IMPORTANT NOTICE

As the facility manager of a multinational organisation, you have been asked to find a new office building for the organisation. You have been given a list of different office buildings in various locations and the main task is to assess the performance of the different buildings and decide on the most suitable one for the organisation's tasks. The management has put you in charge of this task because it feels that you will be able to fully assess the suitability of the buildings and make the right decision. Although the management has not mentioned anything about appraisal, you know that the decision you make in regards to the selection of the office building will have a vital role to play in your appraisal at the end of the year! 

A good appearance is good for an organisation as first impressions count towards the way people feel about the organisation. The design and performance of a company's building reflects the firm's attitudes toward budget, goals and plans as well as its attitude towards its employees, customers, visitors and vendors. An organisation that has a good image has a competitive advantage over other organisations in the same field and the good image also has the potential of attracting and retaining investors. The aim of most organisations is to increase its global image and reputation and this can be achieved by acquiring space which is of high quality, space and performance.

The following provides a checklist of attributes for high performance buildings and the checklist can also be useful in assessing an existing building's suitability for a particular organisation's tasks.

1. Functionality and Efficiency: Functionality and efficiency issues involve providing space which meets the defined functional requirements of the organisation's business activities, facilitates productivity and maintains the quality of the work environment. Functionality and efficiency factors include layout, indoor air quality, design and appearance. A high performance building must be capable of creating spaces which promote increased worker satisfaction, productivity, greater flexibility and enhanced energy and environmental performance. 
2. Flexibility: Flexibility relates to the ability of the building to meet changing functional user needs by changing its property easily. The building services must be able to sustain the operational requirements of the building in a cost and time effective manner while responding to the short term needs of the organisation as the basic design of the building will either hinder or help when alterations and renovation are necessary.
   For example, a flexible building can have flexible partitions which are easy to dismantle or move within the workplace. A flexible building can also have building services which are divided into seperate zones which can perform independently so as to ensure that refurbishment work can be carried out without affecting the business activities of the company. The provision of multiple entrances into a building and the use of floors which are divisible for rental can also help to enhance the flexibility of the building. Adequate flexibility ensures that the building provides living workspaces that can grow as the organisation expands.
3. Accessibility and Maintainability: The workplace is shaped by its location as the location of a building ensures adequate accessibility. A high performance building should be easily accessible both by private cars and by public transport. There should also be signs in the building which will help to further enhance accessibility for visitors. Accessibility for the disabled must be considered right from design stage and adequate provision made for same. Also, buildings which are easy to maintain will create and maintain a positive health and safety culture which helps to promote employee wellbeing and productivity within the organisation. A high performance building must be easy to maintain and the materials and building components of the building must be easily replaceable if the need arises.
4. Indoor Environment Quality: Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) can be described as the physical elements and the way which occupiers feel in indoor spaces. The key components of IEQ include Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, workplace design and luminous and visual environment quality. Employees who are happy with the temperatures, air quality, lighting and noise conditions in their offices are more likely to have higher productivity. The new premises should have the ability to provide opportunities for personal control, rapid response to environmental issues, natural ventilation, enough room for people to work in and appropriate zoning and control of cooling, lighting and ventilation.
5. Technological Innovations: The building needs to be capable of integrating IT, telecoms, cabling and lighting innovations, via good raised floor systems, plug-and-play floor boxes, modular wiring, buses and conferencing hubs.
   6. Costs: High performance buildings are also characterised by higher initial investment, but enjoy lower long term life cycle costs. A building with reduced capital input is likely to cost more to run, maintain, renovate and alter and it will inherently have less flexibility built into its design and operation.

It must be highlighted that a stakeholder analysis should be conducted before the checklist in order to gather information on the requirements and views of the people who will be using the new office facility. The stakeholders include the managers, office staff, support staff and maintenance staff. This analysis will ensure that the design and performance of the office is best suited to the needs of the occupiers. A good understanding of the views of the stakeholders will ensure a smoother move from one layout to another. The analysis will also help to establish needs in relation to space requirements and communication requirements as this will ensure that issues such as pedestrian flow, communication patterns, space layout are resolved in the new facility.

AMFacilities offers a Total Facilities Management service for both home and offices and we'd be glad to work with you to address any issues you may have in maintaining your buildings. At AMFacilities we engage the right PEOPLE using the right PROCESSES to provide the right PLACE for our customers to live, work and play. Feel free to contact us for necessary advice in providing efficient facility management services for your home and office.