One of Bernard Williams’ earlier works, ‘Premises Audits’ published in 1988, commented “Organisations are seldom static – the political, economic and technical climate surrounding them changes, affecting the technology available to do their job, the markets they work in, the products they deal in and the activities they undertake. The result is a great deal of fluidity.” This philosophy – although valid at that time – is perhaps even more relevant today, and is reflected throughout this latest offering on Facilities Economics in the European Union.

The authors successfully embrace guiding principles designed to help facilities managers control a wide spectrum of business costs, all of which will impact their organisation’s overall performance and profitability. They begin by adapting a definition from “The Wealth of Nations” to set the scene, describing facilities economics as “the study of man’s efforts to create wealth through the provision, use and management of facilities.”

It is just not possible in a single volume, no matter how large – and with 850 pages this book is large – to cover every aspect of facilities economics in the European Union. Nevertheless, the authors come close. There are many charts, tables and diagrams throughout, making for rapid assimilation of detailed points, and the book is well laid out in easy-to-follow format. It contains a wealth of information on topics ranging from facilities management organisational structures to space management; energy efficiency to risk management; and whole-life economics to VAT issues across the EU. There is a useful table of Statutes and Guidelines, a Glossary of Terms used and a comprehensive Index, all of which help the reader to navigate between the rich sources of information.

In this book the editor and specialist contributors have succeeded in building on the foundation created by their previous work to provide an excellent introduction to international facilities management. There is an appendix reporting on the results of the third phase of the EuroFM Benchmark project; a section covering the role of financial incentives in attracting mobile investment in the EU; while another gives an overview of European Health and Safety Legislation.

As facilities management continues to become established as the overarching conduit within the cross-disciplinary matrix of traditional building and management professions, there is a growing requirement for publications of this quality. If you can find time only for one reference text on the topic then this book must be a strong contender.

Alan Jordan
Course Director
Postgraduate Diploma in Facilities Management
The College of Estate Management