24 Things Every Facility Professional Should Know.
The foundation of the ProFM credential is the ProFM Body of Knowledge, which defines the 19 functional FM knowledge areas and five cross-functional competencies required of today’s facility management professionals.
In 2017, ProFMI and the ProFMI Commission led a research study with input from more than 3,300 professionals spanning 93 countries. This body of knowledge was the result and was reviewed and validated again in 2021.
See the ProFM Body of Knowledge in Action.
Choose a video below and watch the ProFM Body of Knowledge come to life.
ProFM Body of Knowledge Video Topics
An Introduction to the
ProFM Body of Knowledge (2:34)
Stormy Friday, MPA, Hon. FMA, IFMA Fellow
President, The Friday Group
Chair, ProFMI Commission
Asset Management in Action
for Today’s FMs (4:59)
John Hajduk, ProFM
Vice President Facilities Services, Sodexo
Risk Management in Action
for Today’s FMs (5:56)
Stan Mitchell
CEO, Key Facilities Management Intl.
Operations & Maintenance in Action
for Today’s FMs (4:28)
Caroline Horton
Facilities Associate, Prominent Asset Management Business
Business Management in Action
for Today’s FMs (4:17)
Attilio (Leo) Somma, ProFM, MBA, CFM, SFP, FMP
Facility Complex Manager, Brookhaven National Laboratory (Retired)
Cross-Functional Competencies
in Action for Today’s FMs (3:51)
Stan Mitchell, Sharon Jaye, Terry Vergon, John Hajduk, Stormy Friday
Who Participated in the Facility Management Body of Knowledge Research Study?
No one knows what it takes to be a facility professional better than those who live it every day. The ProFM Body of Knowledge survey, conducted in 2017, identified and validated the 24 competencies and knowledge areas.
Here’s a summary of all the facility professionals from around the world who helped define the ProFM Body of Knowledge.
The foundation of the ProFM® credential is the ProFM Body of Knowledge, which defines the 19 functional FM knowledge areas and five cross-functional competencies required of today’s facility management professionals. This body of knowledge is the result of an extensive 2017 research study led by ProFMI and the ProFMI Commission, with input from more than 3,300 professionals spanning 93 countries.
The five cross-functional competencies of communication, sustainability, quality, innovation, and collaboration are the key to successfully implementing the functional FM knowledge areas in the ProFM Body of Knowledge course materials. These 19 areas make up four main facility management responsibilities, including:
FM asset management
Understanding your facility’s vital assets will give you control over specifics such as construction, project management, and capital and strategic planning.
FM risk management
Running a safe and compliant facility is of the utmost importance, and our Body of Knowledge covers all aspects of this, including emergency management, security, and environmental health and safety.
FM operations & maintenance
Everyday facility management maintenance impacts all aspects of operations. Gaining a more profound understanding through our ProFM course areas such as technical and occupant services, as well as work, utility, and space management will take your FM abilities to the next level.
FM business management
The business management section of the Body of Knowledge will teach you invaluable skills to improve your understanding of a wide range of FM operations strategies. Our past students have attested to these skills being extremely useful on a day-to-day basis.
An Introduction to the
ProFM Body of Knowledge (2:34)
Stormy Friday, MPA, Hon. FMA, IFMA Fellow
President, The Friday Group
Chair, ProFMI Commission
With the industry changing rapidly in terms of regulatory and professional expectations, the Body of Knowledge gives a great foundation for students to build upon.
Asset Management in Action
for Today’s FMs (4:59)
John Hajduk, ProFM
Vice President Facilities Services, Sodexo
FM asset management is controlling the assets your company derives money from. In the ProFM credential program, you will gain the knowledge and experience to make all your assets more efficient.
Risk Management in Action
for Today’s FMs (5:56)
Stan Mitchell
CEO, Key Facilities Management Intl.
FM risk management is an expansive and critical part of the facilities management process which should be applied to all areas of your business.
Operations & Maintenance in Action
for Today’s FMs (4:28)
Caroline Horton
Facilities Associate, Prominent Asset Management Business
Facility management operations and maintenance are the lifeblood of everyday success.
Business Management in Action
for Today’s FMs (4:17)
Attilio (Leo) Somma, ProFM, MBA, CFM, SFP, FMP
Facility Complex Manager, Brookhaven National Laboratory (Retired)
The Body of Knowledge will teach you the importance of mastering complex business skills to enable your facility to run correctly.
Cross-Functional Competencies
in Action for Today’s FMs (3:51)
Stan Mitchell, Sharon Jaye, Terry Vergon, John Hajduk, Stormy Friday
Understanding the key cross-functional competencies from the Body of Knowledge will give you the skillset to handle all areas of facility management operations.
What is Facility Management?
The ProFM Body of Knowledge incorporates recognized global frameworks for facility management including the ISO 41000 series of standards and the U.S. Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (FBPTA).
Facility management has been defined by ISO in the 41011 standard as an “organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business.” The ProFM Credential Program used the ISO standards as a key input to provide a common language and framework for FMs worldwide.
The FBPTA standards were also a key input in the design of the ProFM Credential Program. As such, ProFM is one of the most up-to-date and aligned training programs with 151 FBPTA performance criteria covered. In fact, when focusing on the Facility Management role, ProFM is 82% aligned, with 120 of the 146 FM performance criteria covered. It’s also the only FM program aligned with the FBPTA cybersecurity criteria.