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This paper aims to present an industry‐neutral classification model for the management functions of the organizational built environment: the Built Environment Management Model (BEM2). The model is intended to highlight the strategic value of the built environment management functions and to assess how efficiently these functions interact and generate strategic value.

The research team reviewed a wide range of existing management models for facilities management and real estate (FM/RE) and related management disciplines. In a multi‐year research project, the team refined the descriptive model in an iterative validation process between researchers and practitioners.

The BEM2 framework is an inventory of FM/RE functions. The model highlights the relationships between the four major key process areas and shows the strategic value stream of each particular FM/RE function. BEM2 has proven effective in helping organizations understand the scope and value of the FM/RE functions. The tool can be used to identify organizational gaps and overlaps between divisions, and it can help to facilitate discussions between organizational entities of how responsibilities should be most effectively aligned. It can also serve as an effective model to support the implementation of an integrated building information model (BIM).

The model is currently limited to a description of processes and is as such explaining the sequence of FM/RE business processes. It does not yet address the skill sets required to effectively perform these functions.

The BEM2 framework was successfully used as the business model for the major restructuring process of a large real estate organization. It has also proven to be valuable as a way to introduce students to the subject of FM/RE. The adoption of BEM2 can help to further clarify the standards of the FM/RE profession and to increase the maturity of its business functions.

The BEM2 model transfers principles from related management fields and assembles them into a comprehensive process model for the FM/RE model. It contributes to the discussion on standardization and taxonomy development in the FM/RE discipline.

The purpose of this paper is to present a process capability assessment tool to identify process maturity levels in the “built environment management” disciplines in various industries.

The researchers investigated and evaluated current FM/RE management models and analysis tools and developed an assessment tool to measure Facility Management (FM) capability of an organization. The “Built Environment Management Model” (BEM2) is a process framework for FM/RE, which is extended into the “Built Environment Management Maturity Model” (BEM3) to measure FM/RE maturity. Using the tool, the research team analyzed the FM capability of more than 50 organizations with major real estate portfolios in the USA and Europe (primarily Austria).

BEM2 and BEM3 provide a simple, yet comprehensive tool set for the FM/RE industries. The resulting capability profiles provide a high‐level overview of current practices in FM. Further, the capability profiles allow organizations to benchmark their FM capability against peer groups and industry leaders.

The two models are currently limited to a description of processes and are as such explaining the sequence and maturity of FM/RE business processes. The do not yet address the skill sets and capabilities required to effectively perform these functions. The integration with existing models in organisational and project management can also be further explored.

The capability profiles allow organizations to benchmark their FM capability against peer groups and industry leaders. The findings will help to further professionalize FM functions to raise the efficiency of organizational processes.

The proposed contributes to the discussion on standardization and taxonomy development in the FM/RE discipline. It draws principles from related management models and applies them successfully in FM and real estate management.