Here is our list of facility management books.
Facility management books are publications that provide insights and techniques for managing office complexes, warehouses, and corporate campuses. Examples are Retail Facilities Maintenance by Al Tierney and The Facility Manager’s Guide to Finance and Budgeting by David G. Cotts and Ed Rondeau. The purpose of these books is to provide practical advice on the various aspects of facility management, industry standards and regulations, and effective risk management strategies.
These titles are similar to operations management books, management science books, and supply chain management books. These resources help readers learn more about team management skills and management tips.
This list includes:
- facility management books for beginners
- facility management handbooks
- guides to facility management
Let’s begin!
List of facility management books
Books about facility management keep organizations up to date with industry regulations and standards. Here is a list of guides to facility management.
1. The Facility Management Handbook by Kathy O. Roper, David G. Cotts, and Richard P. Payant
In 2010, Kathy O. Roper, David G. Cotts, and Richard P. Payant were named Authors of the Year by the International Facility Management Association for The Facility Management Handbook. This is one of the best facility management books for beginners and provides practical tools and guidance. The advice aims to improve efficiency and create effective facilities that unite individuals, spaces, and processes. Chapters cover various topics, including planning spaces, maintenance, comparing performance, and outsourcing. The handbook also offers practical advice on designing, maintaining, and enhancing work environments to boost productivity and support eco-friendly practices. With real-world examples and essential insights into sustainability and security concerns after 9/11, this handbook remains a top resource for facility managers.
Notable quote: ”Facility management is an essential business function; the facility manager is a business manager and should be placed at the same level as the managers of human relations and/or information technology.”
Check out The Facility Management Handbook.
2. The Complete Guide to Facility Management by Dan Lowry
The Complete Guide to Facility Management tells readers everything they need to know to be a successful facility manager. In this book, Dan Lowry teaches individuals who work in facility management about four main areas of knowledge. These areas are operations and maintenance, project management, business finance, and leadership. With The Complete Guide to Facility Management, you will learn how to grow as a facility manager in a way that helps the organization get the most value.
Notable quote: ”Facility management is built on four basic knowledge domains: Operations & Maintenance, Project Management, Business Finance, and Leadership. The more we practice basics, the better we become at executing advanced functions (which we also will discuss).”
Check out The Complete Guide to Facility Management.
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3. Retail Facilities Maintenance: The Circle of Management: A 30-Year Experience Management Narrative by Al Tierney
In The Circle of Management, Al Tierney talks about what he has learned from his 30 years of experience. This book is about taking care of buildings and dealing with emergencies as a facility manager. Tierney thinks that the folks in charge of the building and maintenance can decide how things are done, both by them and by the companies they hire. In this book, you will learn about how building parts last over time, why taking care of buildings is important, and how to help companies that work on maintenance do a good job.
Notable quote: “Many of the facets of facility management are driven by changing technologies, and it is our job to inform our stakeholders how to improve the facilities we manage.”
Check out The Circle of Management.
4. Facilities Management Operations Handbook by John Williams
The Facilities Management Operations Handbook is for managers who take care of both physical services and administrative tasks. In this book, John Williams explains all the essential details you need to know to ensure daily operations go well. This book has information about setting up, managing employees, planning spaces, and following rules. Williams also helps you understand aspects like keeping supplies and measuring how well operations are going.
Notable quote: “Another driving force for using facility management is the advantage of getting a lot of diverse forms of work from the facility manager all for a fixed fee, and this can be very dangerous.”
Check out Facilities Management Operations Handbook.
5. Facilities Manager’s Desk Reference by Jane M. Wiggins
In Facilities Manager’s Desk Reference, Jane M. Wiggins discusses all the main tasks of facilities management. Additionally, Wiggins offers the necessary information to follow the laws, find clever methods to cut operational costs for buildings, and explore new approaches to using the built environment. The book addresses a wide range of both practical and administrative concerns in facilities management. This book is very hands-on and is perfect for busy facilities managers. Additionally, the resource is useful for both students studying this field and professionals already working in facilities management.
Notable quote: “Facility management is about taking control, adding value, supporting the business, and ensuring that the space and working environment enhances the productivity of the core activity and the staff.”
Check out Facilities Manager’s Desk Reference.
6. The Facility Manager’s Guide to Finance and Budgeting by David G. Cotts and Ed Rondeau
Leaders, no matter their industry, often feel overwhelmed when it comes to making financial choices. In The Facility Manager’s Guide to Finance and Budgeting, David G. Cotts and Ed Rondeau offer a guide on handling finances and budgets. This resource helps facility managers understand work plans, program planning, and creating budgets. Additionally, Cotts and Rondeau give insights into making smart money decisions for projects that need investment. The book also explains how to connect an information system and a database with a budget. By using cost indicators, readers can measure how well their facility management projects are doing. This book is a valuable tool for anyone in facility management.
Notable quote: “Upper management does not view facility managers as contributors to the corporate bottom line or even as being particularly conscious of that bottom line.”
Check out The Facility Manager’s Guide to Finance and Budgeting.
7. Facilities Management: What Really Matters: A Guide To The Human Aspect Of Successful Facilities Management by Doug Pearson
In Facilities Management, Doug Pearson delves into certain human resource aspects related to facilities management. This book brings attention to these subjects and equips facility managers with insights to enhance their leadership skills. Pearson points out that effective leadership in facility management should extend to staff members, peers, and senior management. This book encompasses various topics, including managing change, handling conflicts, the impact of a positive mindset, and delivering good customer service. Pearson emphasizes the importance of developing the facility management department, training and retraining employees, and ensuring quality through performance management.
Notable quote: “The ideal facility manager must have Aristotle’s logic and Solomon’s wisdom, a priest’s discretion and a gambler’s poker face, a lawyer’s shrewdness, and a marketing director’s charm.”
Check out Facilities Management.
8. Total Facility Management by Brian Atkin and Adrian Brooks
Total Facility Management offers a thorough understanding of facility management for facility managers, owners, operators, advisors, and occupants. Brian Atkin and Adrian Brooks guide readers through the application of facility management concepts and principles. This book also addresses typical issues encountered by professionals and students in this domain, offering practical resolutions. Readers will explore topics like managing human resources, promoting well-being, enhancing workplace productivity, and maintaining health through performance management.
Notable quote: “Effective management of non-core business (i.e., support services) enables an organization to function at its most efficient.”
Check out Total Facility Management.
9. Facilities Management: Managing Maintenance for Buildings and Facilities by Joel D. Levitt
Facilities Management is a key reference for facility management. This book focuses on the important tasks facility managers have in maintaining buildings. Joel D. Levitt discusses critical aspects of facilities maintenance and management, including risk management, building safety, operations, purchasing, and staffing. Readers can also get updated on the latest technology and government changes affecting the effective management of complex facilities.
Furthermore, this guide provides various assessment forms and practical resources for hands-on knowledge. Whether you are new to maintenance or a seasoned professional, Facilities Management is an excellent resource for managing maintenance.
Notable quote: “When the economy goes sour, property development organizations start to look to building management and, in turn, maintenance departments as a revenue source.”
Check out Facilities Management.
10. Facilities Management Cleaning Manager: Handbook by John Williams
Facilities Management Cleaning Manager stands out as one of the most top-notch facility management handbooks. Created by John Williams, this book is great for cleaning managers aiming to gain extensive insights into safe and efficient building complex maintenance. This resource covers a range of topics, including the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, safety measures, job roles, policies, and procedures in facilities management. Both novice and experienced facility managers can find this book a valuable reference guide.
Notable quote: “Look and listen and say little; the client will tell you what he wants. You must make sure you hear it and can react quickly to the message.”
Check out Facilities Management Cleaning Manager.
11. Sport Facility Operations Management: A Global Perspective by Eric C. Schwarz, Stacey A. Hall, and Simon Shibli
Sport Facility Operations Management presents contemporary concepts and top practices for effectively managing sports facilities. This book includes practical case studies, thought-provoking discussion questions, sections on modern technology, and focused discussions on specific facilities. Alongside sports-related matters, the book also addresses broader themes. Readers will learn about project management, using social and digital media, generating diverse revenue streams, and using performance analytics. This book is essential for educators and students in sport management, particularly those focusing on facility management. Professionals overseeing sports venues, whether local or large-scale international arenas, will also find this book engaging and insightful.
Notable quote: “Sport facility operations management seeks to maintain and care for public, private, and nonprofit facilities used for sport, recreation, and leisure to ensure the safe and secure production and distribution of products and services to users.”
Check out Sport Facility Operations Management.
12. Facilities Management for the Arts by Cameron Christensen
Facilities Management for the Arts condenses established best practices in facilities management from an arts management specialist. While managing facilities for arts organizations shares similarities with other businesses, unique situations can arise that even experienced facility staff may find challenging. Through this book, Cameron Christensen provides readers with a more comprehensive and nuanced perspective on what can be a demanding profession. Facilities Management for the Arts gives readers the insights needed to excel in their professional pursuits and operational roles.
Notable quote: “Security is unique, especially when we are guarding precious works of art or high-profile guest artists.”
Check out Facilities Management for the Arts.
13. Plant Management: Essential Leadership in Manufacturing Facilities by Louis Bevoc, Rachel Collinson, and Allison Shearsett
In industrial facilities, plant managers often hold a vital role. These managers interact with nearly every employee connected to the company and oversee all aspects of plant operations. To understand the responsibilities of plant managers, this book delves into their actions and methodologies. The publication also highlights the challenges these managers face in order to perform at their best. Furthermore, the authors underscore the diverse set of skills these leaders require to effectively pursue the organization’s aims and objectives.
Notable quote: “Production is the heart of a manufacturing plant. Without it, products do not get made and cannot be sold.”
Check out Plant Management.
14. Facilities Management Key Performance Indicators: for Commerce and Industry by John Williams
The heartbeat of any company or industry is its key performance indicators, also known as KPIs. These indicators make sure that industries maintain good quality and follow rules while also meeting what customers want. John Williams wrote Facilities Management Key Performance Indicators for commerce and related fields. This book aims to cover all the different areas in these fields with practical examples for each one. These KPIs work for big and complex places as well as smaller ones. This book is a great choice for readers new to facility management, and companies can benefit from its knowledge. Plus, the book saves readers from spending lots of time searching for the specific KPIs that clients ask for.
Notable quote: “We, therefore, need a system whereby we can measure our performance and keep a record of all planned and unplanned events that occur in the month.”
Check out Facilities Management Key Performance Indicators.
15. Fire Safety & Fire Fighting Systems: Facility Management by Varinder Taprial and Priya Kanwar
Several deaths have occurred due to fire outbreaks in apartment and business buildings. Sometimes, the hazards stem from insufficient fire prevention measures or fire control and rescue techniques. However, the situation is considerably better today due to increased awareness and technological improvements. In Fire Safety & Fire Fighting Systems, authors Varinder Taprial and Priya Kanwar talk about how important it is to plan, build, and operate buildings safely from fires. Taprial and Kanwar say there are ways to actively prevent and fight fires, like using special tools. However, there are also important passive measures like using the right materials and planning escape paths when designing a building. This book will teach you about both active firefighting techniques and general fire safety. This guide is useful for both new graduates and building managers.
Notable quote: “In general, a fire can cause loss of property, productivity, reputation, and human lives as well as leave a traumatic psychological impact on people affected by it.”
Check out Fire Safety & Fire Fighting Systems.
Conclusion
Facility management books are a priceless source of information for workers in facility management. These books offer advice and information on various facility management-related subjects, such as upkeep and repair, energy management, security and safety, and customer service. By reading these books, facility managers, building owners, and stakeholders can stay current on industry trends and best practices while creating practical plans for optimizing their facilities. Facility management books provide a wealth of information regardless of what stage you are in your journey.
Next up, check out these articles on management blogs and information management books.
