Constrains in integrating facilities manager in the project development process in construction industry

Abstract

The role of a Facility Manager is to optimize the building performance and ensure smooth operations. The importance of having a facility manager in the development phase of construction projects has been recognised by a majority of the construction companies around the world. Sri Lankan construction sector is yet to recognize the full potential of the Facility Manager, especially in fine tuning a construction project and thus ensuring better operations later. The aim of this research was to identify the potential roles of a Facility Manager and constraints in integrating a Facility Manager in building project development process in Sri Lankan construction industry. In order to achieve the objectives of this research 9 semi structured interviews were conducted among FM and non-FM professionals of the building construction sector and 4 expert interviews were conducted among experienced building construction professionals. Through the interviews, it was identified that Facility Managers have several potential roles in a construction project such as facilities consultant, facilities manager, facilities advisor, facilities supervisor, maintenance advisor and lighting planner. Moreover, several constraints such as limited authority, financial constraints, communication lapses, lack of resources, cost variations and knowledge gap etc. which have restricted the involvement of a FM were recognized through the interviews. Finally, the expert opinions were used to recognize how to integrate the FM in to construction projects by mitigating the constraints and how to utilize the FM knowledge and competencies for building project development process.