Outsourcing Dilemma: The Search for Competitiveness, The

Outsourcing terms

Facilities management

The term ’facilities management’ (FM) is sometimes used interchangeably with the term ’outsourcing’. However, whereas outsourcing is associated with adding value, an FM agreement simply transfers responsibility for the management of existing staff, property and equipment. For example, where an organization wishes to transfer just that part of its IT function that deals with established or legacy systems, including all staff, hardware, systems software and communications involved in the day-to-day running of the function, a conventional FM agreement should suffice. However, if it also wishes to transfer the development of applications systems and the applications staff, then it would be more correct to ...