Editor's Viewpoint
M&A: looking back on a busy year
2021 was predicted to be a bumper year for buying and selling in FM, and so it was.
Everything is connected to everything else
There is probably no better shorthand definition of sustainability than that.
The future of FM
A couple of months ago I was asked to write a comment piece about past changes in the built environment sector and what might be coming next. My answer might have been different only these few weeks later.
Time to speak up
We will long be looking back on 2020 as a landmark year for FM, in the spotlight for facing its own challenges and simultaneously rising to the challenges of its clients.
Return to the workplace: it’s up to us
I’m sure that most of us had already starting planning to meet up with friends, colleagues and clients and were looking forward to the 21st when the last of the restrictions would be lifted….
Covid-19: A tsunami of information
Data, data everywhere, nor any idea what to think. Apologies to Mr Coleridge, but his ancient mariner’s tale is not a bad parallel for our persistent pandemic experience.
Actions not words
Last week IFMA, the International Facility Management Association, unveiled a rebrand, which included a refreshed corporate identity and positioning statement.
Unresolved issues
I learned a lot at this year’s Workplace Futures conference. That is, of course, the point of any good conference, to be informative and insightful.
A world of change
Remember all that talk from early last year about the ‘new normal’ – when would it get here, what would it be? Well, strangely enough, it’s here – this is the new normal.
Changing times: time to move on?
Has facilities management had its day? Not in terms of what it is FM does, but in terms of defining it, branding it to make it relatable, appealing and attractive to customers, service users and the wider world?
What’s brand got to do with it anyway?
The 2020 i-FM Brand Survey results are out: an intriguing snapshot of how the FM community feels about which brands lead the market.
Conference insights
One of the most enjoyable parts of my job at i–FM is attending conferences, usually a time of discovery: new places, people and ideas.
Membership organisations need to face up to change
News that RICS is having to make redundancies is a clear reminder that our professional institutes and associations need to react to market change just as quickly as do commercial businesses.
Technology: what is it doing for FM?
For several years now the general view has been that technology would be a game-changer for the facilities management sector. So, has it been? How? Or if not, why not and when will it be?
Isn't it ironic?
For all the terrible outcomes associated with Covid-19, it is arguable that a handful of businesses are seeing some benefit arising from the situation.
A time for celebrations?
One highlight of the FM calendar has always been 'awards season', a time to celebrate with colleagues, clients and partners, giving recognition to those companies and individuals that have stood out from the rest in advancing practice and the profession.
Survival....
Boris Johnson announced on Sunday evening that he wanted the UK to begin returning to work. An appealing change from lockdown conditions for some no doubt, but a troubling and even frightening one for others.
FM: the 4th emergency service
The pandemic has brought out the best in many people but also the worst in some; and the same will also be true of organisations and business sectors, too.
Reasons to be cheerful
There are plenty of reasons not to be cheerful these days; if you are anything less than a determined optimist, you’ll have your own list. But even the most sceptical can see promise in some recent events.
The future isn't what it used to be
Welcome to a new decade, which I predict is going to be far better for the FM sector than the last one!
Are you well?
Wellness has quite quickly gone from being something one asks about almost automatically (and often with little interest in the answer) to a key concept in current management thinking.
How others see us
World-renowned business consultants McKinsey & Co tell us that facilities management is “ripe for disruption”. There’s some truth in that, for sure; but just how much truth depends on where you're standing.
Horses for courses
Choice is a wonderful thing. Maybe not so much in the 57-varieties American-inspired overload that quickly becomes baffling. But more in the sense of having a few clear options, one of which should lead to satisfaction.
A 20:20 vision of wellness for FM
FM has historically been about assisting organisations by delivering services that reduce bottom-line costs, helping to make them as profitable as they can be. But that business model has the seeds of problems within it.
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