Portobello Blog

As the unsung heroes of any bustling organisation, Facilities Managers ensure that spaces, equipment, and people harmonise seamlessly. From the ambience of a room to the functionality of high-tech equipment, every detail matters.

If you are considering a foray into Facilities Management, the road ahead promises a blend of technical mastery and interpersonal skills.

At its core, it's an art—a dance of balance where aesthetics, efficiency, and sustainability converge. Whether it's the whisper-quiet ventilation in a conference room, the ergonomic design of a workspace, or the sustainable technologies powering an eco-friendly building, the meticulous touch of a Facilities Manager is ever-present.

Facilities Management isn't just about bricks, beams, and bulbs; it's about creating spaces where people can thrive, businesses can flourish, and innovation has room to breathe. In a rapidly urbanising world, the role of a Facilities Manager extends beyond caretaking—it's about vision, foresight, and orchestrating harmonious environments in an age of ever-evolving needs.

If you've ever wondered what goes into crafting these spaces, ensuring their seamless functionality, or even optimising them for future challenges, a course in Facilities Management provides the answers. As we pull back the curtain on this dynamic profession, let's explore the intriguing modules that lay the foundation for excellence in this field.

1. Principles/Overview of Facilities Management:
Delve deep into the foundations, understanding the role and responsibilities of a Facilities Manager. This module often lays out the roadmap for the rest of the course, setting the stage for more specialised subjects. It helps you to develop an understanding of the scope and extent of the facilities management function and the range of associated services, the roles and responsibilities in different organisations and contexts as well as the importance of the contribution of facilities management in both societal and economic contexts.

2. Building Technology & Systems
A module like this will help you get to grips with the technical aspects of buildings, including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. A key for anyone looking to master the art of managing large facilities. A Building Technology & Systems module is a comprehensive dive into the technical components that make buildings functional, sustainable, and comfortable. It's a synthesis of architecture, engineering, and modern technology.

3. Space and Asset Management
Spaces evolve with an organisation’s needs. This module would equip you to efficiently manage, allocate, and optimise spaces while ensuring assets are maintained, tracked, and utilised to their fullest potential. Navigating the modern challenges of facilities management requires an intricate understanding of the strategic utilisation of space and assets. Delving deep into the optimisation of physical spaces and assets, this module ensures that facilities managers can extract maximum value and efficiency.

4. Sustainability and Environmental Management
Green is the future and green is now! Understand sustainable practices, energy management, and the latest in eco-friendly innovations. A sustainability module of any kind champions the creation of spaces that coexist harmoniously with nature. Underpinning effective sustainability management requires those responsible for the workplace to understand how to implement sustainability policy and re-think the manner in which they discharge their duties. Examining sustainable practices, across different-sized organisations and economic sectors, supports the development and understanding needed, to develop more effective approaches. This ensures sustainability policies can be progressed for managing the non-core business activities whilst also aligning with the core business strategies.

5. Health, Safety, and Compliance
Safety first, always! Delve into risk assessments, regulatory requirements, and best practices to ensure any facility is not just functional but also safe for its inhabitants. A Health, Safety, and Compliance module is paramount in any facilities management course. Ensuring the safety and well-being of occupants, as well as compliance with established standards, is the cornerstone of effective facilities management. This module arms students with the knowledge and tools to manage and monitor health and safety risks.

6. Project Management
From renovations to new facility launches, project management skills are crucial. Learn the nuances of planning, executing, and monitoring projects, ensuring they stay on track both time-wise and financially. A Project Management module is pivotal for anyone intending to oversee projects to completion, ensuring they remain on time, within scope, and within budget. Whether in facilities management, IT, construction, or any other field, project management skills are universally applicable.

7. Financial Management for Facilities
Budgets, forecasting, and cost analysis – the financial facet of facilities management can't be ignored. This module demystifies the numbers, making financial planning and management approachable and logical. The module is concerned with the financial decision-making within the Facilities Management department and the facilities manager's role as a business manager.  Decisions in terms of raising revenue, cost reduction and the Financial Position and required investment. The module examines how the efficient management of finance by the Facilities Management is essential for funding the daily operations, maintenance, repair and any project works. It focuses on the strategic aspects of management accounting and will explore and critically evaluate management accounting techniques. This approach develops learners’ knowledge and critical understanding of the theoretical models, analytical methods and practical aspects of corporate financial decision-making.

8. Stakeholder and Relationship Management
No facility operates in isolation. Engage with the art of communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management to ensure smooth operations and happy occupants. Stakeholder and Relationship Management stands as one of the pillars of successful project outcomes. In the world of business and project management, navigating the complex web of involved parties and maintaining healthy relationships can make all the difference between project success and failure. This module explores the intricacies of these relationships and provides tools and strategies for effective management.

9. Strategic Facility Planning
Facilities need to align with an organisation’s goals. This module equips students with the foresight and strategic thinking required to ensure facilities not only serve current needs but are also future-proof. Within the framework of Strategic Facility Planning, students begin by exploring the foundational concept of strategy in the context of facility management. This involves understanding the importance of long-term planning in ensuring that a facility's capabilities align with an organisation's mission, vision, and overarching objectives. Such alignment ensures not only optimal utilisation of space but also cost-effectiveness and efficiency in operations.

10. Technology in Facilities Management
From Building Information Modelling (BIM) to the Internet of Things (IoT), get familiar with the digital tools reshaping the face of facilities management. The Technology in Facilities Management module illuminates the myriad ways in which digital advancements are reshaping the landscape of facility operations, offering tools that promise efficiency, sustainability, and enhanced user experiences.

If you are interested in studying waste management or facilities management, Portobello Institute offers a range of qualifications from short online courses to our BSc (Hons) in Workplace and Facilities Management and our MSc in Facilities Management.

Our expert advisor Brandon McLean is available to support you to choose the course that is right for you by emailing him brandon.mclean@portobelloinstitute.com, calling 01 892 0035 or booking a one-to-one consultation call.