Every organisation depends on a variety of tasks and services to deliver the assistance necessary for running its main activities. Facility management is responsible for guaranteeing that this support is offered in the proper format, with the proper level of quality, and at the appropriate price.
In essence, facility managers take care of everything that keeps a company operating. They operate in a variety of settings, including businesses, hotels, and hospitals, as well as sports and recreation facilities, logistical hubs, care facilities, and educational institutions including primary schools, universities, and specialised research labs. Despite this wide range, discussions of facilities management frequently go straight to what happens in professional office settings. Although it’s crucial to keep in mind that the nature of the organisation in issue is likely to have a considerable impact on the specific facility management function, in general, this is not a problem.
The discipline’s ISO standards (ISO 41001) provide a succinct summary of facility management:
an organisational function that combines people, place, and process within the built environment with the goal of enhancing both individual well-being and fundamental company efficiency.
Facility management is crucial because it guarantees that employees work in a secure and comfortable setting. People who work in a positive environment feel well-rested, energised, productive, and excited about their jobs. They’ll be more motivated to show up for work and provide their best effort once they’re there. In contrast, a bad workplace annoys employees, reduces their productivity, and even makes them ill. The workplace is another way that a company’s brand is physically represented, and many businesses use it to attract and keep both employees and customers. The management of the actual workplace has a crucial part to play in the developing corporate trend of care for the employee experience.
What are Facility Management’s objectives?
Facility management is a support service that helps an organisation achieve its operational and strategic objectives while daily delivering a secure and comfortable working environment. As previously said, a positive work environment encourages employees to feel happy, energetic, productive, and enthusiastic, whereas a negative one may be annoying, hinder productivity, unpleasant, and even unhealthy.
A small business secretary or office manager may also have responsibility for facilities management. As a company expands, FM often turns into a distinct job function. But eventually, many organisations choose to hire outside professionals to handle their facility management.
The ability to free the client organisation up to dedicate more time and attention to its “true” – or core – business is one of the main benefits of outsourcing, along with cost management, enhanced efficiency, and the skills, knowledge, and support acquired from a specialised supplier.
But whether we are talking about in-house FM or outsourced, the general objectives remain the same – centring on the notion of the appropriate services, provided at the right quality and for the right cost (all as determined by the client business) .
What are the procurement options?
The main duty of an FM is to manage and provide a variety of services to his or her “customers,” which are the organisation’s employees. Over the past 30 years or more, some or perhaps all of these services have increasingly been outsourced, that is, acquired from and provided by external vendors. This practice has expanded and developed together with the emergence of facility management.
The idea of outsourcing has evolved over the years from single-service contracts (usually maintenance, cleaning, or security), each handled by a specialised provider, to ‘bundled’ services, such as cleaning and security, given by a supplier with expertise and resources in both areas. More lately, contractors—particularly the bigger ones—have tried to combine several service lines into “integrated” packages, offering the customer higher efficiency and lower administration costs. Since then, integrated FM has grown to be a substantial market offering and independent sub-sector.
Another option is “whole facility management,” in which the service provider is in charge of managing and delivering all necessary service lines. TFM solutions can be obtained from FM experts or from a variety of contractors, who will typically satisfy as much of the demand from their own resources as is practical. But because there is no set meaning for the TFM mark and various firms apply it in different ways, it calls for a little bit of care.
Some FM providers, who concentrate primarily on the administration of services that are provided by others operating as subcontractors, provide an alternate service supply method. The “managing agent” model, which was previously popular, has declined in popularity as more and more of these experts have either broadened their skill sets or been acquired by aspirational multi-service contractors.
The term “FM service integrator” has just lately entered the market. In a sense, the integrator is the managing agent of the next generation, where the strategy has been refined to implant a specialist organisation alongside the client and its service providers to take the lead on integration, performance measurement, and reporting – and frequently the technology needed to do all that in the most efficient way.
Therefore, there are many options available to client organisations when choosing service providers and service models. It is hard to make generalisations regarding the “optimal” method for managing and supplying FM services. That can only be explained in terms of the demands of the particular customer company.
How big is the market?
This is a typical query and a recurrent subject in the FM industry. Its concentration is mostly on the supply side of the market – the outsourcing industry – notionally taking in all the organisations that provide related services on a contract basis. It takes little more than a few seconds to realise how difficult it is to define the actual services that should be included in any measure of facilities management and to identify all the providers that are involved. Because various researchers base their findings on different hypotheses and the data that is available, published market size estimates may be reliable indications but may not be final.
As in every commercial industry, service provider businesses’ fortunes fluctuate over time within this sizable market. Although this market’s overall trend has been rising throughout the years, there have been some significant outliers in recent years. The beginning of 2018 saw the dissolution of Carillion, a significant construction and services business. This was a first for FM and has consequences for the larger outsourcing sector that are still being debated. Following significant financial difficulties, a number of other large companies had to work arduously on transformation initiatives, but in each instance, the FM company was essentially sound.
Four Main Functions of FM –
1. Supporting people
The main goal of a facilities manager is to make the workplace comfortable for workers. This supports a variety of overarching objectives, including luring and keeping top personnel, enhancing effectiveness and productivity, and fostering a supportive workplace culture. Facility managers help staff members in a variety of ways, such as:
- coordinating the layouts for desks
- keeping track of employee directories
- facilitating movement and efficient use of space
- preparing for emergencies
Bridge builders between the workplace and its workers are facility managers. The facility manager is responsible for resolving any problems that may emerge with regard to accommodations, safety, or comfort.
This also holds for higher levels. Facility managers are in charge of choosing the long-term strategy for workplace efficiency and giving the C-suite essential planning data. They provide insight into actual costs and competitive advantages at the employee level via their daily interactions with the workplace.
2. Establishing processes
Without a system to control them, what does facilities management do? The establishment of processes creates order in work. Order establishes a framework of expectations, which develops organisation and improves how workers use the workplace. There are several processes at work, including:
- sending an order for work
- making a facility reservation
- registering visitors and guests
- emergency preparation
Managers of facilities play a dual role in discovering governance gaps and modifying procedures to address them. The facility manager is responsible for bringing order out of chaos whenever a new circumstance develops and for developing a repeatable framework for dealing with that event again in the future.
The development of procedures is another area in which facility management broadens its use. Different departments, staff members, resources, furnishings, and locations could all be included in new processes, which link the numerous facets of the organisation.
3. Maintenance and Upgrading of Facilities
As the name suggests, facility management is primarily concerned with maintaining and enhancing the physical structure. When asked “What does facility management include?” This is the most typical response.
However, this also represents the broadest range of demands placed on site managers. Along with maintaining the structure, it also entails creating relationships, making plans for the future, and managing assets. Examples of this wide variety of obligations include:
- finding and keeping vendor agreements
- building upkeep, upkeep, and improvements
- office sanitisation and decoration
- property management on-site and off-site
If it has to do with the actual building, the facilities manager is responsible for it. A facility manager’s goal is to make the workplace into a competitive advantage rather than a cost center as facilities are the second-largest expense after labor. It involves making sure that the needs of the users of the facilities are met.
4. Integration of Technology
The requirement for facilities managers to comprehend and apply technology is more critical than ever. Systems for managing the workplace collect data that is then used to inform key choices about how to manage the company and design the workplace. The selection and use of the appropriate technology is under the purview of facility managers.
The IT department is often responsible for integrating physical technologies. However, when it comes to their selection, application, and leverage, facilities managers are the first and last authority. Examples of how this appears in a contemporary environment include:
- looking at IoT devices based on need for data collecting
- incorporating IoT equipment into routine facility operations
- estimating the cost, return on investment, and benefits of smart technologies
- using compiled data to comprehend the workplace
Facility managers may gather and evaluate data from networked technology using an Integrated Workplace Management System . This allows them to get knowledge about the workplace. This encourages improved decision-making about how to improve the working environment for its users.
It’s essential to remember that not all office technology depends on data gathering. Automation technology simplifies operations while access control systems improve safety. The fundamental value of most technology lies in its function, even if every networked item or piece of software has a data component. Facility managers must comprehend and utilise this function for the best return on investment.
Now let’s have a look on the Top 10 Best Facility Management Companies in India 2023 –
1. A La Concierge Services Pvt Ltd.
A La Concierge Services Pvt. Ltd. (ALC) is a full-service support services provider that offers major enterprises and apartment complexes Concierge Services + Facility Management. In India, ALC was rated as the top concierge service provider for the years 2014 to 2015. Additionally, in 2014, it received the esteemed LOKMAT award for “Best Facility Management Company in India.” Business models for ALC:
i) Corporate Concierge Model: They offer onsite representation and services to businesses and their workers. Our executives operate out of our customers’ offices.
ii) Residential Concierge Model: They provide tenants of residential buildings concierge + facilities management services.
iii) Individual Concierge Membership: For an annual charge, they provide their HNI members the full spectrum of services.
In the past few years, A La Concierge has distinguished its services in the following ways:
1) The Online Portal now offers comprehensive details and prices for all the main services offered.
2) Clients may easily submit requests via the mobile application 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
3) Various business models, including “Premium,” “Beat,” and “B2C,” have been added to accommodate a range of price points based on requirements.
4) Clients now have access to seamless local, domestic, and worldwide courier requests thanks to the addition of courier and delivery services.
5) A booking app for amenities has been created specifically for apartment buildings and clubhouses.
6) A collaboration resulted in the integration of the Housekeeping and Engineering Tracking Application into the ALC portal, enabling clients to escalate, monitor, and audit housekeeping and maintenance services provided by the ALC to over 75 large corporations across India with a combined end-user workforce of over 250,000. These end customers depend on us to do their everyday jobs successfully and effectively.
2. BVG India Ltd. (Bharat Vikas Group)
The Bharat Vikas group’s flagship firm is BVG India Limited. In 1997, Mr. H R Gaikwad and Mr. Umesh Mane founded it. Only because of their dedication and tenacity has BVG grown from an 8 or so person cleaning team to a sizable facility management company. BVG began its activities in 1997 to meet the cleaning service needs of a nearby industrial company, drawing inspiration from Swami Vivekananda. Since then, BVG has expanded greatly because of its dedication to producing high-quality work.
BVG (Bharat Vikas Group) was founded in 1997 with the goal of providing rural youngsters with employment possibilities. BVG started with an 8-person team and currently employs more than 56,000 employees nationwide.
Mechanised housekeeping, landscaping and gardening, civil and electrical maintenance, fabrication services, turnkey solutions, logistics support, and many more services needed by any organisation are all provided by BVG. We operate under the tenet of partnership and assist our clients in concentrating on their key competencies by handling their non-core tasks.
3. Checkmate Services Pvt Ltd.
In 2011, Haritasa Electronics Inc. was purchased by Checkmate Services Pvt Ltd, which then established Haritasa Checkmate Electronics Pvt Ltd as a subsidiary. For industrial projects, Cyber Parks, IT industries, hospitals, hotels, educational institutions, government institutions, the military industry, as well as for many international clients, the firm offers special, standard, and customised technological solutions.
All of Checkmate’s offices around the country have modern infrastructure that is broadly suited to each location. Each of these offices has a separate IT staff to oversee and support the ERP systems.
They run a fully functional Customer Care Service Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which enables them to respond quickly and resolve to address the needs of the clients’. To consistently meet clients’ needs and expectations, seek client feedback, along with regular audits for the services offered to the clients.
4. ISS Facility Services India Pvt. Ltd.
The ISS Group was established in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1901, and it has since developed into one of the top providers of facility services globally. ISS provides a vast array of expert services. ISS is currently the fourth biggest private employer in the world, employing over 370,000 people and operating in over 30 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and the Pacific. It serves thousands of clients in the public and private sectors.
Since it began operations in 2005, ISS India has expanded to employ more than 50,000 people. We have a presence in 150+ locations throughout 21 States and manage over 1,000+ customers, 180 million square feet of high-profile buildings, serve over 750k meals daily, and secure and monitor over 2500 sites.
In India’s Facility Management & Professional Services sector, ISS India is now a major participant.
Since 2013, ISS has been recognised as the “World’s Best Outsourcing Service Provider” by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP), a global organisation that ranks providers of outsourced services. Additionally, ISS has received multiple Frost and Sullivan Best Practices Awards in India and the Asia Pacific region for Innovation and Leadership in Facilities Management Competitive Strategy.
5. NISA Global (NISA Group of Companies)
NISA builds and develops procedures for the industry as a loss prevention and risk mitigation organisation by fusing a variety of operational, strategic, and control techniques.
NISA changed from a company providing security, productivity, and business support solutions with over 44 years of experience in delivering world-class services into a company with an emphasis on growth out of stability, robust progress, and a philosophy of leveraging infrastructure, man-management skills, and an adaptive core-expertise.
The purpose is to set industry benchmarks and be the company of reference. An emphasis on customer-satisfaction and employee-recognition & growth, while maintaining a strong financial position is the basic strategy. With best practices from across the globe, we operate under the highest standards of compliance with a clear commitment towards innovation and adaptability to the specific needs of our customers.
6. Nouvel Facilities Pvt Ltd.
Nouvel Facilities was established in 1997 to start a revolution in the operationalisation of numerous sectors. Ambient Scenting, an integrated solutions provider for facilities management, has distinguished itself by offering top-notch services to its customers.
With a nationwide staff of 3000 and more than 200 locations, Nouvel is redefining facilities in many ways.
The company’s authorised capital is Rs 5.0 lakhs, and its paid-up capital, which is Rs 2.5 lakhs, is 50.0% of that amount. On September 30, 2017, Nouvel Facilities Private Limited had its most recent annual general meeting (AGM). According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the firm last updated its financial information on March 31, 2017. (MCA).
Since the last ten years, Nouvel Facilities Private Limited has focused mostly on the business of providing business services. EKTA KEWALKRISHAN KHANNA and NAVIN KHANNA are the current board members and directors.
7. Secure Parking Solutions Pvt Ltd.
40 years ago, they started participating in parking lots. Car parks were once seen as a commodity, with little difference in how they were operated from one location to the next. Due to their expertise in marketing, they saw a chance to build a novel and more useful strategy based on treating a parking lot like a retail space and then maximising a site’s potential by coming up with a unique solution for its management and promotion.
Their guiding principle has been to carefully balance earning a profit with offering the best possible customer service. This was one of the main reasons Secure Parking became one of the biggest parking management companies in the world.
The approach to secure parking has always been entrepreneurial. It is predicated on the notion that each parking lot should be regarded as a retail establishment because no two parking lots have the same requirements. In order to optimize the income and asset potential of each parking lot, we have created a number of special systems and operational techniques.
8. ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd.
ServiceMax, a 20-year-old, market-leading facility management company with ISO 9001:2008 certification, strives to provide affordable, client-focused housekeeping and facility management solutions to support its business partners and society at large in creating a more eco-friendly and clean environment.
By offering on-the-job training, personality development, and career possibilities with its many clients, ServiceMax supports the underprivileged young.
With the primary purpose of offering comprehensive facility management services for corporations, industrial houses, manufacturing companies, shopping malls, multiplexes, and large office complexes, ServiceMax began operations in April 1997 under the name Corporate Image Management Services.
The whole housekeeping and facility management division of Corporate Image was merged with ServiceMax Facility Management Pvt. Ltd. in August 2001 after its incorporation. Today, when it comes to offering top-notch housekeeping and facility management services, ServiceMax is a brand to be reckoned with. Presently, it employs more than 500 people and offers total facility management services to large and medium-sized businesses throughout Delhi-NCR, Northern India, and Eastern India. ServiceMax will shortly begin running over all of India.
9. Tops Security Ltd. (Tops Group)
One of the biggest and most prestigious services groups in India, TOPSGRUP has been supplying customised services for the past 48 years to a wide spectrum of clients. A growing community of 9,700 clients, including well-known companies like IBM, Airtel, Microsoft, Tata Group, Apple, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many more, get services from the firm that are ISO 9001:2008 certified. At more than 30,000 sites across the nation, TOPSGRUP 1,40,000+ skilled personnel are tasked with protecting both capital and human resources. TopSGRUP routinely ranks as one of India’s most dependable service brands in media publications and customer polls.
The extensive portfolio of integrated and specialised services provided by TOPSGRUP spans manned guarding, integrated facility management, logistics solutions, emergency response services, system integration, and people services. These services are delivered through a vast network of over 251 offices. TOPSGRUP services clients in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, technology, retail, government, infrastructure, banking, e-commerce, and entertainment, by leveraging its 48-year record of success.
10. Walsons Services Pvt. Ltd. (Securitas India)
Erik Philip-Sörensen established Securitas in 1934. The organisation was reorganised in 1972 under the name Securitas, and a logo was created with three dots to represent our guiding principles of honesty, alertness, and helpfulness. Securitas has been at the forefront of the security industry’s change with a rich and yet humble history.
Securitas AB and Walsons Services Pvt. Ltd. have partnered to become Securitas in India. Mr. Arjun Wallia, the group’s founder and chairman, established The Walsons Group in India in 1996. His bold leadership and vision have transformed the business from a garage operation at its beginning into one of India’s top providers of security services. Mr. Wallia has made it obvious that he is focused on business expansion and investment returns for further advancement.
In 2007, Walsons teamed up with Securitas AB, the security industry’s knowledge leader with headquarters in Sweden, to deliver a top-tier security service to India.
For its clients and the community in which it works, Securitas plays a significant role. As they demonstrated in the difficult year 2020, they are fast to adjust to new circumstances and shifting client demands. With the help of our dependable and adaptable crew, they offer top-notch protection services. They also provide our clients with cutting-edge solutions by using clever security technologies.
Conclusion
The capacity of a business to do business is significantly impacted by facility management services. Facilities management is frequently neglected and not given the respect it merits. If facilities managers aren’t closely involved in a company’s daily operations, this might lead to issues later on.
Any business that wants to make sure that operations are operating smoothly in its offices may benefit greatly from facility management services. It is impossible to overstate the significance of facility management firms in India. This is due to the fact that these businesses offer a wide range of services that help keep various facilities in excellent shape and available for use at all times.
Companies must select the finest FM service provider since doing so may help them cut expenses and increase revenues. Due to the significance of facility management firms in India, several businesses provide these services. Your business’s ability to run effectively can be significantly impacted by how you choose your property management provider. Therefore, in order to succeed, it’s critical to identify the finest business for you and your firm.
