THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 15 AUGUST 2013
FMWorld www.fm-world.co.uk
THE INSIDE STORY What policy changes could mean for FM in prisons
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VOL 10 ISSUE 15 15 AUGUST 2013
CONTENTS
7 | Heat in the workplace
16 | FM in prisons
22 | Launching Women in FM
NEWS
OPINION
FEATURES
6 Counting the cost of procurement across the country 7 Managers are struggling to switch off on holiday, according to research 8 Project of the Fortnight: Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena is being revamped 9 Think Tank: where do you stand on legal maximum temperatures at work? 10 Business news: Graeme Davies analyses the government’s Crown Commercial Service 11 Servest reports that it has purchased Maxwell Stewart 12 In Focus: Clugston’s Steve Radcliffe and Gareth Smallman 16 An update on the proposed merger between the BIFM and other industry bodies
14 Perspective of a facilities manager: John Bowen thinks the Brits are in demand 15 Five minutes with Kenneth Freeman of Ambius 50 No Two Days
MONITOR 34 Technical: John Briggs on how to motivate a security team 37 Technical: How room sensors can reveal important usage data 38 Standards: An in-depth look at a key FM information standard
28 | Recycling furniture
18
FM in Prisons: With the prison service in the crosshairs of the government’s spending cuts, David Arminas looks at the impact on FM behind bars
22
History of FM: Lucy Jeynes talks about the development of the BIFM’s Women in FM special interest group and its work today
28
Unwanted Furniture: Instead of sending your unwanted furniture to waste, you could be re-using it elsewhere in your operation, writes Lucy Black
32
Olympic Venues: One year on from the London 2012 Olympics, what is happening to the venues and which organisations are running them?
REGULARS 40 BIFM news 43 Diary of events 44 People & jobs 45 Products 47 Appointments
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MARTIN READ EDITOR COMMENT
LEADER
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n its recently published report, Megatrends: the trends shaping work and working lives, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) confirmed what we’ve surely all known for some time now – that over the past 21 years the proportion of workers aged 50 and over has grown (from 21 per cent to 29 per cent) and the proportion of under-25s fallen (from 18 per cent to 12 per cent). Cue various concerns about the suitability of facilities for this changing demographic, including the need for disability-friendly equipment and technology. There was also confirmation of the dramatic shrinking of the UK’s manufacturing sector, from 36 per cent of all work 50 years ago to just 8 per cent today – barely a quarter of that figure. Those in service sector organisations now make up an astonishing 81 per cent of all workers, up from 49 per cent. These are indeed megatrends, but could we have predicted them? And would we have done anything differently if we had? It makes you wonder. The report also identified a trend perhaps less well documented – overall size of organisation by employee numbers. The proportion of people employed by firms with more than 250 workers has fallen from 49 per cent in 1998 to 40 per cent today. Put another way, that’s pretty much 20 per cent fewer ‘large organisation’ employees in the space of 15 years. In the long term, that kind of statistic can’t fail to have an effect on the requirements that organisations have of their facilities. But the report goes further. It suggests that a fall in average real earnings and a slow down in job turnover will also weigh heavily on managers when considering what their facilities requirement will be in the near future. These are two fascinating areas – but how can organisations possibly hope to cater for them? All of which makes me wonder if there’s actually any point in searching for the perfect, optimum working environment. Where flexibility and greater staff turnover was so recently the norm, this report suggests the opposite. Where there’s been so much talk about accommodating workers on shorter hours with flexible working, this report talks about taking care of employees whose need is to work ever-longer hours. Add to the mix the fact that we are living in a world in which three generations of workers need to be accommodated in the workplace for the first time and I begin to wonder if any amount of planning can cater for the sheer variety of need. We quoted CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese as saying that the biggest challenge facing organisations is “the unprecedented pace of change in the workplace to which businesses must adapt”. Adapt when? How often? What’s increasingly clear is not that one size doesn’t necessarily fit all, rather that there’s never going to be one size anymore. The best organisations will change their optimum working environment on an almost daily basis because the mix of employees they’re dealing with can no more be readily categorised. I’d say that this is surely more opportunity than threat, with sound business logic favouring the placement of greater power in the hands of the FM. The other ‘departments of empowerment’ – marketing, IT, HR – deal with the realities of operational requirement once they’ve been set. Naturally, it’s FM that should be setting those operational requirements, not responding to them, thus boosting the status of FM within organisations.
I
“Top organisations will change their optimum working environment on a daily basis”
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PUBLIC SECTOR
UK public sector procurement on a high Britain’s public sector procurement process is the most expensive in the European Union (EU), research has revealed. Average total cost of a competitive procurement process is £45,800 – almost double the average EU figure of £23,900. Around £8,000 of the £45,800 is incurred by the public body seeking the bids, according to research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Researchers discovered that the cost of attracting a bid from each bidder in a procurement competition in the UK was £1,260, against an EU average of £800. This makes the UK the fourth-most expensive for putting contracts out to market. Only Denmark, Norway and Italy were more expensive. The competition process in the
UK takes on average 26 days – four days longer than the EU average. However, the UK is above average for the number of bids per competition, at 6.4. But bidding costs for potential suppliers average £5,800 per firm, compared to £3,200 in the EU. The UK’s public sector purchasing process was found to be the longest in Europe at 160 days – 53 days longer than the EU average. The research, commissioned by e-procurement firm Gatewit, found that in 2011/12 the Whitehall agency Government Procurement Service delivered savings of £760 million on a total procurement spend of £8.4 billion. Of the £760 million savings, £650 million came from price savings and the rest from demand management, according to
Weighing the cost of procurement in the UK
the report. Pedro Vaz Paulo, chief executive of Gatewit, said the report shows that there are “multiple areas of concern” for public sector procurement. “With public bodies looking to reduce expenditure across the board, the cost of attracting bids in the UK is still too high when compared to other similar European countries,” he said. “The long duration of competitive
procurement processes in the UK adds expense because of the increased labour costs incurred by longer competitions.” A report in February by the National Audit Office found that central government, excluding the NHS, spent around £45 billion annually on goods and services in 2011-12. This figure had fallen from £54 billion in 2009-10, adjusting for inflation.
ISTOCK/GETTY
Government centralises buying service A new centralised government procurement department is set to handle between £10-£12 billion of spending on a range of goods and services, from FM to energy and IT. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) aims to save £1 billion by working with departments and wider public sector organisations. The move follows a report by MPs on the Public Administration Select Committee, published last month, which called for greater centralisation of government procurement and contract management. Bill Crothers, the government’s chief procurement officer, said the
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Government bid for extra value
government needs to get the best value from the £45 billion it spends on goods and services. “The Crown Commercial Service will ensure we act as a true single customer: buying the essentials for the whole of government in the
most efficient way possible, while freeing up departments to focus their procurement expertise on what is unique to them. “The result will be more savings, an increase in the quality of the commercial service to government, and a sustainable approach to our commercial procurement activity, which will benefit the whole of the public sector.” The CCS is expected to be running in the autumn and will build on the evolution of the work of the Government Procurement Service over the past few years. It will procure professional services, FM, office supplies
and other goods and services. “This government’s commercial reforms have already saved the taxpayer £3.8 billion”, said Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude. “The new Crown Commercial Service will ensure a step change in our commercial capability, giving government a much tighter grip on all aspects of its commercial performance”. Attendees at a debate hosted by FM World and sister publication Supply Management, reported in our 18 July edition, found that it was hard to prove value for money in FM procurement. www.fm-world.co.uk
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NEWS
BRIEFS B&ES appoints chief exec
Managers struggle to switch off on holiday More than half of managers work while on holiday, according to new research. A survey of more than 1,200 managers by the Institute of Leadership & Management found that 54 per cent work during annual leave. According to the study, 80 per cent of managers periodically check their smartphones on holiday, with a third checking in every day. Also, seven out of 10 managers read and respond to work e-mails and nearly one third take phone calls. One in 10 has interrupted a holiday to go into the office.
According to the study, stress over mounting workloads means one in eight managers surveyed questioned whether holidays were “worth it”. Seven out of 10 said they felt more stressed in the run up to a holiday, with almost two thirds working late to clear desks before going away, while 17 per cent said they returned from a holiday more stressed that when they left. Charles Elvin, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership and Management, said that the survey painted a picture
of an over-stressed workforce. “It is so important that people are able to make the most of their time off work to fully relax, reflect and unwind so they can return to the office with renewed energy, fresh ideas and perspective,” he said. “Organisations can increase positivity and performance by encouraging staff to plan for their leave, hand over their responsibilities and ensure they switch off and recharge both themselves and their Blackberries,” he concluded.
WORKPLACE
SHUTTERSTOCK
MP pushes for workplace heat limit motion MPs have tabled an Early Day Motion to introduce a maximum working workplace temperature of 30ºC. Led by Labour MP Linda Riordan, the motion notes that although there is a legal minimum indoor workplace temperature, there is not a legal maximum. It calls for clarification for employers about their duty to combat excessive heat in the workplace. The motion argues that excessive heat results in a reduction in cognitive function, attention span and visual motor tracking, which can contribute to workplace accidents and fatalities. There is also a call for a limit of 27ºC for those doing strenuous work. It states: “Employees in a range of workplaces, from industrial www.fm-world.co.uk
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bakeries to school classrooms, are often subjected to high temperatures, which can have serious impacts on health and well-being, causing discomfort, stress, irritability and headaches, to extra strain on the heart and lungs, dizziness and fainting and heat cramps due to loss of water and salt”. Early Day Motions are formal
motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. The government’s workplace temperature guidance is basic. There is no legal minimum or maximum temperature, but a minimum of 16ºC - or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work – is recommended. “During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable,” according to Health and Safety Executive recommendations. “However, the application of the regulation depends on the nature of the workplace i.e. a bakery, a cold store, an office, a warehouse.” See page 9 for the FM World Think Tank, which asks FMs whether there should there be a maximum workplace temperature.
The Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) has appointed Roderick Pettigrew as chief executive. Pettigrew, a lawyer by training, is a member of the council of the Confederation of British Industry and of the policy board of the United Kingdom Contractors’ Group. He is also general secretary of GCI-UICP - the European mechanical contractors’ association, representing the interests of 180,000 heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing contractors from 23 European countries as well as Australia, Canada and the USA .
Work absence falls Work absence is at a record low, but still costs the UK economy £14 billon a year, according to a new study. The average absence rate is the lowest in 30 years, standing at 5.3 days last year, compared to 6.5 days in 2010, according to the CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey 2013. Despite the drop, the report quotes figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that absences are still costing businesses £14 billion annually. Human resources managers in 153 public and private sector organisations, employing 850,000 workers, responded to the survey.
Flexible future predicted Almost three quarters of companies in a global survey have reported a likely increase in flexible working and fall in the amount of space per work setting. The CoreNet Global Confidence Index, which surveyed 90 corporate real estate executives serving multinational companies, showed that the global economic outlook for the second half of the year was strong, with prospects for corporate growth increasing. Just over 40 per cent said that a move to higher quality work spaces could occur because of poor quality spaces that do not support contemporary work practices. FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 07
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PROJECT OF THE
FORTNIGHT NEWS BULLETIN
Government proposes energy audits for large firms The government has unveiled proposals on how large firms will have to assess the energy efficiency of their buildings and operations. It is proposing an Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme to help transpose the EU Energy Efficiency Directive into UK law. The directive requires firms to identify cost-effective ways to invest in energy efficiency and reduce energy bills via an audit by 5 December 2015, to be repeated every four years. The government says the project, which it has opened for consultation, will help businesses save up to £1.9 billion. The scheme will apply to non-SME enterprises, which will include companies, partnerships, charitable organisations and some universities, with 250 employees or more and turnover of more than €50 million. SMEs that are part of larger corporate groups may also be subject to the scheme. Public bodies will not be included.
HSE simplifies accident reporting
BAM kick-starts NIA revamp The £26 million redevelopment of Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena (NIA) has started, following the appointment of BAM Construction. Phil Mead, managing director of arenas for the NEC Group, said the transformation of the canal-side NIA is vital to ensure that it continues to attract world-class artists to Birmingham in a competitive global marketplace. The NEC estate also includes the National Exhibition Centre, the International Convention Centre and the LG Arena. The NIA was officially opened by Olympic gold sprinter Linford Christie in 1991 and has hosted everything from Oasis, Coldplay, Sir Cliff Richard and Kings of Leon to Disney on Ice and Cirque du Soleil, as well as major indoor track championships. But audience expectations have risen, both for pre- and post-show experiences, said Mead. “They want great food and beverage offerings, comfort, the latest technology and a great sense of arrival as part of their visit.” Under Birmingham City Council’s Big City Plan redevelopment project by architects Broadway Malyan, the NIA will get a glass-fronted façade and a front-of-house showcase area leading from the nearby mixed-use development Brindleyplace into the arena. All areas of the NIA will be touched by the redevelopment, from front- of-house through to backstage. The dressing rooms will be completely upgraded to five-star level. The plan adds nearly 6,000 square metres (64,600 square feet) of pre-and post-show space into the NIA’s 13,437 square metres (144,600 square feet). There will also be seven-day-a-week retail outlets. Sky Needles on top of the NIA will be lit up at night. Standing capacity for the NIA will be around 15,000, while the seating capacity will be 12,500. 08 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published proposed changes to the reporting of workplace accidents. The changes are aimed at simplifying the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 and at collecting an accurate picture of workplace incidents. The HSE says the changes will mean fewer incidents need to be reported, saving businesses £5.9 million over a ten-year period. The main proposed changes are: ● The classification of ‘major injuries’ to workers replaced with a shorter list of ‘specified injuries’. ● The existing schedule detailing 47 types of industrial disease to be replaced with eight categories of reportable work-related illness. ● Fewer types of ‘dangerous occurrence’ will require reporting.
Green lease contract help is at hand The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) has produced a ‘toolkit’ guidance document to help owners and occupiers of commercial buildings set up and operate green leases to reduce environmental impact. The guidance for green leases is non-prescriptive, helping owners and occupiers to agree carbon, energy, waste and water reduction strategies that best fit with the circumstances of individual properties. The toolkit includes best practice recommendations by which, through a partnership approach, owners and occupiers can agree appropriate arrangements to fit with the circumstances of individual properties. The toolkit, currently being trialled by BBP members, has suggested clauses that the BBP believes should be included in new and renewal leases as a minimum for best practice.
Security fears stop computer recycling Fears over data security are stopping businesses recycling computers and electronic equipment, according to a survey. Recycling firm Business Waste estimates that up to 95 per cent of business computers are sent to landfill, with many businesses unaware of regulations for proper disposal. A survey of 500 firms across the UK showed that of companies that did not recycle business computers, more than 70 per cent cited concerns over data security, with 12 per cent saying it was too expensive. Business Waste commercial director Mark Hall said: “Nervous bosses are worried that their data could fall into the wrong hands if it is sent for recycling. “Scares over identity theft and corporate crime mean that they’d rather completely destroy computer goods themselves than hand it to a third party to be disposed of correctly.” www.fm-world.co.uk
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THINK TANK
WE ASKED 100 FMS…
NO 47%
YES 53%
Should there be a maximum workplace temperature? In what has been one of FM World’s more heated debates, a slim majority of Think Tank poll respondents – 53 per cent – believe a maximum office temperature is warranted. A maximum temperature for classrooms and offices is justifiable because many people’s desks are close to large windows. But the cost of maintaining a lower constant temperature in places, such as bakeries and foundries, would be inappropriate on cost alone, said a respondent. “I used to work in a commercial freezer years ago and we were happy to go outside and roll in the snow to warm up,” he said. Practically speaking, ensuring a constant controlled temperature in older, especially listed buildings, could be financially crippling for some occupier or owner businesses.
“There’s no easy solution,” he said. “But negative health impacts must override the cost to adapt the workplace. It’s no issue for new builds or major refits, but could prove impossible in listed buildings for example.” It’s hot so few days here that why use up energy trying to keep cool, asked another FM. “People go on holiday to enjoy warmer weather and don’t see it as undesirable,” he said. “The impact on a carbon footprint plus the wasted cost of cooling pins logic firmly in the ‘enjoy it while it lasts’ category.” Don’t forget, one person’s heat is another person’s cold: “Rather than temperature, the issue is thermal comfort. Measuring temperature in relation to occupant comfort in buildings is notoriously difficult
as several factors influence how people feel heat.” With legislation in place, discomfort due to heat might open the door for hard-to-please staff to initiate compensation claims. There would need to be sophisticated, calibrated measuring equipment in areas where employers risk potentially breaching any new law. Staff would be required to evacuate over-heated areas to avoid an offence being committed. And what about company vehicles, he asked: “They’re workplaces, too.”
Using the ‘don’t be a sissy Pom’ argument, one Aussie respondent said employees should use common sense: “I find this debate somewhat intriguing. Just take precautions, like drink lots of water, be sensible – no lunch-time jogs – and close the blinds. “I’m Australian and no place I ever worked in was closed because the outside temperature was ‘too hot’.“ Join the FM World Think Tank LinkedIn group by visiting www.tinyurl.com/fmwthinktank
Chilled beam systems get cool results Chilled beam air cooling systems can save up to 22 per cent of the energy costs it takes to run a fancooling system, according to the results of a new study. Commissioned by the Chilled Beams and Ceilings Association (CBCA) and conducted by construction software maker Environmental Design Solutions (EDSL), the Tas Energy Study compared performance of Variable Air Volume (VAV) fan coil systems and systems using chilled beam technology. Comparisons were made of energy consumption, CO2 emissions and running costs of different HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) systems within the buildings. In the simplest VAV system, the supply air temperature is constant www.fm-world.co.uk
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Andrew Jackson, chairman, CBCA
so the system’s air-flow rate must vary to meet the rising and falling heat gains or losses within the building’s thermal zone which the system is trying to cool down. Modern switching and control technology applied to a VAV system can save energy through more efficient turning on and off of the system as needed to
maintain a constant temperature. In a passive chilled beam system, pipes of water are passed through a “beam” - heat exchanger - either integrated into a standard suspended ceiling or suspended closely to the ceiling of a room. As the beam chills the air around it, the air becomes denser and falls to the floor. It is replaced by warmer air moving up from below, causing a constant flow of convection and cooling the room. An active chilled beam system has air forced around the beam to induce greater convection and improve efficiencies. The study’s simulations used Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) weather data for London and Birmingham. The data is representative of an average year over the past 20 years.
Results of the study show there are potential savings of around 17 per cent for a passive chilled beam system and around 22 per cent for an active chilled beam system in all the buildings simulated. CBCA chairman, Andrew Jackson said the research comes as energy demand and supply is top of the news agenda. “As an industry it’s important we share knowledge to help buildings perform more efficiently,” he said. “Chilled beam technology offers a solution for offices and other property. It also is technology that is available today and proven to enable energy savings.” Chilled beam technology can often be left out of discussions for designing new buildings because it more expensive to install, he told FM World. FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 09
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ANALYSIS
Whitehall in bid to strike better deals GRAEME DAVIES newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk
Changes to the way the government procures services and goods could end up giving a boost to smaller companies that operate in the FM and related services sectors. The changes are targeted at providing improved savings and efficiencies. The government has long talked of using its spending power more efficiently and also using it to give smaller companies a leg up. But, until now, the coalition government has made slow progress towards these goals. In fact, the sector has increasingly seen larger players
hoover up contracts, as well as smaller players. This could be about to change this coming autumn with the formation of a new executive agency, the Crown Commercial Service. It is envisaged that this agency, which will be headed up by an appointee from the private sector, will be able to leverage the weight of the government’s collective £12 billion buying power to strike more competitive deals and, ultimately, save up to £1 billion a year. This will take responsibility for buying-in goods and services away from individual departments and into the one
central procurement agency. Indeed, centralised procurement has already begun and has been seen to produce savings of up to 10 per cent in early cases. For FM operators that supply government, dealing with the Crown Commercial Service will soon become the only way to win contracts at government level, with FM targeted as one of the early areas on which the CCS will concentrate. It is envisaged that, in time, the CCS will move into IT procurement and also widen out who it procures on behalf of, with local government also a possibility. With the government gaining ever more control over its collective spending power, the coming months could see the government ramp up its attempts to improve the lot of the smaller companies among the government’s supply chain. It is up to smaller companies to compete on cost and delivery, but specialists can certainly benefit
Contract wins
NEW BUSINESS The Ministry of Justice has awarded a contract to Sodexo to manage HMP Northumberland for 15 years. Northumberland is the second public sector prison to be transferred to a private-sector operator. The deal is worth an estimated £250 million over the contract term, according to a statement from Sodexo. The contract starts on 1 December when Sodexo Justice Services takes all responsibility for Northumberland prison, which houses more than 1,300 male prisoners. Contract caterer Elior has signed a £13.8 million deal with London 10 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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South Bank University. The five-year catering contract includes providing food and customer services at nine catering outlets across the university’s Southwark and Havering campuses. Galliford Try’s facilities management business has been appointed preferred bidder to supply services for the redeveloped Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The company’s Scottish business Morrison Construction has been appointed preferred bidder by hub South East Scotland on behalf of NHS Lothian to build the first phase of the £41.8 million redevelopment. Galliford Try’s FM arm will provide ongoing hard
facilities maintenance and life-cycle management at the hospital. The contract will be worth around £18 million over the 25 year concession period. Host Management has landed two five-year contracts worth £30 million. The contract catering firm will provide staff catering for energy company SSE, and visitor and staff dining, hospitality and vending at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. Host said the five-year SSE deal, worth £20 million, was its largest contract so far, covering 14 sites in the UK and Ireland. Amey has won a two-year contract extension to provide total facilities management to the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. The contract, worth £24 million a year, will see Amey deliver building maintenance, cleaning, catering, grounds maintenance, security and energy management to 355 sites across London and the South East.
where the larger, more generalist service providers may struggle to be competitive. And there are still a good number of up-and-coming smaller companies that are positioning themselves for a pickup in the economy in general. One such company is Servest, which, after acquiring mechanical and electrical contractor Maxwell Stewart (see right), is now beginning to take on bigger rivals for public sector contracts. Servest has grown rather rapidly to a £200 million turnover business and has plans for further acquisitions in the near term to help push its turnover towards £300 million by the end of 2014. This is still dwarfed by its bigger rivals, but firms such as Servest that are growing in confidence, will be increasingly emboldened to bid for larger government procurement contracts, especially if they are encouraged to believe smaller firms have as much chance as the larger players of winning such contracts. There are, of course, risks with such rapid growth strategies, chief of which is the risk of making a poor acquisition. The alternative is to grow organically, which is slower but easier to control. One company that specialises in growing organic business units that feed into the larger whole is Mitie. Its business model involves setting up satellite businesses in which local management have equity interest and then allowing them to build under the Mitie umbrella. Two recent examples of these ‘Mitie model’ businesses include London-based cleaning business Mitie Local Services and industrial and commercial cleaning business Mitie Waste and Environmental Services. Graeme Davies writes for Investors Chronicle
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08/08/2013 10:01
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Servest picks up hard FM business Servest has acquired independent mechanical, maintenance and building services business Maxwell Stewart for an undisclosed sum. Servest UK and Europe chief executive Rob Legge told FM World the 20-year-old M&E company is an excellent strategic and cultural fit with Servest. “Importantly, it’s the last piece of the jigsaw that completes our total FM offering,” he said. “A lot of the public sector work is now hard FM-led, so we can now compete with bigger companies, such as Mitie for contracts that we were otherwise excluded from.” The sole shareholder of Maxwell Stewart was Robert Stewart who set up the business in 1992 and now has revenue of around £15 million. It provides services in the retail, leisure, education,
Rob Legge, Servest UK and Europe chief executive
travel, corporate, transport and manufacturing sectors. Stewart has exited completely from the business, which continues to be led by managing director Paul Morgan, who has been with the company from the beginning. Clients for Maxwell Stewart, based in Rickmansworth,
Hertfordshire, are mainly property management firms including Savills, CBRE and JLL. Around 200 sites are covered. Legge said the acquisition of Maxwell Stewart – as well as that of Stag Security in May last year and 7-Day Catering in January – is part of the strategy to self-delivery total FM contracts. In particular, 7-Day catering has boosted the fortunes of Servest UK well beyond the face value of its £80 million turnover, Andrew Sugars, Servest Group sales director, told FM World. Servest UK’s total turnover for the year to September is likely to be around £200 million, said Legge. Further acquisitions are in the pipeline, which could boost turnover to around £300 million by the end of 2014.
Babcock buys into Brazilian market Babcock International Group has acquired Conbras, a privately owned Brazilian FM company, for around £22 million. Conbras has private and publicsector clients throughout Brazil. Over the past three years it has grown strongly to report revenue of R$131.5 million and operating profit of R$9.6 million for the year ended 31 December 2012. Further growth is expected in 2013, benefiting from contracts won in the second half of 2012 and the first half of this year. “Babcock has identified Brazil as a key growth market suited to the development of a broader operation focusing on asset and infrastructure management, www.fm-world.co.uk
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as well as training for both public and private sectors,” the statement said. “The acquisition of Conbras will provide a credible operating presence in this market from which to develop this strategy.” Conbras will form part of the infrastructure business unit within the support services division. The senior management team, including the chief executive, will remain in place. “The acquisition of Conbras will provide us with a secure and stable platform to enter the Brazilian market,” said Peter Rogers, Babcock’s chief executive. In April, Babcock International announced it had picked up contracts with Heathrow Airport
Life’s a beach for Babcock in Brazil
and British Airways, totalling £440 million over five years. Babcock is maintaining all baggage handling systems across Heathrow. It also continues to maintain British Airways’ fleet of ground support vehicles, including de-icing units, passenger buses and scissor lifts.
Catermasters snaps up Bite Contract food specialist Catermasters has acquired London-based Bite Catering. Catermasters said that the deal will help it expand its presence in and around the capital. The value of the acquisition was not disclosed. Bite Catering operates eight contracts in London and the South East and has a turnover of around £2.2 million. Its 55 staff will join Catermasters.
Aramark Ireland in growth Aramark Ireland reported revenue growth of 6 per cent to ¤207 million (£178 million) for the year ended September 2012. Operating profit also saw an increase, rising 18 per cent to ¤5.3 million (£4.6 million) (¤4.5 million (£3.9 million) 2011). The company also created 209 jobs in 2012, growing overall employment to 3,800.
TCFM picks up Equinox TC Facilities Management has acquired London-based security business Equinox Security for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition takes immediate effect and Equinox is continuing to operate under its name and management. Paul Kennedy, chief executive of Surrey-based TCFM, said the deal for privately owned Equinox was “significant” and a perfect fit for TCFM. A statement from TCFM said the acquisition of Equinox, which has clients in the retail, shopping centre, events, business and industry sectors, will help propel TC Facilities Management closer to achieving its “big hairy audacious goal” to deliver integrated FM. FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 11
08/08/2013 10:01
FM BUSINESS IN FOCUS
THE ISSUE: How one construction company has diversified into the service sector
THE INTERVIEWEE: Steve Radcliffe (pictured) and Gareth Smallman
A time for change Construction companies have had a torrid financial time in the past few years. Many have posted profit warnings and divested themselves of underperforming divisions – FM divisions included. Large and small companies continue to be affected. Emcor UK announced in May that it is withdrawing from the construction market to focus on facilities management. Emcor said the move was down to “the construction market conditions in the UK, and customers’ changing requirements”. The company said its UK FM business “has been consistently successful” and over the past five years “has delivered record revenues and profitable growth year-on-year”. It remains to be seen how many FM contracts can lift the fortunes of construction-related companies in the short- to medium-term. The market does, however, appear to be opening up, especially for smaller, niche players. But caution remains the byword for growth, according to Clugston, a family-owned construction, logistics, property and FM group. It returned to pre-recession turnover levels and record profits. Figures for the year 2012/13 showed pre-tax profit jumped
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from £2 million to £6.1 million, according to a company statement. Turnover, too, saw a healthy 30 per cent increase, rising from £83.8 million to nearly £109 million. The order book is in excess of £220 million.
Legacy of quality The business was started in 1937, led by the present chairman’s father and pioneered the use of recycled blast furnace slag from Scunthorpe’s iron and steel plants. Fast forward to today, and its construction division has worked on four private finance initiative hospitals. On two, Clugston has acted as a special purpose vehicle for financing, as well as providing design work. On the other two, it had provided design and construction work. Clugston was also providing FM for the hospitals (which it still is today), when in 2007, Steve Radcliffe was lured away from Interserve as the managing director of the industrial services division. Radcliffe, who heads up Clugston’s constuction business, quickly recognised an opportunity to spin off Clugston’s FM work into a separate division. He brought in former Interserve colleague Gareth Smallman as managing director of the FM business in 2009. Last year,
Smallman landed a three-year contract with stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu for hard and soft FM at the company’s Sheffield sites. Clugston’s FM work has grown from £1.7 million in 2007 to around £5 million, with more on the way, Smallman told FM World. There is a market for smaller players to compete with the big companies in niche areas, such as the non-traditional hard FM services in which Clugston specialises, he said. Despite the good financial results, caution will accompany attempts to growth. Clients are typically in heavy manufacturing sectors, such as chemical, petro-chemical, oil and gas where sites are high-risk and high maintenance. Smallman, as well as Radcliffe, has 20 years of experience in dealing with clients including BP and Tata.
Japanese inspiration Everything the ‘critical process client’ does is geared toward its process engineering. Smallman fully endorses the Japanese Kaizen philosophy of change-for-the-better and just-in-time manufacturing. The key is to have FM service directly support the facility’s production processes, whatever they may be. Clients operate to highly specific KPIs and so must the
FM provider, he says. Due to health and safety concerns, the companies operate in a highly regulated environment with rules set down by the sector’s regulatory bodies. The FM provider has to be aware of this at all times, says Smallman. Clugston offers traditional hard FM services, such as pest control, building maintenance and landscaping. But its definition of hard FM extends to non-traditional areas, such as servicing mobile earth-moving equipment, road maintenance, general yard maintenance and operation of heavy equipment such as frontend loaders. This could mean operating front-end loaders moving animal feed on to trailers, said Smallman. Clugston’s strategy is for organic growth, although some acquisitions have taken place in the past. There also will remain an emphasis on self-delivery. In such highly critical environments, Smallman believes selfdelivery can mean greater and faster communication between everyone involved in FM delivery. Other manufacturing sectors will be targeted, such as automotive, as well as a move into the education sector as Clugston expands its soft FM offering.
Smallman fully endorses the Japanese Kaizen philosophy of change-for-thebetter and just-in-time manufacturing www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 16:20
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06/08/2013 11/07/2013 16:58 13:35
FM OPINION THE DIARY COLUMN JOHN BOWEN
“WHATEVER THE CASE, THE DEMAND FOR BRITISH TALENT ABROAD APPEARS TO BE STRONGER THAN EVER”
University Local Estates Authority
NHS Trust
John Bowen is an FM consultant
BR ITS AB ROAD
round the world, British FM expertise is A in demand. We’ve learned from our past experiences and offer a degree of insight that many foreign companies are keen to employ It’s occurred to me of late just how much British expertise is in demand around the globe. The map of the world may not contain the levels of pink that it did when I was first at school studying geography. And while it seems like our influence over the planet has diminished in many ways, our business acumen still counts for a lot in other nations. Our presence in the massive property growth of the Middle East is well known, but it goes a long way beyond there. I would add that US companies are happy to hire in British expertise to support their
global operations, not just in FM, but also in logistics, procurement and supply chain, so what do we have then that others don’t? I think that part of the answer may be to do with the face that we’ve been at this globe-trotting lark for several hundred years. But perhaps that is really too glib an answer. The reality is, I believe, more that the UK has reacted very well to the global crisis and, regardless of media and political rhetoric, business people respect what we have to offer and are willing to pay to get us on board. Also, the UK has made great
strides in raising the profile and standards within the profession, which has been largely driven by the BIFM. In practice, this gives the UK facilities management industry a capability – and a credibility – that is in demand. Over here, of course, this means there are many opportunities for consultancy and training provision. Across our market, the knock-on effect has been the increase in interim and contract roles – of which, many readers may well be taking advantage already. Another factor is the way in which projects in the UK are influencing global businesses. In the past year, I have seen a couple of FM projects at the UK base of global companies, where the concept is being exported to other sites that those businesses operate from in the US and Europe. The
interesting thing is that both of these companies are US-owned. Perhaps this adds weight to the argument that was set out in an article published in the 4 July edition of FM World, which focused on the different FM markets in the US and UK. In the article, Dave Wilson made the point that, in the early days, the US led the way in FM. In recent years, however, we Brits have started to nose ahead in the innovation stakes. Controversial, maybe, but I believe this is borne-out by the facts on the ground. Whatever the case, the demand for British talent abroad appears to be stronger than ever. British business acumen, including that in the FM sector, is playing an important role in the export market.
BEST OF THE WEB Views and comments from across the web What is the simplest way to control heating and AC costs? (Facilities management group) Steve George: Look at your base causes and effects first – type of or lack of insulation, glazing, do your doors and windows fit? Are there large void areas? How good is the actual fabric and roof covering? Ceiling heights, occupancy, amount of passive heat generators, such as IT 14 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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equipment – then you can do some calculations and requirements analysis to look for a best solution. Simon Stuart: Optimise system to meet minimum occupier operational needs, regular planned maintenance schedule, and ensure changes in occupancy are reflected by the system. Peter Smith: Match HVAC usage to occupancy. Ian Johnson: Install a building energy management system.
Is NEBOSH a worthwhile qualification for an FM to have or are there better alternatives? (BIFM group) Paul Kreuz: NEBOSH is only an indication that you are aware of what to look for under the heading of health and safety, but if you don’t have it, you won’t get a FM position, despite the qualifications and/or experience you have. Nigel Evans: After taking IOSH, I was booked by
my employer at the time to take the NEBOSH Managing Safely, but ended up on a NEBOSH Construction course (bit more intense and more practical, so enjoyed it). This was a three week course, which we did in alternate weeks, so a bit of a slog, doing your homework and catching up with work emails, etc in the evenings. Phil Lemon: NEBOSH is becoming essential for FMs these days.
How do you promote safety in the workplace? (Facilities management group) Matt Didcoe: Staff generally find a rhythm and, provided a safety culture exists, should slot in ok. Paul Walker: Safety has got to be promoted from top to bottom in any organisation. It needs to be part of the organisation’s culture and an integral part of the environment. It can’t just consist of policies and procedures. www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 10:02
You can follow us at twitter.com/FM_World facebook.com/FMWorldMagazine
BEST OF THE
FMWORLD BLOGS It’s not just about technology Mark Whittaker, Whitbags in FM In my line of work, I am often asked by potential customers how FM service providers can assist them in delivering on environmental and sustainability objectives. However, behind the rhetoric, what is actually being achieved? Let’s get one thing straight: sustainability is not a fad and will not go away. One of my favourite business books is Who Cares Wins by David Jones. In it he argues that the explosion of social media has brought corporate social responsibility out “of the silo and into the boardroom”. He comments: “The social customer is looking for businesses and leaders to be much more socially responsible… social responsibility and sustainability are both inherently a mid- to long–term proposition, with the impact sometimes taking years to be seen.” Recently, two excellent FM research studies have been published that comment on the current level of engagement of FM on sustainability matters: Workplace Law’s, Leadership in FM and the BIFM’s Sustainability in FM 2013 Survey. To summarise some of the main findings of these reports, more and more facilities managers (60 per cent) are responsible for environmental management and 43 per cent of clients in the BIFM survey have implemented a sustainability policy (up from 26 per cent). In the words of the Sustainability in FM survey, “most organisations have not incorporated, or even considered, the impacts of resource depletion or climate change on their business”. The greater adoption of this strategy and the need for FM to drive the momentum of change needs to be now. Read the article in full at tinyurl.com/oysvfen
We shouldn’t sacrifice pragmatism on the altar of flexible working hype Mark Eltringham, Office Insight Not a day goes by when some organisation or other isn’t found extolling the virtues of flexible working or urging everybody to adopt the practice more widely. While it’s easy to be cynical about the results of surveys from technology companies that are a staple part of this media onslaught, they are actually on to something. And that is why governments, employers and their associations, and employees are all attracted to the idea of flexible working as a way of achieving whatever it is they want. The result is the stew of motivations, ideas and terminology that can lead commentators to make grand and daft pronouncements about flexible working, pronouncing it dead, as happened in the wake of the Yahoo case. The problem with a great deal of the commentary on the subject of flexible working is that it attempts to draw (near) universal conclusions from this babble, often from single cases. If Yahoo decides it doesn’t want its staff to work from home anymore, that means we must talk about a flexible working ‘backlash’. If a large Californian tech company adopts more flexible working practices or installs a slide rather than stairs for some reason, this marks either ‘The Death of the Office’ or ‘The Office of the Future’. We shouldn’t fall into the trap of believing that there is a linear evolution that leads to a single accepted paradigm and which might compel us to take decisions based that could be counterproductive. In equivalent biological terms, not all roads lead ultimately to mankind. Some lead to horseshoe crabs, which look primitive but have found their niche and stuck with it successfully over millions of years – as it turns out, they have been around for a lot longer than the human race is likely to manage.
www.fm-world.co.uk
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FIVE MINUTES WITH NAME: Kenneth Freeman JOB TITLE: Technical director, Ambius
Once the must-have garden look, decking and flower beds have fallen out of favour. Instead, we’re seeing demand for more subtle looks, rather than the bold statements previously favoured. Hanging baskets remain popular, but they’re very high maintenance. Unless they’re sold with an irrigation system already in place, can die quickly. Instead, high quality replica plants that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing can be used as a stylish substitute. Victoriana planting and topiary is a strong look at the moment. It’s a great way to provide visual impact and form in a garden. The must-have plant this season is definitely lavender. With honey bee numbers depleting globally, gardeners are doing all they can to attract and nurture bees. A recent trend has seen city dwellers keeping bee hives on the roofs of their buildings, so growing bee-friendly plants in city gardens is now crucial to providing urban bees with reliable nectar sources. Utilising heavily scented plants is a great way of achieving this. Herb gardens have burst on the scene as the hot new garden trend. Businesses all over the country are planting herb gardens for use in their canteens and for employees to eat. Basil, oregano and thyme are popular choices and have the added bonus of warding off certain bugs and white flies, helping neighbouring plants. This was a strong theme at this year’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. We all know the weather in the UK has been unpredictable; unfortunately this is having a negative impact on the plants around us. Harsh winters are now killing many plants that were doing well previously, so make sure you seek the help of an expert before investing in expensive plants. FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 15
08/08/2013 15:14
FM UPDATE PROPOSED MERGER BIFM
JOINING FORCES An update on the proposed merger between the BIFM and some of the industry’s representative bodies Recently, the BIFM, Asset Skills, the Facilities Management Association and the Cleaning and Support Services Association announced they were investigating the possibility of forming one single, united body to represent FM and support services.
Any merger and acquisition activity is undertaken within the context of the BIFM’s ambitions for the profession, the sector and the institute’s role, and for the benefit of the members and key stakeholders it serves.
Initial response Rationale As the facilities management and support services industry has evolved, so too must the bodies representing and leading them. The potential merger offers the prospect of pooling resources and expertise to realise common aims, reduce duplication and strengthen the overall impact on the sector and the profession. The proposed merger recognises the growing demand for a stronger, unified and collective voice that represents and promotes what is a fundamental component of our economy and day-to-day businesses. The BIFM Medium Term Strategy Group has long recognised that merger and acquisition activity is one way to achieve strategic development objectives. Whether to grow the institute, or develop the offering, this strategy can make ‘step changes’ in key development areas that move both the institute and the profession forward. 16 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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For many, the announcement was positive news and for some commentators it came as no great surprise, but, instead, seemed a logical step forward. By pooling the expertise of all parties we can create a strong unified force to be reckoned with, to propel the FM sector forward though increased strength and resource. A united body can co-ordinate expertise and activities of relevant parties. A united body would ensure we are all working to one common goal, as opposed to various bodies working for one profession, but with varying goals. We recognise that for many, the idea of the proposed merger will have raised a variety of questions about what this means, what it would look like and how it could meet the needs of those it represents. These questions and issues are being addressed through the work of the Steering and Working Groups. We will be working to address these
Ismena Clout, BIFM chairman, is a representative of the institutes on the steering committee for the proposed merger
concerns and questions for the consultation period.
Progress Since the initial announcement in May, colleagues have been involved in taking discussions further and headway has been made on many fronts. All activities are governed by the Steering Group, consisting of the chairman and chief executives of each body, and chaired by Richard Sykes (chief executive of ISS and chairman of FMA) with Ismena Clout (BIFM chairman) as deputy chairman. There is a ‘Working Group’, which has been looking in detail at how the organisations could come together, based on the needs of FM and the wider profession. Each body brings specific expertise. For example the BIFM brings 20 years’ of experience as a professional body, and the associated skills, including membership services for both individuals and organisations (individuals, group and corporate). It is able to offer an unparalleled range of qualifications and a vast educational knowledge base. It is vital that each organisation’s expertise is identified to see where it can be strengthened and integrated into the potential new body to ensure that all parties come together as strongly as possible to meet the needs of the industry and the professionals that work within it.
Consultation Once discussions reach a point at which all parties are agreed and the required value can be fully demonstrated, a member consultation phase would begin.
To get to this point, the BIFM board will have evaluated the proposal to review whether it is ultimately of benefit to members, the sector and the profession, before putting this to the membership for review and agreement. The consultation period will involve a variety of methods to ensure members have a full opportunity to review and comment on the proposal, including regional consultation events, online consultation and FAQs. This will give the opportunity to learn in detail more about the proposed merger, and what the potential new body could look like. Concerns can be raised at these events and questions can be answered live by the leadership teams. This will ensure that members fully understand the merger proposal and how it could directly benefit them. The online engagement will be supported by FAQs, which members can utilise and will be regularly updated through the period. Again, this will give members the opportunity to get involved in the process. After the consultation period, members should be equipped with the knowledge they need to take an informed vote on the merger at either an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) or an annual general meeting (AGM). Only then, based upon the agreement of members, would the proposed merger continue. BIFM will continue to keep members updated as further progress and key developments are made. FM www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 11:42
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07/08/2013 10:04
ALAMY
FM FEATURE FM IN PRISONS DAVID ARMINAS
www.fm-world.co.uk
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08/08/2013 16:19
FM IN PRISONS
THE INSIDE STORY FM provision in prisons is changing. David Arminas finds that ‘performance-based contracts’ are the future, while service providers are finding that their measures of success have shifted
REX
T
he Holy Grail of business management is for employees, departments, and corporate divisions to support the business case of their organisation, or that of their organisation’s client. It’s sometimes difficult to see just how to support the business case. Too often it appears to be an intangible consideration. Not so in the prison service. When running prisons, the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) business case, in its simplest form, is to eliminate re-offending. But keeping recidivism low is a tough call for many released inmates, as well as for prison staff, both public and private, who are trying to help them. As hard as it is, the MoJ is moving toward performancebased contracts focusing on a reduction of recidivism. The move is part of a major change of tack for the MoJ and its 135 prisons in England and Wales – the Scottish Prison Service handles the 15 prisons north of the border. The MoJ recently announced it will no longer seek long-term outsourced prison contracts as it did under the now discredited private finance initiative (PFI) programme. Coverage by the general media of security and care issues surrounding outsourced prisons has often been savage. It can appear, incorrectly, that private www.fm-world.co.uk
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companies have taken over the majority of public prisons. But only 13 of the 135 prisons have been outsourced under PFI, with one, Northumberland, non-PFI. It’s a sensitive area for any service provider. However, it is also one of the most rewarding types of contract to run because of the business case, says Tony Leech, managing director of Sodexo Justice Services. Sodexo in the UK has more than 20 years of experience running prisons under PFI, where the FM provider has been part of a consortium that designed, built and runs prisons. Leech also has many years in prison service, from custodial officer to director. Importantly, he has been on both public and private sides of prison management, including FM provision, in Australia and the UK. Last month, Sodexo won a non-PFI contract to run HMP Northumberland in Acklington, which will be only the second prison in the UK to be privatised when management is transferred in December. Sodexo was chosen ahead of Serco, G4S, HMPS and the partnership of Management & Training Corporation (MTC) and Amey. From December, the company will manage Northumberland with its more than 1,300 male prisoners under a 15-year
contract worth around £250 million. At the time of the win, national offender management service director Ian Blakeman said the contract would deliver better outcomes for the public, while saving nearly £130 million over the lifetime of the contract. This “better outcome for the public” is key to running prisons, Leech says. The business case is to reduce recidivism so former prisoners become more responsible members of society. It benefits the public by making the local community safer. Leech said that everything an outsourced provider does should contribute towards that business case. Within a week of winning FM QUICK FACTS
58.5 Percentage of inmates, with sentences of less than 12 months, who reoffend within a year of their release.
£250m Size of Sodexo’s non-PFI contract win to run HMP Northumberland in Acklington
the Northumberland deal, Leech was at the prison holding meetings with staff to start building up the relationship. A Sodexo mobilisation team is on site working with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), an executive agency of the MoJ. NOMS commissions and provides offender services in the community and in custody in England and Wales. The vast majority of catering, cleaning and low-level building services are carried out by supervised prisoners, he explained. As part of this, there is a lot of practical training, including special workshops for demonstrations and presentations, for inmates to learn trade skills. This is all approved by the MoJ. Inmates will have a swirl of emotions and all staff must understand this. “Anyone in a supervisory role over inmates – be it in FM, back office or catering – must have, not just empathy towards the inmate, but exceptional personal and people communication skills,” explains Leech. Gone is the stereotypical tough-guy prison guard. That’s not to say the job of custodial officer isn’t about locks and keys. It is. But it’s also about “the rare opportunity to make a genuine difference to people’s lives”. The smooth running of a prison requires building FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 19
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ALAMY/GUARDIAN/REX
FM FEATURE FM IN PRISONS DAVID ARMINAS
relationships and acting as a role model for inmates. For a custodial officer, this must be balanced with the ability to maintain his or her authority and a safe, secure environment. A key performance indicator (KPI) requirement is for Sodexo to have available a designated amount of floor space, or cells, for inmates. Missing the KPI can mean the supplier misses being paid proportionally. With an eye to greater alignment with the business case, the MoJ is considering a move towards ‘payment-byresults’ contracts when it comes to recidivism. The final goal is zero repeat offences by former inmates. Sodexo is involved in an outin-the-community, ‘through-thegate’, pilot project at its HMP Peterborough. Serco, too, is running a pilot project at its HMP Doncaster. HMP Peterborough is the first purpose-built prison in the UK to house both men and women on the same site. Leech says Sodexo is working with not-for-profit organisations in the community 20 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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Who’s running what in England and Wales HMP Altcourse – G4S Justice Services HMP Birmingham – G4S Justice Services HMP Oakwood – G4S Justice Services HMP Parc (Wales) – G4S Justice Services HMP Rye Hill – G4S Justice Services HMP Ashfield – Serco HMP and YOI Doncaster – Serco HMP Dovegate – Serco HMP Lowdham Grange – Serco HMP Thameside – Serco HMP Bronzefield – Sodexo HMP/YOI Forest Bank – Sodexo HMP Peterborough – Sodexo HMP Northumberland – Sodexo
to provide personal development services to help released inmates reintegrate. Services include educational, employment and resettlement opportunities. It’s early days, but results are promising for the payment by results scheme, especially at a time of increasing re-offending, the MoJ said last month. Up to September 2011, more than 400,000 re-offences occurred. For those sentenced to less
than 12 months, 58.5 per cent had re-offended within 12 months of their release up to September 2011 – this is 1.2 per cent up on the previous year. “While the number of offenders coming to court is falling, alongside falling crime rates, more people who do commit crime are receiving prison sentences,” according to an MoJ statement. But the Peterborough pilot has “revealed marked falls in
reconvictions,” the MoJ said. Before the pilot, for every 100 prisoners released from Peterborough there were 84 reconvictions. Under the pilot, this has fallen 8 per cent to 78. Over the same period nationally, that figure has risen by 12 per cent. “Where we are seeing real improvements in tackling this problem is our through-the-gate payment by results pilots, an approach I want to see rolled out across England and Wales by 2015,” said Justice Secretary Chris Grayling. But the government is looking at further changes for privately managed prisons. With PFI a thing of the past, the government is looking at replacing the so-called vertical contract model with a “horizontal contract”. Under the policy shift announced in June, the MoJ will go out to tender for individual lines of prison services works, including asset maintenance and facilities management services, at all of the 110 publicly run prisons. One provider would hold the FM contract for several prisons, www.fm-world.co.uk
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FM IN PRISONS
perhaps dozens, across a region or regions. Another provider might hold a contract for back office functions in the same region. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said the competitions will be for service lines only and not total prison management. Overall prison management will remain in-house with the MoJ. “We anticipate making an announcement about the first phase of competition in the autumn,” the MoJ spokesman confirmed. “We expect the announcement of the outcome of the first competition to be made during 2014/15 and the contracted services to start running early in 2015.” Prisons that are already fully outsourced, as with Sodexo, will remain as such. In Scotland, only two of 15 prisons have been outsourced. HMP Addiewell, for nearly 800 inmates, was opened in 2008 by Sodexo. Kilmarnock, for between 500 and nearly 700 inmates was opened in 1999 by Serco. There is less chance of major www.fm-world.co.uk
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public sector involvement in prison management, including horizontal contracts, says Serco’s Sandy McEwan. Soon after winning the May 2011 Scottish parliamentary election, the Scottish National Party announced its policy of less private sector involvement in all public services. McEwan, who has been with Serco’s home affairs division for five years since becoming governor of HMP Kilmarnock, also has 20 years on the public service side. He has managed prisons, mostly in England, including HMP Wetherby in West Yorkshire and HMP Durham. In Scotland, the government runs “a much tighter ship” when it comes to prison management, and “they’d say they’re proud of it”, said McEwan. There is much closer contract management of private companies. As in England, there are many KPIs and Serco also has inmates working alongside prison staff in the kitchens and doing low-level building maintenance, with inmates working
towards NVQ qualifications. But he sees little chance of private sector through-the-gate contracts, such as the payment by results pilot at the Doncaster and Peterborough prisons. Social work roles in prisons are part of a local authority’s social worker programme, he said. Private providers, as well as the Scottish Prison Service, used to run their own healthcare for inmates. But in November 2011, this was taken over by the Scottish National Health Service, said McEwan. Serco was bidding for the PFI contract to rebuild Low Moss prison, near Glasgow, in 2007. But after winning the 2007 election, the SNP dumped the tendering process and put out a construction-only tender, which was won by Carillion. Low Moss, capable of holding 700 inmates, was opened in March last year. It is the first new-build publicly-operated prison to be opened in Scotland for almost 30 years. Overall, there appears more opportunity in England for private sector involvement in prison work, despite the client’s changing needs. What is important is for private providers of all services to prisons to remain flexible, says Sodexo’s Leech. The nature of the provision means the work will always be open to public scrutiny and highly emotive. It comes with the territory, as all the large providers, including Serco, Sodexo and G4S – which all declined to be interviewed for this article – know too well. G4S recently pulled out of bidding for new contracts for tagging criminals in England and Wales following claims it had been overcharging for the service. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling had told MPs in July that overcharging by private security firms G4S and Serco had cost tens of millions of pounds. FM
SOUND BITE
Prisons minister Jeremy Wright, on the future of prison facilities management: “We currently spend £135 million every year on maintenance, rubbish collection and other smallscale jobs in prisons. This cannot be the most efficient use of taxpayers’ money. “I am confident that through competing these services, we can deliver cheaper services quickly, drive innovation and provide better value for money without compromising performance or safety. “All contracts with the private sector will go through a strict competitive tender process and are scrutinised to ensure they are cost effective.” FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 21
08/08/2013 16:20
FM WORLD INTERVIEW LUCY JEYNES LIZ KENTISH
BIFM deputy chair Liz Kentish (right) speaks to Lucy Jeynes (left), who was instrumental in setting up the institute’s highly influential Women in FM (WIFM) special interest group
INSPIRING CHANGE THEHISTORYOF
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LK: Lucy, perhaps you could tell me about some of the earliest catalysts for starting the Women in FM group. LJ: It was quite a journey to get to the point of setting it up. I was on the board at BIFM, as chair of the membership services committee looking at the services we offer members. I’d often receive emails asking whether we had a group for women working in the industry. At first, I wasn’t really in favour of gender-specific activities because I didn’t see the need for them. But after a while, I thought: “I’ve had a lot of these emails and given I’m supposed to be responsible for representing
the members, maybe I should do something about it.” So I did what every sensible person would and spoke to Anne Lennox-Martin (one of only two women fellows at the BIFM at the time, and also one of the first women to get a masters in FM) and Marilyn Standley, who’d been the first female BIFM chair. We put together an event called ‘Women in FM’ at which we asked a number of questions: should there be a Women in FM group? If there was such a group, what do you think it should do, and would you join? We had over 110 people there, which is a lot for a BIFM event. Most had never attended a BIFM event before.
We had structured focus groups at the event; when we asked what kind of events they would like, they mentioned information and learning events, personal development events, building tours, technical talks. We thought, well, we already have all of that available through other groups. But when we asked ‘why don’t you do that already”, they said, ‘Oh, I’ve tried a BIFM event before; everyone seemed to know each other, I was the only woman there’, or ‘It was very formal or very maledriven, structured networking’. Of course, now we know that there’s evidence that women aren’t as comfortable with that style of networking. www.fm-world.co.uk
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At the time, 11 per cent of BIFM membership was female, but that was overwhelmingly at associate level. At member level, the numbers were much smaller. One of the things we needed to do was push women, pull women and support women as they climbed up the ladder, because facilities management is a profession for everybody. People already in the sector thought FM was a job for anyone, and if you take the stereotypical view that women can multi-task, we must be ideally suited for some of the roles in FM. LK: So was that one of the key aims of the group, to help women in their career development?
PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG FUNNELL
LJ: Actually, from my perspective as chair of membership services, the key aim was to engage with a group of people we weren’t already engaged with. I wanted to get them to participate in the institute and become a part of the community. I think a professional institute is all about making people feel that they belong, and we thought: “Here is a group of people who want to belong to something and they don’t feel like they belong to any of the other things that we already have.” That’s what we really wanted to do – grow and maintain the membership. At the time, we had a problem with attrition – people would join the institute for a couple of years and then leave. I felt this was because people didn’t really feel they belonged. After all, membership isn’t just about having a magazine, it’s about being a part of a community. Today, of the people who attend our events, usually at least a third are men. It must be because they think it will be a good place to come – they are very supportive. When we ran the first formal event as a group, we invited all the BIFM London region committee www.fm-world.co.uk
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members to come as well. The chair of the London region at the time mentioned afterwards how different our event had been to his. At the London region meetings, they would start off with the introductions, using formal titles like ‘Mr Chairman’ and have a report from the committee. The way we do things at WiFM events is we have the wine at the beginning, rather than at the end because it helps people to network. For that first session, we started off with a bit of a warm-up, and we didn’t all sit down in banks of chairs. Everyone really enjoyed it. Today we’ve got a lot of people who are regular attendees. But also, many of the people I speak to say it’s the first institute event they’ve been to. They say: “It’s because I thought the people would be friendly.” Now that’s really interesting because I’ve never been to a BIFM event where I haven’t found it friendly. I think it’s a really friendly profession. LK: What would you say to men who would never consider coming to a Women in FM event? What could you say to encourage them to come along and see what it’s all about?
WOMEN IN FM TIMELINE: 2007: Lucy Jeynes, with Anne Lennox-Martin, Linda Tilbury and others, sets up a WiFM group, which is grown and nurtured by the BIFM’s London region. 2007: FM World runs a campaign to find the most influential women in the FM sector. 2008: The WiFM group is formally recognised as a BIFM special interest group. 2012: The first national WiFM conference is held, at Channel 4’s headquarters in London, organised by the then sig chair Julie Kortens in collaboration with Women in Building Services Engineering (WIBSE). More than 150 delegates attend the event. Readers wishing to join the WiFM sig should email membership@ bifm.org.uk or call 0845 058 1356
LJ: The first men that started to come were people who got it straight away. They felt that it would be useful for anyone who employed women. If you are in FM and you are a boss, you’d learn a different perspective that would help you improve your management skills. You could also be interested in seeing women progress in your industry. For example, a cleaning company’s employees are very diverse but look at the board of a cleaning company and there’s hardly any women – you get the whole ‘white men in suits’ factor. If you are concerned about that, this is something that we’re going to be actively looking at FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 23
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FM WORLD INTERVIEW LUCY JEYNES LIZ KENTISH
and working on. We’re going to be helping women develop strategies to progress in the profession. And it’s not just about women – anyone else that wants to come is extremely welcome. It’s going to help people feel more comfortable at these events, where you might not know anybody. We have a lot of developmental activities focused on helping people to network. Another characteristic that we have that everyone really likes, is ‘plotting my FM journey’. How do people progress in FM? How have they got there, how did they do it? How do you get from being here to being there? One of the things that was coming from the feedback was women who said they didn’t realise there were so many other women in these FM roles. It’s really nice to see that women can be successful in this sector.
“ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IS TO PUSH WOMEN, PULL WOMEN AND SUPPORT WOMEN AS THEY ARE GOING UP THE LADDER” Lucy Jeynes
LK: Many of the people who stand up and present their ‘career journey’ might not have presented in public before. What do they get as an individual from sharing that with other people? LJ: We’re all familiar with the idea that people tend to ‘end up’ in FM, rather than choosing it specifically. This means there are a lot of interesting histories out there. I think that once you stand up and talk about your journey, that journey suddenly makes sense to you. Instead of simply saying that you did a lot of jobs and ended up in FM, the process of shaping your story opens your eyes about your achievements. All along the way, you were learning things. Then it clicks that now you’re in FM, you use everything you’ve learnt before. You’re looking at so many different facets and doing so many different things, that nothing you did before is ever wasted. You think of any of the jobs that you had, whether it was working in a post room or waitressing. I used to 24 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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peel prawns at Young’s seafood – not the most glamorous job. I also worked in marketing, which helped me with my communication and presenting. So everyone’s story that finishes in FM makes sense of all the things they’ve done before. One of the things we’ve tried to do with the FM journey presentations is to make sure that they aren’t just about people like Marilyn, an ex-chair of the institute. If you look at someone like Ismena (Clout, current BIFM chair), you think yes, she’s young, she’s had a short journey to the top – she looks like a superwoman. A lot of people might think that they couldn’t do what she’s done. So it’s also about having regular folk that have had good, steady progression and have now got a good job and developed and progressed. Personally, I think everyone can do that.
LK: On that subject, the Women in FM mentoring scheme is about bringing mentors and mentees together, but the mentors don’t necessarily have to be people who have got years and years of experience. Is that the case? LJ: When call out for mentors, plenty of people are really interested and they all say that they would like a mentor. I have to ask to them whether they themselves would consider being a mentor? Because actually, some of them have got really valuable experience. Generally, they don’t think they are experienced enough. For most of the mentors, it’s not a public thing that doesn’t involve much particular recognition for it, it’s something that you do as a personal commitment to helping someone progress. Nobody’s
getting paid for it, they don’t have the PR splash about it, it’s just two people making a commitment to develop. Yes, it involves making a time commitment, and helping someone to progress, but at heart it’s about sharing some of the things the mentor has seen and learned, which might prove helpful to this person. And maybe if they can ask them some structured questions, it can help them realise what they need to do – it will help them to get on. LK: Women in FM is obviously a very strong group. Are there a lot of women in the groups that you have links to? LJ: Women in Building Services Engineering (WIBSE) is a very exciting group – it’s only just started. It has different sorts of events to ours because it only www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 11:43
were quite blokey. We had a very specific agenda there, which was to get women comfortable enough to come to the mainstream events. This worked really well, but that was a much more overt agenda. We didn’t have an agenda like that for the Women in FM event, but what we’ve done is widen the community of engaged people, which is what we wanted to do. We have twelve to fourteen events a year and they’re always fully booked. I think the best FM event of the last year was our conference (held at Channel 4’s headquarters in London). I am obviously biased, but it was superb. Of all the SIGs, and the regions that I’ve been involved in, I think we’ve got the highest proportion of actively engaged people that want to support us and help. We haven’t struggled at all to recruit for the committee, or for people who will help out at events. I wonder if that might be a gender thing?
got together last year and it has a smaller membership. In fact, there are even fewer women in engineering than there are in FM. It’s had a couple of its events in places like a chocolate shop, which obviously boosted attendance! One of the things we’re now doing is looking at other groups we can network with. We had a lot of dialogue with women in FM in Australia in the early days; the Australian FMA. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICSc) has a women in property group, and we have contact with them, and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA now has a woman president, which is fantastic). I was involved in the Women in Business group in the Midlands, which again started in a similar way: people didn’t go to networking events because they www.fm-world.co.uk
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LK: What do you consider WiFM’s contribution to the development of FM as a discipline? LJ: Every event we’ve put on has been positively received. I think we’ve helped people to improve their professional competence, knowledge and confidence. Over period we’ve been running the group, the number of women who have reached the higher levels of membership at the BIFM has increased. It may not be a direct consequence of what we’re doing, but it’s all part of the movement that is happening now. Today, the institute’s membership is 20 per cent women, and we’ve got far more women fellows. Overall, there’s a far greater visibility of women. LK: What are the challenges for women who will be working in FM in the future?
“AS SENIOR WOMEN, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE JUDGING PEOPLE SOLELY ON THEIR CAPABILITIES. WE NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE” Liz Kentish
LJ: Today, if you’re a woman coming out of university, you don’t like to describe yourself as a feminist. Many women feel that the battle of the sexes is all but done and finished. And when you’re 21, it is. There are more women than men entering many professions, such as law and accounting, and medicine. Women don’t come in to these professions thinking it’s going to be hard, they actually think it’s going to be fine all the way through. Put bluntly, younger women haven’t experienced sexism in the workplace. They haven’t experienced situations in which nearly all the decision makers are men, who don’t quite get it. They haven’t been in an environment where they’re working with people who have a very different viewpoint than them. When you watch interviews
with career people, no-one ever asks a man how they are going to balance their life and their work. It’s easy to reject the concept of ‘feminism’ out of hand, but this is the kind of thing we’re trying to say: “judge me by my capabilities”. Employers need to accept the fact that work today needs to reflect our increasingly diverse world. LK: And I guess women have to help women in their role as well. If we want to make sure that people are judging people on their capabilities, then as senior women, we need to do that. We need to lead by example. LJ: Absolutely. We need to put our money where our mouths are. There aren’t many of us working at a senior level, so those of us that are here need to reach out. We need to offer a helping hand to bring other people up here. We need to make sure we are exercising our responsibilities in the profession to make it inclusive, which it isn’t quite at the moment. When we have 50 per cent membership, 50 per cent fellows, 50 per cent fully qualified, then we’ve reached it, haven’t we. LK: Lucy, you and I both hear people say: “This is 2013, why on earth do we need a Women in FM group?” What are your thoughts – do we still need WiFM? LJ: It’s not compulsory to join. Some people don’t fancy coming – in the same way that I don’t fancy going on a golf day. As an institute, it’s about engaging with as many people as we possibly can, and having as many events in as many different styles and flavours as possible. There are hundreds of different ways into the profession, and many different ways into the institute. WiFM is contributing something alternative. And we’ve been pretty successful so far. FM FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 25
08/08/2013 11:43
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07/08/2013 11:47
FM FEATURE REUSING OFFICE FURNITURE LUCY BLACK
ILLUSTRATIONS: BEN THE ILLUSTRATOR
W
hat happens to all the furniture when companies re-fit their offices? When you organise a major sporting event, how do you dispose of all the loose fittings when the athletes have gone home? Many facilities managers have faced the first problem, while the second was a key issue for suppliers to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Often when trying to find solutions to disposal at the same time as managing complex relocation projects, surplus furniture is handled as waste, or left to removal companies to dispose of. While this is happening, charities of all sizes are making do with very poor furniture, are unable to fit-out buildings for use or have to use increasingly scarce financial resources to buy what they need. In larger organisations, lack of effective internal communication systems can mean that one section is purchasing furniture at the same time that another is making
disposal plans – without them being aware of each other. WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Plan) produced a report in 2011, Benefits of Re-use: Case Study Office Furniture, which assessed the potential impact of furniture re-use. It found that only 14 per cent of desks reaching end of life are being re-used. Also, estimates suggest that businesses in the UK are sending approximately 35,000 tonnes of desks to landfill each year, along with a wide range of other office furniture and equipment. This vast quantity of usable goods filling landfill sites is having a significant financial impact – due to landfill costs – as well as contributing to carbon emissions and resource depletion from the production of new goods and their transportation. Schemes in the past that have tried to resolve this have been faced with the difficulties of storing large quantities of bulky items without a funding
Your unwanted office chairs and desks could have a second life, finds Lucy Black
PART OF THE
FURNITURE
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REUSING OFFICE FURNITURE
www.fm-world.co.uk
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FM FEATURE REUSING OFFICE FURNITURE LUCY BLACK
stream to pay for warehousing. Internally within organisations, cumbersome manual systems have been all that has been available to manage the use of assets across divisions and sites. The growth of web-based technology and users’ familiarity with using it is supporting a number of schemes in the UK designed to help companies manage their internal resources better, and are bringing companies and charities together by creating virtual market places for surplus goods. The company WARPit matches surplus or under-used resources within and between organisations. Based in northeast England, but with a national remit, it is the brainchild of Daniel O’Connor. Before he set up WARPit, O’Connor worked as a waste manager. He would regularly see items going into skips that were still in a usable condition. Initially, he would make contact with local charities, who would sometimes find a use for the equipment. However, he quickly realised that there was a limit to what could be achieved in this way. He then had the idea of developing an automated webbased portal. It took 18 months to build the system, which went live in 2011.
Good for all parties O’Connor sees it as a waste management tool that enables companies to support charities. He is enthusiastic about what has been achieved to date and plans to expand his services in future, now that the system has been tested. WARPit is based on a computer matching service. Companies with furniture and equipment to donate enter the details on to a database. To date, over 18,000 items have been listed. Charities and 30 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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other eligible bodies sign-up as partners, which enables them to access the information on the database. When suitable items are available, the organisation makes arrangements to view and collect the goods. Furniture is not stored by WARPit and all arrangements are between the two interested parties. A key element of the WARPit approach is that it functions as an internal matching system within organisations. Furniture can be made available internally before being released into the wider market, a function which has been taken up by many of the universities and local authorities that are subscribers. Sunderland City Council estimates that it saved over £200,000 in 20 months by using the system, during a time of workplace restructuring. This would not have been possible had it relied on a manual approach. One London university has managed to share large quantities
of laboratory equipment destined to be thrown away. A website called Waste Match also helps companies in the quest to re-use furniture and equipment within the organisation. A social enterprise founded in 2012, it has enjoyed the support of RBS, which has been using it to handle the internal redistribution and disposal of much of the bank’s furniture during recent major restructuring. A webbased portal is due to go live shortly, providing a similar service to WARPit. Also, through the service, RBS donated 20 desks to the Prince’s Trust to supplement existing furniture and to accommodate moving offices to larger premises. There were two positive outcomes of this: it meant that the Prince’s Trust now had goodquality modern furniture; but also, RBS had incurred zero cost
from furniture disposal. Waste Match was also able to match around 90 per cent of The Prince’s Trust old furniture with another social enterprise. Planet Office Global works in partnership with relocation management company Harrow Green. The result of this was that Harrow Green sent only three per cent of the 16,000 tonnes of furniture it processed in 2012 to landfill.
Good for all parties Planet Office Global’s ‘Don’t Destroy – Redeploy’ programme matches charities’ requirements to clients’ corporate social responsibility goals and available assets. Harrow Green, on the other hand, takes care of the collection, re-distribution and installation. Businesses are provided with a short-list of potential charities to receive their donations allowing staff in contributing companies to decide on the beneficiaries. John Lord, regional manager, www.fm-world.co.uk
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REUSING OFFICE FURNITURE
Harrow Green, says that the arrangement “enables us, as an environmentally-conscious and socially responsible organisation, to take our practice to a new level”. Deloittes in London used Planet Global to dispose of 158 pieces of furniture and equipment that were no longer needed, which were all donated for re-use. None ended up being recycled or in the waste stream. This was the equivalent of nearly six tonnes of furniture with a CO2 saving of approximately 28 tonnes. Two charities benefited from this: the National Theatre Group and the London & Teen Challenge, Ilford. The market value of these goods was estimated to be around £11,500, which is effectively money pumped back into the local community. Deloitte was able to count this towards its philanthropic contributions.
Olympic schemes These schemes are designed to manage the ongoing production of surplus furniture. For a major event, such as the Olympics, disposing of the furniture and equipment is a one-off. As the case study (right) shows, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralymic Games (LOCOG) managed this by requiring the furniture supplier to buy back goods at the end of the games, putting the disposal responsibility with them. ‘The Remains of the Games’ is a company that sells furnishings left over from the Athlete’s Village. There is a web-based portal on which the public can buy goods, just like normal online shopping.
Benefits Organisations re-using furniture internally save money both in purchasing and disposing of surplus items. All the schemes provide assessments of CO2 and cost savings/cost equivalents, www.fm-world.co.uk
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which can be used in CSR reporting. Identifying the charities that have benefited helps to create a feel-good factor among staff and other stakeholders. Clearly, the charities that receive the free furniture can see fairly substantial financial benefits. WARPit estimates that organisations using its services have made savings of nearly 316,000 tonnes of C02, and diverted 70,000 kg of waste from the waste stream. The financial savings are estimated to be around £550,000. As Planet Office Global says, its scheme “replaces the cost and environmental impact of landfill disposal, such as tax liability, with social, sustainability and economic benefits, delivering a triple win – for businesses, charities and the environment.”
Funding The schemes are financed in different ways, with WARPit using a subscription system (charities join for free and annual subscriptions range from £250 for small organisations up to £2000 for the very largest). Waste Match is largely funded by RBS, and works in association with Europa. Planet Office Global’s partnership with Harrow Green covers much of their operating costs. ‘The Legacy Remains’, which is the organisation distributing used items from the 2012 Olympics, has made sufficient profit on public sales of furniture and equipment to support the donation or discounted sale of goods. All of the current schemes have the potential to grow, in terms of reach and impact. However, the challenge of timing remains: the trick is matching up the dates on which the unwanted furniture is to be removed with when the recipient is ready to receive it. The next challenge is to find solutions to this, with further partnerships across the facilities management sector a strong possibility. FM
CASE STUDY: OLYMPICS
THE LEGACY REMAINS ustralian company Ramler supplied furniture to the Olympic venues and the Athlete’s Village. As part of the deal with LOCOG, Ramler bought back more than one million items. They set up ‘The Remains of the Games’, an outlet for selling everything from 17,000 beds, 6,900 bean bags, 5,000 dining chairs to a range of office equipment. The majority of sales have been via an online portal. Paul Levin from Ramler was charged with managing the disposal. His job was to get as higher value back as possible from the furniture and equipment and thereafter to maximise the benefit for charities and community groups. “The Legacy Remains” was set-up to provide furniture and equipment to charities, community groups and grass-roots sports organisations at heavily discounted prices, giving a little back to people who need it. The scheme was publicised in the charity press and using social media, where it spread rapidly. Charities and others were asked to submit a case and at least 800 did so within a couple of days. Levin was keen to talk to them individually to understand their needs. Applicants had been assessed on the strength of their story, as judged by a panel including Levin and Tim Reddish, a paralympian. The first two recipients were a charity setting up a retreat for parents of children with life-limiting illnesses in Manchester and another that runs a respite centre for teenagers with cancer in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The furniture has not all been given away for free, but significant discounts were agreed to enable them to access items that they otherwise could not afford. “The key word in all of this is ‘legacy’. It was at the heart of London’s bid to get the Olympics and we want to make our own contribution to the cause by ensuring that our Olympic furniture ends up in a beneficial way”. The group plans to use the brand at the Commonwealth Games next year, so charities and others should keep an eye on the site.
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FM FEATURE OLYMPICS VENUES JAMIE HARRIS
LEGACY ISSUES With part of the Olympic Park now officially re-opened to the public, Jamie Harris looks at how London’s Olympic venues are being adapted for their future functionality
The Copper Box
GETTY/SHUTTERSTOCK
OLYMPIC USE: Handball, modern pentathlon fencing FUTURE USE: Multi-sport arena, including basketball, badminton and boxing MANAGED BY: Greenwich Leisure (GLL) The Copper Box was the first of the venues in the Olympic Park – now the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – to reopen for business. It now houses a multi-sport arena (with a capacity of 7,500 spectators), a gym facility, fitness suites and studios.
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“It is certainly different to other leisure centres and venues we manage,” explains Tony Wallace, head of Olympic venues at GLL, which has the job of managing operations at the Copper Box and the Aquatics Centre. “We have to manage the balance between community participation, events and elite sport,” says Wallace. The London Lions basketball team will use the venue as its home and, over the next year, the venue will also host six boxing fights, the London GP badminton tournament and European handball matches — all bringing their own stewarding and cleanup challenges. The venue is also capable of hosting conferences, concerts and exhibitions. Balfour Beatty Workplace has been chosen to manage the park estates and FM, and will provide soft services to the Copper Box.
Aquatics Centre OLYMPIC USE: Swimming, diving FUTURE USE: Community swimming and diving, 2016
swimming championships MANAGED BY: Greenwich Leisure (GLL) Also operated by Greenwich Leisure, the Aquatics Centre houses two 50-metre swimming pools (the only two in
London currently) and London, a 25x25m diving pool. “We will be responsible for checking the water quality and providing life guards,” says Wallace. “All pools have a moveable floor, so they can be raised from five metres deep to just half a metre, and then used for children’s swimming lessons.” As well as providing operational services, GLL is working with governing bodies British Swimming and Sport England, as well as the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to manage athlete training programmes. The 2016 swimming championships are to be held at the venue, meeting the legacy challenge of making the venue suitable for both community and elite use. On busy days, GLL is expected to manage up to 3,500 spectators.
Velopark OLYMPIC USE: Velodrome – indoor track cycling, BMX FUTURE USE: BMX, Track cycling, mountain bikes and a road cycle circuit fo for both community an and elite use MANAGED BY: Lee M Va Valley Regional Park Au Authority Op Opening in early 2014, the Lee Valley Velopark wil offer facilities for four will dif different cycling events – the only facility of its type in tthe world. B Brian Daley, assistant dire director, parkland and ven venues, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, explained that there was plenty to get to grips with during its re redevelopment. “T “The BMX track had to be m modified from Olympic stan standard to community standard to make it open for public use. “The mountain bike track was also recreated; this involved landscaping work for over 7km. The unusual design of the velodrome – a building that has won several architectural awards – has posed a number of maintenance questions. “We are discussing whether to sustain the wooden clad around the outside of the building, or to let it go grey,” said Daley. “Inspecting the roof every year is a challenge in itself. The building is also a cablestrong structure, which isn’t something that we’ve had to deal with before.” Lee Valley has also had to bring in staff to maintain the more than £200,000 worth of bicycles that are available for hire. Due to the nature of the indoor velodrome track, www.fm-world.co.uk
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OLYMPICS VENUES
Olym Olympic Stadium Stadi
underfloor heating was required throughout the building’s closure. “We have spoken to those running velodromes in Glasgow and Manchester,” said Daley. “It’s all about sharing ideas.”
The Queen Elizabeth Park OLYMPIC USE: Site of the majority of London 2012 sporting arenas FUTURE USE: A public park, fit for temporary attractions, festivals and concerts MANAGED BY: Balfour Beatty Workplace
Balfour lf B Beatty tt W k l d Workplace secured a 10-year estat estates and facilities management ccontract that runs from 2013. It is responsible for maintenance of the Park and the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. The company will work with other contractors to provide cleaning, security and operations services for the park, Aquatics Centre, Copper Box and VeloPark. Landscape Group is to provide landscape maintenance and cleaning for the whole park until 2024, in alliance with Balfour Beatty Workplace. The site is expected to attract over nine million visitors per year, while the press centre, situated inside the park and run by iCITY, is home to BT Sport studios, with room for other tenants within the 91,000 square metre building.
O LYMP USE: OLYMPIC Athletic Athletics, opening and clos closing ceremon ceremonies FUTURE USE: Host venue for 2015 Rugby World Cup and cs 2017 World Athletics ue to Championships; due am be home to West Ham b United football club from 2016 The stadium is to be 0 scaled back to a 60,000 seat capacity, with planning approved for the installation of a transparent roof that, when complete, will become the largestspanning tensile roof in the world. E20 LLP is the organisation overseeing the stadium’s development. FM
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08/08/2013 17:00
FM MONITOR JOHN BRIGGS
TECHNICAL
John Briggs,
operations director at First Security
M OTIVATIN G A S ECUR I T Y T EA M
security team is often a building’s first – A and last – line of defence. Here, John Briggs offers some advice on the important task of keeping the team motivated and alert A motivated, attentive and observant security team can be a highly-effective deterrent and a robust line of defence where other interventions, such as electronic security access, fail.
A unified approach In the security industry, unmotivated employees can have a negative impact on the successful operation of a security system. In extreme circumstances, this can lead to disastrous consequences. In 2012, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CNPI) published a report, providing guidance for security managers on how to improve and maintain employee motivation. The step-by-step assistance and supporting analysis tools are invaluable for those responsible for managing security personnel. So, how can security providers create an environment to ensure their security team remain motivated, committed and attentive? There is not one simple answer for this, but maintaining open communication, providing regular opportunities for training, and delegating responsibility, goes a long way in encouraging motivation within any team. In addition to these suggestions, providing tasks that occupy the security team throughout their entire shift and allowing them to move around the site to perform 34 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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different tasks will keep them engaged. Ensuring they are paid correctly and on time, have full uniforms and personal protection equipment, and receive regular feedback, recognition and reward on a job well done will instil a sense of value within the team. Finally, the realisation of opportunities for progression and promotion in the company will encourage commitment and pride in their work – which increases the retention of staff and decreases changes in workforce for the client. It is certainly advisable for security managers to integrate these practices into their standard employee development procedures. They should also be considered in the wider context of integration with the client’s security culture. After all, a security team must rely on the co-operation and goodwill of those they are protecting in order to deliver the right level of security to their client and its employees. In that respect, if the client’s employees are well-informed and appreciate the value of having the right security measures in place, they are far more likely to respond positively. Therefore, it’s not only the actions of a well-motivated security team that can create a safe working environment, it is also about the client’s employees understanding the common,
unified approach to security in their organisation. For instance, if the client wants its employees to be vigilant and consider security measures as an integral aspect of their work, then it must provide an environment that sets the right example. This doesn’t have to involve a complex security alert or escalation system to work effectively. Basic, simple measures implemented companywide can make a positive impact on security culture. For example, employees may be required to lock confidential paperwork away securely; but if they’re not provided with sufficient lockable storage, then they may question the management’s commitment to security. Other simple measures could include a security hotline for employees to report incidents, ensuring that there are appropriate procedures for handling and disposing of information, or implementing a clear desk and work area policy.
Right environments Security operators need to avoid the temptation to have a ‘onesize-fits-all’ approach. Security companies need to strike the right balance between safety and the client’s customer service standards. Only by understanding the client’s objectives, image, environment and customer culture can a security team deliver services that fully support the client. The security team plays a vital role towards a visitor’s first impression of a premises. Creating a welcoming environment while ensuring the premises are secured properly can be hard to achieve. Not every company wants to
create the same environment and, as such, not all security personnel would be suited to each situation. To use a few examples, a banking institution may want to portray a professional, trustworthy and highly secure approach, whereas an internet service agency may want to come across as fresh, fun and intelligent.
Culture calls Providing appropriate and effective training to the security team is essential in ensuring they create a positive lasting impression. Security teams will be better equipped to positively contribute towards the client’s reputation and brand when they are fully embedded in that organisation. Few security managers would need reminding that the bestperforming security teams are the ones that feel a valued part of the organisation they are supporting. Instilling a sense that the security team works for the client, and is therefore treated as a colleague and not simply a service supplier, is a critical part of this process. One way to achieve this is to detail a defined set of behaviours that are consistent with the client’s brand, culture, environment and processes, which the security provider can then build in to its induction and training process. This could include simple things, such as referring to customers in first-name terms only, opening the reception door, directing them to a car parking space, and so on. In conclusion, motivating security personnel is one that offers invaluable returns, both in terms of service provision, and also in terms of maintaining your corporate image. FM www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 15:14
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Selected forthcoming features in FM World: 5th September issue: Carbon Footprint 3rd October issue: Cleaning innovations 17th October issue: Data security 31st October issue: Benchmarking
We have something of interest for all advertisers. For a full 2013 features list visit:
www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us or contact : norbert.camenzuli@redactive.co.uk 020 7880 7551
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If you want to reach 11,513* total average net circulation, contact: norbert.camenzuli@redactive.co.uk or richard.york@redactive.co.uk or call 020 7880 6200
*Circulation ¿gure relates to period from Jul ‘11 to Jun ‘12
Features are subject to change - please contact the editor for further details. FM World welcomes contributions and ideas for articles. Send a short synopsis to Martin Read at martin.read@fm-world.co.uk. Please note that we reserve the right to edit copy submitted for publication in the magazine.
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FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 35
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07/08/2013 15:40
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19/06/2013 12:37
07/08/2013 09:58
FM MONITOR NIGEL CLARKE
TECHNICAL
Nigel Clarke, Asure Software vice president and general manager, EMEA sales and operations
ROOM SEN SORS
oom sensors can generate important usage data and help inform decisions for future requirements, be they for more or less space, suggests Nigel Clarke
R
Real estate is the second largest expense for many organisations. It’s logical area for business leaders to explore for efficiencies now that personnel levels – typically an organisation’s top expense – are running lean after years of trimming. As a result, facilities professionals may find themselves under increasing pressure to not only optimise the spaces they oversee, but also to accomplish the task without negatively affecting employees. Ideally, this also involves finding ways to enhance the workspace experience to accommodate the way workforces interact and collaborate. For facilities and real estate professionals with leases coming up for renewal within the next 6-18 months, this is a great time to explore utilisation technology to measure and analyse their organisation’s space usage and needs.
Actual vs planned The initial challenge many facilities professionals face as they begin the workspace design planning process is a lack of awareness of the many inefficiencies that exist in the workspaces they oversee. Business travel, off-site meetings, vacations, leaves of absence and other factors can result in workspace utilisation www.fm-world.co.uk
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rates of 40 per cent or less. And as telecommuting trends continue to grow, a growing number of mobile workers no longer need a ‘permanent home’ at the office. Rather, the most enterprising organisations are creating hotel arrangements and collaboration spaces that are better equipped for the highly mobile workforce of today. In addition, meeting spaces often are used under their designed capacity. The spacious conference room with window views designed for groups of 20 may be ‘busy’ almost constantly, but it may be used at a portion of its designed capacity. Historically, when planning workspace redesigns, facilities and real estate professionals have relied on room/space reservation systems and/or ‘bed-checks’ to measure space utilisation. However, room scheduling systems only show that a space was reserved, not whether it was actually used, how long it was used, and to what capacity. Bed checks are subject to human error and only provide a snapshot of a point in time.
Using sensors Simple yet powerful technology can provide facilities professionals with robust data and analytics on office space utilisation and traffic levels to help them identify opportunities to reduce space or repurpose existing spaces
to optimise productivity. Activity and traffic sensors are simple technologies that can be used to passively detect utilisation more accurately, over time, to show patterns. Activity sensors detect and report when a space was used and for how long. That data can be collected and analysed over time, enabling FMs to determine actual workspace utilisation rates, which can be particularly helpful for planning special configuration projects. Activity sensors also can be used in meeting spaces to detect when and for how long they were used. Traffic sensors provide a deeper level of data in larger spaces, enabling FMs to measure and track the capacity to which the space is being used.
It’s about the data Of course, workspace sensors are just a tool, while the real benefit is the objective data. They can support informed decisions on how to add or reduce space, or redesign existing space and manage building automation in real time to save energy. Basic spreadsheets and charts can be static and cumbersome, and may not be sufficient to win the C-suite’s attention and support. Robust business intelligence systems are now available, enabling facilities professionals to collect and analyse data using real-time interactive graphic dashboard reports that can drill down into the details of workspaces – from macro to micro levels – in order to identify utilisation trends and potential inefficiencies. These systems also present utilisation data in dynamic, interactive report formats that resonate with executive team
members who ultimately review and approve the organisation’s space plans and expenses. Facilities professionals are finding that technology – with data-driven workspace planning and management initiatives – allows for greater collaboration with IT management, building engineering and corporate real Estate in order to converge data sources. and avoid solo point solutions, thus bringing more informed discussions and return on investment to C-level executives. Also, partnership and alignment with human resources also helps to support the cultural change management planning and communication that workspace redesign may entail. Ideally, sensors should be used for up to a year in order to account for seasonal fluctuations in office space traffic to due holidays, business travel cycles, and other variables. This approach helps to establish the baseline for current space utilisation in order to plan for the future. Shorter monitoring periods can be used, but the longer the monitoring period, the more accurate the data. In fact, ongoing monitoring can help the organisation to constantly monitor for opportunities to improve.
In summary Workspace sensor technology leasing packages may be available for facilities organisations wanting to try the technology before committing to the investment, or when budget limitations prohibit a purchase. Just remember, it is the data these sensors provide that is the key. FM FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 37
08/08/2013 15:15
FM MONITOR BRIAN ATKIN
STANDARDS B S 8587:2012 GUI DE TO FACI L I T Y IN F OR M ATION M A NAGEM EN T
S 8587:2012 Guide to Facility B Information Management provides guidance on how to achieve successful maintenance outcomes Facilities management owes much of its existence to building maintenance management, which continues to form a significant part of the workload of the FM sector. The publication of BS 8210:2012 – Guide to facilities maintenance management provides guidance on how to achieve successful maintenance outcomes for a range of facilities. This new standard completely replaces the original 1986 standard on building maintenance management, which has been withdrawn.
The need for change Some things change little over time, others can change dramatically. The original maintenance management standard – also a guide – reflected a world in which buildings were less complex to manage and operate than we are used to today. Developments in technology affecting the nature of facility assets and the maintenance management process, in particular the use of information and communications technology (ICT), also meant that
a major revision of the standard was necessary. The new standard has shifted from largely operational concerns to those of a more strategic and tactical nature, while retaining a focus on matters of practical importance. At the same time, a broader range of facility assets has been taken into account. The importance of regular and planned maintenance as a valueadding activity is highlighted, not least because facility assets have to be maintained to ensure that: ● They fit their intended purpose ● They are likely to perform their function throughout their intended life in a safe and efficient way ● Their value is protected. Ignoring maintenance risks the failure of systems and components and incurs needless additional cost, as well as threatening business continuity. Lack of maintenance can arise, in part, from a belief that a facility is an asset with a very long life that deteriorates gradually. Even so, failure to maintain the structure and fabric can affect function and presents safety
“Ignoring maintenance risks the failure of systems and components and incurs needless additional cost, as well as threatening business continuity” 38 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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Brian Atkin is a member of CB/70 Facilities management advisory committee and FMW/1 Facilities management technical committee)
risks, in addition to reducing the value of the facility as an asset.
Scope of guidance The standard outlines a process approach to maintenance management at the strategic and tactical levels with links to operational activities. The intention is to assist owners, operators and tenants, and their professional advisors, in formulating a strategy and policy for maintenance management so that facility assets continue to perform as intended, retaining their asset value at minimal cost. Any organisation that has responsibility for a facility needs a well-defined maintenance strategy – one that supports the organisation’s goals. The lack of a strategy, or one that is poorly defined, could have significant adverse safety and commercial consequences for the organisation. For example, the effectiveness of an organisation to fulfil its environmental and corporate social responsibility commitments and targets is dependent on an effective maintenance strategy. Yet, since targets are subject to revision and are progressive, a static maintenance arrangement is unlikely to meet the developing needs of the organisation. A review process, as an integral part of the maintenance strategy, is therefore necessary as changes arising from health, safety, security and environmental considerations can impact the way in which maintenance is undertaken. In particular, the requirements for the health and safety of persons in and around a facility, coupled with the need to discharge the responsibilities
of ownership, mean that organisations are likely to benefit from adopting a proactive approach to their FM management and one that requires an overarching strategy. A facilities maintenance strategy can embody different methods of maintenance, for example planned, preventive, unplanned or a combination of these methods. Planned maintenance includes planned preventive maintenance and shutdown maintenance, whereas, preventive maintenance includes condition-based maintenance, reliability centred maintenance and total productive maintenance. A further category – unplanned maintenance – includes corrective maintenance, breakdown maintenance and emergency maintenance. Not all of them are likely to be suitable, although they serve as the basis for exploring options once needs have been determined. The standard outlines the key steps that the organisation should take to identifying the method(s) that best satisfies its requirements. The standard is broadly based and also covers maintenance planning and the maintenance process, financial considerations, factors affecting maintenance, inspections, risk assessment, performance management, information management, asset register, spare parts inventory and computer-aided maintenance management systems.
Maintenance planning Some things change little. The maintenance requirements of a facility are, to a large extent, a consequence of its original design and construction. Inefficient design, inappropriate www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 15:15
specifications and poor quality work can result in faults that are subsequently difficult and expensive to diagnose and remedy. Inappropriate maintenance and repairs amount to unnecessary cost and inconvenience, which can be compounded by further attempts to remedy faults. Approaches to FM management should adopt a whole life cycle perspective wherever possible to guide policy formulation in general and financial decision-making in particular. This approach is necessary in order to protect both the asset value and the resource value of the facility. With this in mind, the organisation should assess the benefits of maintenance planning, basing the assessment on the following (among other considerations noted in the standard): ● Its contribution to the organisation’s goals ● Satisfaction of stakeholder interests ● Effectiveness of the facility in supporting the organisation’s operational plans ● Availability and reliability of the facility at minimal cost ● Capital and tax planning ● Asset management strategy ● Protection of the value of facility assets ● Required environmental performance and results of maintenance benchmarking. Maintenance plans should therefore be prepared in consultation with stakeholders, taking account of the organisation’s requirements for production and operational demands and constraints. It will also be necessary to www.fm-world.co.uk
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11. PERFORMANCE MONITORING, REVIEW AND CONTROL 10. IMPLEMENTATION OF MAINTENANCE
9. PROVISION OF MAINTENANCE RESOURCES
1. DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY ASSETS
2. AGREEMENT ON REQUIRED PERFORMANCE
Factors affecting maintenance planning
8. FORMULATION OF PLAN FOR DELIVERY 7. PREPARATION OF FORWARD PLANS
6. ASSESSMENT OF RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS
consider the organisation’s financial and taxation position, since budgets have to be provided and most often on a multi-year basis.
Maintenance process Maintenance planning should follow a structured process (see figure) that takes into account a number of key stages. ● Facility assets required to support the core business and the delivery of services should be defined ● The required level of facility asset performance, including performance indicators, should be agreed ● The condition and sufficiency of facility assets for their intended purpose should be audited ● The scope of the maintenance required should be identified ● Appropriate maintenance method(s) from among those available should be selected
3. AUDIT OF FACILITY ASSETS
4. IDENTIFICATION OF SCOPE OF MAINTENANCE 5. SELECTION OF MAINTENANCE OPTION(S)
“Approaches to facilities maintenance management should adopt a whole lifecycle perspective wherever possible to guide policy formation in general” ● The resources required for the selected maintenance method should be assessed ● Maintenance plans and budgets should be prepared to cover the required scope of services over the short, medium and long term ● A tactical plan for delivery of maintenance should be formulated ● The resources to deliver the scope of maintenance should be provided ● Maintenance plans and programmes of work should be implemented ● Performance monitoring, review and control of
maintenance plans and programmes of work should be carried out. Information and data gathered from this process should be used to re-inform the organisation’s need for, and use of, facility assets during this, and any future iterations, of the maintenance planning process. FM BS 8210:2012 _Guide to facilities maintenance management_ was published on 31 December 2012 by the British Standards Institution. Further particulars can be obtained from http://shop. bsigroup.com. FM WORLD | 15 AUGUST 2013 | 39
08/08/2013 15:15
BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK
Members vote at the institute’s AGM (main); Volunteer award-winners Rising FM’s committee (top), Women in FM (middle), and Ashleigh Brown (bottom)
GOVERNANCE
BIFM AGM 2013 The 2013 AGM took place at CCT Venues, East Poultry Street, London at 13:30 on 11 July 2013. A quorum was established and the meeting was opened with a brief introduction from chairman Ismena Clout. Ismena introduced the members of the board and gave a brief overview of the Medium Term Strategy that was set by the board in August 2012. Further information can be found in the Annual Review (www. bifm.org.uk/review2012). A brief update regarding the proposed merger process was presented, highlighting the fact that members would be consulted via a series of national road shows and ultimately asked to vote (75 per cent required to pass) to approve the merger, should the board recommend this course of action. Chief executive Gareth Tancred presented a review of 2012 and highlighted the amazing turnaround in performance during the year. We are very pleased to announce that all six resolutions were passed with in excess of 95 per cent votes in favour of each motion. Ismena then notified the AGM of the movements in/out of Members’ Council: ● New corporate representative: Mike Rollinson ● Re-elected individual representative: Beth Goodyear ● Emma Bailey was thanked for her contribution over recent years as the out-going corporate representative ● Following the official business, Ismena presented Julian Burton with his certificate as a new fellow. The Regional Recognition Awards were then presented. 40 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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GOVERNANCE
Recognition This year the ‘Volunteer Recognition Awards’ recognised even more of our volunteers and their achievements. Winners were announced at the AGM, which took place in July.
SIG of the Year For the second year running, Rising FMs were named as ‘SIG of the Year’. Every year, Rising FMs seems to go from strength to strength. What sets them apart is their vocal commitment to promote the FM profession, ensuring that ‘FM is a career of choice’. Although there have been many new faces on the committee this year, its performance has been unaffected and it continues to build on previous successes. WiFM received a special mention and was highly commended for the wide range of quality events covering a variety of topics. Region of the Year This year’s region of the year was the South West region. Over the past year it has continued to produce the excellent and well-received quarterly training days and breakfast seminars. However, in addition this year the committee has also
come together to support representation of BIFM in the Channel Islands, extending and furthering the work of the institute. However, judges also highly commended the Ireland region, particularly for the inroads they are starting to make into southern Ireland. Regional Committee Member of the Year Ashleigh Brown was named ‘Regional Committee Member of the Year’ for the selfless way in which she had not only supported her own region, but the enthusiasm to support others creating frameworks that can support SIGs and regions nationally. However, the judges felt a special mention had to be noted for Gareth Andrews for continuing the good work in the South West, his approach for supporting all members of his region (often sending ideas and words of encouragement at unsociable hours of the day!),
KEEP IN TOUCH » Network with the BIFM @ www.networkwithbifm.org.uk » Twitter @BIFM_UK » LinkedIn » Facebook » YouTube » Flickr www.fm-world.co.uk
07/08/2013 10:58
Please send your news items to communications@bifm.org.uk or call 0845 058 1356
and in particular, his work in supporting the development of BIFM in the Channel Islands. A total of nine people made the shortlist for the positive impact they have made. SIG Committee Member of the Year It would be fair to say that Rising FMs has long been a ‘beacon group’, and, as such, stepping into the role of chair meant Claire Akin had big boots to fill. However, since coming into the post, Claire has risen to the challenge, continuing to build on previous successes. You only have to look at the recent Rising FMs careers day to see this. For this reason she was awarded ‘Committee Member of the Year.’ Volunteer of the Year It was felt that this year’s winner, Gareth Andrews, certainly exceeded all the judging criteria for this award. He was deserving of special praise and recognition beyond being a chair of the South West region; the institute would be hard-pressed to find another volunteer who had given up so much time over the past 12 months to support the institute. Highlights of his assistance in 2013 include his contribution to establishing the Channel Islands Branch. However, as chair of the South West, Gareth is often out and about, acting as an ambassador for the institute. While behind the scenes, he has also been greatly supportive in developing ideas around best practice. The institute would like to thank all of its volunteers for their dedication and support.
Linda Hausmanis is head of awarding organisation at BIFM
BIFM COMMENT W H AT R E A SO N D O YO U H AV E ?
ave you ever experienced a situation wherein you’ve decided to take steps to improve your lot in life? Maybe you’ve undertaken a professional qualification, only to be told by those around you – work colleagues, family, friends – that your dreams are not realistic? They question why you would want to attempt a qualification. After all, what value does a qualification have? They may say, ‘who do you think you are?’ They may mutter that you’re setting yourself up to fail. Well, who’s right? Are you in the right for wanting to develop, to progress your career, to enhance your career prospects and your earning potential? Or are they right? Are you deluding yourself that you can achieve a position well above your capability? What possible reason could they have for not wanting you to be the best you can be? I will leave you to ponder that! According to a research paper published by the Department for Business Innovation & Skills, Review of the Economic Benefits of Training & Qualifications February 2013, “There continues to be positive employment and earnings returns for the vast majority of qualifications gained in adulthood”. Ask yourself the question: did anyone ever say to Sir Bradley Wiggins, Sir Chris Hoy, Lord Sugar, Jessica Ennis-Hill CBE, Sir Richard Branson, Andy Murray OBE and many, many more that they were reaching for the impossible? That their dreams were just that – dreams and therefore could never be a reality? Of course. But they had enough self-belief to truly believe and to do whatever it took – and indeed still takes – to dismiss those negative murmurings, to equip themselves to be the best they can be in whatever path they have chosen. It is easy to think of great British sports people to inspire us to be the best we can be. So who inspires you? Who do you aspire to be like? Is it your line manager? Is it your chief executive? Is it a member of your family? Or is it the current or past BIFM Facilities Manager of the Year. A lot of questions – but only you have the key to the answer, and that’s you. Love your family and friends, but don’t stop listening to your own inner voice and don’t stop dreaming, just start believing and start taking control of your own destiny and be the best you can possibly be – surely you are worth it.
H
“LOVE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT DON’T STOP LISTENING TO YOUR INNER VOICE AND DON’T STOP DREAMING – JUST START BELIEVING”
i Contact qualifications@bifm.org.uk +44 (0) 1279 712651 www.bifm.org.uk/ qualifications
i If you are interested in volunteering for BIFM contact membership@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 650.
www.fm-world.co.uk
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BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK
MEMBERSHIP
Good Practice Guides BIFM has launched new Good Practice Guides (GPGs) for benchmarking as well as space planning and management. Jacqueline Gillman, product development manager at BIFM, said: “The GPGs have consistently been identified in the BIFM Membership survey as a key member benefit. The guides are written by FM experts and provide guidance on core topics and specialist issues within FM. These new guides are the first in a series of new updated guides to be released in the coming months, building on the existing Good Practice Guide portfolio.” Following on from the recent release of the BIFM’s FM Leaders Forum paper on benchmarking, the new benchmarking GPG supports the key findings from the forum and offers practical guidance on how to embed benchmarking practices to support your workplace function. Effective benchmarking is essential to strategic FM practice and offers facilities managers a way to assess and demonstrate the added value they bring to their organisation’s performance and productivity. This can help gain recognition and understanding of the strategic role of FM. Users of the guide can expect to learn how to carry out benchmarking and to understand the benefits to be derived from its use as part of a structured process of continuous improvement. Space is a long-term strategic asset for business and our understanding of its management is essential in supporting an organisation’s objectives. The space planning and management 42 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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GPG provides practical guidance on the tools and techniques which can be deployed. It clearly illustrates what is involved in managing and changing space, enabling users to set overarching space management strategies for an organisation. These new indispensable guides are available at no charge to BIFM members as part of their membership benefits i To download the new guides, visit www.bifm.org.uk/GPGs, where you can also view previously published guides.
MEMBERSHIP
Assessors For the benefit and reputation of the institute and its members, the BIFM undertakes external assessment of all applications of member grade and above by experienced and expert FM professionals. Due to growth in demand, we need to expand our team of assessors, who must be CBIFM or FBIFM. We need members who: ● Are passionate about FM and the BIFM ● Have experience, knowledge and skills gained working in FM ● Have a thorough knowledge and understanding of current, new and proposed FM standards, policies and regulations, and a desire to maintain that knowledge ● Are qualified in FM or a related discipline (such as BA MSc or MBA in FM) and/or experienced in FM at a senior level (recent retirees will be eligible) ● Have a full understanding of the breadth and scope of the BIFM competencies skills framework and qualifications ● Can work to, and achieve scheduled deadlines and commit to the exacting standards of the BIFM. i For further details, contact donna. duckworth@bifm.org.uk
BIFM TRAINING MANAGING ENERGY
nergy prices have more than doubled in the past five years and the increases seem inexorable. The FM is faced with ballooning overheads and awkward questions from the finance director. The FM is also faced with an increasingly deepening jungle of energy legislation, making it difficult to know which bit to comply with next, how and when. But each time energy prices rise, or taxes such as the climate change levy (CCL) and carbon reduction commitment (CRC) increase, energy efficiency measures become even more cost-effective. When energy prices double, then a two-year payback becomes a one-year payback. The FM is not only being forced to comply with legislation, but is also seeing continually improving opportunities to cut overheads. Retrofitting has never been so good! So why are we not upgrading our buildings more? Maybe energy management seems a bit ‘black art’, with a confusing plethora of legislation making heads spin. It is certainly an area where FMs need more practical training and information, and that’s what the energy courses provided by BIFM are all about. The FM plays a central role in implementing these sustainable solutions to achieve better-performing buildings. This begins by getting an energy efficiency campaign rolling, raising occupant awareness and changing behaviour patterns. The labels we are putting on buildings, particularly Display Energy Certificates (DECs), highlight energy performance and help FMs operate buildings better. DECs represent real miles per gallon at the petrol pump rather than a modelled view of the world. Although only mandatory in large public buildings, DECs are not just ‘red-tape’, but are a direct tool to help reduce business overheads, keeping them profitable in difficult times. All FMs should start their energy efficiency campaigns by rolling out DECs, even in commercial buildings. But one overriding reason to manage energy is that it leads to better buildings overall. Focusing on energy problems often results in improved comfort, maintenance, monitoring and management.
E
Phil Jones is an independent energy consultant and chairman of the CIBSE Energy performance Group. He also presents BIFM Training’s Energy Management and Energy Legislation courses which next run in London on the following dates – Energy Management 23 Oct 2013 and Energy Legislation 24 Oct. For further info or to book, please email info@bifm-training.co.uk, visit www.bifm-training. com or call 020 7404 4440.
www.fm-world.co.uk
07/08/2013 10:58
FM DIARY
Send details of your event to editorial@fm–world.co.uk or call 020 7880 6229
INDUSTRY EVENTS
www.unwired.eu.com/worktech13/ london/
19 September | BIFM national golf finals 2013 The event returns to the venue of the first national finals in 2001, following a series of regional qualifying events. Sponsored by HSS Hire and supported by Incentive FM and Interface. Venue: Bowood Golf Hotel & Spa, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN11 9PQ Contact: Don Searle at don@c22. co.uk or call 020 7220 8900
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
14 October | BIFM Awards 2013 The BIFM Awards is the most influential networking event within the UK’s FM calendar and gives national recognition to the leaders in our profession. The BIFM Awards are designed to celebrate the increasingly strategic profile of FM by highlighting the key role it plays in the success of organisations. The ceremony brings together the leaders of our sector with the winners and to celebrate excellence in FM. Venue: Grosvenor House Hotel, London Contact: communications@bifm. org.uk or call 0845 058 1356 19-20 November | Worktech This two-day conference examines the workplace environment: technology that will change work; engineering serendipity; innovation in the workplace; what people want from technology; real-time real-estate; and ‘digital nomads’. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Contact: Email registrations@ unwired.eu.com or visit
2-4 October | IFMA World Workplace conference & expo The largest annual conference for FMs includes exhibitors, discussions and networking. Keynote speeches from author Barbara Corcoran and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Venue: Pennsylvania Convention Centre, Philadelphia, US Contact: www.worldworkplace.org HOME COUNTIES REGION 5 September | AWE site visit More details to follow. Home Counties members to visit the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Venue: AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 4PR. Contact: Ashleigh Brown at ashleighbrown@email.com IRELAND REGION 15 November | Ireland conference More details to follow. Interest can be registered online. Venue: Belfast Waterfront Contact: Laura McMahon at l.mcmahon@hjmartin.co.uk or visit www.bifm.org.uk/IC2013 LONDON REGION 26 September | Project management Details TBC. Venue: BBC New Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA Contact: Cathy Hayward at cathy.
hayward@magentaassociates.co.uk The BIFM London region holds its monthly CPD events on the first Tuesday of every month. Contact: www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/ groups/regions/london/events SCOTLAND REGION 10 October | All about FM! Conference and exhibition, with speakers currently being considered. Any proposals welcomed. Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, EH12 5PJ Contact: Michael Kenny at mkenny@fesfm.co.uk or visit allaboutfm2013.eventbrite. co.uk SOUTH WEST REGION 12 September | Essential FM compliance Will include a B&B rate of £50 for those wishing to stay on the Wednesday evening. Don’t miss what will be a fantastic day of learning and networking. Venue: Hilton Hotel, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JF Contact: Beth Goodyear at Beth.goodyear@fmhsconsulting. co.uk www.bifmswseptqtd2013es2.eventbrite.com or call 07901 858 875 15 November | Hard services Detailed programme TBC. Venue: Hilton, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JF Contact: dan.knight@ norlandmanagedservices.
co.uk or hazel.reason@ plantronics.com or visit www.bifmswregionnovqtd2013. eventbrite.com SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS 22 August | Women in FM – summer social and treasure hunt A networking event, including a treasure hunt down to Tower Bridge and along Tooley Street, followed by prizes. Catering supplied by Aberley. Venue: Mitie, Cotton Centre, Cottons Lane, London, Greater London SE1 2QN Contact: Jacie Furey at jackief@ aberly.com or visit tinyurl.com/ wifm2013summer 25 September | Business continuity – incident management A panel discussion with incident management and technology platform professionals, discussing the significant impact of social media on incident management. Venue: Haworth Showroom, Clerkenwell, London Contact: Steve Dance at steve1dance@btinternet.com 9 October | Catering – Luke Johnson at the National Archives From 6.15pm. Luke Johnson is a leading British businessman, best known for his involvement with Pizza Express, Channel 4 and, most recently, Harbour and Jones. The serial entrepreneur will be opening up about the secrets of his success. Venue: The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU Contact: Clive Hilton at clive@ inlocum.co.uk
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POWER TO BRITAIN
FM WORLD | 15 www.fm-world.co.uk AUGUST 2013 | 43
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FM PEOPLE MOVERS & SHAKERS
BEHIND
DATA
THE JOB
JEANNETTE COLTMAN
TOPIC TRENDS (IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT FM TOPICS, MARKED OUT OF 10. ‘AVERAGE’ SCORE TAKEN FROM OTHER 2013 BTJ INTERVIEWEES)
NAME: Jeannette Coltman JOB TITLE: Group health & safety/ facilities manager for DJ Squire & Co Ltd ORGANISATION: Squires Garden Centres JOB DESCRIPTION: Responsible for FM across the garden centre portfolio.
What do you do?
I am responsible for ensuring that the company meets corporate and legal obligations with regards to health & safety and facilities. I deal with proactive and reactive maintenance for the garden centres, maintaining, organising and overseeing hard and soft services including SLAs and KPIs.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
The industry is getting better but there is still a certain opinion about females in the FM industry and especially if you are of a certain age. Any interesting tales to tell?
There are many, but I wouldn’t want to name names. One memory that will always stay with me was in one office where someone had decided to cook something in a microwave oven. It was in a foil container, and yes it did decide to catch fire. The building was evacuated but the person in question refused to leave as he was more worried about his food. The lasting image I have from it was the fire brigade dragging him out kicking and screaming even though the building was on fire!
Working with procurement
5
7
AVERAGE
JEANETTE COLTMAN
Introducing / working with new forms of IT
4 8
If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be…
…working for the Border Control agency dealing on The challenge of working within a retail environment immigration issues. and the fact that I have been Which myth about FM would a customer of Squires for a WHAT’S BEEN YOUR CAREER you most like to put an end number of years. What attracted you to the job?
My top perk at work is…
…getting to look at all the great products that we sell – and, of course, the staff discount. How did you get into facilities management and what attracted you to the industry?
HIGH POINT TO DATE? Career high point would have to be being involved in a total refurbishment of a large Investment Bank which I project managed from construction stage through to completion and being fully occupied.
I worked for an investment bank in the City, originally as a buyer for furniture etc. It just developed from there. What attracted me to the industry was the diversity and variety as no two days are the same (Bingo! – Ed.) and the fact that I love being able to provide a service and help people, plus you get to see results from your actions. What’s been your biggest career challenge to date?
That was probably when I worked in the city – it really was a baptism of fire in such a demanding environment. But it did set me on the right path, and the standards I have now are a credit to that. If you could give away one of your responsibilities to an unsuspecting colleague, what would it be?
Dealing with the ongoing debate about temperature and the ongoing office politics over it being either too hot or too cold. 44 | 15 AUGUST 2013 | FM WORLD
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Working on energy-efficiency initiatives
7 7
to?
That men are better at FM than women… How do you think facilities management has changed in the last five years?
FM has come a long way, and there are more and more companies out there offering the one-stop packages of services which for FMs can make life easier to control. You can get a better overall service if you have the right company in place. How do you expect facilities management to change in the next five years?
I really couldn’t say how it will change, but it would be good for companies to take on board experience as quite often you can have people who hold qualifications but have no real experience; they can sometimes practice from a text book.
Adapting to flexible working
5 7
Maintaining service levels while cutting costs
7 10
What single piece of advice would you give to a young FM starting out?
Not to take things personally. I learnt that people often like to complain, but they are directing it at your role and not you personally. Do your friends understand what FM is?
Adapting FM to changing corporate circumstances
8 9
The majority, although it used to be a common joke and they said that I looked after the “bogs and lino”. www.fm-world.co.uk
08/08/2013 17:31
FM NEWS
Call Richard York on 020 7880 8543 or email richard.york@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack
FM innovations ▼ New health and safety training school The cleaning, FM and service industries now have help at hand for all their health and safety training needs with SOS Training. SOS’s principal consultant, Lorraine Larman, has 20 years of experience across many service sectors, including catering, cleaning, NHS, transport, pest control and agriculture. Larman, a chartered member of IOSH and a qualified tutor and assessor, has all the relevant skillsets to reassure candidates and help them achieve their chosen qualification. SOS Training offers a wide range of courses, including NEBOSH and IOSH, plus a selection of First Aid, H&S, Manual Handling and Infection Control courses. T: 01277 268879 W: www.schoolsafetytraining.co.uk E: info@schoolsafetytraining.co.uk
▲ Jangro raises £100,000 for Macmillan
▲ Werner’s commitment to quality
Jangro, the largest UK network of independent janitorial supply companies, which has 41 outlets, is on the road to raising £100,000 pledged to Macmillan Cancer Support. The fundraising campaign started with a sponsored walk involving 27 head office staff and friends, each covering five miles around the Rivington and West Pennine Moors in Lancashire. This raised £1,252. Kyle Macintyre, son of Jackie Macintyre, director of Jangro Perthshire member, Co-An UK, simultaneously ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon and donated the £503 he raised to the Jangro Macmillan fund. The youngest walker was five-year-old Rhys Green, who completed the walk in the same time as the adults. T: 0845 458 5223 E: enquiries@jangrohq.net W: www.jangro.net
Werner has introduced two new products: builder’s stepladders and box section extension ladders. The builder’s stepladders, available in both swingback and platform versions, are manufactured from heavy duty aluminium and offer slip-resistant treads with full width anti-slip coating. Benefits include a compact footprint enabling users to get closer to their work, an increased horn height to improve usability and safety by encouraging a steady climbing rhythm and several features designed to give a smoother profile, including plastic top caps and a new spreader design. The product is available in a range of sizes, 4-14 treads for the swingback and 4-12 treads for the platform model and is fully certified to BS 2037 Class. W: www.wernerco.co.uk
▼ John O’Conner in channel challenge Welwyn-based grounds maintenance company John O’Conner is supporting a cross-channel swim in memory of student James Harley from Ware, who sadly passed away aged 19. A team of six brave local friends and family will be attempting to swim the 32 kilometres across the English Channel in James’s memory. This challenge is to raise money towards mental health charity Mind, (www.mind.org.uk). The swimmers are: Steve Harley (James’s father) of Hewlett Packard; Nick Sheffield, Bedford University; David Kelleway, Bath University; Nick Webb, Metropolitan Police; Dean Moy, UBS; and, Neil Maidement, Fujitsu. The swim will start at Shakespeare’s Cliff, Dover, in the early morning and should finish at or near Cap Gris Nez some 12-14 hours later. W: www.swimforjames.wordpress.com
▲ Jangro – bigger, brighter and better
▲ OCS sponsors cricket match at Hove
Jangro, the largest UK network of independent janitorial supply companies, which has 41 outlets, has launched the biggest, brightest and probably best website in its sector. www.jangro.net is packed with useful information to help users select products and check the health and safety data sheets before purchasing. Visitors can locate their nearest Jangro member, see 40,000 products in the Jangro catalogue, and read the Jangro Training Solutions programme. It enables national accounts to buy online for regional deliveries. Training DVDs and a short, informative Jangro DVD are included. The new-style sites enable customers to place orders direct to members. T: 0845 458 5223 E: enquiries@jangrohq.net W: www.jangro.net
International FM provider OCS Group, based in Crawley, West Sussex, sponsored a three-day cricket match last month between Australia and Sussex at The BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground, Hove Martin Gammon, chief executive officer, UK & Europe for OCS, outlined the importance of a Sussexbased company supporting this match: “Sussex is home for OCS as we have our head office in Crawley. We also serve many valued clients in the county, including Gatwick Airport. OCS is delighted to support Sussex CCC as hosts to the Australian touring team at Hove. We hope that as wide an audience as possible gets to see some of the stars of world cricket play in the county.” T: 01273 669 917 / 07971 400 332 E: cathy.hayward@ocs.co.uk
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Sponsored by:
13th National Golf Finals BOWOOD HOTEL SPA & GOLF RESORT Thursday 19th September 2013 For sponsorship opportunities contact: Don Searle or Vince Parker on 020 7220 8900
Supported by:
BIFM Golf HPH2013.indd 1
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Appointments
Call the sales team on 020 7324 2755 or email jobs@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack
Introducing....
Critical Engineering The FM Network would like to introduce their Critical Engineering division. We have a proven track record of delivering recruitment solutions into Critical Environments. We work with a number of the top facilities management providers as well as some of the world’s leading global investment banks and corporate end users. Whether you are looking for Data Centre Engineers, Business Development Managers or Technical Directors we have the network and ability to source the best talent in the market. In a market renowned for a shortage of skilled candidates we pride ourselves on being able to deliver on extremely difficult assignments. Specialising in middle management to Director level vel roles, The FM Network partner with the best candidates and cover all aspects of the market on both sales and nd operations. All our candidates are reference checked to ensure re you are getting the best talent. Recent successes include:
Chartered Electrical Engineer Technical Director Head of Critical Facilities Engineering Director Data Centre Manager Data Centre Engineers If you have a specific critical requirement or are looking for your next opportunity then please contact Alex Sutherland on 0121 450 5000 or email Alex@thefmnetwork.co.uk
0121 450 5000 info@thefmnetwork.co.uk
N O.1 FACILITIES M A N AG EM ENT RECRUITER IN THE U K
*
www.thefmnetwork.co.uk *according to a recent survey
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FM Talent Required Technical Facilities Manager London • £40,000 + car allowance We are seeking a Technical Facilities Manager to assist with the running of a TFM contract within the public sector. You will be employed by an established FM provider and report into the Contract Manager. You will be responsible for operations and overseeing a team of engineers, cleaners and other related facilities staff. You must have strong people management skills, be organised and have excellent negotiation and communication skills. Our client delivers full TFM services to 25 over-ground stations across London. It will be preferable that you have worked on multi-site contracts and understand the rail industry. Ref: CROJ221441
Facilities Manager – Major Buildings London • Up to £45,000 + Benefits A real estate consultancy is seeking an accomplished Facilities Manager with previous experience as an on-site Building Manager working on high profile multi-tenanted commercial office properties in excess of 150,000 sq ft. Experience of multi-site management and strong service charge budgeting skills are also essential as the role will manage FM delivery to a portfolio of 4 large Central London properties. The successful applicant will be a client facing individual with excellent leadership and contractor management skills while also possessing a strong technical knowledge of hard and soft services and statutory compliance. Ref: RC232221
Offices globally www.cobaltrecruitment.com Please apply for any of the above roles by emailing apply@cobaltrecruitment.com or call 020 7478 2500 to speak with Claudio Rojas or Ryan Coombs quoting the relevant reference number.
HR31071301 SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR – 12 MONTH FIXED TERM CONTRACT Working as part of the Facilities team, this position will be responsible for delivering refurbishment, change, and plant upgrade projects within our prestigious multi building HQ in Milton Keynes. You will be part of a team responsible for ensuring that the facilities for undertaking the design and manufacture of our race cars are maintained to a high standard at all times. This role is responsible for managing projects from inception to completion. You will oversee all elements of the projects from initial concept design to cost planning, programme development, ongoing cost review and on site management. You will deliver solutions which meet the high standards required by our internal customers. As well as undertaking projects, you will be required to undertake some outsourced services contract management and assist with delivering pro-active and reactive maintenance to very tight deadlines. In this dynamic environment, you will be expected to deliver projects quickly and to keep downtime for plant and equipment at a minimum. Therefore the successful applicant will need to demonstrate strong planning, problem solving and negotiation skills to be able to get solutions in place promptly. Being able to demonstrate hands on experience in an FM projects role is a pre-requisite, as is practical experience of hard and soft FM services. Experience in a manufacturing environment, with a technical understanding of the services and issues which can arise would be beneficial, but is not essential. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate strong organisational and Project Management skills. They will be a strong team player, who is innovative and forward thinking. The use of Microsoft Project would be advantageous. Professionalism and a can-do attitude are key to this busy role, as is a willingness to provide hands on response to day to day FM issues. This is a full time role in a pressurized environment, where you must display a flexible approach to working hours, including additional hours and weekends at times. You will also be required to be part of our on call rota system. To apply for positions at Red Bull Technology and Red Bull Racing, please visit the recruitment page on our website www.infiniti-redbullracing.com. Closing Date for Applications – 23rd August 2013 PLEASE NOTE: No Agencies please.
Facilities Manager (Ref: REQ204) | G12 £44,632 - £47,234 This is a unique opportunity to lead the faciliƟes management funcƟon within the newly formed Environment, Roads and FaciliƟes service. As the FaciliƟes Manager you’ll play a key role in a wider team that’s dedicated to preserving, enhancing and enriching the natural legacy of this beauƟful county, making it a beƩer place for its inhabitants without ever endangering the things that make it such a special place to live. As FaciliƟes Manager, you will report to the Head of Technical Services and will be responsible for the strategic development and operaƟonal management of the FaciliƟes Management group, working across the Authority’s porƞolio of buildings as well as a range of Įxed assets. Principal duƟes will include • Strategic leadership and management of the FaciliƟes Management Group. • Development of operaƟonal plans and future strategies for the assets within the porƞolio to deliver conƟnuous improvement. • Delivery of cost, carbon and ecological footprint reducƟon iniƟaƟves throughout the group’s acƟviƟes. • Leading on procurement of all necessary contractual arrangements to deliver the service. • Customer relaƟonship management with all service users and third parƟes. You will be required to lead service speciĮc projects and iniƟaƟves that are likely to cross service boundaries to meet the Council’s vision and values. You will need to hold a relevant FaciliƟes Management qualiĮcaƟon, hold a degree in an appropriate discipline and have signiĮcant proven experience at management level within the FaciliƟes Management sector. The ability to communicate through the medium of English and Welsh is advantageous. For an informal discussion regarding the post please contact Geraint Edwards on 01492 575207. Contact jobs@conwy.gov.uk for an applicaƟon form or visit www.conwy.gov.uk/jobs APPLICATION FORMS TO BE RETURNED BY MIDDAY 09/09/2013
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The power of people
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CITY SURVEYOR’S DEPARTMENT Corporate Property Facilities Management Team The City Surveyor’s Department is responsible for managing the City of London’s property portfolio in the City, West End other parts of Central London, as well as property in Essex, Surrey and Kent including a 574,000 sq.m operational portfolio of Offices, Libraries, Courts, Police Stations, Barbican Centre, Schools, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, 3 wholesale Markets, Public Schools and a diverse heritage portfolio including Mansion House, The Central Criminal Court and Tower Bridge.
As the leading Built Asset Consultancy, our Asset Performance & Facilities Management services include:
An opportunity for two permanent posts has arisen within the Corporate Property Facilities Management Team, forming part of the City Surveyor’s Corporate Property Group providing corporate real estate and Facilities Management services to all departments and Committees.
•
Facilities Management Consulting advice and delivery expertise to deliver solutions to clients to establish new property or asset management functions, approaches to service delivery or improved service performance from existing functions / FM service delivery vehicles
Assistant Director
•
Whole Life Cost Consultancy to deliver commercial and technical advice and expertise to assist decision makers to make rational decisions to optimise an assets’ capital expenditure, on-going operational expenditure and to reduce investment risk, making their assets work more effectively
SUR183
£57,300 - £65,580 p.a. incl. based on experience/ qualifications You will lead and direct a team of Property Facilities Managers and Assistant Property Facilities Managers in providing Property Facilities Management services across the entire operational property portfolio, and to develop the performance and efficiency of these services going forward. The role will operate at a strategic and management level, bringing private and/ or public sector FM experience.
Corporate Facilities Manager
Our broad and demonstrable experience and knowledge within Social Infrastructure sector is built upon our extensive track record in FM best value reviews and supply chain procurement, which enables us to provide pragmatic and evidenced based knowledge to our clients, based upon a detailed understanding of technical and commercial FM market issues.
SUR184
£42,770 - £48,810 p.a. incl. based on experience/ qualifications You will responsible for the scope, performance, efficiency and delivery of property facilities management services to the occupiers of the City’s operational properties Department Built Environment, Culture Heritage & Libraries and Public Lifts and Escalators. These services comprise the planned maintenance, repair and where required renewal of physical building assets along with the cleaning and security services for the properties and include both in house and outsourced services. The role will directly manage a team of Assistant Property Facilities Managers working across 2 departments. The City offers a full range of internal and external CPD courses and training in many other areas. Please do not send your CV. Closing date 12 noon on 12 September 2013. To apply online, please visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/jobs Alternatively, please contact 020 7332 3978 (24 hr answerphone) quoting the appropriate reference number. Minicom service is available for the hearing impaired on 020 7332 3732.
The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
In order to build upon our current success the following job roles are required to work within the “Social Infrastructure Market” with a focus on Facilities Management Consultancy and Whole Life Cost Consultancy Service Delivery, accountable for the delivery of positive client outcomes. •
Strong evidence of technical and commercial experience in either or Hard and Soft FM Services is required preferably in supply chain procurement and Asset Led Transformation.
•
The roles will comprise a combination of service delivery management and sector sales within the Social Infrastructure market and whilst seen as FM Consulting will require integration with the broader Social Infrastructure team to deliver our propositions.
• • • • •
Account Principal (Senior/Associate) Senior Facilities Management Consultants Facilities Management Consultants Senior Whole Life Cost Consultants Whole Life Cost Consultants
To apply for these roles and for more information please contact: paul.lynch@echarris.com
www.echarris.com Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn
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FINAL WORD NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF FM
NO 2
DAYS
THE SAME
CULTURAL CONCERN In a sign that management attitude is key to changing attitudes and working practice, more than two thirds of public sector workers have reported in a recent study reported that culture was the most significant barrier to the successful introduction of remote working. The survey, undertaken by over 7,000 public servants and published in the Dods Remote Working Trends Across the UK Public Sector report, found that 47 per cent of central government employees believed management culture to be key in adopting more flexible ways of working, while 25 per cent site workforce culture as the main barrier. Just 63 per cent of central government employees currently had the opportunity to work remotely. Chris Punch, research director at Dods, said: “It is striking how many civil servants see culture as a barrier to working from home. Public sector managers should note the high number of civil servants citing management culture as an impediment. If organisations want employees to benefit from flexible working, greater efforts will need to be made to ensure people do not fear that they will be overlooked or penalised for doing so.”
SIZE ISN'T EVERYTHING, BUT… When it opened, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, dwarfed the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan by over 300 metres. Standing at 828 metres, it is possible to watch the sun set twice while travelling down in the lift from the Burj's 163rd floor. But when it comes to size by volume, the New Century Global Centre, a multi-purpose building in the Tianfu New Area of Chengdu, China, has recently taken 'largest building' crown. The building covers 1.7 million square metres,
with a quarter of that set aside for retail outlets. Also included within those expansive glass walls are hotels, an iMAX theatre, and an artificial beach, where sunsets and sea breezes are replicated. Some have pointed out that the building is almost as large as the Principality of Monaco. And what's even more remarkable is that construction took just three years to complete. One can only imagine the size of the cleaning and maintenance team. So many floor polishers…
CASE STUDIES KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY The 2013 BIFM Sustainability Survey shows significant progress in the implementation of sustainability policies within organisations since 2007, when the survey started. Almost 70 per cent of respondents said sustainability was important to their organisation. However, there is still a gap between the policies and delivery, it says, with only 28 per cent of end users giving a ‘very good’ rating for policy delivery, and 44 per cent of outsourced providers doing so. Barriers to policy implementation include financial barriers, such as cost constraints, but organisational barriers related to management attitudes company ethos have increased dramatically over the past four years, according to survey respondents. The survey concludes that the main challenges include the need to develop tools to better communicate sustainability and explain performance
improvements. Understanding how to collate evidence is important, as well as case studies to support how sustainability can be improved at no cost. Sunil Shah, managing director of Acclaro Advisory, and one of the authors of the report said: “The future is cost constrained but drivers such as legislation and PR around corporate responsibility remain. FMs need to think differently to operate in that environment. “There’s a strong indication that FMs believe that capital investment equals sustainability,” said Shah. “There’s a great focus on technology and certification and that has costs associated with it. But you can have a new piece of kit, and if you don’t install it or manage it properly, it’s not doing what it should. You have to co-ordinate the running of it with occupancy times, for example. You have to make sure that all the processes are aligned.”
IN THE NEXT ISSUE OUT 5 SEPTEMBER
FEATURE – BIFM AT TWENTY YEARS /// FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AT ITV /// SPECIFYING LOUVRE WINDOWS /// PREVENTING INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE /// THE CO-OPERATIVE GROUP'S NEW HEADQUARTERS /// SERVICE CHARGE TRENDS /// ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS
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UK Gutter Maintenance Paul and Kathy Blair, husband and wife and co-owners of UK Gutter Maintenance Ltd were delighted when the opportunity presented itself in the Spring of 2008 to form their own specialist gutter cleaning company and have never looked back since. Despite the economic doom and gloom theirs is a true success story. Between them the couple have over forty years experience working within specialised service industries, over ten of which have been dedicated to gutter cleaning activities. Both Paul and Kathy have a passionate belief in what their company stands for and a refreshingly uncomplicated common sense approach to managing their business. Their work ethic is based on teamwork and by placing a greater reliance and responsibility on those who work with them they have succeeded in achieving a consistently high and personal level of service that they believe is unrivalled in the industry. Kathy Blair Managing Director says “in an industry where the end product invariably cannot be seen it is of paramount importance that clients have confidence in the company they choose to employ. We instil that confidence and trust by focusing on all aspects of our performance. With our teams’ combined and varied knowledge we have a unique understanding and empathy with what our clients expect from us and are committed to meeting those expectations by ensuring that all jobs are done properly and to the complete satisfaction of our customers”. Placing utmost importance on Health and Safety the couple chose to appoint a Health and Safety Manager, Mr Martin Young whose sole responsibility is to ensure that all works are undertaken in a safe manner. Martin has had a long and varied career, primarily within the engineering sector and five years ago took the decision to obtain a NEBOSH qualification and focus on Health and Safety. Martin’s particular expertise lies in working at height and he has proven to be an invaluable asset to the company.
after digital photographs of all works are always provided together with reports upon on any major defects found or areas of concern.
for our national clients and work for several national help desks on a call-out basis.. This is proving to be an invaluable service and as far as we are aware UK Gutter Maintenance Ltd is the only company in the UK offering this type of service on such a major scale. Due to the nature of these types of works, in most cases leaks are experienced inside the building and temporary repairs are required to prevent a further ingress of water. Inevitably we find that these leaks are not necessarily a gutter maintenance problem but could also be caused by defective areas on the roofs. In some instances the gutter and roof defects we encounter need a permanent long term solution. This has resulted in our gutter cleaning service and skills extending to incorporate the treatment of leaking joints and badly corroded gutters as well as undertaking full roofing and skylight repairs, including the treatment of cut edge corrosion. Consequently over the years our experience and expertise has evolved which now enables us to offer a complete gutter and roof maintenance service. This gives the Company the distinct commercial advantage of being able to offer a truly complete package.
A flexible and complete service
All teams are supplied with liveried 16.5 m boom vans as a standard piece of access equipment and are fully equipped with specialist safety equipment, particularly for undertaking works on fragile roofs or where skylights are present. Additional equipment is resourced to suit each individual task and the appropriate team members are deployed to deliver a bespoke service to clients’ individual requirements.
Kathy Blair states “The structure and flexibility of UK Gutter Maintenance means that we are able to work throughout the country in just about any location, at relatively short notice. We also offer an emergency call-out service
Communication is seen as key to the company’s ongoing success and clients are kept fully informed of progress before, during and upon completion of works. Before and
Wherever possible, should there be any minor defects found these are carried out before leaving the site. Paul Blair states that “our clients acknowledge that this procedure is very effective and the provision of photographs is the only way that they can actually see that the work has been carried out. Unfortunately in our industry there are too many people that do not do the work they have been brought in to do. There have been many occasions when we have surveyed a job only to find that the company last employed to do the gutter clean or repair work had not done it properly, if at all”. UK Gutter Maintenance Ltd has a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness and an ever growing and loyal client list with household names such as Interserve FM, FES FM, Facilities Services Group, ATS Euromaster, Carpetright, Topps Tiles, C Brewers & sons and The Open University to name but a few. Kathy says “we are in the enviable position of clients actually wanting UK Gutter Maintenance Ltd to work for them. We have never been busier and for Paul and I owning our own company and being in control of our own destiny is the best thing that could have happened to us. Our business has been built on client relationships and our motivation and success lies in the fact that we personally know the majority of people we work for and for whom we deliver a high level of service which represents value for money, professionally, efficiently and safely”.
Services – Overview
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Major planned preventative maintenance (PPM) gutter cleaning contracts Fast reliable call-outs for national help desks
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Gutter maintenance and repair works Gutter waterproofing treatments (up to 15 year guarantee)
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Siphonic system repairs and installations Roof and sky light repairs/replacements Re-testing of safety wire systems
For further information please contact us on Tel: 01748 835454 or visit our web-site:
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