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Understand the Needs of the Business

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facility management , top management , planning .

I’m Ed Sullivan, editor of Building Operating Management magazine. Today’s topic is understanding the needs of the business.

Many facility executives have achieved leadership because they bring more to the organization than facility-related expertise. That requires a grasp of the functions within the organization, whether it is underwriting, radiology or eighth-grade science. Indeed, facility executives need to be more well-rounded than the managers they support. Those managers don’t need to understand facility management, but ideally facility executives will have a handle on all the important business functions of an organization.

Facility executives who don’t have a good grasp of the unique value that the organization brings to its customers – factors that distinguish it from the competition – will have a hard time identifying ways facilities can add value. In some organizations, cost cutting may be the top priority; in others, it may be attracting new customers.

Top executives weigh choices based on whether they increase stakeholder value; that’s a test facility executives can apply too.