Article | What are hard and soft services in facilities management?

Effective management of services and facilities in businesses will ensure the health, safety and general welfare of employees.

Making sure the required services are implemented and maintained regularly is an essential part of every successful business. There are many services that are required by law. Some of the facilities and services that need to be taken into consideration include:

Temperature	Ventilation	Cleanliness	Washing Facilities	Rest Facilities

By sustaining well-maintained facilities, the costs of repairs and downtime are greatly reduced. For easier management, these services can be divided into two groups; hard services and soft services.

HARD FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SERVICES

If the maintenance service involves a physical part of the building that cannot be removed, it is considered a hard service. These are often big projects that require management as they are related to permanent attributes of the building. They include:

• HVAC systems
• Air conditioning systems
• Plumbing and wastewater
• Lighting and electrical

NCH Facilities can help provide professional solutions for hard facility management services such as HVAC systems and wastewater treatment. Prolong the life of any HVAC system, increase efficiency and save money on costly repairs of individual drains or entire pipework systems with NCH Facilities.

SOFT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Soft services make the workplace more pleasant and secure. They are different from hard services as they do not relate directly to a physical aspect of the building. Soft facility maintenance covers the working environment with services such as:

• Cleaning
• Waste management
• Odor removal

NCH Facilities specialize in odor removal solutions across all types of industrial or commercial establishments. Areas with trash accumulation or drains, lift stations and grease traps are amongst some of the key areas that can develop odors requiring maintenance.

Both hard and soft services are needed to ensure optimal business functioning and client and employee satisfaction. The key difference between soft services and hard services is the relation to the building fabric. Hard services are considered to be traditional forms of property maintenance and have been recognized as consistent over time. Soft services have been developed out of changing corporate needs.

For any facility maintenance requirements, contact the dedicated engineers at NCH Facilities; where quality resource management is a priority. All products and programs are designed to offer the most effective solution for any application.