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While the growing demand for functional spaces has been a key factor in the growth of the facilities management industry in India, FMS providers are gearing up to face the harsh realities of a recessionary market by focusing on cutting costs and delivering better value to end users writes Rajesh Kulkarni
With under construction projects facing an uncertain future due to a tight liquidity situation and new projects finding few takers, the spotlight now is clearly on extending the life of ready projects and providing a bouquet of facilities managed by professionals. It’s a trend that has brought into sharp focus the increasing importance of facilities management in a rapidly changing real estate environment.
FM is now being recognised as an investment into real estate rather than a mere maintenance function.
A term that can broadly be defined as management of the overall facilities provided at various realty projects, Facility Management Services (FMS) have become an indispensable service tool for key growth sectors including banking, pharma, IT & ITES, BPO, retail, manufacturing, education, PSUs, infra and real estate.
“Facilities management is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure the functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology,” explains Anuradha Gandhi, business head, Property Solutions (I) Pvt Ltd., the FMS arm of Kalpataru Group, whose clients include Reliance Industries, Prudential ICICI, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and E-Funds.
“Typically services that come under its purview include soft services, electro-mechanical services, energy management, security services, office support services and even guest house management.”
With an estimated market size of approximately Rs1,000 crore, the domestic FMS market too has its share of the organised and unorganised sector.
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While there are a number of global property consultants servicing clients in the organised sector, a huge pool of local players manage the janitorial component in the unorganised sector. These are primarily manpower supplying vendors with little expertise, servicing the lower end of the market. Despite this, FMS has carved a distinct identity from the larger scope of Property Management Services (PMS), which though similar in its service objectives, caters to a different audience.
“The term FM is usually applied to larger commercial properties where management and operation of buildings is complex,” states Suryavir Singh, head – strategic planning (real estate), Sahara Group, which has opted for both an internal FM division and an external agency to service their FM requirements. “Property managers, on the other hand, may manage construction, development, repairs and maintenance of a property.”
“Facility management is a part of Property Management,” says Naushad Panjwani, executive director (Projects & FM), Knight Frank India, a prominent player in the FM market.
“In property management you are in charge of the profitability and operations of the entire property. In facility management you are not involved in rent fixation, collection, fixing of budget, or doling out contracts and are restricted to the operations and maintenance of the property and the equipment/services therein. A property manager is appointed by the owner of a property which is by and large leased out and occupied by a third party.”
“Simply put PM are services that are delivered to the landlord while FMS caters to the needs of the tenants,” says Yash Kapila, head – FM (West Asia), Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj which has approximately 33 million sq ft under FM in India and a client roster that includes IBM, Accenture, Microsoft and Citigroup.
Asked about the role played by professional FM service providers in the management of high-end residential, commercial and retail properties Kapila says, “The primary role is to provide a service that allows the client to focus on his core business. For example, if the client is a bank or a BPO, we ensure that their facilities are always ready for use so that they can concentrate on delivering their core services.”
“FM service providers are appointed with the task of improving maintenance, enhancing asset life and its capital value and accomplishing this objective with reduced capital outlay in less time with fewer people per square foot,” says Gandhi.
“Moreover in the service industry, FMS providers also keep track of complex data to monitor equipment history and in turn improvements. They are also instrumental in creating cost effective and efficient facilities by tailoring spaces to the needs of the organisation and its workers.”
With energy efficient and environmental friendly constructions now more the norm than exception, FM managers are also involved in helping conserve energy usage.
“Energy conservation is an enduring goal of facilities managers which has gained urgency in the past few years because of rising costs,” concurs Gandhi.
“FM managers can do this by following simple steps such as maximising daylight, undertaking major projects like integrated chilled water plants and performing energy audits. This can reveal where and how a facility is using energy. It will also expose the areas in need of improvement and ways to boost overall energy efficiency,” she adds.
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