BSI publishes strategic framework to help facilities professionals work ‘smarter’
Press release - 7th January 2013
Business standards company, BSI has published a revision to the building maintenance management standard, BS 8210 to make it relevant to the facilities management profession.
The updated BS 8210 standard provides facility owners and operators with a robust framework to deliver best practice maintenance management, reduce maintenance costs and mitigate building risks.
The standard does not prescribe “how to do maintenance”, but provides a consistent approach for achieving successful maintenance outcomes such as improved building sustainability, cost savings and building safety.
BS 8210 also encourages organizations to put a spotlight on their business to ensure the formulation and implementation of maintenance strategies and policies are aligned with the organization’s core objectives.
The standard is applicable to organizations managing an existing facility as well as those planning the delivery of a new one. Whilst primarily intended for those in the private sector, the standard will also be a useful management tool for public sector bodies.
It applies to most types of facilities and its application is wider than buildings alone and extends to other structures and forms of construction, with some exceptions.
In summary the revision to BS 8210 includes the following fundamental changes:
- Scope - the scope of the standard has shifted from largely operational matters to those of a more strategic and tactical nature, while retaining a focus on matters of practical importance
- Assets - a broader range of built assets has been taken into account
- Technology - developments affecting the nature of built assets and the maintenance management process (in particular the use of information and communications technology (ICT)) have been taken into account
“Any organization that has responsibility for a facility needs a well-defined maintenance strategy. The lack of a strategy, or one that is poorly defined, could have significant adverse safety and commercial consequences for the organization,” said Dr Brian Atkin, Director of The Facilities Society and principal expert involved in the drafting of BS 8210:2012.”Best practice facilities management recognizes that a building is an asset which needs to be maintained to ensure that its value is not eroded.”
“BS 8210 provides an overarching framework to enable managers to adopt a proactive management approach to their buildings,” said Shirley Bailey-Wood, Director of Publishing at BSI. “Meeting the requirements of the newly revised BS 8210 will help ensure that facilities are operated more cost-effectively and sustainably.”
BS 8210 was revised under the auspices of the FMW/1 Facilities Management technical committee which includes influential representatives and experts from the following organisations: British Institute of Facilities Management, Cabinet Office – Government Property Unit, Chartered Institute of Building, Facilities Management Association, Health Estates and Facilities Management, Institution of Civil Engineers and RICS Facilities Management Faculty.
