18 May 2018. Today, Waterfall played host to the SAFAM in honour of World Facilities Management Day. The event provides an opportunity to reflect on the important role and contribution that facilities managers across the world make to the efficient running and management of commercial properties.
Founded by Global FM (the Facilities Management Associations), World FM Day aims to create awareness about the facilities management industry as whole and highlight its contribution to the economy. This year’s theme ‘Enabling Positive Experiences’, will provide insight into how facilities managers ensure positive customer, client and employee experiences. It goes without saying that at the heart of facilities management is the desire to improve the health, safety, productivity and well-being of people who utilise the built environment.
Attacq Limited, (Attacq), the JSE listed property company developing Waterfall City and Waterfall Logistics Hub, is a world-class facilities management organisation and counts amongst its assets the largest single-phase mall in Africa, aptly named the Mall of Africa. Waterfall City was developed as an accessible and functional lifestyle city where people can live work and play. Over and above its great access, location and proximity to amenities, its sophisticated infrastructure is a great benchmark for efficient and effective facilities management.
“For us, facilities management is about getting back to basics and doing the little things exceptionally well. For instance, here at Mall of Africa we pride ourselves on how clean our toilets are and the friendliness of our staff. Facilities management focuses on positive experiences; it’s about creating a safe and enjoyable environment for all our visitors,” says Giles Pendleton, Head of Development at Attacq.
The Facilities Management Network event in celebration of World FM Day, held at Waterfall provided the opportunity for different stakeholders within the facilities management fraternity to share knowledge, discuss best practice and to promote the profession. Central to the conversation was the role facilities management can play in ensuring effective workplace engagement.
“As facility managers, we need to be constantly innovating and rethinking how we can design our workplaces to increase productivity and encourage creativity and collaboration, all within a safe, efficiently managed and conducive business environment” Kim Veltman, SAFMA General Manager.