Operating Concepts
Facts about technical building equipment
Buildings and technical systems often represent large assets of several million euros or more. Facility Management (FM), a sub-area of technical building equipment, takes care of maintaining or even increasing these assets.
This includes monitoring building services, organising building services (maintenance, inspection, cleaning), procurement management for all consumer goods (including electricity and water) and preparing tender documents for conversion, refurbishment and maintenance. The operating concept forms the basis of facility management.
What does operating concept mean?
The operating concept, also known as the operating manual, is a document containing all the essential instructions and facts necessary for the planned operation of the building or system. The operational concept is not a rigid template, but a collection of data that is continually updated and augmented.
The operating concept describes in detail the planned building operation depending on the type of service, for example energy supply and waste disposal. The necessary activities are recorded and the company’s own services are structured. It is determined which tasks are to be transferred to external companies.
Why is a clear operating concept necessary?
Because without an operating concept, the operation of a building is in most cases not as optimal as possible. There are a whole range of reasons for this:
- Insufficient cooperation between the specialist planners
- Inefficiency in the supply of energy and consumables
- Inadequate integration of the technical building equipment
- Use of unsuitable materials in operation
- Additional expenditure in the area of building management through the use of maintenance or cleaning-intensive technology
These conflicts arise because all parties involved in the planning process (client, operator, architect, specialist planners and users) have different expectations and ideas about the building and the individual interests collide at least partially. The result is inadequate operational optimisation, which causes high (and unnecessary) costs.
What are the advantages of an optimally coordinated operating concept?
A good operational concept for the management of the buildings is one of the most important strategic decisions of every company. It contributes significantly to value creation and forms the basis for long-term and sustainable success. A good operating concept has numerous positive effects:
- Building management becomes more sustainable and less risky.
- The costs of building management can be calculated precisely and can be planned.
- The costs for operation and service of the building decrease.
- Facility management (FM) processes become traceable and transparent.
- Personnel requirements can be reduced.
- The company can concentrate on its core business.
How is the operating concept created?
The first step is to determine the basics by looking at the planned overall concept. This is followed by a detailed analysis with an examination of the various subsystems:
- General operator concept
- Safety concept
- Cleaning concept
- Maintenance concept
- Garden maintenance
as well as other areas.
In step 3, the individual partial services are worked out. The final step is implementation controlling, which accompanies the development of the operating concept throughout the entire process.
Summary
Operational concepts are an important part of the facility management of a building. It documents all instructions and procedures that are necessary for the future operation of the building.
Operating concepts are not rigid rules, but are constantly updated and expanded. They serve to maintain and increase the value of the building and are among the most vital strategic decisions of a company. Operating concepts are necessary because otherwise there will be conflicts of interest and disruptions in the flow of information between the individual parties involved in planning and operating the building.