What is the difference between hard and soft facilities management?

Building owners and those responsible for commercial or industrial facilities need to ensure that all aspects of their property are running efficiently and effectively. This is an often-overlooked aspect of managing any kind of property, and getting it wrong affects anyone working at, using, or visiting the property.

It may be the case that you understand facilities management but are unsure about what is meant by the terms ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ facilities management. These represent two different aspects of facilities across buildings and premises, but both are extremely important. Here we take a look at what each term means to help you understand why you need them.

The importance of good facilities management

The correct running of facilities across your building is vital from many perspectives. Whether it relates to compliance with laws or simply ensuring a good level of upkeep, strong facilities management makes for a better environment for anyone using the building and can even help with issues such as productivity and efficiency.

Good management of facilities includes making sure that the physical elements of the building are running correctly, but it also refers to human tasks relating to maintenance. This is the divide between hard and soft facilities management.

What is hard facilities management?

Hard facilities management refers to issues relating to the physical assets of the building. These are the facilities of the building that are always in place and cannot be changed – they are also often required by law.

Some examples of hard facilities management include heating, air conditioning, fire safety systems, plumbing and lighting. It can also refer to physical tasks such as the installation of doors and lift systems.

What is soft facilities management?

The soft facilities of a building are those that require tasks carried out by people – they typically make the working space more pleasant to be in. Soft facilities can include everything from grounds maintenance and cleaning to catering and waste management.

Not all soft facilities are compulsory and it can soft facilities management needs can vary extremely widely from building to building. It is often important for building managers to carry out a facilities assessment periodically to understand the changing needs of the building with regard to its soft facilities management.

How they can benefit your business

It requires both hard and soft facilities management to ensure that your building is running at its optimum efficiency. Buildings that don’t have proper facilities management are typically harder to work in and more expensive for owners. Reducing costs and improving operations are both important benefits, but facilities management can also help improve compliance and environmental standards.

At BSE|FM, we are specialists in both hard and soft facilities management. So, whether you have any questions and need further information, or you are looking to work with experienced professionals, we would be happy to help you. Get in contact with our knowledgeable team today.