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Editor's Viewpoint

Technology in the workplace: what next?

Technology is arguably the biggest game-changer that FM faces. We all need to be ready for a new digital landscape - and start to shape what exactly it is that this holds for us.

Always look on the bright side of life

This year’s IWFM AGM, along with the 2021 Annual Review, brought firmly to mind Eric Idle’s delightful anthem from the Monty Python film ‘The Life of Brian’. They’re just so positive!

Hot and bothered

It has never been quite as hot in the UK as it was on Tuesday, the 19th. Records were shattered, memories of the summer of ’76 were dredged up and climatological red flags were raised even higher.

Change/no change

FM is a funny place: a place known for continuous change, yet at the same time much of the industry goes on doing what it has always done year after year.

Go back to go forward?

The cries to get back to the office can be heard all over Westminster, in some parts of the City and in some parts of the mainstream media.

Post-conference reflections

The theme of last month’s Workplace Futures conference, FM and sustainability, could not have been more timely.

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.


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