Marina Da Silva, DG of Ivoire Facility Management (IFM): In an economic environment where the pursuit of competitiveness requires the control of operating expenses, pragmatic building management is emerging as a key lever for economic stakeholders in Côte d'Ivoire. Far beyond the preventive or corrective treatment of installations, facility management offers an opportunity to streamline infrastructure usage, limit unexpected breakdowns, and ensure operational continuity while guaranteeing optimal working conditions.
This structured governance facilitates financial control and the long-term preservation of fixed assets. In this interview, Marina Da Silva attempts to explain how effective building management contributes to the performance of Ivorian companies.
It is an opportunity for her to detail the challenges of real estate asset management, to highlight the operational contribution of integrated services, and to share strategic orientations aimed at transforming professional spaces into true drivers of efficiency. What are the main challenges currently encountered by Ivorian companies in the management of their buildings and equipment?
Ivorian companies operate in an environment where infrastructure availability, control of operating costs, and business continuity have become major issues. However, building management is still often addressed in an essentially corrective manner: one intervenes when a breakdown occurs, rather than anticipating it.
The main challenges notably concern the maintenance of technical equipment, energy consumption, the management of service providers, facility security, or the ability to have a clear view of building-related costs. A structured approach precisely enables a shift from a reactive logic to a proactive one.
How can facility management contribute directly to a company's performance? Facility management must no longer be considered solely as a support function.
When well-organized, it contributes directly to the company's operational performance. A well-maintained building limits business interruptions, improves equipment lifespan, and allows for better expense control.
It also offers employees a more comfortable and safer work environment. The ultimate goal is to allow the company to focus on its core business, while ensuring its work environment functions optimally.
Can significant savings actually be achieved through better building management? Yes, especially when the company adopts a preventive approach.
Regular maintenance, for example, helps avoid certain major breakdowns, which can lead to much more costly repairs or business interruptions. There are also significant levers regarding energy consumption, equipment management, and the optimization of maintenance contracts.
The challenge is not simply to reduce expenses, but to better anticipate them and transform sometimes unpredictable costs into controlled and planned expenditures. What is the impact of building quality on employees and productivity?
The work environment plays a significant role in the employee experience. Air conditioning, lighting, air quality, cleanliness, security, or even equipment functionality can have a very concrete impact on working conditions.
When these elements are properly managed, employees can work in a more comfortable environment and focus more on their missions. Facility management therefore also contributes to issues of quality of life at work and, more broadly, to corporate attractiveness.
How can the effectiveness of a facility management policy be measured concretely? It is necessary to move away from management based solely on intuition to implement precise indicators.
One can, in particular, track the number and frequency of breakdowns, intervention response times, equipment availability rates, maintenance costs, energy consumption, or occupant satisfaction levels. The objective is to have data available to identify malfunctions, anticipate necessary investments, and continuously improve building performance.
What role does technology play today in building management? Technology is gradually transforming facility management.
Digital tools now allow for centralizing information related to equipment, scheduling maintenance, and...