Research - Designing the Facility Management Organization
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Overview and Methodology
This study was sponsored by the IFMA Foundation's Corporate Circle of Contributors. This Foundation research program provides funding for long-term research studies that benefit the entire range of facility management professions. The Foundation contracted IFMA to conduct the study. In June 2000, two online focus groups were conducted with eight IFMA members each. Using the results from focus groups and the input of IFMA's research committee, a questionnaire was developed.

A total of 4,182 surveys were distributed in January and February 2001 to North American professional members, including 315 members in Canada. Survey respondents completed the five-page survey and returned it in a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope to Saurage Research, Inc. between January 18 to February 19, 2001. A total of 905 surveys were included in the study, representing a response rate of 22%.

Executive Summary
One-half (54%) of all FM divisions are structured as a separate department of the organization, 42% are part of a larger department (usually Administration, HR, Finance, Operations, or Real Estate), and 4% are split across various departments.

Two-thirds (64%) of FM departments use a functional design, which means they are organized according to the types of services being offered, such as engineering, property management, security and planning.

FM departments tend t be flat in organizational design, with typically four or fewer levels from top to bottom. The head of the department most often reports to a member of senior management.

Facility management departments most frequently include maintenance and operations (91%), facility planning (88%), space management (75%). One-half of facility management departments also include environmental health and safety (58%), real estate management (56%), and administrative services (52%). Only 8% of departments directly supervise the information technology function.

The two most common changes facility managers wish to make to their FM departments are to have more input in the decision-making process and to add more staff or expand the department.

The total size and number of facilities, along with rapid growth and construction projects, are the most common reasons for an organization to create an FM department.

Out-tasking (individual, specialized vendors are hired to provide one or more functions) is used by 80% of FM departments, compared to 6% that out-source (full-service, single source vendors are hired to provide many services bundled together) and 14% that currently handle all services internally.

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