Whose identity crisis?

Abstract

In a black binder with Facilities stamped neatly on the front, the first six issues gave us a warm glow of satisfaction — for a few minutes. Then the old familiar worry returned. Who exactly is the facilities manager? Is he a supercharged executive, like the director of Sedgwick interviewed in these pages, with overall responsibility for telecommunications, data processing and accommodation? Is he a harassed facilitator with his ear grafted to the telephone as one crisis follows another? Or is he a reformed architect, wringing his hands over his thoughtless past? Is he even a he? We are being made more aware all the time of how dangerous it is to assume anything about the facilities manager, from the scope of his job to the proportion of the total work force his department will represent. Two recent examples come to mind: a London headquarters building in which over 100 facilities staff look after 1 000 people, and a facilities management plan for a projected building in San Antonio, Texas, where 25 people are detailed to look after 500 people. The ratios are 1:10 and 1:20. Doubtless greater extremes exist.

Citation

(1983), "Whose identity crisis?", Facilities, Vol. 1 No. 7, pp. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb018681