Ask employees what shapes their daily experience at work, and the answer is rarely the org chart -- it is the building: whether the air conditioning works, whether meeting rooms are available, whether the workplace feels safe and well run. That daily reality is exactly what facilities management now controls, which is why the function has moved from a maintenance afterthought to a seat at the strategic table. This course, delivered by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy as the Strategic Facilities Management: Developing High-Performance Building Operations and Workplace Services Training Course, equips participants with the leadership perspective and practical tools needed to make that shift.

Trainees examine how facilities strategy is built, how workplace services and asset management support organisational goals, and how operational excellence, risk and technology come together across the building lifecycle -- all with a view to elevating facilities management from a support function into a driver of organisational performance and long-term asset value.

• Explain how facilities management shapes employee experience and organisational performance.
• Develop a facilities management strategy aligned with organisational objectives.
• Apply operational excellence principles to building operations and service delivery.
• Design workplace service models that support productivity, satisfaction and hybrid working.
• Manage assets across the building lifecycle, from acquisition to disposal.
• Apply performance measurement, risk, compliance and sustainability practices within facilities strategy.
• Lead cross-functional teams and stakeholders using technology and data-driven decision-making.

Target Group

• Facilities managers and directors of building operations.
• Workplace services managers and corporate real estate professionals.
• Asset and property managers.
• Operations managers responsible for building performance.
• Health, safety, and compliance officers within facilities functions.
• Procurement and vendor management professionals in FM services.
• Anyone seeking to build strategic leadership capabilities in facilities management.

Module 1: Setting the Direction -- From Operational Function to Facilities Strategy

• Evolution of facilities management from operational to strategic function.
• Components of an effective facilities management strategy and conducting facilities audits.
• Aligning facilities planning with organisational growth, budgeting and resource allocation.
• Communicating facilities strategy to senior leadership.

Module 2: Running the Building -- Operational Excellence in Practice

• Principles of operational excellence in building management.
• Optimising maintenance programmes and building performance.
• Managing service level agreements and preventive/predictive maintenance.
• Continuous improvement methodologies applied to FM operations.

Module 3: Designing for People -- Workplace Services and Employee Experience

• Designing workplace service models that support productivity.
• Managing space planning and workplace utilisation.
• Delivering soft services: cleaning, security, catering and reception.
• Adapting workplace services to hybrid and flexible working models.

Module 4: Managing What You Own -- Asset Management Across the Building Lifecycle

• Principles of strategic asset management, from acquisition through to disposal.
• Lifecycle costing and capital planning for building assets.
• Condition assessment, asset performance monitoring and risk integration.

Module 5: Protecting and Proving Value -- Risk, Sustainability, Performance and Technology

• Managing health, safety, regulatory compliance and operational risk.
• Embedding sustainability and energy management practices into facilities strategy.
• Key performance indicators, benchmarking and data analytics for FM decisions.
• Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) and smart building technology.

Module 6: Leading the Function -- Stakeholders, Teams and Change

• Building leadership capability within the facilities management function.
• Managing relationships with internal stakeholders and senior management.
• Leading high-performing facilities teams and managing vendor relationships.
• Driving organisational change through facilities leadership.