Sharing Data, Building Trust, and Focusing on Mission

So far in this series, we explored why barriers between Facilities and Finance form and how damaging they can be, how to start bridging the gap by learning to speak each other’s language, and aligning long-term facility needs with short-term financial realities. 

In this post, we’re going to go deeper into solutions. Because even when Facilities and Finance translate well and align on timelines, collaboration won’t stick without two more ingredients: shared data and trust. And underneath both of those lies the most important thing of all — a shared focus on the mission. 

Stop Guarding the Data

Facilities has data. Work orders, preventive maintenance logs, condition assessments, energy audits. Finance has data. Budgets, forecasts, reserves, debt models. But too often, this information is guarded, siloed, or presented in ways the other side can’t use. 

The result is predictable: dueling spreadsheets, competing assumptions, and mistrust.  There is nothing worse than two different departments having different data on the same thing.  Everyone tends to get their back up, focusing on why “their data” is right and the “other side’s data” is wrong.   

The fix is not “more data, which is often what people think.” It’s shared data. 

• Facilities should summarize condition data in terms that Finance can use — costs by category, lifecycle forecasts, various funding scenarios, and risk profiles. 
• Finance should open up budget scenarios and funding models so Facilities understands the fiscal pressures and constraints. 
• Both should agree on a common dataset that forms the foundation for planning and reporting. 

When everyone works from the same numbers, trust grows. The conversation moves from “your numbers vs. my numbers” to “our numbers.” 

Building Relationships, Not Just Reports

Trust is not built on spreadsheets. It is built on conversations. 

Too many organizations only connect Facilities and Finance at budget time, almost guaranteeing tension. Finance feels ambushed by last-minute asks. Facilities feel ignored when requests get denied.  

Many times, groups start to play games.  Facilities asks for 40% more than they think they need, knowing that Finance has to cut the budget to show they are adding value.  Finance “knows” that Facilities pads their numbers, so they start cutting deeper and deeper, trying to get to the “truth”.  The organization and each team would be much better off if we had an open and honest discussion.   

Contrast that with organizations where Facilities and Finance meet regularly — monthly or quarterly — outside of budget season. They share challenges early, compare data, and look at options together. By the time budget season arrives, there are no surprises.  These regular conversations change the dynamic from transactional to collaborative. They build trust that no report ever can. 

One way that we have seen to break down barriers between Facilities and Finance (as well as other departments) is to bring everyone together to decide on how capital renewal plans will be prioritized.  By engaging all stakeholders, not only is there an ownership in the decision-support process, but each department will inherently learn more about the “other” groups’ issues and values through the dialogue.  At Roth IAMS, we call this an MVP (Multivariable Prioritization) workshop. 

Frame Everything in Terms of Mission Risk

At the end of the day, neither Facilities nor Finance exists for its own sake. Both exist to serve the institution’s mission — whether that’s education, healthcare, research, or community service.

When Facilities frames requests as mission risks — disruptions to classrooms, increased patient safety concerns, higher operating costs that crowd out programs — Finance listens differently. When Finance frames concerns in terms of trade-offs across the mission — balancing buildings with staff, technology, and service delivery — Facilities sees the bigger picture.

Mission is the common ground where Facilities and Finance can always meet.

From Silo to Partnership

Breaking down the silos between Facilities and Finance is not a one-time event. It is a continuous practice of translation, shared data, regular conversations, and a relentless focus on mission. 

The payoff is huge. Budgets gain credibility. Investments become proactive instead of reactive. Most importantly, the institution is better able to serve the people who depend on it — students, patients, residents, and the community.

In Part 5, we’ll turn our focus directly on Facilities leaders and highlight our thoughts on What Every Facilities Executive Should Know About Finance, followed by What Every CFO Should Know About Facilities in Post 6.