Expanding opportunities with Facilities Fundamental Workshops
ISS Cleaning Services has a proactive approach to education and training and understands the benefits that ongoing professional development provides for its workforce.
Len Benson, Executive General Manager (Government Cleaning Division), engaged UNE Partnerships to present a workshop on the Fundamentals of Facilities Management. The workshop, which was held in Coffs Harbour late last year, was attend by over 30 staff.
ISS’s Government Cleaning Division comprises 3000 staff, covering about 1500 sites across New South Wales. These include schools, police stations, courts and other government buildings. Currently, ISS is contracted to undertake cleaning; however their client has indicated they may be moving towards a model which integrates the whole facilities management model to incorporate the maintenance and cleaning of buildings by the one organisation.
In order to prepare the staff for possible future changes, ISS consulted with UNE Partnerships to develop a Professional Development Workshop, outlining the functions and inter-relationships of a Facilities Management Unit. According to Len Benson “We wanted to give our staff a better understanding of how a Facilities Management Unit operates as a whole. We felt it was important for them to see how the unit functions and how various aspects correlate”.
The workshop outlined the various aspects of facilities management, including the traditional structures and practices of a Facilities Management Unit. The workshop was designed around generic techniques, and based upon the specific contract under which ISS individuals may later work. In this way, the workshop was customised to the real work ISS currently undertakes, and may undertake in the future.
Workshop participants experienced key planning techniques for the management of their facilities, including clarifying the extent of responsibility under the contract. The participants defined maintenance activities and identified risks to the maintenance function. Through these activities and discussions, individuals were encouraged to think more broadly about their role, and methods of fulfilling that role. Participants also realised their current work and planning experiences were useful and applicable for future facilities management work.
Also of significance was the presence (within the workshop) of key ISS client representatives. The representatives found value in gaining understanding of the ISS perspective, and in explaining and discussing the position and perspective of the client or facility owner.
Developing a consistent approach across a Facilities Management Unit is a strong focus in this type of workshop and allows those involved to understand the benefits of a united approach to all systems. For large organisations, and particularly those spread over a large geographic area, developing a consistent approach to the Facilities Management Unit, how it functions and integrates with other sections is vital to its success.
ISS is keen to develop a strong framework within its Cleaning Division to enable it to handle the potential new work. “We know we can’t move forward until we get further indication from our client, but we hope that we will be sufficiently prepared to be able to make it happen quickly” said Len.
