When combining similar activities into functional areas to prepare specifications, you should group the staff into:

• A. Project-oriented teams
• B. Functional silos
• C. Cross-functional task forces
• D. Independent contractors

Answer: (C)

Grouping staff into cross-functional task forces to prepare specifications ensures input from multiple FM disciplines and promotes a holistic view of the activities. By bringing together representatives from different areas—such as operations, maintenance, engineering, and safety—the team can define standards, performance criteria, and practical requirements that reflect real-world needs across functions. This collaboration helps create more complete, realistic specifications and fosters buy-in and ownership across the organization.

Project-oriented teams focus on a single project rather than ongoing activities, functional silos keep departments working in isolation, and independent contractors are external resources who may not consistently align with internal standards or long-term ownership of the specifications.