps a company achieve their business objectives.

Sources:

How Important is Facilities Management? | Empower CS

South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA)

Facility management – Wikipedia

https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/soft-hard-facilities-management-difference/

About Candice Van Aswegen

I started working for Leads 2 Business in May 2012 as an Account Co ordinator and more recently the Deputy Head of Department for the Telesales team. I schedule appointments for the Account Executives with potential clients.

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