How rethinking FM can help manufacturers hit their goals

For manufacturing leaders, the pressure is on to increase production, meet ambitious decarbonization goals and build a strong workforce — all while reducing costs. If your organization faces similar challenges, it might be time to take a closer look at a team that usually operates behind the scenes.

The people who run your facilities play a vital role in maintaining production uptime, improving energy efficiency, managing expenses and creating environments that help attract and retain workers. Yet many manufacturers aren’t using this essential function to its full potential.

Embracing integrated facilities management (IFM) is a proven way to help drive cost savings, improve operational efficiency and increase talent productivity — ultimately leading to long-term financial benefits.

Read on to see how IFM differs from traditional approaches, and how it can help you achieve positive business results.

Unlike the siloed approach to facilities management (FM) that many companies take, IFM brings together all FM processes and systems under one centralized team. An IFM team oversees vendor management, capital planning, asset management, energy management, and every other function that keeps your facilities running smoothly.

Manufacturers that adopt IFM may have a centralized team at each location and at the regional or portfolio level, which drives additional efficiencies and supports the sharing of best practices among site teams. By taking a holistic view and coordinating projects across areas, an IFM team can find opportunities for savings and operational improvements that might not be apparent when managing these functions separately.

Adopting IFM typically involves outsourcing the function to an FM service provider. Depending on the nature of your contract, the provider may bring your current FM staff onto their payroll. This approach lets you keep the people who know your facilities better than anyone. At the same time, you tap into the provider's cutting-edge tech, tried-and-true methods and deep expertise in managing facilities.

Many IFM efficiencies start with cross-training technicians to handle multiple duties. These generalists can perform most day-to-day responsibilities like changing lightbulbs and fixing toilets, so you only need to bring in specialists for more advanced issues.

Additionally, centralizing your vendor relationships can help you negotiate better rates for services such as cleaning, pest control and landscaping. If you work with an IFM partner, you gain the advantage of their buying power, driving additional savings.

Working with an IFM partner also reduces the number of staff on your payroll, transferring the costs of insurance, training and other employee expenses to your service provider. The partner can also look at your portfolio holistically and reallocate resources based on where they’re most needed.

Cost savings are only one advantage of an integrated approach to FM. Manufacturers typically see additional benefits, such as:

• An upskilled workforce: A partner will train your staff with the right skill sets as their jobs evolve and become more technical. Leading providers may use advanced techniques like virtual and augmented reality to provide remote training and mentoring.

• Improved worker satisfaction: Centralizing FM provides new career paths for your employees, allowing them to develop and advance while remaining dedicated to your company. JLL’s technician development program, for example, maps each technician to a training program based on their job description to increase knowledge and opportunities for career advancement.

• Accelerated sustainability progress: An IFM team can benchmark all of your facilities to identify sustainability laggards and leaders, and put new practices in place to reduce energy use, improve waste and water management and source renewable energy.

• New technologies: IFM technologies offer tremendous potential to increase your team’s efficiency and effectiveness, but they can be expensive to put into practice site by site. Incorporating new tools and systems across your portfolio is more cost-effective and allows you to centralize data to improve decision-making.

• Enhanced asset management: IFM providers take a long-term, lifecycle approach to asset management — minimizing deferred maintenance, extending asset life and optimizing capital investments over time.

Your FM team can help drive business results when it is structured to achieve leadership goals such as cutting costs, reaching decarbonization targets and increasing employee retention. IFM supports all these objectives by improving efficiencies and reducing risks.

JLL’s IFM team helps manufacturers proactively plan, manage and operate their facilities to support business outcomes. We handle the complexities of managing facilities so you can stay focused on your core business.

Contact us to learn more about IFM services.