Get help with planning and managing your space from BIFM’s best practices guide

by Brianna Crandall — July 5, 2017 — Updated guidance to help in-house FM teams understand what is involved in managing and changing space has been published by the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).

The revised Space Planning and Management Good Practice Guide aims to provide practical advice on the tools and techniques that can be deployed when planning and managing space, clearly illustrating the processes involved and enabling FMs to set overarching space management strategies for their organization.

BIFM’s Research and Information Manager Peter Brogan stated:

Making the most of an organization’s existing space through effective space planning and management has a major impact on its ability to meet business needs, establish brand and organizational culture, achieve sustainability targets, and enhance user comfort.

Successful space planning can help FMs plan for and manage change within their facilities, and results from not only the accurate collection and organization of data, but from focused analysis and consideration of the options available. Therefore, a thorough understanding of what’s involved is essential if FMs are to support their organization’s business objectives, and as such it forms part of the FM Professional Standards.

Key areas covered in the guide include space demands, strategy and standards, programming and managing projects and the technologies available to help with the process.

The guide has been updated by its original author Joanna Eley, director of Alexi Marmot Associates and a specialist in developing space strategies for public- and private-sector organizations and charities.

BIFM members can access the Space Planning and Management Good Practice Guide free of charge. It is available to purchase at a cost of £19.99 for non-members.