Organisation of facilities management in relation to core business

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to clarify the organisational relationships between facilities management (FM) and core business (CB) and how these relationships vary for strategic and operational support functions.Design/methodology/approachThe research takes a starting point in Michael Porter's theory of value chains but also draws on theory of strategic FM, governance and forms of coordination. The value chains for CBs and support functions are analysed and related to empirical data from a case study on a broadcasting corporation during a major relocation.FindingsA particular support value chain is identified and a typology of archetypes of support functions is developed. The relationship between CB and strategic support is identified as primarily a general business orientation, while the relationship between CB and non‐strategic functions is identified as mainly a specific customer orientation. It is concluded that a market relationship – internally or externally – is appropriate for non‐strategic functions, while it is important to create a kind of coalition between strategic FM functions and the CB management.Originality/valueThe paper provides a theoretical‐ and empirical‐based analysis of the organisation of FM in relation to CB. The proposed solution of creating a strategic coalition has not been suggested before in scientific literature, but a recent example in practice has occurred. This supports the proposal and shows its value for practitioners.