Managing a six star, mixed-use development in one of the most prestigious areas of Dubai requires a "cool, calm, confident and collected" FM. Becca Wilson catches up with the woman behind the operations, Macro's Sarah Carter.
The Old Town Island at Downtown Burj Dubai is a 3m ft2 development encompassing commercial, residential and retail units. It is currently going through its transitional handover and is managed by Macro - FM Consultant of the Year at this year's facilities management Middle East Awards.
Macro attends all project meetings held by the developer, Emaar Properties and some 7,000 as built drawings and hundreds of O&M (operation and maintenance) manuals have now been handed over to Macro, to help assist in The Old Town Island operation.
7,000 as built drawings and hundreds of O&M manuals have now been handed over to Macro.
Snagging is taking place and the snags identified demonstrate the intention of Emaar, the project team and Macro to ensure the standard of the finished project will be extremely high, according to Macro's senior facilities manager, Sarah Carter who is in charge of The Old Town Island FM operations.
/>
"When you look at the snag list, for example, the thousands of light fittings there are, it's not really that many snags. We started the snagging process in November 2007 and it was a lot of work to begin with as it's a big project, but we're now in a rhythm," she explains.
Given her age, background and current project, Carter is set to be a key contender in next year's Young FM of the Year Award and previously worked in the UK FM industry for 11 years before moving to Dubai.
But with the FM market in the Middle East contending with other industries and people who are far behind the international standards FM professionals are used to, she is slowly getting to grips with the sector's challenges.
Delivery dilemmas
As an overall project, Carter says the key challenge her and the team currently face is balancing the daily influx of commercial, residential and retail occupants, with those who are still fitting-out and moving in.
With many now using the area as a permanent home or work environment, Carter is working hard to ensure transition is a smooth process. It has taken a while to get there, but team effort and the cooperation offered by Emaar management is the main reason for success.
"In my first three months on this site, I have had some of the most amazing conversations in my entire career. For example, contractors wanting to come on site and carry out work without informing me what the work is that they need to do. Many did not appreciate the need for a method statement but this was readily rectified. As I explained our aim to raise the overall level of work to international standards.
We have had to help the contractors on how to assess their risks and detail their work etc. In some instances, I've had to warn them strongly they may be removed from the site," she explains.
By implementing strict access policies and ensuring contractors have all the right paperwork and are adhering to things like health and safety requirements, Carter can control and manage the site effectively.
"I don't know if we've built a reputation that means you don't come on this site unless you have your paperwork, but the security guards know to check and will ask me if they're unsure of letting people come in, which is great. It's been a hard slog, but international standards are being implemented," she confirms.
Another key area that is different to international practice is the supply chain. Macro sub-contracts the service work and manages the contracts, which include the quality of service delivery.
"Looking at the supply chain, it is a big challenge in Dubai generally to get companies to raise the quality and standard of their work and that of their sub-contractors to international expectations.
Site Map
\
FEATURED COMMENT
Please click here to comment on this article