Implementation of the ISO FM standard. What is important to know

ISO 41001 Facility Management – Management Systems – Requirements with usage guidelines was published in 2018. This is the first of its kind standard, with a focus on creating effective processes for managing the organization’s organization, while ensuring compliance with the strategic goals of the client. In this article, we will talk about how to properly prepare a company for certification and the benefits of implementing ISO 41001.

The implementation of this standard, like any other ISO standard, begins with the mandatory use of the basic principles of project management to create clear steps that will end with certification. When developing a strategy, three main components must be taken into account: People, processes and the business environment.

People

The importance of the human factor in the case of facilitation management cannot be overestimated. It is necessary to clearly define the requirements for human resources, their competencies and knowledge. Next, you need to build management taking into account the following aspects:

• Building a common understanding of goals and objectives
• Team building and management
• Empowering the team and stakeholders

It is worth demonstrating the benefits of implementing a management system, such as operational efficiency, resource optimization. It is also important to be prepared for the fact that conflicts will arise in the process and here it is necessary to proactively work on their analysis and determination of the time that will take to solve the problems that have arisen. Such conflicts can arise on the basis that the introduction of the standard requires working time and takes it away from performing daily tasks, or not understanding the need to implement such an initiative.

To avoid or reduce the likelihood of conflict, you need to be proactive, you should make sure that:

• All members involved in the project are aware of what they will receive at the exit.
• The employees involved in the project are not overloaded with daily tasks.
• The leadership style is adapted to the needs of the team, all participants are involved in discussion, planning and implementation.
• The staff working on the implementation of ISO is trained at the proper level, and has the necessary skills to solve the tasks

Business environment

It is important to understand the context of the organization and its features. Based on this knowledge, it is necessary to constantly analyze changes in the market and their impact on the company.

Just implementing a standard does not mean becoming successful. It is necessary to calculate what benefits and value the certification of the organization will bring, how it will increase competitiveness.

The processes

The principles of the management cycle work here: plan – execution-control-analysis-adjustment. In this case, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

• Involving all stakeholders
• Implementation of the project as urgent
• Creating a project management structure

In planning and management, you need to determine:

• Scope of work
• Execution schedule
• Resources
• The risks
• Quality of work
• Result

Implementation of the ISO 41001 standard is a necessary and effective tool for improving the quality of management and the provision of services. However, as in any project, this may require the attraction of additional resources and assets.