At Royal Services we pride ourselves on being problem solvers who will do whatever it takes to keep our clients' stores up and running. In order for us to be able to help our clients we need to be able to listen to what is causing them the most problems, and propose alternative approaches that will allow them to overcome the many roadblocks they face.
In my role as Director of Business Development, it is critical to be in tune with what is going on in the world of retail facilities. As a member of PRSM, I decided that I would take the RFMP exam so that I could get a better understanding of the everyday life of a modern day multi-site facility manager. To say that I now have a completely different level of appreciation for these professionals is a huge understatement.
These individuals find themselves in an environment that is constantly changing due to factors including consumer behavior, e-commerce, technology advancements, and requirements associated with ADA compliance, local codes, and OSHA. Staying up to date with these factors is a huge challenge in itself, but when you add in the decision making that is unique for each service request received, it's easy to see why good facility managers are so valuable to their organizations.
When I sat down with my study guide for the RFMP I thought that it would be very simple to the LEED Green Associate assessment that I sat back in 2016. Lots of factual recall but not much use of this information in actual settings. Oh how I was wrong.
There literally were no simple answers with any of the questions that I faced during this 2 hour assessment. The settings were different with stand alone stores, mall based stores, and those based in strip malls. The conditions varied from hot and humid in Florida to dry and barren in the desert of Arizona and Las Vegas. The time of year varied, there were differences in the age of equipment to consider, lease information to digest, and communication with store managers who typically are not very well versed in the maintenance of an HVAC system. The complexity of the decisions that FMs make dozens of times a day is truly remarkable.
I am so happy that I took this assessment as it really opened my eyes up to what a challenging position this is. We hear it from FM professionals all the time that they are constantly being asked to do more with less, while all the time the environment around them continues to change. If you have an incredible FM professional on your team be sure to let them know how much you appreciate them because their job is far from simple.
If you are looking for support with your FM needs but are not interested in building an internal facilities team, we can help. For over 25 years we have partnered with some of the nation's most respected retailers to act as an extension of their team for the construction, maintenance, and updates of their stores. If you are interested in exploring a partnership with Royal and how it could benefit your organization please Contact Us today to schedule a free consultation.
I am happy to say that I was successful in passing the RFMP and now look forward to continuing to grow my knowledge of the industry.