A Strategic Approach to Target Capital Investment on Facility Assets: Literature Review

Analysis of a strategic planning framework, proposed by Edward Zielinski, focused on reducing operational costs in Facility Management (FM) through using long-term best practices in capital investment. This paper indicates how that framework may assist in the FM decision process of capital investment allocation. The framework structure is integrated through: (1) alignment of FM decisions to the organizational strategy; (2) measuring FM performance with a data-driven approach; and (3) standardization of budgeting processes as support for FM credibility. The authors use a Structured Literature Review to investigate how previous research of the topic and subtopics supports the framework's objectives. Emphasis on referenced case studies aims to investigate the applicability of this framework by FM practitioners. The framework is fully applicable to FM operations. The case study analysis suggests it is a powerful tool for supporting capital investment decisions in organizations. Benefits foreseen include: value creation through alignment of FM decisions to organizational goals, risk control in short-, mid- and long-term FM decisions, creation of structured procedures for FM data acquisition supporting stakeholders' decisions, increased FM credibility through budgeting process standardization, improvement of FM operations efficiency, and senior management awareness of FM priorities. This paper encourages FM practitioners to structure their daily operations by addressing the three most challenging aspects of this profession: understand the client, capitalize valuable knowledge, and secure funding.