Facilities Check List
Practical, step-by-step guides for the busy FM
March 2000
The Schoenhardt Model of Facilities Planning
There are many approaches to facilities planning, but the best ones take a strategic approach, balancing worker needs with company goals.
One such strategic approach is used by Schoenhardt Architects. It is based on the assumption that facilities should attempt to achieve a desirable return on shareholder equity without sacrificing creativity, collaboration or innovation.
Their approach to facilities planning is to ask the right questions, such as: Where is the business headed? How does facility planning link with marketing and branding, recruitment and retention, and new product development? What are the desired work flow, work pattern, and work style?
Schoenhardt architects also use a six-step approach to facilities planning:
Step One: Management Overview
The management overview, aimed at identifying the corporation’s strategic vision, focuses on vision, mission, long-term direction, key business objectives, and organizational topics such as leadership, style, business climate, and communication.Step Two: Focus Group Discussions
Focus group discussions are open discussions that take place with selected employees and revolve around four topics: organizational issues, business direction, client expectations, and work flow and workplace assessment. Focus groups allow people to freely discuss where their business is going, what their customers expect, and how the workplace performs for them.
Step Three: Individual Assessments
Individual assessment forms are given to employees who attend focus group sessions. These questionnaires ask for information about how time is spent in the office, how individuals work with their computer and with one another, and how the workplace hinders and/or enhances their productivity.
Step Four: Time Use
A time-use study is conducted by an individual who observes and records how the space is actually being used. This study involves a number of observations at specific locations within the office, conducted at regular intervals over a specified period of time.
Step Five: Documentation
Site documentation enables a verification of existing conditions in the space and includes an assessment of furniture and filing use and requirements.
Step Six: Design Translation
Design and translations are then combined with universal planning concepts and reuse of inventory to design floor plans to meet the long-term business direction, acknowledge work patterns and work styles, address productivity blockers, and use space flexibly and efficiently. Combining this exercise with the development of operating guidelines and post-occupancy evaluations helps ensure further success and continual improvement.
The Schoenhardt approach, while seemingly emphasizing space planning, does it within the context of the primary business plan. Steps are taken to see that any recommendations or changes are evaluated against the overall plan.
This installment of FM Check List is adapted from BOMI Institute’s Facilities Planning and Project Management course, ( www.bomi-edu.org/13051.html), a required course in BOMI Institute’s Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) program.
