Four strategies to emphasize the value of facilities management

Facilities managers play a critical role in today’s health care environment: ensuring patient safety, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. But when it comes to justifying budgets or requesting capital investment, proving the value of facilities management to executive leadership can be challenging. So, how do facilities managers consistently show their team’s value?

• Data is the foundation. Facilities managers should continuously track and report key performance indicators such as work order response times, energy usage, compliance metrics and asset life cycles on a routine basis. Translating data into cost savings, risk reduction and patient satisfaction helps leadership see facilities management’s impact on organizational goals.
• Align with strategic priorities. Whether it’s improving patient experience or ensuring safety, facilities managers should reinforce the health system’s broader objectives. For example, replacing an air handler before its end of life can minimize patient room downtime and support operational readiness.
• Tell a compelling story. Numbers matter, but stories make them memorable. Facilities managers can share real-world examples that tell how their team responded to a crisis, successfully navigated a regulatory audit or supported a major building expansion. These stories resonate with leadership and reinforce the positive impact of the facilities management team.
• Be proactive and visible. Facilities managers shouldn’t wait for a budget cut before advocating for their team. Rounding leadership through the boiler plant, providing routine updates, contributing to strategic planning efforts and engaging in cross-departmental collaboration helps ensure facilities management is seen as a strategic partner, not a cost center.

At the end of the day, facilities management is more than just maintaining buildings — it’s creating the environment to enable health care delivery. By focusing on outcomes, aligning with leadership priorities and using data to tell a compelling story, facilities managers can demonstrate their team’s value.

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Greg Cole, CHFM, CHC, director of facilities operations at Corewell Health.