In our article, we will show you how technical facility management can reduce operating costs while increasing the efficiency of your facilities.
Learn why regular maintenance and servicing of technical equipment is indispensable for your company, and how you can minimize downtime through targeted measures.
Find out about the benefits of technical facility management in our article. At the end, an exciting interview with two experts from the field of technical facility management awaits you.
List of contents
Technical facility management: definition and role
Technical Facility Management or TFM is a subsection of facility management dealing with the management and support of the entire technical infrastructure of a property.
In practice, technical facility management includes tasks in the field of building maintenance and repair.
One of the main tasks is to optimize the operating costs of technical facilities in order to ensure the economic operation of buildings, assets and infrastructure.
Technical facility management plays a critical role in maintaining the functionality and efficiency of your facilities.
From energy efficiency measures to regular maintenance, technical facility management ensures that your facilities are always in top shape.
Technical building management (TBM), technical facility management (TFM) or technical property management are often used synonymously.
The transformative effect of Technical Facility Management in 4 key areas
Below is a list of 4 key areas where Technical Facility Management plays a significant role:
1. Equipment maintenance and service
Regular maintenance extends the life of machinery and equipment, increasing their reliability and minimizing costly downtime. And, with less downtime, the productivity of the entire company can remain at a higher level.
The main task of technical facility management is to carry out technical inspections and tests. Through regular inspections and maintenance, potential problems are identified and eliminated at an early stage.
If you plan preventive maintenance well enough, you can coordinate maintenance activities better. This should reduce the amount of reactive maintenance, which, opposed to proactive maintenance, is associated with higher costs.
Wowflow allows you to manage recurring maintenance tasks more efficiently. Our user-friendly software can help you optimize and organize your maintenance processes in an easy way. Learn more here!
TFM also allows you to minimize and better plan the need for spare parts through efficient preventive maintenance, resulting in lower inventory costs.
2. Reduction of energy consumption
Effective technical facility management ensures that all relevant equipment is regularly inspected to identify waste of energy.
Technical components such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning are taken into account, as well as other building structures and systems.
By implementing energy efficiency measures, technical facility management can help reduce electrical bills.
This can be done, for example, by installing energy-efficient lighting systems, using intelligent control systems to optimize heating and air conditioning, or monitoring and analysing energy consumption in real time.
In addition, technical facility management plays an important role in identifying energy-saving possibilities and implementing measures such as insulation and the use of renewable energy sources.
3. Compliance requirements and security
According to the Industrial Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV), every building or plant operator is obliged to take all necessary measures to prevent potential damage to its users and occupants.
When your employees are in a hazardous environment, it is your responsibility to provide protective measures. This includes safety shoes and instructions on the use and repair of machinery.
In addition, you should also keep an eye on general building security. This includes the installation and regular maintenance of fire safety systems and intrusion detection systems.
With Wowflow, facility management teams have convenient access to all safety-related data and can easily upload and manage it. Learn more here!
To meet compliance requirements and fulfil operator responsibilities, companies must document that all protocols and measures are compliant to set regulations.
As part of this process, all necessary measures have to be meticulously documented and reports put together to enable easy verification.
- Inventory documentation: The indispensable basis for conformity in facility management
4. Comfortable and modern environment for employees and visitors.
Technical and infrastructural facility management both ensure comfort in the building.
Providing comfortable room conditions, such as optimal room temperature, air quality, adequate lighting and modern elevators, increases employee well-being and productivity.
Overall, technical facility management helps to make the building more pleasant and functional in order to meet the needs of its visitors.
The feeling of safety also contributes greatly to the well-being of people in the building. Modern security measures, such as video surveillance or chipped access control systems, increase comfort and protect against vandalism or access by unauthorized visitors.
TFM: Who plays the main roles?
The main players in technical facility management can vary depending on the organization and property type, but here are some common actors, which can be met in almost every case:
- Facility Manager: carries the overall responsibility for facility management and oversees all aspects of an organization or facility. The tasks of a facility manager are extensive. He has to be involved in every aspect of facility management.
- Technical Manager: Directly responsible for the technical aspects of a building or facility and has responsibility for TFM.
As a rule, he or she has relevant technical expertise and oversees the maintenance, servicing and operation of the equipment and systems. He works closely with specialists and external service providers.
In the following video, we invite you to learn more about the important role of a company technical manager and gain valuable insights into technical facility management.
Our two experts share their experiences and insights on how they have successfully implemented technical facility management and the challenges they face.
- Building owner: He plays an important role in technical facility management, especially in regard to financial and strategic decisions as well as investments in technical infrastructure.
- Employees and users: They use the technical facilities and report possible malfunctions or problems to the facility manager or the technical team.
- Suppliers and manufacturers: They supply the necessary materials, spare parts and technical components and provide support during implementation and configuration.
- Technical specialists: They perform maintenance tasks and repairs and will be responsible for maintaining the technical systems in a building. They are responsible for the prompt rectification of faults and ensuring operational readiness. This includes, for example, technicians, electricians or craftsmen.
From just good to great: 3 tips for improving technical facility management
Below, we present three ways in which you can optimize technical building management.
1. Recruit your employees carefully
Effective recruiting in facility management is of crucial importance in order to attract qualified specialists and ensure successful facility management.
Qualified employees bring the necessary technical know-how and skills to master technical challenges and keep your assets in optimal operating shape.
2. Collaborate efficiently with your service providers and teams
In technical facility management, it can be challenging to maintain an overview of all work processes and ensure that work is performed accurately.
Staff scheduling software helps you to better organize your employees and inform them about their working time and location.
With Wowflow, you maintain full control over all tasks, including those which you outsource to subcontractors. Learn more here!
3. Make us of facility management software
There are a variety of software solutions with different focus poinjts and functionalities.
CAFM software (Computer Aided Facility Management) helps facility managers automate various aspects of facility management, including real estate utilization.
CMMS software gives technical managers and technicians detailed insight into maintenance tasks. Its functions go much deeper into the management of maintenance operations.
Wowflow can precisely meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and offers an easy-to-implement alternative to conventional CAFM software.
The advantages you receive with Wowflow:
- With personal onboarding, you can start after just one week.
- You can easily collaborate with external service providers even if they do not have a Wowflow account.
- Wowflow’s innovative solution interconnects with your standard ERP or CAFM tools. Simply extend your existing software solution with Wowflow Add-Ons. Decide specifically on the functions that are important to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between technical manager and facility manager?
In many cases, the roles of technical manager and facility manager may be intertwined or performed by the same person, especially in smaller organizations or facilities.
However, in larger organizations, there may be clear differences between the two roles, with the technical manager focusing on the more technical aspects and the facility manager taking on a broader role.
What qualifications are required from a technical facility manager?
Technical facility managers should be knowledgeable in engineering, technology, project management, real estate and, obviously, in facility management. In addition, organizational skills, technical understanding and communication skills are critical to this role.
