Facilities Management – Early Involvement Benefits Long- Term Effectiveness
Hill is expanding its facilities management (FM) services to both existing and new clients globally.
The expansion comes on the heels of a half-dozen new contracts in Europe and Northern Africa.
Growth there, as well as growth in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin and North America, make
Hill’s FM services a perfect fit, said Aidan Bradley, head of Hill’s FM initiative.
“Hill’s Facilities Management services provide clients with the same hands-on management
they’ve come to expect from us and extends that conscientious attention to detail beyond the
design and construction processes through commissioning, turnover and facility operation. We
help guide clients through the design and construction processes, and then stay on to ensure
that the building and its systems operate optimally for years to come,” Bradley explained.
Hill’s FM process commences at the very start of a project, connecting with clients and building
relationships with installation contractors, project management teams, designers and
manufacturers to ensure the building is fit for its ultimate purpose. This process continues
through the construction phase and then helps to ensure a seamless transition to the vital yet
often-overlooked facilities management phase.
“The journey and relationships built during the construction phase should not stop when
construction is completed,” Bradley said. “Likewise, a good manager’s relationships are not
confined to the project team. The mark of a truly successful project is one that is a collaboration
of all stakeholders, including a building’s facilities managers and its end users.” Bradley
described Hill’s FM services as the effective management of an organization, its buildings and
assets.
“The facilities management role should be the driver for life-cycle cost analysis in project
management services,” said Juan Manuel Vivar, project director for asset property and facility
management at Hill’s Madrid office. With any large facility construction, every stage from concept
to completion should be analyzed from the life cycle perspective, evaluating the cost of each of
them over the life of the asset.
“At the end of the construction stage, nobody could better assist our clients on building
maintenance or infrastructure management than us. If we get involved from the beginning of a
project, we get a full understanding of the building and the client’s business expectations, both
financial and technical,” Vivar said.
Hill’s FM teams recognize that the practice of day-to-day facilities maintenance often is far
different than theory, and that core maintenance can be pre-planned or reactive. “Planned
Preventive Maintenance, or PPM, is best described as an activity required on a regular basis
aimed at plant and equipment that needs to be maintained to ensure correct, efficient operation
or is driven by legislation or statutory requirements,” Bradley said. “In contrast, reactive
maintenance is associated with ad-hoc repairs necessitated by inoperable or inefficient
equipment, often the result of breakdown, misuse, abuse or general wear and tear.”
Hill’s FM services are tailored to each client and their specific needs, financial constraints and
other considerations, and help keep clients’ facilities compliant with local requirements and
regulations.