How SFG20 Fits Into The Facility Management Ecosystem

For over 3 decades, SFG20 has been committed to supporting organisations in achieving operational excellence and compliance.   

If you’re new to SFG20, some of the top questions on your mind are likely: what exactly is SFG20, and how does it connect to the wider world of facility management?   

To answer this question, it’s firstly important to understand why SFG20 was created to begin with, and how it differs from widely used FM software solutions such as CAFM, CMMS and IWMS. We’ll then show how exactly SFG20 integrates with the Facility Management ecosystem and how we simplify the Building Handover process for you.  

What Is SFG20?

Established in 1990 by the Building and Engineering Services Association (BESA), SFG20 is recognised as the UK industry standard for building maintenance specification.

SFG20 was created in response to the need for a standardised approach to building maintenance. We provide clear, compliant guidance for maintenance tasks including detailed instructions, duration, frequency, required skillset and criticality level, all being information that FM systems rely on for efficient, compliant maintenance management. 

Our standard is accessed through our intelligent software solution Facilities-iQ, complete with over 1,000 maintenance schedules for various equipment types. Every month, our schedules are reviewed and updated accordingly by our in-house Technical Authoring team to ensure compliance with the latest legislation, regulations and best practices.

Is SFG20 A CAFM? 

SFG20 is not a CAFM (Computer-Aided Facility Management), CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System), or an IWMS (Integrated Workplace Management System).  

Instead, we are the industry benchmark for building maintenance specification and provide a software solution counterpart known as Facilities-iQ which houses our comprehensive library of legally compliant maintenance schedules.  

Without integration to SFG20, FM systems lack the necessary guidance for maintaining compliance and operational efficiency, requiring users to manually create and update maintenance plans which can be resource intensive. 

How SFG20 Differs From Other Facility Management Software 

Whereas most Facility Management software solutions are a blank canvas, Facilities-iQ comes with the content included in the form of legally up-to-date maintenance schedules. 

Through our free-to-use API (Application Programming Interface), SFG20 maintenance schedules as accessed through Facilities-iQ can be easily integrated with FM software such as CMMS, CAFM and IWMS.  

This allows content from your Maintenance Regimes created in Facilities-iQ to automatically populate in your operational system(s), saving you hours of manual data entry. Within your operational FM system(s), you can then assign both a date and appropriate personnel to carry out tasks.  

Whenever there is a change in legislation, our API also ensures that you receive automated updates. You’re then able to easily compare these changes side by side and implement them at a time that suits you, meaning you’ll never risk falling off the SFG20 standard. 

Do I Need a CAFM Or Any Other FM System To Use SFG20? 

While SFG20 can be integrated with other FM tools such as CAFM, CMMS and IWMS, we also function independently.  

Our API integration feature is only a secondary benefit, so if you’re not using an FM system, you can still benefit from SFG20’s compliant, best-practice guidance.  

The primary benefit of our software solution is to help you to mitigate detrimental non-compliance risks and ensure the safety and well-being of your building’s occupants.  

So, you don’t need to wait for your chosen FM system to integrate with us before you can start using the SFG20 standard to manage both your maintenance strategy and compliance.  

In fact, the only requirement to access the SFG20 standard is an active SFG20 license. 

How SFG20 Fits Into The Facility Management Ecosystem 

1. Easily import your asset list and map SFG20 schedules to Uniclass or NRM codes via our asset mapping tool. 
   
   
2. Create customised Maintenance Regimes in Facilities-iQ that align with your specific asset requirements and operational priorities by adjusting task frequencies, criticality, and skillsets required for each maintenance task. 
   
   
3. Seamlessly transfer content from your Maintenance Regimes to your FM system(s) of choice via our free-to-use API.  
   
   
4. Benefit from automatic update notifications whenever the SFG20 standard is updated in line with the latest legislation, regulations and best practices, all monitored by our highly qualified in-house team of Technical Authors. 
    
5. Safely share your Maintenance Regimes with both internal and external stakeholders via our secure sharing links feature. These links can be used for both the purpose of tendering and to audit works completed by third-party Service Providers/Contractors. 
   

How SFG20 Supports The Building Handover Process 

1. Once the construction team have provided an asset list to either the Building Owner, Service Provider or FM Consultant, a Maintenance Regime can be created using the asset register.  
    
2. The Maintenance Regime can then be transferred to the Service Provider for completion of works.   
    
3. At the end of a contract, Service Providers can simply transfer Maintenance Regimes back to the Building Owner with all maintenance task IDs retained. This ensures that the Golden Thread of information remains unbroken and is ready to pass on for another tender.   

There’s Even More To Facilities-iQ 

To summarise, you can think of SFG20 as the central connecting point for all FM systems, while other FM systems rely on SFG20’s guidance to ensure compliance and best practices.  

SFG20’s ultimate mission is to empower you to mitigate safety risks through compliant maintenance guidance and keep buildings safe. You can control your risk and demonstrate your compliance using our software solution Facilities-iQ, which comes with a host of additional advantages.  

One of Facilities-iQ's biggest benefits is its ability to simplify the tendering process, specifying works and switching providers. To find out more about how our digital tool can take the frustration out of third-party management, click the button below to read our guide.  

Or, for a full list of all of Facilities-iQ's time and cost-saving benefits, make sure to read our complete, one-stop guide below.  

Find Out More