FM Review

Major facility management outsourcing trends for 2020

As we start a new year and enter a new decade, we look forward to what trends lay ahead. What global

economic, societal and cultural forces are shaping the future of the facility-management industry? In this

article, ISS – a leading global workplace experience and facility management company – takes a closer look at

what you need to consider to future-proof your business and secure long-term success.

1. Outsourcing and rising employment costs Outsourcing of facilities management continues to increase in popularity. This trend is largely driven by the demand for both high-quality workplace experiences and reduced operating costs. This trend is further fuelled by the increased cost of employing inhouse FM teams and the complex task of managing a large suite of services. There is a lot of pressure on companies in the modern world to offer value to their customers, forcing them to constantly innovate and expand their core services to deliver more and more value. The consequence of this is often a reduction in their non-core FM budget – at the exact same time as employees and clients expect better workplaces experiences. Which is exactly what makes outsourcing such an attractive proposition.

2. Revolutionising technology and digitisation Further to the previous point made about the rising cost of employment is the modern paradigm of technology, which is increasingly being used to improve efficiency and drive down costs. The first is Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, which are being adopted more and more in computing, internal building lighting and climate control. The second aspect of technology that’s being employed by companies to reduce FM costs is that of robotics. Robotic automation is well suited to both hazardous and repetitive tasks, with some FM executives choosing robots to fulfil cleaning and security roles. The operational savings that technology offers will likely see widespread adoption of IoT and robotic hardware during this decade.

3. Workplace personalisation and well-being The productivity and well-being of employees have taken centre stage in recent years, with the value of happy, engaged staff being fully recognised. This has led to a trend in FM managers focusing on the creation of workplace strategies that actively promote the engagement, well-being and, ultimately, the productivity of their staff.

These workplace strategies must adapt to an increasingly diverse workforce, personalising services to their distinct needs. A major part of the personalisation of the workspace is adapting to the priorities of a younger generation, with modern workers demanding climate-friendly food services, sustainable workplace designs and events that cater to a blurring of the home/work-life boundaries. What workers expect from their workplace has changed much in the past 20 years – and will continue to change rapidly. The facilities management sector will need to continue to evolve to meet tomorrow’s trends.

In summary Essentially, outsourcing will continue to increase across all areas of industry, including aviation, banking, life sciences, healthcare, manufacturing and the tech sector. The only point

of uncertainty is where exactly the priorities of outsourcing customers will lie, as they seek to add value to their services.

Of course, cost is always going to be one of the main deciding factors, as this is usually what prompts companies to outsource their services in the first place. However, companies will also likely invest in premium services, as they see the competitive advantage of leading their industry in talent attraction and retention and as studies provide more and more evidence for workplace experience impacting health, well-being and productivity.

ISS is a leading global workplace experience and facility management company. In partnership with customers, ISS drives the engagement and well-being of people, minimises the impact of the environment, and protects and maintains property. ISS brings all of this to life through a unique combination of data, insight and service excellence at offices, factories, airports, hospitals and other locations across the globe.

Preventing sick building syndrome

Local technology provider Euca Technologies distributes and supports the handheld devices on behalf of one of the world’s leading logging and monitoring systems specialist companies, Onset Computer Corporation. These devices allow building operators to easily monitor CO 2 and other substances to ensure the health of occupants, especially in healthcare facilities, classrooms, offices, factories and places that are susceptible to the build-up of gases. It may also be useful to monitor air quality of a building where occupants constantly suffer from ailments, are constantly tired or where lower-thanusual productivity is observed in a workplace.

“We also find that the problem is exasperated at times of the year when windows and doors are shut CO 2 , temperature and relative humidity data logger by Onset.

Monitoring devices able to detect high

levels of carbon dioxide have been

introduced to the South African market to

help detect poor air quality that can lead to

sick building syndrome.

for comfort reasons, which may inadvertently also contribute to the sick building syndrome,” says Ernest Campling, managing director of Euca Technologies.

He explains that the monitoring devices are small, unobtrusive and highly accurate. They allow easy access to air-quality information from a handheld device or laptop via plug-in or the cloud. It gives building owners and facility managers insights to support better decisions regarding ventilation control and HVAC upgrades – projects that can lead to significant energy savings and improved overall indoor air quality.

“Comprehensive, location-specific CO 2 data in building environments also helps to focus HVAC improvements on the most effective and cost-efficient solutions. Increased CO 2 inside is a big deal; after all, we spend almost 90 percent of our lives indoors. So, when it comes to monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) for CO 2 , data loggers can be a great safety measure. Fortunately, the battery-powered CO 2 data loggers easily measure indoor concentrations. These compact hand-held devices can be used anywhere throughout a building where data is needed. Measurements typically range from 0–5 000 ppm.

“Our data loggers provide a costeffective method to assess indoor air quality, helping to eliminate sick building syndrome and harmful pollutants typical of tight and poorly ventilated structures, and Euca Technologies provides a wide range of devices that can measure and monitor indoor air quality,” concludes Campling.

For more information visit the Euca Technologies website: www.euca.co.za

Increased CO 2 indoors – Why should you care? • Tight building standards increase the risk of sick building syndrome and poor occupant health • Offices, schools, healthcare facilities, gyms, and homes frequently exceed healthy CO 2 levels • Buildings where metabolic rates are high – gyms, fitness centres, and aerobic-workout rooms – frequently exceed acceptable standards (breathe in O 2 , breathe out CO 2 ) • Indoor CO 2 concentrations over 1 000 ppm lead to cognitive impairment and dysfunction • Global CO 2 exposure limits vary by country; some countries have much more stringent restrictions than others

Promote your company in The Source of Workplace Hygiene Solutions!

Reach your target market cost effectively by advertising in African Cleaning Review. The direct link to end users, building service contractors, FM service providers and key institutional sectors.