Facilities Management in the Post-Secondary Sector

Case Studies

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01.

Role clarity collapse masked as performance issues

A facilities team was under sustained pressure, with missed expectations attributed to individual performance and capacity gaps. The underlying issue was unclear mandates, overlapping roles, and decisions being made in the wrong places.Clarifying role purpose, decision rights, and interfaces restored accountability, reduced rework, and stabilized delivery without adding headcount.

02.

Firefighting driven by unmanaged intake and priorities

Work was arriving from multiple channels with no control over intake, sequencing, or trade-offs, creating constant urgency and visible instability. Leadership believed the issue was workload volume, but the system had no mechanism to define what mattered most.Introducing a structured intake and prioritization model shifted the operation from reactive absorption to controlled delivery.

03.

Cost pressure without operating model change

The institution reduced budget while expecting the same service levels, resulting in rising complaints, deferred work, and increased risk exposure. The operating model remained unchanged, so the system simply redistributed pressure rather than reducing it.Redesigning workflows, decision gates, and service expectations aligned capacity with priorities and restored credibility under constraint.

04.

FM positioned downstream with no influence on outcomes

Facilities was consistently engaged after scope, budget, and timelines were set, leaving the team to absorb consequences it could not control. Performance issues were visible, but the root cause was structural positioning, not execution capability.Worked with senior leadership to reposition FM into upstream planning conversations which reduced downstream instability and improved cost and schedule reliability.

05.

Activity mistaken for control

Leadership had extensive reporting and oversight mechanisms, yet outcomes remained unpredictable and issues continued to escalate. The system produced high activity but lacked clear ownership of decisions and end-to-end workflows.Simplifying governance and aligning decision rights to accountability converted activity into control and improved predictability.

06.

Cross-functional breakdown at the white space

Projects and operations were breaking down at the interfaces between departments, with no clear ownership of coordination. Each team was performing within its mandate, but the gaps between them were unmanaged and generating failure demand.Defining shared processes and interface accountability reduced friction and improved end-to-end delivery.

07.

Burnout driven by structural overload, not effort

A high-performing team was experiencing sustained burnout despite strong individual capability and commitment. The issue was not effort or competence, but a system that continuously generated unstructured work and unresolved priorities.Restructuring intake, clarifying roles, and removing duplication reduced load and improved sustainability without reducing standards.

08.

Leadership risk without decision-grade visibility

Senior leaders lacked a clear view of facilities performance, risk exposure, and trade-offs, making decisions reactive and difficult to defend. The information existed but was not translated into a form that supported executive judgement.Implementing a shared scorecard and structured reporting created visibility, improved decision quality, and strengthened institutional confidence.