‘As a Facility Manager, I ensure that people can do their work well and comfortably, and that everything around them is taken care of. '
Tessa Hilbrands is Facility Manager at Zwartwoud. What exactly does a Facility Manager do? And what does that specifically entail for Zwartwoud? Tessa explains.
How does my day start? It varies greatly! Sometimes I haven't even unpacked my bag and the first report or malfunction has already come in. Other days, I grab a big cup of tea and go through the messages and emails that have arrived.
When you look at Facility Management, many facets fall under it: such as landscaping, catering, fleet management, building management, housing, interior design, office supplies, security, and cleaning.
The IT department also falls under my responsibility. We ensure that everyone has a workspace with the necessary equipment. Additionally, everything must be clean and safe. I take care of that.
'Actually, I'm a bit of an organizer, haha!'
One project I've been heavily involved with recently is the roof renovation. You request multiple quotes, compare them, select two or so contenders, and invite them for a discussion. Once a supplier has been chosen, you ensure everything is properly covered in terms of insurance. The product itself also had to be determined; the choices are endless. The chosen material provides a better indoor climate for our employees.
How did I end up at Zwartwoud? Through handball! I played for Kwiek Raalte and was looking for a job in the North. The chairman of Kwiek is a good friend of our director Karst, and he connected us. I started at Zwartwoud as an Account Manager and began working on the Z-2-Home project.
After a year, we decided to discontinue Z-2-Home. I enjoyed my work, but I still had the desire to do something with my Facility Management degree. When I expressed that, they were actually quite pleased. Now I feel like I'm in the right place; I can truly express myself in this role.
Facility management is organized very differently from company to company, also in terms of the degree of professionalization. Factory maintenance was a new topic for me. I hadn't covered that in such detail at school. I've since gained a lot of knowledge about it.
What I enjoy about my job is its versatility. You never know in advance what your day will look like, and you're often busy with many different aspects in a single day. I love being able to organize things so that they run smoothly, and everyone can do their work comfortably. I guess I am a bit of an organizer, haha!
I really enjoy Zwartwoud's core business, interior construction. Being able to walk to the back and see what we're doing. It's never boring here: never a dull moment. You just catch up, and then something new comes our way. There are weeks when I think: how are we going to pull this off?! But it always works out in the end.
'I initially thought circularity was just for 'tree-huggers'.'
I also deal with a part of quality management in the form of certifications, together with Herman. We don't just consider sustainability important in our work for clients; we also focus on it as much as possible within our own company. To guarantee the quality of this, Zwartwoud holds various quality certifications: ISO14001, ISO9001, CO2 Performance Ladder, VCA, FSC, CSR, and Ecovadis. Additionally, we are a recognized training company. All of this information can also be found on our website, by the way.
Every year, we undergo (internal) audits for these, and we ensure that all necessary data is provided and questions are answered.
When you can see that a company has a certain certification, it indicates that they consider and care for the environment and quality. With the CO2 Performance Ladder, for example, you can now gain a competitive advantage in tenders. Through certifications, we show the outside world that we are consciously engaged in these efforts.
I initially thought circularity was just for 'tree-huggers'. But now, when I look at the interiors we develop for our clients, I think it's really cool. We are currently using the world, and I believe you have to consider the future and the people who will still want to enjoy the world then. But sometimes I also think: we, the Netherlands, as a small country, worry about this, but the rest of the world still needs to get on board!
As a company, we must comply with various laws and regulations, such as the energy saving obligation. We are required to implement all energy-saving measures with a payback period of 5 years or less.
Challenges sometimes arise because we had some deferred maintenance on the building and needed to catch up. Additionally, we naturally have our fixed costs. Everything can't happen at once; prioritization is very important here.
My favorite project was the internal relocation. It was really time to spruce things up here. New floors, a fresh coat of paint on the walls, and a few glass partitions here and there to create extra meeting rooms and offices. Now we're working on renovating the restrooms and the canteen, and that makes me so happy! It's so much fun to be involved in this!
My goal is to constantly make the work environment a little better or more beautiful. And whether that means making it greener, in terms of plants or for the environment, doesn't matter. Always improving a little bit. An inspiring environment.
Zwartwoud is a very diverse group of fun, pleasant, and smart people. That diversity and those differences make it interesting. That you can create beautiful things together. That's what I do it for.’
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