4 Facilities Management Improvement Strategies to Implement this Year

Compliance considerations, on-site logistics, waste framework directive, health and safety – these are all key concerns that facility managers must plan for. The facility management strategies many businesses currently have in place will always need to be kept updated to satisfy both future and current management needs. 

So what kind of facilities management improvement strategies can be utilised to really enhance facility management practices, now and in the future? In this blog post, we’ll be covering many of them, from sustainable solutions to improved waste management practices.

1. Focus on Sustainable Facilities Management

In a report by the UN Environment Programme, it was found that buildings:

• Account for around 40 of energy use.
• Use 25% of global water available.
• Produce one-third of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

With energy use being a key facility management consideration and with national governments looking to businesses to work towards sustainability, it’s worth getting to grips with sustainable business practices sooner rather than later. Your wallet and your planet may thank you.

These kinds of business practices may include:

• Optimising the life cycle of machines. For example, this could include ensuring waste management machinery is maintained so that it’s consistently working at 100% capacity. 
• Training employees in sustainable workplace management, which could be as simple as implementing proper recycling programmes on-site. 
• Reducing waste creation and energy consumption.
• Identifying ways to reduce carbon footprint. 
• Develop a site waste management plan. 

2. Space Optimisation

Empty space is costly space, especially if you’re trying to make the most of a rented space. Similarly, insufficient space, while used for something, can also cost more than it should per square metre. 

Take, for example, an organisation that deals in large quantities of waste. They find this waste builds up before it is collected for disposal, so they store it in a section of their warehouse. More often than not, the waste comes loose from wrappings or bin bags it is stored in, littering walkways and the warehouse in general. 

This is cause for concern. Not only is waste a potential health hazard (think wet cardboard becoming mouldy and attracting pests), it also creates the potential for trips and falls. So what’s a more efficient use of space in this scenario? Utilise an effective waste management strategy. 

For example, an organisation can begin by treating waste at the source, segmenting waste types efficiently and early on in the process. A facilities manager could utilise simple stuffer frames, which are a low-cost solution for collecting and separating waste types such as polythene, strapping and paper. 

A premise can also make use of machinery such as vertical balers. A baler is able to bale large amounts of recyclables such as paper, cardboard and plastic while taking up only a minimal amount of floor space itself. The waste items will become ‘bales’, small, easy to handle ‘packages’, that can be stored until collection easily. They’re the perfect option for adding to production lines, meaning areas are cleaner and less labour is required to deal with waste build-up.

An emphasis on space optimisation isn’t about utilising less space, but rather utilising space better. While we’re on the topic of balers, we must mention the benefits of waste management machinery.

3. Waste Management Machinery

Waste management machinery is the perfect accompaniment to any facilities management strategy. Consisting of machinery such as vertical balers, static compactors, polystyrene compactors and more, these are technical advancements to any facility management. 

Waste management and disposal is a crucial thing to get right. We mentioned that poor waste management could cause environmental or health hazards on site – but what about the overhead costs? For example, take into account Landfill Tax levied on each consignment of waste that gets disposed of, currently valued at £94.15 per tonne. Baling or compacting certain types of recyclable waste means that it can avoid the landfill, saving you on the associated costs of disposal.

In short, machinery reduces the volume of waste, saving on transport and disposal costs, helps to create safer disposal processes and has the potential to create new revenue streams upon the sale of recyclable material. 

4. Utilising the Waste Management Hierarchy

On top of using waste management machinery, consider the waste management hierarchy – a resource that helps users determine how to reduce their waste production and environmental impact. 

Essentially, the hierarchy covers five stages used to analyse the kind of waste that is being produced

• Prevention
• Preparing for reuse
• Recycling
• Other recovery 
• Disposal

When used in conjunction with waste management machinery, it’s the perfect methodology to effectively lower waste production and disposal, helping to save you not only time, but also money, whilst also reducing environmental impact and the risk of regulatory non-compliance.

These are some of the best facilities management improvement strategies to implement this year. But what about preparing for the future? How can you enhance your waste management processes in order to lower overheads and compliance risks? Our guide will provide the answers.

How to Improve Waste Management Strategy 

Every business wants efficient processes – not just ones that dictate when products get sent out, but ones that improve internal logistics as well. Waste management is a big part of this, but is usually the last thing on the mind of management. 

However, if upper management are able to see how business-critical good waste management is and understand how to do it, you’ll find facilities management is made simpler. To understand how to improve waste management strategies, simply download the free guide we are offering today.