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IWFM singles out three workplace megatrends
New report identifies how these are affecting professionals, the sector and the wider business world now and into the future.
IWFM signs Armed Forces Covenant
The Institute is backing the promise to active personnel, veterans and their families that they will be treated fairly.
IFMA names 6 key topics shaping FM
A new white paper from the International Facility Management Association leads on the theme ‘evolution is never finished’.
Right first time: the mobilisation challenge
An online workshop, coming up in October, aims to tackle some of the common problems and share strategies for success.
IWFM unveils mentoring service
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management has launched a new mentoring programme for members.
RICS back in the headlines
And not in a good way, as the entire Standards and Regulation Board resigns.
Mitie addresses FM’s ‘most pressing issues’
A new white paper from the FM group tackles eight key questions shaping the industry’s future.
RICS: Bichard Review published
The hard-hitting review calls for ‘transformation of the Institution at pace’.
Prudence awarded CIBSE Honorary Fellowship
Geoff Prudence CEng FCIBSE FRICS FIWFM MIoD has been recognised for his contributions to the building services and facilities management disciplines.
Celebrating FM: dates for the diary
Dates for two celebratory days have been confirmed, one for an established annual feature and another for a newly launched event.
Sustainability: an opportunity to collaborate?
It is one of the most important issues on the FM agenda, perhaps the most important. Should the industry work together on a response to the sustainability challenge?
GPA sets out facilities management standards
The Government Property Agency, Whitehall’s in-house property advisor, has published standards on management of services and asset data.
Lord Bichard appointed for RICS review
RICS has appointed Lord Michael Bichard to lead a wide-ranging independent review into the governance and purpose of the Institution.
Pattenmakers deadline looms
Livery company the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers is looking for the next winner of its annual Young Facilities Manager Award.
IWFM comments on Budget statement
Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined plans to rebuild the economy and drive growth, as well as providing some detail on how the government will aim to achieve its longer term objectives.
New leadership team at RICS
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has announced the appointment of a new interim leadership team to drive its modernisation.
RICS launches new conduct standards
The revised standards include a new emphasis on diversity and inclusion, as well as more focus on sustainability.
IFMA unveils future-oriented research agenda
The International Facility Management Association has announced the creation of a new Research Advisory Committee.
What’s the point of an AGM?
Annual general meetings can follow one of two routes: real engagement with stakeholders, which can be difficult but useful, or a kind of managed positivity that hopes to avoid challenge. IWFM chose the latter.
Four, including Kath Fontana, resign at RICS
The Governing Council of RICS has published the results of an Independent Review by Alison Levitt QC, resulting in considerable fall-out at the Institution.
IFMA publishes new vision and mission
The International Facility Management Association has refreshed its positioning, as well as its logo and website.
New co-chairs for Emerging Workplace Leaders
The volunteer group has announced a change in leadership.
Date set for World FM Day
This year's global celebration of facilities management will take place on 12 May.
IWFM and NEC plan new contracts
A new suite of facilities management contracts is due to be launched this month.
FM: where is the strategic thinking?
A lack of long-term strategic thinking amongst FM service providers and their customers is limiting opportunities for substantial business and social benefits.
Welcome to a new day at i-FM
We’ve made a whole series of changes that both refresh the look and feel of the site and enhance the operational efficiency. We hope you’ll like it!
Membership organisations: facing up to change
David Emanuel writes: our professional institutes and associations need to react to market change just as quickly as do commercial businesses.
New SFMI report outlines sustainable ambition for FM
A new white paper published by the Sustainable Facilities Management Index provides FM organisations with a framework that can help propel them to leading sustainability status.
Lessons from the US: influencing government
The High Performance Buildings Coalition, based in Washington, represents about 200 organisations involved in building efficiency, innovation and sustainability. Its key focus is the US Congress.
RICS doubles capacity for upcoming conference
The annual strategic FM event, taking place this year online, hit its 500-delegate capacity a few days ago. That has now been upped to 1000 to meet continued demand.
Farrell admitted to Chartered Security Professionals Register
Jane Farrell, Sodexo's head of security for UK and Ireland, is only the seventh women to be admitted to the Register since it launched in 2011.
Happy World FM Day!
Today marks the annual global celebration of facilities management and facilities managers, especially appropriate at this point this year.
We're looking for information: you can help
We have two research projects underway: one in preparation for World FM Day and a second looking into the realities of today's FM business operations.
New covid-19 webinar: FM on the frontline
A sector that is too often overlooked or relegated to 'commodity service' is playing a critical role in the battle against the covid-19 outbreak. What does FM itself need and how can it access that?
FM and wellness: white paper published
The theme of this year's Workplace Futures conference was wellness and FM's role in supporting and enhancing that for individuals, organisations and their communities.
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Xenon offers help to FMs in need
The training group is offering free qualifications for the unemployed, relaxed payment terms and support from their recruitment division to facilities managers who have fallen victim to the economics of epidemics, Chris Morris writes.
IFMA moves events online
World Workplace Europe, due to take place this month in Amsterdam but cancelled, is returning as a virtual event in April.
IFMA 2020 scholarship programme opens
The IFMA Foundation is accepting applications for its 2020 scholarship programme, which is designed to support aspiring and practising facilities managers to pursue higher education.
New NEC FM contract due soon
The contract standards group has confirmed that a new suite of facilities management contracts will be available early in the new year.
Annual market insight report online now
i-FM has published its latest Trends & Opportunities Report, providing a unique look at major events in the marketplace over the past year, their impact on the industry and how they, and events in the wider environment, are shaping FM for the future.
Atalian Servest retains CIPS ethics accreditation
The service provider has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Corporate Ethical Mark for the third time in three years.
Speakers confirmed for Workplace Futures
The first big industry event of 2020, the annual Workplace Futures conference, will take on one of the newest and biggest challenges for facilities management: wellness, and all that this means for future FM strategy and practice.
IWFM launches degree-level workplace qualification
Sixty learners have enrolled in the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management's newly created Level 6 Diploma in Workplace, launching what it calls a ground-breaking qualification.
Pattenmakers deadline looms
The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers' annual Young Manager Award is still open for entries, but only till Monday.
IFMA World Workplace: humans first
With record-breaking attendance, this year's event, held in Phoenix, focused on four themes: employee experience, human performance, 'good' jobs and better business, with tech as an enabler. Jo Sutherland summarises the key takeaways.
IFMA offers climate change guidance
'Climate Change Fundamentals for Facility Management Professionals' is the first report to address this subject as it relates to FM roles and responsibilities, the association says.
RICS launches Value the Planet campaign
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is calling on built environment professionals to promote and implement the UN's sustainable development goals.
Thought leadership report published
As part of his IWFM Leader of the Year award, David Carr hosted a thought leadership debate with his fellow experts in the industry. The conclusions of that debate have now been collated and published.
Built environment professionals back climate action
In line with growing calls for action in the face of the world's climate emergency, businesses, organisations and, more recently, built environment professionals have been signing up to new policies and practices.
BSI promotes first global FM certification scheme
The business standards business has launched a certification scheme and supporting training courses to help organisations develop, implement and maintain effective facilities management across all operations.
Anabas launches apprenticeship programme
The corporate office FM specialist has unveiled a new apprenticeship programme designed to offer career-building opportunities in facilities management.
Hitting the target
David Emanuel reports on the RICS Integrated Property Services Conference, held Monday in London.
RICS opens FM procurement consultation
Comments are invited on the new draft code of practice on procurement of facilities management
IWFM and FMA unveil alliance
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and the Facility Management Association of Australia are teaming up in pursuit of "workplace and facilities management excellence".
School reports: Supply Chain Sustainability School doing well
The industry-backed training and support organisation is reporting positive results on multiple fronts following its latest Impact Survey.
IFMA UK marks World FM Day with new report
The UK chapter of the International Facility Management Association has published a global outlook report featuring interviews with 12 FM leaders from around the world to coincide with FM's global celebration.
MEFMA backs regulation of Middle East FM
The Middle East Facility Management Association is calling for a comprehensive regulatory framework that will enhance accountability and professionalism for the region's FM industry.
IWFM ambassadors to target schools
The IWFM has unveiled a plan that will see its members delivering activity-based workshops in schools across the UK with the aim of encouraging the next generation to learn about FM's diversity and impact and to get involved.
Surviving FM: conference white paper published
What does it take to survive, or even thrive, in this business? The post-Workplace Futures 2019 conference white paper offers some valuable insights at every level of this complex and complicated market.
World Workplace Europe looks forward
'World Workplace Europe meets Facility for Future' was the theme for IFMA's European conference held last week in Amsterdam. David Emanuel reports.
RICS members confident despite market uncertainties
The 20th RICS and Macdonald & Company Rewards and Attitudes Survey has found that professionals in the industry are mostly positive about the outlook for 2019, despite concerns around Brexit.
IFMA offers scholarship opportunity
The International Facility Management Association has been awarding scholarships to FM professionals for almost two decades. Applications are now open for this year's opportunity.
IFMA UK invites collaboration on knowledge content
In pursuit of its mission, the IFMA UK chapter is looking for content partners to generate engaging thought-leadership material addressing FMs' needs and interests.
Finding what it takes to make it in FM
What does it take to survive as an FM business these days? And what does it take to thrive? Simon Iatrou reports from the first major conference of the year, Workplace Futures 2019.
Property professionals set to evolve into 'experience managers'?
In a broad study of the profession, CoreNet Global has identified the most influential trends in CRE through 2025 and beyond, which could include the disappearance of the CRE label itself.
IFMA offers benchmark report for FM
The International Facility Management Association has released the latest product of its FM Research and Benchmarking Institute, the 2018 Operations and Maintenance: Qualitative Analysis Benchmarking Report.
Speakers confirmed for February conference
Under the title 'Surviving FM: making tomorrow a better place', Workplace Futures 2019 will be looking at what it takes to build and run a successful business in this continuously changing and challenging marketplace.
IFMA extends presence in Europe
Just months after the creation of a chapter in the United Kingdom, bids for chapters in France and Croatia were approved by the US-headquartered International Facility Management Association.
What's driving this industry?
The i-FM Audit is back. Our focused research surveys, run every couple of years for the past decade, provide a check-up on market drivers, decision factors and likely trends for the future. Join us in this unique project!
IWFM gets formal launch
The new Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management, formerly the BIFM, held its initial event Thursday evening and offered its ten-point plan for becoming "a modern professional body".
Launching IWFM: Cathy Hayward reports
"Will the last person to leave the Cabinet please turn out the lights" was the Evening Standard's headline, echoing The Sun's famous 1992 Neil Kinnock front page, being sold outside the UBM building last night.
IWFM: the transition begins
This week sees the start of the process of transformational change at the BIFM as it moves to become the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management.
Annual i-FM market insight report available now
Trends & Opportunities tracks major events in the marketplace over the past year, their impact on the industry and how they, and events in the wider environment, are shaping facilities management for the future.
Conference report: less world, more workplace
The International Facility Management Association's World Workplace event, which took place last week, brings together 4,000 facilities professionals from across the globe. Or rather that's what it's supposed to do. Cathy Hayward reports.
Sodexo recognises customer-facing employees
The services group has recognised the achievement of around 100 of its most outstanding customer-facing employees in its seventh annual Service Excellence Awards.
ENGIE unveils business charter and scrutiny board
The energy and services group has established a new Responsible Business Charter and an independent Scrutiny Board. ENGIE says this underlines its commitment to operate to the highest economic, social and environmental standards.
Cloudfm Academy achieves City & Guilds recognition
The facilities management services provider has recently seen its approach to training reach the next level, with its academy being awarded City & Guilds Approved Centre status.
Revised guidance on catering contracts from BIFM
The institute has published an updated good practice guide for individuals who are responsible for, or are looking to source, catering services for their workplace.
BIM: challenges and opportunities for FM
BIFM has published a new Leaders' Forum report focused on the challenges and practical solutions for embedding building information modelling processes across the sector.
CBRE names top trends in FM
Increasingly people want to choose where and when they work and they look to the workplace, wherever that may be, to deliver much more in terms of services and amenities. This is reshaping FM, says the property services group.
BIFM to "supercharge" insights agenda
The British Institute of Facilities Management has entered into a two-year deal with a specialist business and market development agency that will focus on building a strategic partnership programme.
BIFM welcomes PAC recommendations
The British Institute of Facilities Management has welcomed recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee following its Strategic Suppliers Inquiry.
RICS launches landmark procurement statement
Today sees the launch of the institution's first professional statement to reduce risk, increase transparency and further trust in procurement in facilities management.
PAC singles out government procurement failings
The latest report from the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee highlights a series of flaws in central government procurement policy and procedure.
BIFM gets approval for change programme
Members of the British Institute of Facilities Management have voted to approve the board's recommendation to change the group's name to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management.
IFMA UK strengthens board with new appointments
The International Facility Management Association UK Chapter has confirmed four appointments to its board of directors, further strengthening its ties with the RICS FM Professional Group as part of the collaboration between RICS and IFMA.
FM: a risky business
i-FM reports from this year's RICS Strategic FM Conference, where presenters warned that some of tomorrow's opportunities come with considerable risks.
EFMC 2018: report from Sofia
Bulgaria was the location for this year's EuroFM conference, which coincided with the organisation's celebrations of its 30th year as well as the 10th anniversary of the Bulgarian FM Association.
What next for Global FM?
BIFM and the RICS/IFMA coalition aren't the only facilities management bodies thinking about their development strategies. The 'membership group for FM membership groups' has also been invited to consider its future.
BIFM plans fire safety accreditation
The British Institute of Facilities Management has announced plans to develop a new certified accreditation and a suite of training courses for facilities managers in charge of life safety in buildings.
New IFMA UK chapter invites agenda suggestions
As the group continues to organise and starts planning its programme, it is calling on IFMA members to share their views on needs and opportunities.
Sodexo pledge up for discussion
Sodexo's recently published Public Service Pledge, a key set of commitments to customers, employees and communities, will form the basis of a Twitter Q&A session on Wednesday.
Change management process critical to outsourcing success
Research has found that projects with 'excellent' change management in place are six times more likely to meet objectives than those with 'poor' change management. Even 'good' change management increases the odds substantially.
Plans for new IFMA UK chapter approved
The International Facility Management Association has approved a petition to form a chapter that will, IFMA says, offer FM professionals direct localised support that taps into the global industry in ways not currently available in the UK market.
Kath Fontana elected RICS senior vice president
Fontana will be the first chartered surveyor from the area of workplace and facilities strategy to lead the profession when she becomes RICS president in November 2020.
ISO publishes new FM standard
The new management system standard constitutes a benchmark for developing and driving an effective strategic, tactical and operational FM regime, the ISO says.
RICS publishes new guidance on strategic FM
The Strategic Facility Management Framework, launched in Dubai during the annual IFMA-RICS World Workplace Forum Middle East, promises a holistic approach to strategic FM best practice.
Sodexo commits to social targets with Public Service Pledge
Sodexo has published its second Public Service Pledge, a strategic and ethical set of commitments to its customers, employees and communities.
ENGIE becomes CIPS knowledge partner on energy and energy services
The company will provide weekly market information for members of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply to ensure they are up-to-date and fully informed.
BIFM and the future
FM's professional body is proposing some big changes: a new name and perhaps even the introduction of chartered status are just the outward signs of an organisation that suddenly seems intent on raising its game.
Adding value through FM: conference white paper published
The annual i-FM-organised Workplace Futures conference, held in February, took on the challenges and opportunities around an increasingly important subject: how FM can add value to clients and communities.
Business Confidence Monitor highlights optimism and challenges
The results of the fourth annual FM Business Confidence Monitor show that a majority of FM professionals are optimistic about the state of the market. But the size of that majority has been on the slide since 2015, as concerns and uncertainty creep in.
BIFM launches debate on FM compliance
The British Institute of Facilities Management has published its latest Leaders' Forum report as part of a campaign to provide greater clarity on the issue of compliance within the built environment.
ICE and BIFM to consider new FM contract
The Institute of Civil Engineers and the British Institute of Facilities Management have announced a joint initiative to explore the potential to develop a completely new form of contract explicitly for FM.
FM and disruption: is change coming?
Disruption is a fashionable concept, of course, and as with all such terms its meaning has been diluted with use. But the concept remains timely: so, could we soon see fundamental change in facilities management?
BIFM plans major change
The British Institute of Facilities Management is marking its 25th anniversary with the publication of a 'manifesto for change' that involves a refocusing of its strategy, a new name and pursuit of chartered status.
ISO Standards: defining a better way forward?
Developing standards is a complex process: they have to work for businesses around the world. That means they can take some understanding, which only comes with digging into them to find out what they say and why.
How much intelligence does a client need?
Earlier this month Workplace Futures delegates benefited from insider explanations of two concepts that could change the FM landscape, the integrator model and new ISO standards. That raised questions for some about the impacts on clients.
Adding value in a time of trouble
Simon Iatrou reports from Workplace Futures 2018, a conference that covered the good and the bad in facilities management.
BIFM survey highlights value of training and qualifications
The results of the Institute's Pay and Prospects Survey show that BIFM membership and qualifications have an impact on facilities managers' career development.
Finding the way forward for FM
In the context of market change suddenly hugely magnified by Carillion's collapse, David Emanuel wrote recently: "If there ever was a time for our institutions and associations to step up, this is it." Will they?
i-FM editor makes podcast debut
i-FM's Simon Iatrou can be heard on the latest episode of Workplace Matters, a regular podcast produced by workplace consultancy 3edges.
BIFM calls for change
In a press statement, BIFM’s CEO claimed that the circumstances surrounding Carillion’s liquidation should be used as a “catalyst for change”.
Moriarty returns to BIFM
The British Institute of Facilities Management has announced the appointment of Chris Moriarty as Director of Insight.
Facilities management: is the time right for change?
There's a lot of change in the air these days: economies, politics, society, technology. What would it take to bring about a fundamental change in FM, too?
FMs urged to get involved in 2018 FM Business Confidence Monitor
Leaders from the FM sector are being urged to share their views on the state of the sector following the launch of the British Institute of Facilities Management's fourth annual UK FM Business Confidence Monitor survey.
FM's future: adding value
There is considerable weight growing behind the view that facilities management is approaching, if not a crisis point, than at least a crossroads where decisions will have to be made about what FM does and what it can do in the future.
BIFM calls for action over apprenticeship levy failings
The British Institute of Facilities Management is urging all businesses employing FM staff to lobby for changes to the Apprenticeship Levy, after it was revealed that allocated funding is insufficient to deliver degree-level apprenticeships in FM.
How can FM add value in the workplace?
Wherever you stand on the debate around how facilities management relates to workplace, one thing is true: how we work is evolving, opening the door to change in where we work. FM should be intimately involved in planning, programming and implementing.
BIFM offers counter-terrorism advice
The Institute's latest guidance note is designed to help facilities management professionals evaluate risks to their buildings and decide what they should do about them.
Big business, big responsibilities
If there ever was a time when the commercial environment seemed straightforward, with demand predictable and trends clear enough to see and plan for, those were the good old days. The old five-year horizon often feels more like five days now.
BIFM highlights the role of sustainability in FM
The results of the 11the annual BIFM Sustainability Survey shine a light on how the profession is adapting to and tackling the increasing demand for sustainable business.
BIFM closes in on long-awaited CRM system
It's been a bit of a rocky road, but the new customer relationship management system on the institute's agenda for some years has almost reached its goal, with implementation due within days.
Getting a feel for facilities management
Understanding how people feel and behave in work environments could be the key to better business outcomes; and building that knowledge within FM could be the key to greater impact.
RICS extends FM case study collection
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has published a new addition to its case studies series, this time turning the focusing on FM and social value.
i-FM market insight report published
Trends & Opportunities, i-FM's annual market insight report, tracks major events in the marketplace over the past year, their impact on the industry and how they, and events in the wider environment, are shaping facilities management for the future.
Institutes take on FM procurement
BIFM has published new guidance on the buying process, while RICS is in the midst of a consultation period supporting the development of its own guidance.
BIFM offers guidance note for procurement
The British Institute of Facilities Management's Procurement Special Interest Group has published guidance to help FM professionals involved in supply chain management understand statutory compliance.
BIFM offers guidance for FM on customer experience
The latest good practice guide from the British Institute of Facilities Management focuses on a subject that is rapidly climbing both service buyer and service provider agendas.
Tough act to follow
Dave Wilson reports from hurricane-ravaged Houston on this year's World Workplace conference, where British input was much in evidence.
BCO calls for greater focus on customer experience
The UK office industry is undergoing a fundamental shift towards a more customer-centric approach, with an increasingly greater emphasis being placed on delivering outstanding customer service to occupiers.
HEFMA and IHEEM launch new collaboration
The Health Estates and Facilities Management Association and the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management have launched the "definitive" resource for their industry.
Learning from the best
It's been building slowly for a couple of years now: FM has always been a people business, and its next challenge is prove itself a genuinely customer-focused business.
Pattenmakers' Award: call for entries
The annual Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers Young Manager Award is open for entries. Act soon to beat the October closing date.
Benchmarking salaries in FM
Kentish and Co, the coaching and people advisory firm, has launched its first salary benchmarking survey. And they're thinking big: the survey is global.
BIFM adopts ISO definition of facilities management
The BIFM has formally adopted the definition of facilities management as it is set out in the new ISO standards.
CIC offers learning guide on inclusive design
'Bringing inclusive design into built environment education' is the new teaching and learning guide published by the built environment industry group.
IFMA launches FM careers website
Under the headline 'a career of choice', WhatisFM.com offers a shop window explicitly aimed at educating visitors on what FM is and does and the opportunities the industry offers.
Wheel of fortune: BIFM unveils professional standards tool
The British Institute of Facilities Management has developed an online interactive FM Professional Standards Wheel that defines the competences necessary to be a proficient facilities management practitioner at all career levels.
BIFM awards four Honorary Fellowships
David Batley, Steve Gladwin, Julie Kortens and Polly Plunket-Checkemian were awarded the Institute's highest accolade at yesterday's Annual General Meeting.
Is FM ready for big change in the nature of work?
The British Institute of Facilities Management has commissioned independent consultants 3edges to explore how well equipped the FM profession is to support the future world of work.
BIFM: new guidance on space planning and management
The British Institute of Facilities Management has published updated guidance to help in-house FM teams understand what is involved in managing and changing space.
Consultation open on new FM standard
BSI is hosting the current phase of the development process for the FM standard ISO 41001 Management System – Requirements. Comments are invited from all in the industry.
Thinking differently
Albert Einstein is once again having a moment. If you find yourself in a mess, he argued many years ago, continuing to think about things in the same way is unlikely to get you out of that mess. Timely advice.
BIFM sets out its priorities for the government
The British Institute of Facilities Management has set out its strategic priorities for the facilities management sector following last week's general election.
Chevalier Award for Sodexo's Slattery
The country president of Sodexo Ireland has been named Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French Ambassador to Ireland.
It's World FM Day!
Our day, the one that aims to showcase the work that FM professionals do and the value that the FM sector contributes to businesses worldwide.
BIFM unveils new direct route to Fellowship
The British Institute of Facilities Management is rolling out a new route to Fellowship to encourage the profession's most accomplished practitioners to apply for this top grade of membership.
What should we do about KPIs?
How many times has that question been asked over the years? Why is it still being asked? What makes success measures so difficult to define and operate in ways that satisfy all stakeholders?
IFMA and RICS unveil combined qualifications platform
The collaborating partners are offering a combined suite of credentials and professional qualifications for facilities management in a single online academy.
RICS and FM: full report published
RICS has published the third instalment of its Raising the Bar series. This combination of research findings and commentary covers a considerable amount of ground and deserves a close read.
Technology is everything
OK, that might be overstating it a little; but new developments are reshaping capabilities, expectations and skills requirements right across the industry.
International standards in FM published
The first two international standards in facilities (or facility) management were published at the end of March. Stan Mitchell provides the following update.
BIFM plans new technology working group
FM professionals with an interest in how technology and innovation will continue to influence the way facilities management is delivered are invited to contribute to the debate by joining a new working group being formed by BIFM.
Challenging conventions: conference white paper published
The annual i-FM-organised Workplace Futures conference, held last month, took on FM's tendency to default to the office as the prevailing place of work. In fact, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on in non-office environments.
CIC launches accessibility guide
The Construction Industry Council has published its Essential Principles Guide, designed to provide built environment professionals with information and advice on creating an accessible and inclusive environment.
Facilities management faces critical talent shortfall
The sector is facing a shortage of professionals and urgently needs to attract new talent, according to a report by the International Facility Management Association and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
BIFM offers guide to cross-border service delivery
The latest good practice guide from the British Institute of Facilities Management focuses on the trend for organisations to manage and procure FM services at a continental or global level.
BIFM launches supporters' pack for World FM Day
This year's global celebration of FM takes place 17 May, featuring the theme 'enabling positive experiences'.
FM's professional institutes: how are they doing?
In the first quarter of this year we hosted a brief survey asking for views from across the FM sector on the roles and effectiveness of the two key professional membership bodies. Here are the results.
FM and the productivity challenge
Productivity has become something of a hot topic for FM, one of a handful of areas of opportunity where the industry collectively sees the prospect of making a significant contribution to economic and social success.
FM institutes: how well are they doing?
In a sense, FM professionals are spoiled for choice: the British Institute of Facilities Management and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors are both championing the cause. But are they making their mark?
BIFM brings BIM into Professional Standards
BIFM has incorporated building information modelling into its Facilities Management Professional Standards to reflect the growing impact BIM has on the working practices of FM professionals.
Challenging conventions
Simon Iatrou looks back at this year's industry conference, Workplace Futures 2017, and ponders whether the FM sector is ready to embrace change.
Level 4 apprenticeship views sought
The BIFM is urging stakeholders across the industry to take part in a consultation on a new FM Manager (Level 4) Apprenticeship Standard.
World FM Day 2017 set for 17 May
Global FM, the alliance for facilities management associations worldwide, has named 17 May 2017 as the date for the next World FM Day.
Pre-holidays to-do list: complete BCM survey
Research for the 2017 FM Business Confidence Monitor is underway. The survey has already drawn hundreds of responses, but more are needed. Please take a few minutes before the holidays to join in.
2017 FM Business Confidence Monitor launched
Leaders from the facilities management sector are being urged to share their views on the state of the sector following the launch of the British Institute of Facilities Management's third annual UK FM Business Confidence Monitor.
BIFM publishes cost benchmarking guidance
Helping facilities management professionals to highlight best practice and identify gaps in performance through operational cost benchmarking is the subject of the latest guidance note published by BIFM.
BSI Leadership Award for Stan Mitchell
Stan Mitchell, long-time champion of the development of standards for the facilities management sector, has been honoured with a BSI Leadership Award.
All change?
Disruption is a concept that's on every business pundit's list of interesting things to talk about. But is this relevant in FM? Can you have disruption in a business that was so recently itself a disruption of a traditional marketplace?
BIFM officially launches in the Middle East
Today marks the official launch of BIFM in the United Arab Emirates, amidst 'great opportunity' in the region.
BIFM joins debate on value of professional status
The BIFM was one of six professional institutes debating the place of such bodies and the meaning of the term 'professional' in a rapidly changing social and economic environment.
Been there, done that
One of the interesting things about FM for those of us who have been around for, shall we say, more than a few years is the reappearance of old colleagues and acquaintances. Unfortunately, old issues and problems tend to come back, too.
How do you solve a problem like the BIFM?
For all its strengths, and there are plenty, the FM industry's professional institute seems to have some chronic flaw somewhere: things keep going wrong.
BIFM loses another CEO
The BIFM announced late on Wednesday (26 October) that new CEO Ray Perry has left the Institute. Linda Hausmanis is stepping in as Acting Chief Executive.
Consultation open on proposed level 6 apprenticeship
The BIFM reports that it is working with a 'trailblazer' group including employers and higher education institutes to develop a new degree apprenticeship for senior facilities managers.
Tracking FM trends and opportunities
i-FM's annual market landscape review tracks major events in the marketplace over the past year, their impact on the industry and how they, and events in the wider environment, are shaping facilities management for the future. It is available online now.
How not to...: World Workplace update 3
While the final news from last week's event involves the significant achievement of the organisation riling all its 4500 delegates, this is no cliff-hanger: there is a happy ending to a story which mixes ineptitude, misunderstanding and a major mea culpa.
Staying on the right side of the law
The Facilities Management Legal Update course, organised by training, consulting and support group International Workplace, has become a fixture in the FM calendar, running now for over 20 years. This year's takes place later this month.
RICS and IFMA plan unified career map
A unified career map is to be unveiled at this week's World Workplace conference in what the International Facility Management Association describes as a priority joint output of its global collaboration with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Wilson named IFMA Fellow
Dave Wilson has been named as a Fellow in the International Facility Management Association's class of 2016.
What future for facilities management?
All the ingredients are in place for FM to secure a future as a strategic discipline enabling organisations to both meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that a changing workplace entails.
Setting standards in FM
Arguing that a new ISO management system standard will be more than welcome in the dynamic world that is FM, the International Organization for Standardization has offered an update on progress so far.
FM recruitment: where to now?
Post Brexit referendum, the future is paved with uncertainty regardless of your political views, says Talent FM Managing Director Nikki Dallas. So what can job candidates do to enhance their career opportunities?
BIFM offers guidance on supply chain management
The Institute's latest Guidance Note is 'Collaboration in FM: Integrated Supply Chain Management', produced by its Procurement Special Interest Group.
More FM case studies from RICS
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has published its fourth collection of case studies focusing on strategic FM in action.
Sodexo confirms support for Stoddart Review
The facilities services group has confirmed its role, and expressed its pride, as one of the supporting partners of the recently launched Stoddart Review.
BIFM looks at international markets
The BIFM has published 'Outsourcing Across Borders', its latest FM Leaders Forum discussion paper and the first from the Institute's International Special Interest Group.
FM outsourcing: counting the costs
Cost, and more specifically cost saving, always lands near the top of the client priorities list when it comes to making the decision to outsource FM services. But how often do buyers investigate the full cost of service provision?
BIFM gears up for World FM Day
The worldwide celebration of facilities management takes place on Wednesday 13 July, but BIFM members will be hosting events throughout this week.
Next-gen outsourcing
It is occasionally argued that FM has followed an evolutionary path, from single-service supply through bundled and heading on towards TFM. That over-simplifies the pattern; but it may be indicative of outsourcing more broadly.
Where to look for competitive advantage
Staying competitive is a matter of survival in UK facilities management. It is an essential characteristic in a market where buyers enjoy considerable choice and suppliers struggle against a move to commoditise their offers.
BIFM to offer support for FMs in the UAE
The British Institute of Facilities Management has been granted a licence to operate from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and will be providing its educational programme to support the FM profession and BIFM members in the United Arab Emirates.
BBC wins recognition for best practice in outsourcing
Following a six-month process of internal review and external assessment, the BBC has been awarded full corporate accreditation for its outsourcing strategy.
SHU research enters final week
Sheffield Hallam University's major research project exploring the FM industry, its current issues and the trends for the future winds up at the end of this week. All facilities professionals are invited to complete the online survey before then.
Opportunities and challenges in FM
UK facilities management doesn't have any 'elder statesmen' (perhaps it should), but it does have a handful of long-serving, highly experienced people whose views are always worth listening to. We have comments on the site from two of them.
Does FM need a trade association?
The UK industry has done pretty well, reaching its current multi-billion pound status from more or less a standing start 30 years ago or so; all of that without benefit of a real trade association.
SHU opens future of FM research
Sheffield Hallam University has launched its fourth FM sector survey and is inviting facilities professionals from across the sector to provide insight into current practices, issues and expectations in the industry.
ISS and Telefonica: 'world class' hospitality
Telefonica UK, an ISS client, has renewed its Hospitality Assured accreditation for the third time and received the highest score achieved within the facilities management sector.
FM: agent of change white paper published
This year's Workplace Futures conference, held in February, took on the change agent theme, which looks increasingly like being the future of FM itself. The summary white paper is now available.
A marriage-counselling approach to outsourcing
David Emanuel returns to the insourcing vs outsourcing debate and asks why things go wrong in some contracting relationships and what can be done about it.
BIFM takes on design and construction process
The British Institute of Facilities Management has launched its latest advice publication, its new 'Operational Readiness Guide: a guide to ensuring long-term effectiveness in the design and construction process'.
Business growing fast at start-up FMP360
The facilities management contract performance improvement specialist is building a reputation for success.
Talking shop: trade show edition
Having spent three days at the NEC for Facilities Management 2016, i-FM's David Emanuel reflects on his time in Birmingham and asks some questions about the FM industry's current key talking points.
Finding the time
If there never seem to be enough hours in the day to do what needs doing, it may be (prepare yourself) your fault.
Turning goals into reality
Whether they are personal, professional or commercial, goals have a regrettable propensity to slip eventually into the 'easier said than done' category.
BFG: the CSSA perspective
There were high hopes for the Building Futures Group when it unveiled its new identity in 2014, and widespread surprise when it announced its closure early this year. How does the in, then out cleaning sector association see the whole experience?
Does insourcing mean outsourcing got it wrong?
The rise of insourcing, or at least the possibility of a rise, crops up in industry discussions on a regular basis. And it's been a subject recently on our news and features pages, too. So what does it mean for FM if there is some sort of trend here?
BIFM offers asset management guidance
The latest good practice guide from BIFM, Asset Management Surveying Practice, aims to help FM professionals produce meaningful asset data that meets increasing expectations of clients, adds value to FM operations and supports business decision-making.
Asking the right questions
Commoditisation has been sitting on FM's horizon for quite some time, like a dark cloud threatening to rain on the sector's ambitions. But maybe FMs themselves are partly to blame. Maybe they are not asking the right questions.
Terrorism: what it means for FM
"The biggest threat to security is believing that no threat exists." That was the key message from Kenneth Upham, counter-terrorism security advisor for Greater Manchester Police.
FM: a man without a country
Workplace Futures, the annual industry conference organised by i-FM, this year asked delegates to make the case for facilities management as an agent of change. Simon Iatrou reports on the day, and some of the issues involved.
Building Futures Group CEO speaks out
When the Building Futures Group shut its doors in January, it did so quietly. While rumours of financial trouble had been swirling for months, the group's eventual collapse left people with many unanswered questions.
BIFM confirms FM confidence monitor launch
The 2016 Facilities Management Business Confidence Monitor, the barometer measuring buoyancy across the FM sector, is now up and running. BIFM is inviting widespread participation.
2016 business confidence survey launches
The annual Facilities Management Business Confidence Monitor research is underway. All FM service providers are invited to join in the survey, contributing to a deeper understanding of the state of the marketplace.
IFMA sets out to tackle global talent gap
The IFMA Foundation is pressing ahead with its Global Workforce Initiative, aiming to overcome a growing 'talent gap' in facilities management and facilities services.
Hi-tech changes to define the future of facilities management
Technological development will have the greatest impact on outsourcing by 2020, spurring on the emergence of a series of new sourcing models.
Building relationships in FM
FM is often talked about as being a people business. From cleaners to engineers, project managers to apprentices: people make up who we are and without them we simply could not succeed.
WIFM sticks to its pioneering path
The BIFM SIG created to focus on the needs of women in the industry remains in no way exclusive; and its annual conference remains in no way bound by the expectations that the words 'industry conference' might imply.
RICS and the future of FM
There is no doubt at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors: RICS has a key role to play in the continued professionalisation of facilities management.
The great FM photographic conundrum
How do you say 'facilities management' in a photograph? Is it about people? Process? Technology? Management? A specific service line? Show us the best answer, and we will reward your achievement.
Leading practitioners back RICS drive
Four senior facilities management practitioners have backed the call from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for more fully qualified people across the industry.
Challenge for 2016: how FMs use technology
At a recent webinar, jointly hosted by FM software provider Service Works Group and the Facilities Show, a panel of leading lights from the FM profession explored what the future holds for the FM industry in 2016 and beyond.
Putting the customer first
The approach to building and then maintaining solid customer relationships is one of the few areas in the crowded facilities management marketplace where service providers can find some opportunity for differentiation.
All change: but how exactly?
'Change' is one of those ubiquitous words, found in virtually everything said or written about facilities management. In fact, change is effectively FM's middle name.
BIFM offers online study option
The British Institute of Facilities Management has announced that its Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications are now available through an online learning and assessment platform, BIFM Direct.
BIFM deputy chair steps down
Ian Townsend, Deputy Chairman of the BIFM, will leave the Institute's Board ahead of the Chairman Elect and Deputy Chair elections which will take place in November.
FM: sorting out the future
The process by which facilities management is evolving, both as an industry and a business discipline, has been fascinating to watch, in part because it regularly raises questions about the direction of travel and the rate of progress.
Bouygues fosters women's networking group
WeLink, originally launched by Bouygues Construction in 2013, now stretches right across the group providing an in-house network for women to share information and ideas and develop their careers.
IFMA insights into improving the perception of FM
IFMA, in partnership with JLL, has published a white paper exploring the challenges and benefits of a shift in C-suite perception of facilities management from a support-based cost centre to a strategic partner.
Understanding your market
Globally, facilities management is a growth market. Understanding the drivers of that growth is essential for service providers looking to grow, and to evolve as the market evolves.
World Workplace in full programme mode
The world's biggest facilities management show moved up a gear Wednesday, with events running throughout the day and into the evening: from entrepreneurial keynotes, through educational sessions, briefings and the launch of a new knowledge resource.
BIFM strikes mainland Europe qualifications deal
Dutch university NHTV has been confirmed as a recognised centre delivering the BIFM Level 5 Qualification in Facilities Management.
FM's holy grail
Service excellence is a promise likely to be held out in every tender exercise, an objective set in every contract review and an ambition underpinning every KPI discussion. But what do we actually mean by 'excellence'?
First success for NHS Property Services alliance with BIFM
An initial group of NHS Property Services employees has gained membership in the British Institute of Facilities Management following a fast-track assessment process.
BIFM offering employers online learning packages
FM employers can now purchase a package of licences for the BIFM online learning portal to enable their employees to undertake BIFM Levels 2 and 3 qualifications.
BIFM confirms current board structure
Following last week's AGM the British Institute of Facilities Management has confirmed the make-up of two key institute bodies and the winners of several awards.
IFMA launches FM task analysis research
The International Facility Management Association has launched a research project designed to identify the key tasks and work activities carried out by FMs.
CIPS teams up with Cofely on FM information
The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply is collaborating with Cofely to offer CIPS members access to a range of sources to support procurement activity in the FM sector.
Diary of a Graduate: Chapter IV
Before he finishes the graduate programme at Bouygues Energies & Services, Robbie Kidd reflects on the past two years.
Defining asset management
There's no question that asset management is a critical discipline; we just need to be clear which asset management we're talking about.
Incentive to offer a Safe Place
Incentive FM has joined a pioneering scheme designed to help vulnerable members of the community.
Tancred leaves BIFM; Sutton named CEO
The BIFM board of directors has appointed current Chief Operating Officer James Sutton to the role of Chief Executive Officer following the resignation of Gareth Tancred.
Putting the service into facilities services
ISS makes no secret of its ambition to be the world's greatest service organisation. So what is it doing to make progress towards that remarkable goal?
BIFM launches first African regional group
The British Institute of Facilities Management has announced the creation of a new regional community group in Nigeria to support BIFM members there and the wider facilities management profession in the region.
International standard for FM to go ahead
A new international standard for facilities management has been formally approved to proceed into development by the International Organisation for Standardisation following a poll of its 159 member organisations.
The critical role of the first impression
We all do it: we start making decisions about an organisation we're visiting for the first time as soon as we approach the front door. Front of house is a risky place.
FMs focused on improving employees' quality of life
Facilities managers are increasingly focused on improving quality of life in the workplace and are looking to integrated services to achieve their outsourcing needs, according to new research.
What Glasgow tells us about FM today
EFMC 2015 was a big and diverse event that said almost as much about the state of facilities management in an increasingly global marketplace as it did about current and emerging FM practice itself.
RICS launches FM qualifications campaign
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has launched its Aspire to Lead campaign, focused on career development in facilities management.
Outsourcing: the intangibles count most
New research from Grant Thornton concludes that reliability, trust and other 'non-technical' skills matter most in building successful outsourcing partnerships.
RICS to launch third case study collection
RICS will launch its third series of strategic facilities management case studies at an event to be held 19 June at Birmingham's NEC.
CIBSE teams up with BCIA and BFG on FM
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Facilities Management Group has unveiled plans to cooperate with the Building Controls Industry Association and the Building Futures Group.
BIFM confirms plans for Careers Zone
The Institute says that anyone in FM who is looking for information about CPD, training, management skills or career opportunities will find it at its Facilities Show Careers Zone.
Professions look at bridge-building
The presidents of CIBSE, B&ES and RIBA have come together to call for more collaboration between members of the construction supply chain.
A little competition never hurt anyone
Earlier this month, BIFM's annual conference invited FM industry professionals to The Guardian's head office in Kings Cross. Simon Iatrou reflects on the day's biggest talking points.
Outsourcing: it's good to talk
The National Outsourcing Association has surveyed more than 150 of its members to compare buyers' and sellers' perceptions in a search for lessons that can help shape the future of the industry.
UK FM reports surge in confidence
The UK facilities management sector is increasingly optimistic about prospects for both the UK economy and growth in FM over the coming year, according to research conducted by the BIFM in partnership with i-FM and Barclays.
RICS names four to its FM board
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has announced four new appointments to its Facilities Management Board.
International property ethics standard in the works
A new international coalition is being drawn together to develop the first set of globally recognised ethics standards for real estate and related professional organisations.
FM, the future and all that
What is FM and what does it want to be: two questions that are bound to come up in any gathering of practitioners, in the past, the present and seemingly for the foreseeable future.
Living Wage awareness on the rise
Attitudes and awareness towards the Living Wage campaign are changing steadily, with almost 80% of adults in the UK saying they have heard of it, according to research commissioned by KPMG.
Workplace Conversation finds subject
Following three months of online discussion, the creation of an online knowledge sharing community for workplace professionals has been selected as the winning idea in The Workplace Conversation.
New guide to BIFM qualifications now available
FM training provider Xenon Group has launched a comprehensive guide to the institute's qualifications.
BIFM conference to focus on 'competitive advantage'
Speakers at next month’s ThinkFM will give a series of presentations discussing how organisations can achieve competitive advantage through workplace management.
Scottish FM celebrates its people
BIFM Scotland toasted the winners of its inaugural awards at a special ceremony on Saturday.
Still time to join the Workplace Conversation
The online conversation, backed by the BIFM and the CIPD, is working its way towards a conclusion and now is a very good time to get involved.
Putting H&S on the strategic agenda
Health & safety policy and practice is a standard part of the facilities management remit, as well as wider corporate operations, but it's all too easy to relegate it to the 'routine'.
Incentive FM joins Living Wage providers
Incentive FM Group has been accredited as a Living Wage Provider, formalising the company's commitment to paying the employees that work within its central team the relevant Living Wage as a minimum.
Learning on the job
Robbie Kidd reports on the skills his employer has identified as crucial to his learning and development in facilities management and how these are being applied in his job role.
NHS Property Services partners with BIFM
NHS Property Services Ltd has announced a new partnership with the British Institute of Facilities Management to provide membership and professional development for 1500 of its FM employees.
Challenging conventions
If you were to take all the latest technological innovation in energy efficiency and apply it to one space, what would that facility look like?
Three minutes of your time
We've added a brief video to the Workplace Futures website, summarising the themes of the conference, sharing some insights into FM's challenges and opportunities, and capturing the feel of the day.
PAT answers: why safety and cost-cutting don't mix
Portable appliance testing is a straightforward concept that would probably draw universal support if put to a vote. But it's also a concept marked by confusion about requirements and disagreement about appropriate practices.
It's good to talk
Benchmarking initiatives seem to get criticised as often as they get praised. But the underlying concept of sharing information about common issues, problems and opportunities can't be faulted.
The security industry: can it save itself?
A recent industry roundtable, organised by Incentive FM Group, took on the tough issue of margin erosion in the UK contract security sector.
A request you should not ignore
We're good at identifying the problems in this sector: limited understanding of what FM is and does, poor and often confusing communication, scattergun approach to problem-solving. But we're not so good at doing something about it.
Workplace Futures: the report
Predicting the future is a fool's game, but last week's Workplace Futures conference took on the challenge more than once as speakers and delegates tackled some of the major issues and trends shaping work, the workplace and FM.
FM challenge: getting the priorities right
Some significant part of the facilities management community has always been easily distracted by discussions around the definition of FM, the size of the market, how we do things, where it's all headed. Important, yes. But critical?
Workplace Futures resources now available
Following the highly successful event last week, speaker slides and a number of other resources have been made available on the Workplace Futures website.
The FM Graduate Part II: Perception vs Reality
In his second update, Robbie Kidd discusses how his experiences now working in FM compare to his initial perception of the profession and what key lessons he has learnt while on the job.
BIFM and CIPD launch The Workplace Conversation
The BIFM and the CIPD have launched a collaborative project exploring the evolution of the work environment and what the future of the workplace looks like.
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Tiger Mouth Talk is back
The unique and insightful video series has returned, with BIFM CEO Gareth Tancred focusing on the great career opportunities in FM.
Dutch FM students visit Sodexo
"You are the future," Sodexo's Andrew Wilkinson told a group of Dutch facilities management students on Monday evening.
BIFM opens Dublin office
The expansion is part of the organisation's broader international strategy and will support members in Ireland, the Institute says.
BIFM launches business confidence monitor
BIFM, the leading professional body for facilities management, has today launched its Facilities Management Business Confidence Monitor in partnership with i-FM and Barclays.
Sustainability School confirms launch
The Supply Chain Sustainability School, well established in the construction sector, will launch its dedicated offer for FM and the services sector next week.
2015 BIFM awards open
The BIFM has opened entries for its prestigious industry awards. This year sees the awards featuring three overall themes: People, Impact and Innovation.
The FM Graduate: Part One
In the first of a new series exploring one graduate's entry and subsequent progress in facilities management, Robbie Kidd explains how he came to choose a career in this sector.
CIPS makes small but important changes
After nearly a year of consultation and debate the institute has completed the process of changing its name and securing royal approval for the award of chartered status for members.
Living Wage service provider group launched
The Living Wage Foundation has announced the formation of a Service Providers Leadership Group which will work to influence the marketplace and carry forward the development and recognition of the Living Wage programme.
BIFM offers supply chain guidance
The BIFM has published new guidance outlining the key concepts essential for successful supply chain management.
SHU MBA deserves full recognition for quality
Sheffield Hallam University's MBA programme is one of the most respected in the country, with its FM stream in particular drawing praise from students and widespread recognition by the industry.
OCS becomes a BIFM Recognised Centre
The support services group has gained accreditation as a BIFM Recognised Centre, enabling it to self-deliver BIFM qualifications.
What future for a slimmed down BFG?
In a strange but not wholly unexpected turn of events, the Cleaning and Support Services Association has decided to return to its independent existence.
Tiger prepares to take a break
Sodexo's Neil Murray is featured in the final Tiger Mouth Talk video interview for this year.
Assessors sought for ethical workplace accreditation
Over the last five years UK property charity the Ethical Property Foundation has been working in partnership with the BIFM and others to develop the Fairplace Award. It needs volunteer assessors for 2015.
Webinar reveals gap between FM and procurement
A webinar exploring the gap between the facilities management and procurement sectors has found that more than half of participants feel the relationship between the two parties only ranks as 'average'.
Latest video interview: Jeremy Waud
The Tiger Mouth Talk interview collection continues to grow, this week featuring the Chairman of the Incentive FM Group.
Features - Search found 100 features
Growth, technology, experience: squaring the circle
With ambitions to grow and an increasing appetite for new technologies, are FM providers redefining ‘the workplace experience’?
The challenge of change
In the face of so much possibility and potential, how do FM service providers harness new technologies for the benefit of customers – and themselves?
The cherry on the parfait
If FM wants to prove its role, it’s time to put employee experience first, workplace specialist Debra Ward tells Fiona Perrin.
FM: strategies for uncertain times
Uncertainty, change, agility, creativity: these are business-as-usual factors in FM. But could the industry be approaching a critical point where decisions made could reshape its future?
Thinking a bit more creatively
Steve Brewer reflects on this year’s IWFM ‘agents of change’ conference.
Building a career in FM
To mark International Women’s Day 2022, we feature Lorraine Thomas, deputy business director for Sodexo Healthcare at Queen’s Hospital, Romford.
Tackling the recruitment challenge
In recent months ‘shortage’ has become a key theme in all sorts of conversations, whether that’s doing the weekly shopping, planning a building project or looking to recruit staff.
World FM Day 2020: reports from the frontline
People in FM hold all kinds of roles in all kinds of situations, working these days under considerable pressure. It is inspirational to hear what they do and how. We asked a whole selection to tell us about themselves in their own words.
9 megatrends that every FM provider should know
Economic growth, globalisation, technological development... here are a just some of the megatrends that are shaping the future of FM, analysed by the experts at ISS.
Plugging the skills gap
Why does the UK continue to suffer from a short supply of engineering talent? Why is the gap getting bigger despite efforts to put an end to the problem? And where can FM help?
International FM: the Sri Lankan experience
The future of facilities management in Sri Lanka could be shaped by Chinese investment, Sienna Emanuel reports
LGBT+ in FM
The why, when and what: insights and updates from the LGBT+ in FM committee.
Is public sector outsourcing broken?
Outsourcing is taking the blame for 'poverty' employment conditions and exploitation. How did it come to this and what should our industry be doing about it? Fiona Perrin reports.
Small, medium and enterprising
We hear a lot about the big organisations in UK FM. But who are the rising stars and what makes them successful? Fiona Perrin talked to four of the challengers.
Apprenticeship perceptions are creating a skills gap
According to the Department for Education, apprenticeship figures have been decreasing in 2018. At the same time, perceptions of this career path continue to be debated and discussed.
Five strategic sourcing approaches
To accommodate new market needs and increasing hyper-competition, the way business partners interact will change over the coming decade. The experts at ISS outline some of the options on the horizon.
How 'ethical commissioning' could curb the worst effects of outsourcing
While inadequate budgets, supervision, and regulation are often blamed for the failures of public sector outsourcing, the absence of ethical standards in the commissioning and procurement process remains an overlooked issue.
Enhancing team performance
Tim Hysom discusses high performing teams and the best ways to collaborate effectively to achieve common goals.
The three components of excellent service quality
Service quality is one of the most important competitive factors in today’s business landscape. Here's some advice on how to make it excellent from the team at ISS.
Change vs transition in service outsourcing
Change management and transition management are important processes of any service outsourcing project. But what is the difference between them and what outcomes can they help you to achieve? ISS offers insights and advice.
Making a mobilisation work
John Paul Pearson discusses the stages of a mobilisation, the process and the most common challenges faced by facilities managers.
Maintaining the momentum for change
FM is re-setting its governing compass. Part of that is a new focus on diversity and inclusivity and on attitudes towards delivering facilities services across society. So, International Women's Day could not be celebrated at a better time.
Can FM be disrupted?
Simon Iatrou examines how the gig economy and new technologies may soon revolutionise FM and other built environment disciplines.
Setting standards
Dave Wilson provides some insights into the development of the new ISO standards for FM and, crucially, how the incorporated principles and processes will work.
Intelligent client gets demoted
Facilities management has come a long way since the mid ‘80s when the world gradually awoke to the fact that effective FM could significantly influence business and social performance. Bernard Williams looks at the path of change and where it's headed.
BIFM: a long and winding road
The latest in our occasional history series looks at the path of the British Institute of Facilities Management, definitely a case of moving forward though with a fair few potholes and switchbacks along the way.
FM's professional bodies: where next?
Do the actions and objectives of the facilities management bodies align with where the industry is heading? Simon Iatrou talked with three professionals from different parts of the FM sector.
Is the price of surveillance too high?
Richard Jenkins looks at the challenge of balancing security needs with personal freedoms.
The i-FM News Review 2017
As always in UK FM, it's been a busy year. It has also been a year notable for its mixed messages, with many service providers reporting growth but a significant number of others, including some of the biggest in the business, reporting problems.
Next-gen FM?
Facilities management has a relatively brief past, and throughout virtually all of it requirements, expectations and practices have been changing. Gary Barbour looks at one new solution model, the Integrator.
Happy World FM Day!
To celebrate this annual occasion, i-FM caught up with five facilities managers to find out more about their roles and the noteworthy buildings they look after.
Life lessons
If you're looking for ways to advance your career quickly, you'll learn as much from the mistakes of others as you will from your own. Always good advice, but especially during this Learning at Work Week.
What should I do about KPIs
We first published the following article, offering insights on 'an easy way into a daunting topic', in 2005. It remains remarkably timely. Lionel Prodgers offers a current view on changes over time as a footnote.
Facilities manager as funding champion
Facilities managers today often face steep challenges in successfully performing their traditional duties due to the increased competition for funding. How do you make a convincing business case?
What is the future of FM outsourcing?
Corporate real estate management and facilities management have for decades provided the physical cornerstone for businesses of all kinds. All that will soon change, argues ISS.
Creating competitive advantage
The way we inhabit workspace is changing as are the workplace strategies we must have in place to attract and retain talent, to drive productivity and performance. ISS outlines 7 ways FMs must fulfil customer needs and innovate to stay competitive.
All change
New technologies such as Big Data and the Internet of Things are changing the way companies are doing business. The potential effect on the facilities management industry is an exciting prospect but FMs need to first understand them and then embrace them.
Time: not on your side?
David Kentish discusses ways of managing your time better to make the most of your working day.
CSSA clarifies position on BFG collapse
Following last month's interview with Sarah Bentley on the Building Future Group's collapse, i-FM now gives CSSA Chairman Doug Cooke an opportunity to tell his side of the story.
Play Your Part
It simply wouldn't be a WIFM Conference without an agenda packed full of inspirational speakers sharing stories to make the audience laugh and cry. Tanya Horscroft looks back at this year's event.
Managing Your Employees Through Change
While it may seem obvious that change is difficult and can cause resistance, most managers tend to under-estimate how hard it is for employees to make even small changes to work habits.
Natural Progression
With the evolution of technology, today's facilities managers must focus on learning the skills they will need to stay relevant in the 21st century. Frank Logan examines how the sector continues to evolve.
Planning for Trouble
Jackie Bennett Shaw offers advice on managing crisis situations while in the eye of the storm, as well as some practical ways you can prepare ahead for any problem.
What is Excellent Service?
We live in a service economy where great customer service is an asset for almost every business. But what differentiates between a service that's great and excellent service?
Real-world Asset Management
Records of processes and assets are important, but assets need managing and that's the key role of FM providers.
A Call to Arms
Dave Wilson writes: When someone suggests that an entire industry needs a 'call to arms' that rather implies some deep-seated lethargy or, worse, complacency.
How to Get the 80% Right
80% of a building's value is delivered during its working life, but missed service and maintenance opportunities lead to operating costs that are often far too high, argues Simon Carter.
The True Cost of a Serious Accident
Keeping employees safe in the workplace can be one of the most important functions of a facilities manager, Rob Burgon writes.
Waste Management and FM: a Growing Partnership
Steve Lee reports that waste management is climbing rapidly up the legal and business agendas. There's an opportunity here for facilities management to take a lead on strategy and implementation.
Beware False Economies: Appliance Safety Testing
Jim Wallace encourages a common-sense approach to ensuring the safety of electrical equipment, as cutting corners can carry considerable risks.
Collective Wisdom
Neil Longley introduces the Peer to Peer Club, a new group formed to help like-minded facilities management practitioners share ideas and best practice.
A Brave New Workplace
The future of working will be defined by the convergence between people, workplace and the mass of data this produces. Simon Iatrou reflects on i-FM's latest conference.
Employee Engagement: A Game-Changer in Facilities Management?
Donna Brown discusses how her research into employee engagement can have a far-reaching impact on facilities management within healthcare and beyond.
Strategic Facilities Management Skills to Prioritise in 2015
William Betts discusses the skills and qualifications that employers will be looking for in 2015 and beyond.
Evolve or Regress: What is Our Pleasure?
Much of what we casually describe as FM outsourcing is in reality out-tasking. True outsourcing is a more challenging process. Is the industry ready for that, asks Neil Longley.
The Procurement Challenge: Practical Advice
Phil Ratcliffe offers service buyers some guidance on getting the outcomes they want from one of the most fraught stages in any outsourcing exercise.
Listen up: delivering great customer service in facilities management
Sam Hockman suggests that one of the best ways facilities managers can deliver great customer service is by listening to their clients.
Stop Firefighting: How Data Drives Strategic FM Decision Making
Dr Rachel Dick says that smarter use of IT can help facilities management organisations enhance their strategic decision-making.
Why Facilities Management Should Do What's Right for Business Success
Stephen Shallcroft says that FM can help create competitive advantage if it focuses on what is 'right' for the business.
BIFM aims high (and hits its target)
The strategic importance of the ‘high ground’ was first articulated by Sun Tzu in his ancient Chinese military treatise 'The Art of War'. Simon Iatrou looks at how this applies to FM today.
The Informed Observer's View of FM
Editors and PR consultants specialising in the facilities management sector are in a unique position to see into this business, what it does, how it presents itself, where it's headed, what the challenges are. We recently asked them to share their views.
Recruiting Support for FM Qualifications
Whether you are a keen supporter of the 'professionalising FM' campaign or simply interested in career-building, the issue of qualifications in facilities management is very relevant. Yet in some ways, it remains controversial.
Putting FM at the Heart of your Organisation
Connel Bottom says that in-house FM teams can help the wider business deliver better value and greater efficiencies by reviewing how they are structured and managed.
Strategic FM Skills to Prioritise in 2014
Kath Fontana suggests that as FM develops as a profession the landscape of strategic FM talent is improving. But it’s in the area of general management skills that more progress is needed.
Why Relationships are Essential to FM Strategy
Stephen Shallcroft suggests that because facilities management functions tend to be fairly inward focused, FMs often don’t have a clear understanding of how they fit within the business.
The Innovation Challenge
Innovation is a much-used word in facilities management, but what does it really mean? Cathy Hayward talks to service providers, consultants and client-side FMs about the challenges of true innovation.
Why Cutting FM Costs can have a Business-wide Impact
Connel Bottom advises that facilities management costs principally relate to assets, services and management. So cutting costs in any of these areas can have a big impact across a business.
Strategic FM comes to Brussels
Wayne Tantrum writes: Over 50 delegates attended a joint conference held by Euro FM’s European Facility Management Network and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors recently to discuss how to promote strategic FM.
The Intelligent Client
What do these words really mean? On numerous occasions over the past ten years or so the term has turned up for debate. Larch Consulting's Mike Cant gives us his thoughts.
The Many Faces of the FM Consultant
As the FM market changes, so too does the role of the FM consultant. Dave Wilson examines the reasons why clients employ consultancy services and how this has been affected by external issues such as the economy.
FM in the Legal World
Do sound facilities management principles apply across the board, or is it wise to single out FM in a legal context? Russ Stevens of Mace Macro considers the issues.
Developing a Social Business Strategy
Iain Murray was an early adopter of social media in the FM sector. Here he tells us why it should form a key part of your organisation's overall business strategy.
Delivering Strategic Benefits
Nigel Thacker writes: Customers are always looking for cost reductions, or quality improvements, or both. The term 'more for less' is ubiquitous across the outsourcing industry.
Contract Communications 2
Nigel Thacker writes: The first part of this article outlined ways to enhance communication with your customer during the contract to help build better relationships.
Contract Communications 1
Nigel Thacker writes: For contract leads, communicating with the customer is a day-to-day activity. You will have formal reports to deliver, regular set meetings and probably daily informal chats.
Global FM Makeover
i-FM caught up with Global FM Chairman Duncan Waddell in Australia last week to hear how 'the association for associations' has re-built itself with a clearer focus on goals and outcomes.
Career Building Strategies
Peter Forshaw explores the case for training and qualifications in the context of job finding and career building within the FM industry.
The Real Value of Qualifications
Since 2010, qualifications in facilities management have been a hot topic. Visit any FM event and you’ll be lucky to get away without hearing someone talking about FM qualifications.
It's All in the Training
John Lambert discusses the importance of training and what aspects need to be considered to ensure a thorough programme is in place.
Training is a Core Business Function
In tough financial times, it is expected that most organisations will make cutbacks in order to become more sustainable.
BIFM: Professionalising FM
Talk to any accountant, doctor or lawyer and you will find that qualifications formed an integral part of the early stage of their careers, and continuing professional development has been a constant throughout.
Making a Better Case for FM
Martin Pickard, Conference Chair at Workplace Futures 2013, looks back at a long list of challenging issues facing FM but concludes the overall message is a positive one.
FM in the Future
Barry Varcoe and John Hinks explore a future that offers greater recognition, integration and value for FM.
FMA on the Brink
The news at the Facilities Management Association these days is all about the launch of FMA@Uni, the MBA programme being hosted by Sheffield Hallam and open only to FMA members.
Changing Times
The BIFM has been a busy place in recent months, dealing with a whole range of big issues, some planned and some not.
FM Success Factors
Steve Silen, of business advisors KPMG, looks at some of the key actions needed both before and after implementing an integrated FM contract.
Lean Thinking in FM
One approach that is becoming a key weapon in the facilities management armoury in dealing with inefficiency and waste is 'lean thinking'.
FM's Game Changer
That's a punchy title, full of promise. But is there really a change on the horizon that could reshape this large and dynamic sector? Yes, argues David Emanuel.
Procurement: defining what you need and how to get it
Sometimes we seem to be an industry that knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Improving Performance
Can guiding managers to consider the link between their use of resources and the achievement of corporate objectives help them to identify new routes to improving the business?
Setting Standards for FM
There are more than 250 British Standards applicable to facilities management. How many of those can you name? How many do you actually use?
Career Builder
This year's BIFM FM of the Year started in construction and migrated into facilities management, ideal for someone who simply loves making buildings work.
Level 3: Questions Linger
We've learned something recently: the newcomer venturing into the realm of FM qualifications delivery needs to be prepared to meet a baffling mix of jargon, confusion, delay and obstruction.
Workplace Futures 2011
This year's conference tackled some big issues in facilities management and raised some fundamental questions the industry needs to resolve.
Making FM a First-Choice Career
New FM qualifications will be an important factor in making facilities management a recognisable, and desirable, career.
Building a Service Culture
Geoff Prudence looks at the key aspects of a service ethos in building operation and management.
Why We Need Change at the BIFM
I have resigned from the BIFM, both as a member and as the individual members’ representative on the Members Council. I want to explain why.
Fractured FM
FM in the UK is mature, but is it integrated and contributing to business productivity?
FM - an Ugly Duckling?
Facilities management is in that sometimes awkward, still-growing phase. How is it doing and what can we hope for as it continues to grow up?
Keane on FM
IFMA's new President and CEO, Tony Keane, shares his vision for the organisation's next 30 years.
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FM Standards: get involved
Legislation, regulation and contract compliance; KPIs, SLAs and QSHE; governance groups, industry bodies and those blasted consultants…
The need for long-termism in ESG
Organisations are placing increasing importance on their environmental, social and governance strategies. How should FM react?
Time for change: how we can avoid neglecting assets
For any company that has been around for a long time, change can be difficult to accept. After all, why change the core of a business which has stood the test of time?
FM: the next generation
Simon Ball reflects on 20 years in facilities management: what’s changed, what hasn’t and what needs to.
An evening to celebrate, and celebrate FMs did
The IWFM awards dinner took place Monday evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, and how nice it was to be back.
IWFM: is it fit for purpose?
There are a number of big issues facing the Institute that suggest the answer may well be no. Certainly the pressure is increasingly on to prove otherwise.
Security: innovation is shaping the future
Jason Pope turns the World FM Day focus onto security services to show how Covid-19 has been the catalyst the industry needed.
Why do companies change FM suppliers so often?
On World FM Day, Alistair Scott argues that in order to break this cycle we need to first consider the causes behind it.
Why behaviours are key to our success in FM
To mark World FM Day, Debi Rowland offers some insights on skilling up for a career in FM.
Women in manufacturing: an opportunity in FM
In celebration of World FM Day, Ann Gent outlines the career prospects in what might fairly be called a neglected sector.
FM: time for a new approach
Jeff Dewing argues the industry has a watershed moment to address its issues and shares his manifesto for change.
The FM industry under the spotlight
The role of the facilities manager is evolving. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the workplace experience for companies in all industries, finance, retail and tech among them.
Time to build on what's been achieved
Despite the concerns about the economy due to the type of Brexit we ultimately get and more recently Covid-19, one of the constants is that the facilities management sector remains positive.
Women in FM
Recent research looking at women in facilities management relayed the disappointing finding that half of FM businesses in the UK have no female representation at board level.
The next generation of FM: which way forward?
The facilities management industry has been a place that's good for everyone. The slow and steady growth seemed guaranteed, and there was a well-known operating model for how to win. But the good times are over.
Freed from chains
For the FM industry to drive innovation and deliver the superior performance customers demand, we must lead a radical overhaul of FM service supply chains, says Andrew Wood.
FM has an image problem
And that is what's stopping our future talent from joining what one student called a 'hidden industry'. Sienna Emanuel asked a group of students what we need to do.
Responsible FM
"May you live in interesting times" is a Chinese curse that we would do well to consider long and hard right now.
Showcasing values-based activity in FM and workplace
Today is World Values Day, an opportunity to think about the principles that are important to us and to act on them.
Outsourcing in the public sector: a social commitment
The Public Service Act (Social Value) 2012 puts social value at the heart of commissioning, ensuring that authorities consider the wider economic and environmental benefit that they can achieve when buying goods and services. The Act became law in 2013.
Mutually beneficial
Collaborations between facilities management membership bodies have happened before. So, what makes the partnership between RICS and IFMA any different?
Owning the data and the data agenda
The future is equal parts exciting and terrifying. New technologies are opening up a world of possibilities; but they are also raising real-world concerns, like who will use, manage and ultimately own the abundance of new data that is produced.
Making technology work for FM
If technology is going to become an increasingly necessary and perhaps even an enhancing part of FM going forward, how do we ensure that this promise is delivered? Mark Hazelwood looks at some of the issues.
Passing the buck: responsibility and accountability for compliance
Who is really responsible for compliance in an organisation? This was just one of many questions recently posed at the latest BIFM Leaders' Forum panel debate hosted by Churchill Service Solutions in London.
Talking the industry up
I think it’s very easy to talk down the FM industry right now; but more than ever I am seeing a real movement behind positive change and some urgency in creating a conversation that elevates the perception of the value of what FM does.
Smarter working
It has become an industry adage that FM needs to move up the value chain, developing stronger, smarter working relationships with its customers. This is vital to the health of not just the industry but of customers' businesses too, says Jeff Flanagan.
You can't handle the truth
That memorable line from A Few Good Men, a drama about two US Marines accused of murder, resonates with me every time I hear politicians speaking about the 'truth'.
What's the point of marketing in FM?
In these uncertain times, how can CEOs and managing directors hope to deliver shareholder value, drive long-term profitability and create stability for their businesses?
FM and the need for leadership
With the world changing fast this is an important time to position facilities management as the lead enabling function for positive progress in multiple aspects of our lives, from the workplace through to cities. Geoff Prudence argues for greater focus.
The demise of Carillion and what it means
Even before there was a Carillion, stretching back into the days of its Tarmac predecessors, this business was a pioneer of the facilities management industry. Now that it has crashed so spectacularly what should we take away from this sorry situation?
How ready for change is FM?
Could we be on the road to a completely new approach to buying and selling FM, something which might end the price-based tendering that has dragged the industry so much downhill?
The Elemental Workplace
The relationship between facilities management and the emerging discipline of Workplace has always been slightly awkward.
Broadening the FM view
Considering how an environment makes employees feel and interact is key to creating business-supporting workspaces, says Jeff Flanagan.
Brexit: final straw for the industry's recruitment crisis?
There has been talk of a skills shortage and recruitment crisis in the FM sector for some years. Guy Pakenham looks at how the emerging political situation changes the discussion.
Stability and growth on the agenda
David Emanuel reports from Thursday's Annual General Meeting of the British Institute of Facilities Management.
The FM onion
Simon Iatrou looks back at some of the highlights from this year’s RICS FM Conference.
The case for holistic thinking
As human consumption nears a pivotal moment, George Adams explains why the built environment has a huge part to play in the fight against social and ecological disaster.
Is FM at risk of dehumanising?
Embracing the age of big data and all its associated ground-breaking technology is crucial for the FM sector, but there is a risk that partnership working and collaborative cultures could be lost to the detriment of the client relationship.
FM BLT
I've wanted to write this piece for a while. I suspect it'll annoy a few people. But I need to get it off my chest.
Disruption in FM: competing in a Google world
Colin Kenton explains why the FM discipline needs to scenario plan for the future of work and create the flexibility to deliver services in uncertain times.
Is facilities management ready for change?
Disruption of traditional industry has been a buzz-phrase for a while now. Is FM ripe for disruption? Dave Wilson looks at some of the possibilities.
BIFM: déjà vu
With reference to David Emanuel's pertinent article 'Where next for the BIFM', I have a couple of observations from my own experience, writes Lionel Prodgers.
Beyond outsourcing: to vest or not to vest
Granted it is not the font of all knowledge; however, Wikipedia is a useful reference for definitions.
Policies, common sense and defining what's really important
I asked my colleagues in our employment relations team whether they would like to step up to defend the boss of the company that had very publicly been admonished for sending home an employee, without pay, who refused to wear high heels at work.
Vacancy for a trade association
I enjoyed Andrew Brown's critical appraisal of the facilities service industry's failed love affair with trade associations, but I want to offer a few words of warning to anyone thinking of jumping into the empty seat left by the demise of the BFG.
FM in an international marketplace
With sad predictability, the response from the UK to Tuesday's announcement of the IFMA/RICS collaboration has been, at best, inward looking.
FM industry representation: who cares anyway?
Does the UK facilities management sector deserve to have a representative body? Does it need one? Does it care enough to deserve one?
Outsourcing: the responsibility lies with us
In a recent article on i-FM, Nigel Thacker highlighted what he called a 'sub trend' for some organisations to take their facilities management and other services back in-house.
First impressions count
Ana Canabarro asks whether you can afford not to have a professional front of house service.
An FM profession in unison?
On World FM Day, Simon Iatrou explores just how globalisation is shaping the facilities management profession.
A fair day's pay
Our staff work hard to help maintain our clients' facilities and provide key services. Every one of them deserves to receive a salary that not only recognises their skills and hard work, but also reflects the real cost of living in the UK.
Time to move on
At times, facilities management can seem to be its own worst enemy. Andrew Brown shares his views on progress and limitations, spurred by discussions at the recent Workplace Futures conference.
Style over substance
The temptation to buy the latest must-have gizmo can often be too hard to resist. In the workplace, this impulse negates the practical needs of staff and leads to poorly performing spaces.
Workplace management is NOT 'non core'
Another year has gone and we're within a short hop of this year's Workplace Week Convention, entitled 'The work/place revolution… taking human performance to new levels'.
Name and shamed
While helpdesks may get a bad rap, changing hats is not the solution, says Ian Robertson.
The customer comes second!
Yes, you have read it right; it really does say 'The customer comes second'. Frazer Rendell, an expert on employee engagement, explains.
Social value: why should FMs take notice?
Tony Raikes argues that social value will become central to all support services providers and will no longer just be a tick in a box on a tender document.
Power to the people
It is a belief in the abilities of our people that will create the disruptive innovation and dynamic customer relationships needed for FM & CRE to deliver strategic value.
FM on the board: really?
It’s been a hobby horse of many people in the industry since I first got involved three years ago, and those of my associates who are a little longer in the tooth tell me it's been going on for much longer than that.
Show and tell: the path to strategic influence
Facilities managers want to be taken seriously. Indeed, it can sometimes feel as if we spend a lot of our time saying: “Look at me, I’m a professional, just like the architects, engineers and accountants, take me seriously”.
Inside the tent, peeing out
The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and the British Institute of Facilities Management recently announced the intention of coming together in a partnership to drive a number of research and insight projects.
When will FM be properly recognised?
Bernard Crouch thinks the problem lies with terminology. It's time we moved past this, he argues.
The beginnings of a profession
Or is it the end of a 30-year project? Paul Carder argues that FM might be headed in the direction of becoming a profession, but there is much more work needed if that is really to be the case.
BIFM replies
Reading your recent article, 'The Informed Observer's View of FM', the resounding message for me was the passion for both the sector and the profession; two very separate elements in my eyes.
In-house vs outsource: that is the question…
With the workplace being the main facilitator of organisational success, senior management should view facilities management as a key function and, as such, consider it strategically.
FM: technology is the future
Advances in technology increasingly mean facilities can be managed from anywhere, often without the need for human intervention. Lionel Prodgers makes the case for embracing the trend now.
Energy efficient partnerships
A recent survey conducted by the BIFM and the National Energy Foundation shows that facilities managers must improve their approach to energy efficiency. But it is not their responsibility alone, argues Phil Shepley.
A collaborative approach
Collaborative contracting helps build lasting, successful relationships with clients which results in improved service delivery. It should therefore be a fundamental way of doing business.
In defence of FM bingo
Innovation is one of those buzzwords. It makes everything sound a little bit sexier and a whole lot more impressive. But what is it, and can it actually be applied to the often-fluffy world of FM services?
The what and when of service excellence
Should FM providers aspire to deliver excellent service at all times? The answer may not be as obvious as it might seem, according to new research commissioned by ISS.
The social support services
Social, or 'new', media is everywhere and, as evidenced by Facebook's $104bn 2012 market capitalisation, it's big business.
What puts the 'total' in Total Facilities Management?
Until the facilities management industry can agree on a clear definition of TFM, the service model will never truly deliver the value it promises.
Margin dive: but how far?
For years people in the wider facilities services industry have complained about the commoditisation of contract services.
Trained professionals
The build up of knowledge, skills and certifications is quickly moving the cleaning industry away from its roots as an unskilled job for uneducated people.
The FMA Poser
Mark Purnell wonders if his company should join the Facilities Management Association, and decides the answer is no.
Stepping up our game
With over a million young people not in employment, education or training, there is no doubt this issue needs to be addressed urgently; and FM is part of the answer.
Facilities and Management
Facilities are, or should be, a concern of organisational managers. They are a managerial lever to enable an organisation to deliver its defined purpose.
Outsourcing by the numbers
A hard-headed approach to outsourcing facilities management is delivering value, but could it be squeezing out innovation at the same time?
FM's increasing complexity
What's the future of this industry? Could it be a bigger, more critical role at the heart of client organisations?
Building a solid foundation for business change
There is regular discussion in the FM community which encourages debate and consideration about the role of FM in business and how it can evolve and mature.
Game changer opportunity
No matter what the economic circumstances, the successful teams, the successful businesses and the successful people all have one thing in common: a sense of purpose provided by strong leadership.
No blood on carpet shock
Monday night's debate hosted by RICS achieved the seemingly impossible task of putting a number of FM interests together in one room and no fight ensued.
The PR dilemma
Public image is an elusive thing. Just ask politicians, celebrities and major brand names.
Social media 101: ROI
We might as well address the elephant in the room, because if you are not saying it, you are thinking it. What is the ROI on social media?
We need a new story to tell
Facilities management has, in my view, reached a crisis point in its evolutionary path.
Public sector challenge
In the 10 seconds or so that it takes you to read this sentence, it is a fact that the public sector will be spending in the region of £100,000 on outsourcing.
Missed opportunity at RICS
Unless you've been asleep in a cave somewhere, you will probably have noticed that RICS has launched a consultation 'to help shape global facilities management standards'.
Interesting times for FM
The origin of that 'ancient Chinese curse', may you live in interesting times, is disputed; but it's wonderfully apt to our situation these days.
Marmite man speaks out
David Emanuel is the subject of the feature interview in this month's FMX magazine. An interesting experience for both sides.
Managing our assets
Did you ever have cause to wonder why you do what you do? Has your time at work been well spent? Do you think FM is well recognised, and that you are too?
The State of FM
Dave Wilson writes: It is, in many ways, quite odd that so many people should feel so passionate about facilities management.
Backing Rising FMs
With unemployment rising and more poor news from the economy, the facilities management industry recently fought back with the first FM careers event.
Chartered status? Really?
Pitifully predictably, BIFM has again opened the Pandora's box of the possibility of chartered status for FMs.
This is How We Do It
'Organisational culture' is a hard-to-define concept that many facilities managers see as outside their remit.
Presenting for FM
"Don’t tell me words don’t matter." There were many reasons Barak Obama became President of the United States; not least is his ability to get a crowd on his side.
Critical Knowledge
Facilities management as an industry still remains an unfamiliar arena to those outside of it. Do we need to do something about that?
What is Education For?
As the debate about industry qualifications rumbles along, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern what it is we are arguing about.
FM models: the wrong wrangle?
There has been considerable debate recently about FM contract structure and the best way of organising FM service delivery.
Talking Trash
Is the provider side of the FM industry just talking to itself? Have we all failed to realise that everyone else may not be listening because they don't understand us?
FM is Lazy
We risk becoming a commoditised industry as price is increasingly seen as the key driver for winning business.
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