Planning and Budgeting

Long term planning does not always hold a high priority with facility managers, but all major organizations require it.  They know that a facility management plan is critical for effective budgeting.

It is important to organize an annual facility management plan that includes your budget along with performance tracking, so you measure progress in terms of performance within your budget.

The budget should be formatted so that key indicators can be easily calculated by you and your financial management team.  Also the budget should incorporate detailed financial accountability by department or job function.  This encourages managers to be responsible for funds assigned to them.

To make the budgeting process most effective, all significant costs should be budgeted as part your plan, plans from previous years should be compared to this year, and any financial changes should be highlighted so they can be measured.

One of the best tools for monitoring plan versus cost is Building Maintenance Software.  Your facility manager will have the complete picture of planned work, and be able to better manage unplanned work without spending undue time or resources.