Soft FM vs Hard FM: Soft Facilities Management & Hard Facilities Management.

Soft FM & Hard FM? 

Facilities management is an integral part of any optimal workspace, responsible for maintaining efficiency, cost effectiveness, and comfort within your business. Although facilities management covers a wide range of services (click here to learn more!), it generally comes in two forms; Soft Facilities Management (Soft FM), and Hard Facilities Management (Hard FM). 

Put simply: Facilties Management is Hard on the outside, and Soft on the inside!

What is Soft Facilities Management (Soft FM)? 

Soft Facilities Management refers to services that make the workspace a more pleasant environment and deals with human comfort; these services generally focus on enhancing the immediate customer and employee experience, and are normally provided and/ or managed by people. 

Examples of Soft FM Services: 

• Cleaning: regular cleaning of office space, lavatories, and communal areas maintains good hygiene and a pleasant working environment. 
• Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance: improves the aesthetic appeal of your facility, can improve environmental impact, and makes traversing your site much more enjoyable, ensuring footpaths and car parks remain easy to use. 
• Catering and Vending: providing food and drink by means ranging from a full canteen and kitchen, to vending machines. 
• Reception and Concierge Services: front desk management, including sign-ins and outs, escorts, and postal services.   
• Security: management of access, surveillance, open and lock, and where necessary on-site dedicated guards to ensure the security of personnel and assets. 
• Pest Control: ensure that your facility remains pest free. 
• Waste Management: efficient disposal of general waste, garden waste, and recycling. 

What is Hard Facilities Management (Hard FM)? 

Hard Facilities Management refers to the physical infrastructure of your building, makes sure that you are complying with regulations, and that your workspace is both safe and fully functional. Hard FM services are generally more technical, and require specialised knowledge used to maintain these systems and structural components. 

Examples of Hard FM Services: 

• Building Maintenance: regular maintenance and repair of the buildings structure, including walls, roofs, flooring, and windows. 
• HVAC Maintenance: maintaining the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning of the building to provide a satisfactory working temperature year-round and to ensure minimum heating/cooling requirements are met. 
• Fire Safety Systems: installation and subsequent maintenance of systems such as alarms and sprinklers. 
• M&E Maintenance: ensuring that both the Mechanical systems, such as elevators and plant machinery, and Electrical systems, such as the buildings wiring and appliances, are operational and safe. 
• Plumbing and Water Systems: maintaining the plumbing and sewage systems, whilst ensuring the availability of quality water. 

What are the main differences between Soft FM and Hard FM? 

Whilst both Soft FM and Hard FM are crucial for a smooth-running business, they differ in approach, frequency, and expertise required. 

Soft FM services are usually non-technical, and more people orientated, focusing on achieving the most comfortable user experience during the workday; in comparison, Hard FM services are more technical and infrastructure oriented, focusing on the building itself and the systems within it. 

Soft FM services require a higher frequency of hands-on implementation (for example, cleaners, security personnel, landscapers), often requiring daily attention; Hard FM services instead follow a more periodic scheduling, determined by both the infrastructure of the building and the legal requirements relating to the service (whether this be a monthly fire door inspection, or annual Portable Appliance Testing).

The required skillsets for Soft FM services also differ to those of Hard FM services; Soft FM services typically require a focus on customer service and operations, whereas Hard FM services require technical skillsets and knowledge. 

Finally, Soft FM services directly impact the day-to-day user experience of the facilities occupants, promoting a comfortable environment, whereas Hard FM services are far less visible, ensuring that the building meets health and safety regulations and that the building stays operational. 

Why do I need both Soft FM and Hard FM? 

For your organisation to run at peak performance, both Soft FM and Hard FM services are essential. By integrating both Soft FM and Hard FM services, you can ensure that both your workspace environment and infrastructure are kept to a high standard. This increases employee satisfaction and reduces risks. Regular maintenance of both Soft FM and Hard FM services can also prevent unexpected costly repairs, saving money in the long run and reducing any downtime. 

SEFM are proud to offer both Soft Facilities Management and Hard Facilities Management services across the UK; if you need any help with your facility, fill out our form by clicking here and a member of our team will be happy to assist you!