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Stewart Tai is the Manager of Facilities Management at National Health Group, and oversees sustainability and innovation projects at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
Stewart Tai joined Alexandra Hospital (AH) in 2000 as Manager of Facilities Management (FM). He was appointed the role of overseeing the sustainability, innovation and safety projects in 2004. As an FM specialist in healthcare, he travelled widely to various Asian countries to exchange ideas on energy efficiency with other industry experts.
He was elected to the Mechanical, Electrical and Green Mark Committee. This committee led the design planning and development of Green building features for Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).
A facilities manager’s role is to provide seamless and undisrupted service on top of revolutionising the technical aspects of optimising energy use – Images courtesy of KTPH
How have FM roles evolved and how did the sector perform in 2017? What is the impact of FM on the building and construction industry in Singapore?
The role of a facilities manager has evolved from purely providing technical solutions in the past to that of managing changes and expectations of tenants and owners today. Though energy efficiency has been moving up the priority list of most building owners and companies, they also do not want to be inconvenienced whilst pursuing it. Therefore, a facilities manager’s role is to provide seamless and undisrupted service on top of revolutionising the technical aspects of optimising energy use.
Demand for quality FM to improve efficiency has grown significantly in 2017 and looks to grow steadily over the next few years as the drive to go Green in smart ways ramps up in Singapore. New and upcoming buildings are placing more emphasis on their designs to maximise energy efficiency and for easier replacement and enhancement of assets over the longer term.
In recent years, property owners and stakeholders have recognised the relevance and importance of FM as an important part of their business strategy.
Growing awareness for sustainability and energy conservation led to the creation of energy management demand in Singapore – Images courtesy of KTPH
Tell us about your guiding approach to FM and in managing users’ expectations as a facilities manager at AH?
Our guiding approach towards FM is focused on treating our customers the way we treat our loved ones, and providing them with the best facilities possible within our means.
In addition, we believe in continuously improving the status quo and are always identifying ways to optimise utility and costs. We measure key performance indicators (KPIs) through internal customer satisfaction surveys and external mystery shopper surveys.
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