Gary Herald
By nature, Facilities Managers are problem solvers. Historically, that is the role of a Facilities Management Professional in organizations – everything from hot/cold calls, space planning, sustainability, energy conservation to cost rationalization through effective use of assets and infrastructure are all examples of what solutions we are expected to produce each day. The role is changing, however. The impact of the real estate portfolio and facilities management function is becoming more and more apparent, and is earning a seat at the strategy table. Corporate Real Estate executives have a chance to shape the future of their organization, not only from the cost and efficiency perspective, but also the asset and infrastructure planning perspective and perhaps, most importantly, delivering performance of individuals and organizations.
For these reasons and more, our team of talented and committed professionals is excited to celebrate the evolution to be more than the problem solver. They engineer solutions that provide direction, innovation and tangible results for our clients. No one knows more about the new role of the Facilities Management professional than the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). In fact, this week it’s World FM Day. On June 28th events will take place on six continents, including a virtual event on Twitter (#worldfmday) which “celebrates success.”
This virtual celebration of our industry is a great way to share conversation and insight with other FM professionals around the world on how the profession is growing and changing in unprecedented ways. With services in 80 countries, Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions is looking forward to this conversation and I, for one, will be anxious to see the buzz about successes around the world. Together we will celebrate success, not only of the facilities industry, but also of our people.
We know that facilities management is a critical component to caring for the assets and infrastructure of a business, but it’s also critical for employee performance and engagement. As mentioned in Sodexo’s 2012 Workplace Trends Report, executives are noticing that a company can only be as good as the engaging, innovative, and thriving environment they provide their employees. But, whether it’s an energy management solution, an infrastructure renewal project, or a facility redesign to optimize workspace, the conversations are taking place at all levels on how today’s facilities solutions are mission -critical to an organization’s culture and ultimately their future.
Join the conversation with us @SDX_Solutions today on Twitter.
Gary Herald is senior vice president of Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions.
Tags: #WorldFMDay, corporate real estate, facilities management, facilities managers, fm, IFMA, International Facility Management Association, World FM Day