“The Future Belongs to Integrated Facility Management"
Is Integrated Facility Management really an evolution and not just hype?
Christoph Jaschinski: Definitely the first! But why is Integrated FM becoming more and more popular? Some advantages are obvious. An Integrated FM model bundles a wide range of services from a single source. Companies have just one central contact who coordinates everything across sites, regions, or countries. They can rely on centralized processes and standards. This reduces complexity and companies can focus on their core competencies. Integrated FM also helps to increase plant availability and create a better workplace experience.
At first, this sounds very general and can apply to different services or branches.
Not all Integrated FM is the same. Many service providers come from traditional facility management focusing on buildings. However, there are completely different requirements in manufacturing. In factories, it’s all about asset optimization, higher productivity and mitigating the losses incurred by downtime. To do this, service providers need a depth of technical understanding, must know every plant component and the conditions on site, and understand the special production challenges.
This is where another current issue comes into play: industrial companies are having major problems recruiting and retaining qualified people with technical skills over the long term. Outsourcing to a specialized service provider is one way to counter the lack of skilled staff.
What does it take to implement an Integrated FM model?
Taking facility management to the next level by implementing an Integrated FM model means a more strategic alignment of the requested outcome of the services in scope. Tailored Integrated FM concepts manage technical and administrative processes equally.
The basis for this is sound technical know-how and consideration of the entire site, not just individual orders. Production is viewed as a holistic end-to-end process, where the risk of failure must be minimized, and the whole life cycle of the facilities must be simultaneously maximized. This is the only way to create an optimal Integrated FM package that includes both hard and soft FM services.
Is there a “golden rule” for how it works ideally?
Integrated facility management is a model that often cannot be achieved in one step. The specifications and requirements of the sites are usually very different. Most often, companies start by bundling services into packages before fully outsourcing all FM activities to one service provider. Or Integrated FM is first introduced at one site and then expanded step by step across several sites, regions, in one country and finally even across countries. By switching to an Integrated FM model, companies can achieve savings of up to 25% over the contract period.
Not only does the level of Integrated FM maturity vary among companies, but there are also differences between sectors. While the awarding of Integrated FM services has been widespread and very mature for some time in the consumer goods or pharmaceutical industries, for example, Integrated FM is only now gaining momentum in the automotive sector. We are convinced that the future belongs to integrated facility management.
The initial 5 steps for a successful Integrated FM
- Start bundling services into packages and find a reliable outsourcing partner with the right set of skill
- Establish a roles and responsibilities matrix and utilize kick-off meetings to get team engagement
- Identify the main site requirements, but allow flexibility for the partner to deliver the right results
- Develop a contract model that meets your requirements and drives the right outcomes
- Use a CMMS system as the backbone for managing service performance and tracking KPIs
You may also be interested in the following articles:
All
Interview06/26/2025“We Want to Showcase What Leadec UK Has to Offer”
Tony Hampson joined as the new Managing Director of Leadec UK in June 2025. In this interview, he shares his assessment of the UK market, discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead, and explains what matters most to him in his new role.
Article05/28/2025How Waste is Turned Into a Digital Data Stream
With the solution "Digital Waste Tracking" (DWT) developed by Leadec, waste is digitally recorded and tracked at two sites of an OEM. Following a successful pilot project, the system entered regular operation in 2024. And most recently, everything has been running on Leadec’s own Industrial Cloud.
Interview05/19/2025"We can draw on many years of experience cleaning paint shops."
Michael Rayburn is right at the heart of one of today’s most exciting growth markets: cleanroom cleaning for battery cell production. In this interview, the Director of Engineering and Development explains what sets Leadec apart in the U.S. and why experience in cleaning paint shops is a major advantage.
Interview04/24/2025“Our People are the Lifeblood of Diversified Automation”
Diversified Automation (DA) has been part of the Leadec Group since 2020, and Tom Gallagher has been leading the company since 2024. In this interview, he reflects on major milestones, market opportunities, innovation—and why his team is the true backbone of success.
Article04/04/2025¡Adelante! – Joining the Leadec Team with Motivation and Know-How
Two young electronics technicians from Spain kick off their careers at Leadec in Garbsen. This is made possible through the ¡Adelante! project, which helps young professionals from Spain enter the German job market.
Video03/12/2025The foundation of our work: respect, team spirit and variety
Leadec employees explain what respect, team spirit and variety mean to them and how these values characterize their day-to-day work at Leadec.
Article03/05/2025Digital Asset Recording on a New Level
For almost two years, the LARA asset recording app has been in use at Leadec. Since then, our digitalization journey has progressed significantly: Welcome LARA 2.0!
Video02/04/2025Working at Leadec: Arabella about variety
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Arabella describes why her work at Leadec is varied.
Video01/29/2025Working at Leadec: Ömer about team spirit
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Ömer describes how he experiences team spirit at Leadec.
Brochure01/20/2025Company brochure: At the heart of manufacturing
Our company brochure provides an overview of our services, our culture and references and shows the advantages of working with Leadec.
Video01/10/2025Working at Leadec: Pedro about respect
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Pedro describes how he experiences respect in his work.
Video12/17/2024With a clear strategy: How Leadec leverages on Artificial Intelligence
In this video, COO Markus Hucko and Bernd Voelpel, Head of Smart Factory Group, provide insights into our AI strategy, which is based on four pillars.
Interview11/07/2024“A Shoebox Worth a Six-Digit Amount”
Companies within the semiconductor industry place particularly high demands on logistics. In this interview, Gert Brandl, who works in account management for the semiconductor sector at Leadec and is the project manager in charge, explains why the company developed its own track and trace software for a customer and what makes it so special.
Interview10/22/2024“EU Green Deal Readiness – We are ahead of time.”
In this interview, Markus Bölke, Global Head of Green Factory Solutions, Sustainability & HSE at Leadec gives an insight into how the company has anchored the EU Green Deal in its strategy and how Leadec supports its customers with special services to make their own production more climate-neutral.
Video10/07/2024Working at Leadec: Edit about team spirit
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Edit describes what team spirit means to her.
Interview10/02/2024“Cleanrooms Are Just Beautiful”
Protective clothing, a sterile environment, and air locks: cleanrooms are a very special working environment. In this interview, Steve Koch, who works at Leadec’s Dresden site, talks about what it’s like to work under extremely strict conditions and what he appreciates about it.
Interview09/24/2024Leonarda’s journey: from specialist to trainer
Leonarda started at Leadec in Brazil in 2019 as a health and safety specialist in a team of 50 people. She is now a health and safety trainer and passes on her knowledge while commuting between customer sites and dedicating herself to the most important thing: the safety of employees.
Interview09/18/2024“Together, we can make a difference!”
In the interview with Bernard Sextus, Director Operations of Leadec India, you can learn more about how every little contribution to climate protection counts, how data can be used to improve awareness and what Leadec colleagues in India actively do.
Video08/30/2024Working at Leadec: Bernd about variety
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Bernd describes why his work at Leadec is varied.
Article08/27/2024‘Future-ready’ – A Week Dedicated to Further Training
The Leadec Learning Week is a really big event in the Leadec calendar. There is a lot of preparation behind it and the aim of the ‘power week’ is to offer attractive internal training sessions via the Leadec Campus and to allow work and learning to merge.
Interview08/13/2024Five Years of Leadec.os – Driver For Digital Transformation
Leadec.os has been standardizing and digitizing Leadec’s service processes across systems for 5 years. Michael Schenk, Global Head of Business Applications, looks back and talks about milestones and the impact of the platform on the whole company.
Video07/22/2024Working at Leadec: Hatice about respect
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Hatice describes how she experiences respect in her work.
Article07/16/2024Sustainability Report 2023: “Driving sustainable manufacturing together”
The new sustainability report is available – and for the first time it is based on the new requirements of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). At the same time, it provides a comprehensive overview of projects and activities relating to sustainability at Leadec.
Video07/15/2024Working at Leadec: Marc about team spirit
Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Marc describes what team spirit looks like in his department.