THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015
FMWorld www.fm-world.co.uk
SOCIAL FUNCTION How FM providers are transforming the way they engage with clients and communities
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VOL 12 ISSUE 16 10 SEPTEMBER 2015
CONTENTS
06| Apprenticeships
10| Worker wellbeing
18| Social value in FM
NEWS
OPINION
FEATURES
06 PM: ‘Offer apprenticeships to bid for state work’ 07 Best practice tools to clean up industry 08 Project of the fortnight: Halton Borough Council’s recreation centre, Widnes 09 Think Tank: Does a greater variety of workspace equal better health? 10 News analysis: Staff wellbeing – can firms afford to take the higher ground? 12 Business news: Graeme Davies: Minimum wage threatens FM’s tight margins 13 West Suffolk councils form a commercial FM joint venture 14 In Focus: Bruce Melizan, executive director of Interserve and managing director of Interserve’s Support Services division
16 John Bowen on why questioning what you do is never a waste of time 17 Five minutes with Peter Cheese, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
MONITOR
28| Activity-based offices
18
The social contract: FM operators on local government and health contracts are showing how good neighbours can become good friends
25
Stand up and be counted: The call to Get Britain Standing aims to rid the UK workforce of sedentary working. But do sit-stand desks work?
28
Activity-based pros and cons: Activity-based offices offer flexibility in workstyle choice, but they also require user discipline if they are to work well
33 Insight: Market intelligence 34 Legal update: Are your water treatment chemicals on the list? 35 How to: Worker wellbeing in a world of BYOD remote working 36 Standards: The WELL Building Standard 37 How to: M&E: Five considerations for FMs
REGULARS 38 41 42 43 44 46
BIFM news Diary of events Case in point Behind the job Appointments Calls to action
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EDITOR COMMENT
EDITORIAL Tel: 020 7880 6229 email: editorial@fm-world.co.uk editor: Martin Read ⁄ assistant editor: James Harris ⁄ news editor: Herpreet Kaur Grewal ⁄ sub editor: Deborah Shrewsbury ⁄ content development executive: Martha Harris ⁄ consultant art director: Mark Parry ⁄ art editor: Nicola Skowronek
LEADER
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING email: sales@fm-world.co.uk senior sales executive: Darren Hale (020 7880 6206) ⁄ senior sales executive: Jemma Denn (020 7880 7632) ⁄ sales executive: Jack Shuard (020 7880 8543) / case in point sales: Greg Lee (020 7880 7633) recruitment sales: Sabmitar Bal 020 7880 7665 PRODUCTION production manager: Jane Easterman senior production executive: Aysha Miah PUBLISHING publishing director: Joanna Marsh Forward features lists and media pack available at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us
he speed at which we’re becoming an entirely subscription-based economy is staggering. So many one-off commercial transactions are these days absorbed into ‘easily manageable’ monthly or annual subscriptions. Take Spotify: say goodbye to shiny discs and pay monthly for access to the entire world of music. Or software – why pay lumpy upfront costs and sizeable upgrade fees when you can guarantee the most up-to-date version for a smaller and more manageable monthly payment? Even car ownership has its own subscription model: put down a deposit and for the next three years pay what’s effectively a monthly subscription; there’s even the option of carrying on the arrangement with a new model at the end of an agreed term. The appeal is clear. Consumers benefit from lower, more manageable monthly payments while suppliers get the security of reliable, regular income (and a degree of proprietary lock-in to a particular product or service ‘ecosystem’). These routine monthly payments see you essentially renting commodities ‘as a service’. And in business, ‘as a service’ (or ‘aaS’) is about to become huge. Until now, it’s mainly been an IT issue. As with many of the consumer models mentioned above, the move to host data on the cloud has allowed a variety of subscription models to flourish. Software service provision has been decoupled from the limitations of clients’ local networks, transforming cost, risk and distribution equations for both parties. IT providers have also realised that, since they’re providing software as a service, why stop there? Hardware, maintenance and system infrastructure development can be combined into payment schedules linked to pre-agreed levels of service. And where ‘aaS’ becomes really big is when previously dumb building services equipment is hooked up to the Internet of Things. Consider the impact of literally any piece of BSE reporting via an IP network; building users pay for minimum levels of service performance rather than the product behind that service, while the provider takes on all of the risk associated with equipment failure. This newly networked building services equipment gives users more control of performance and more capacity to monitor and manage down levels of use. Critically, it allows suppliers to measure all of this activity too – and that means new ‘aaS’ business models with procurement based on output as a service, not the product deployed to produce that output. Suppliers are already feeling out the possibilities. Cisco’s ‘Light as a Service’ is a two-year innovation project in which IP-connected lighting will use ‘self-aware’ technology to save energy and offer greater performance variety. We’ll be seeing plenty of similar ‘as a service’ models in which users buy not lighting, air conditioning or furniture but light, heat, perhaps even ‘comfort’. All of this, together with the granular management of performance data, will link to current output models in FM service and affect the structure of those FM services too. Some very interesting discussions lie ahead.
T
SUBSCRIPTIONS BIFM members with FM World subscription or delivery queries should call the BIFM’s membership department on 0845 0581358 FM World is sent to all members of the British Institute of Facilities Management and is available on subscription to nonmembers. Annual subscription rates are UK £110, Europe £120 and rest of world £130. To subscribe call 020 8950 9117 or email fm@alliance-media.co.uk – alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us/subscribe/ To order the BIFM good practice guides or the FM World Buyers’ Guide to FM Services visit www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/knowledge/ resources/goodpracticeguides. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Simon Ball, business development director, Mitie ⁄ Martin Bell, independent consultant / Lucy Jeynes, Larch Consulting / Nick Cook, managing director, Avison Young ⁄ Rob Greenfield, health & safety business unit director, myfm ⁄ Ian Jones, director of facilities, ITV ⁄ Liz Kentish, managing director, Kentish and Co. ⁄ Josh Kirk, facilities manager, JLL ⁄ Anne Lennox Martin, FM consultant ⁄ Peter McLennan, joint course director, MSc Facility Environment and Management, University College London ⁄ Geoff Prudence, chair, CIBSE FM Group ⁄ Jeremy Waud, chairman, Incentive FM group⁄ Jane Wiggins, FM tutor and author Average net circulation 13,326 (Jul 14 – Jun 15) FM World magazine is produced using paper derived from sustainable sources; the ink used is vegetable based; 85 per cent of other solvents used in the production process are recycled © FM World is published on behalf of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) by Redactive Publishing Ltd (RPL), 17 Britton St, London EC1M 5TP. This magazine aims to include a broad range of opinion about FM business and professional issues and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the BIFM nor should such opinions be relied upon as statements of fact. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any print or electronic format, including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet, or in any other format in whole or in part in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher. While all due care is taken in writing and producing this magazine, neither BIFM nor RPL accept any liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. Printed by Polestar Stones ISSN 1743 8845
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“Networked building services equipment gives users more control of performance and more capacity to monitor and manage down levels of use.”
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FM NEWS
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APPRENTICESHIPS
PM: ‘Offer apprenticeships to bid for state work’ Prime Minister David Cameron says the government will take a company’s apprenticeship offer into account when awarding large government contracts. From 1 September 2015, all bids for government contracts worth more than £10 million must demonstrate “a clear commitment to apprenticeships”. In particular, employers’ bids will be reviewed in line with best practice for the number of apprentices that they expect to support. Other measures include an apprenticeship levy. Under the proposed approach employers who put in funds will have direct spending power over it. Levy systems already operate in more
than 50 countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark and South Korea, to ensure that every larger company plays its part in investing in the future generation of apprenticeships. Employers across the country are now being asked for their views on the introduction of an apprenticeship levy – set to be
introduced in 2017 and designed to increase investment in training and apprenticeships. There will also be a 5% Club – a business-led network of employers who commit to getting at least 5 per cent of their workforce on apprenticeships and training schemes within five years.
Cameron said: “The greatest asset any employer has is their workforce. And by investing in them, they are investing in the success and future of their business. “As a one nation government, we are committed to supporting three million quality apprenticeships over the next five years – to help strengthen our economy, deliver the skills that employers need and give millions more hardworking people financial security and a brighter future.” He said the government would publish new ‘industry standards’ so that apprentices have the skills that companies need. The measures are a part of the government’s pledge to support three million apprenticeships by 2020.
CO-WORKING
MARTE LUNDBY REKAA/ISTOCK
More industries adopt co-working A survey by CoreNet Global shows a growing interest in co-working spaces from organisations across a spectrum of industries. The results “provide key insight into the potential future decisions of international occupiers with regard to the real estate market”, says the corporate real estate firm. The most popular industry sector for survey respondents was financial services (21 per cent) and the two leading trends affecting office space demand in the short-to-medium term were considered to be flexible working environments (64 per cent) and technological innovations (64 per cent). These results show a correlation, reflecting an increased interest in co-working spaces in the UK and internationally over recent years. The tech sector –
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specifically the ‘fintech’ [financial technology] sector – has been particularly active in engaging with these flexible workspaces. Reasons given for using shared or co-working space were the ability to collaborate
with others (62.5 per cent) and available space when working remotely or overseas (50 per cent). Collaboration has become a key theme in corporate real estate, with flexible approaches to working and the potential for the
cross-pollination of ideas becoming increasingly common threads in new commercial developments. In the past few years there has been an increased focus on co-working spaces in the UK tech sector, targeting both large-scale firms and SMEs. An example of this is Level39, the fintech accelerator space run by Canary Wharf Group at One Canada Square, which has opened two more ‘High Growth Spaces’ since launching in 2013, providing an ecosystem with networking, events and mentorship programmes. Second Home in East London, is another growing co-working space focused on the tech sector. CoreNet’s EMEA Summit on the theme of technological innovations take place in London from the 16th-19th September. www.fm-world.co.uk
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NEWS
BRIEFS Get moving on ESOS
Best practice tools to clean up industry Three best practice tools to improve treatment of workers in the £8 billion-a-year commercial cleaning industry are to be unveiled this month. The tools have been decided on by three working groups pushing forward measures to encourage cleaning companies to fulfil their duties to workers. One of these tools is a hardcopy ‘Know your rights’ postcard featuring information that can be translated into different languages for attaching to pay slips. It will aim to raise awareness of key employment obligations and workers’ rights such as
entitlement to holiday and sick pay, which some cleaners were not fully aware of owing to certain barriers, as was revealed in August 2014’s Invisible Workforce report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The second tool for the industry will be the ‘campaign posters’ to encourage workers within companies to treat cleaners with respect. The third will be a document outlining “responsible procurement principles” which can be used when negotiating and drawing up contracts.
All resources are to be available on the EHRC’s website to be accessed by those in the industry. The groups who created these best practice tools were formed following recommendations made in Invisible Workforce. It revealed that employers in the commercial cleaning industry are failing to meet their responsibilities to their staff. One of the report’s recommendations was the creation of a task force to ensure that changes were made. The task force was then divided into three working groups.
ISTOCK
Comedian Simon Evans to host BIFM Awards 2015 The BIFM has revealed that comedian Simon Evans is to host this year’s BIFM Awards ceremony. Evans, known as ‘the thinkingman’s comedian’, has written for comedians such as Dara O Briain, Sean Lock, Jimmy Carr, Marcus Brigstocke and Lee Mack. Comedy reviewers describe him as ‘demonically dry’ (Metro) and ‘sublime’ (The Guardian). Evans appears regularly on BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth and Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive. He has written and presented seven series of the news satire The Way It Is, and has appeared as part of the Comedians’ team on University Challenge – The www.fm-world.co.uk
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Any organisation that is required to undertake the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) has less than three months to do so, warns a lead assessor for the mandatory government scheme. Sebastian Gray, company director at GEA Consulting, said too many companies were leaving it to the last minute. “It is not an overnight process. [Organisations] need to get the board of directors on board, choose a lead assessor, gather all relevant data, draw up an audit plan, set audit dates, complete report and submit by 5th December 2015.” He said in essence ESOS existed to help businesses.
Carbon department needed The government should introduce a single department to deal with carbon targets, says a paper released by research and consultancy body BSRIA. The paper, What does our industry need from government to deliver and achieve the carbon targets over the next 10 years?, considers how to achieve a longterm strategy and stability in setting carbon goals, benchmarking, taking a holistic view, and legalisation and regulation to meet carbon targets. Julia Evans, BSRIA CEO, said: “There are too many different government departments dictating policy, therefore, industry supports the creation of a single department with which it can interface”.
Little joins Emprise division
Professionals. He will host the awards evening, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on 12 October. Few tickets remain available to purchase at www.bifmawards.org. This year’s musical support is The Lionels. After positive feedback from the band’s
appearance at the 2014 ceremony, the four-piece, which specialises in ‘blistering’ live performances of well-known popular tunes, such as Superstition (Stevie Wonder), Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Rolling Stones), and Sex On Fire (Kings Of Leon), will be performing once again at the awards evening.
Support services firm Emprise has appointed Mark Little as managing director of its cleaning arm. He joins from CE facilities services, where he was chief operating officer with accountability for all UK and European business development and operations. He previously held senior positions with Jockey Club Racecourses, Compass Group and OCS. Emprise provides bespoke contract cleaning services including daily cleaning, deep cleans, window cleaning, kitchen porterage, housekeeping and pest control for a range of facilities from head offices and shopping centres to gyms, theatres, hotels and kitchens. FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 07
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PROJECT OF THE
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Cleaners to feel burden of National Living Wage One of the key issues facing the contract cleaning industry is bearing the costs of the recently announced National Living Wage, according to market research into the industry. Chancellor George Osborne announced the wage in this summer’s Budget. The introduction of the new living wage will mean that over-25s will receive an hourly wage rate of £7.20 an hour from April 2016, rising to over £9 an hour by 2020. The report by AMA Research states that while some of these costs would be absorbed, “the rise is substantial and will have a major impact on the contract cleaning industry where average pay rates are low and labour costs represent a high proportion of contract prices”. As a result, this would “inevitably drive the market upwards and is also likely to drive growth in the equipment sector as larger employers look to increase productivity levels to offset higher labour costs”. Otherwise, the contract cleaning is “a mature and highly fragmented market” and “one of the most competitive of all the contracted-out sectors”, it adds. Despite the difficult economic climate over the past five years, and continued cuts across budgets in both the private and public sectors, the market has performed “reasonably well compared to the wider FM and construction industry”.
HALTON BOROUGH COUNCIL’S RECREATION CENTRE, WIDNES ARCHITECT: IBI Taylor Young DESIGN: Steven Hunt & Associates COST: £2 million
Widnes gets a sporting chance Halton Borough Council in Widnes has opened its £2 million community sports facility. The project includes changing facilities for the existing sports fields along with social spaces for community activities and storage areas for sports equipment. The building services design includes new incoming gas and water supplies, along with low pressure hot water (LPHW), heating, drinking water, ventilation, sprinkler systems, lighting, electrical services and controls. Architects IBI Taylor Young designed the project with sustainability in mind and Steven Hunt & Associates incorporated a heat pump heating and cooling system for the foyer, social room and meeting room. In the rest of the building a LPHW heating system combines wallmounted radiators and convector fan heaters and Steven Hunt & Associates designed a pipe network that is exposed as an architectural feature in some areas. A solar panel installation will pre-heat two dualcoil 1,000 litre cylinders in the building’s plant room for the LPHW system, with a mains back-up to ensure safe water temperatures of 650°C should the solar energy be insufficient for the building’s needs. The ventilation systems are also energy-efficient. Dedicated air handling plant has been designed into the services by Steven Hunt & Associates in the changing areas with heat recovery ventilation units at high level. Heat recovery has been built into the ventilation system for the social space, staff room and meeting room. The building services design incorporates other electrical services, including good disabled access, with hearing loop systems and disabled WC alarm calls. The project also involved design of all mains and sub mains distribution, small power and lighting, fire alarms, CCTV, intruder alarms and access control. 08 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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Call for clampdown on firms hiring ‘illegals’ Conservative MP James Brokenshire has called for a clampdown on businesses that hire illegal workers in the UK. Speaking to The Times, Brokenshire, Home Office immigration minister and MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, said that ‘rogue employers’ who employ illegal migrants are “denying work to UK citizens and legal migrants and helping drive down wages”. Mr Brokenshire said: “Employers who are prepared to cheat employment rules are also likely to breach health and safety rules and pay insufficient tax. That’s why our new approach will be to use the full force of government machinery to hit them from all angles.” As part of the Conservative Party’s immigration bill, illegal workers will have wages seized in a bid to make illegal working in the country a less attractive proposition. Home Office figures say 40 illegal workers a day were arrested in 2014. The figure had fallen to 14,338 arrests from 15,098 in 2013, but had almost doubled from 7,920 in 2010. Paul Wylie, director of immigration enforcement at the Home Office, told delegates at the Facilities Show in June that arresting an illegal worker in the cleaning industry can cost the government up to £15,000, and guilty employers could be fined up to £20,000 for each individual caught.
BSI updates building standard guidance for FMs The business standards company BSI has revised the design and construction of buildings standard, which is for the guidance of facilities managers. BS 8536-1 Briefing for design and construction: Code of practice for facilities management (Buildings infrastructure) has been included in the Level 2 BIM package of documents that the government expects companies to demonstrate they are using when tendering for government contracts. The standard has now been brought into line with the principles of the Soft Landings Framework and Government Soft Landings (GSL), post occupancy evaluation and BIM requirements. Soft landings enables the smooth transition from design and construction, into operation and use of an asset/facility. It advocates close collaboration during briefing, design, construction and handover between the design and construction team and the operator, operations team or facilities manager, as appropriate, in matters affecting operations and end users. The standard will be applicable to all new-build projects and major refurbishments and is of particular benefit to architects/designer firms, structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, real estate managers and facility managers, asset managers (owners/operators). www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:30
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THINK TANK
Greater variety has made people better performers 40%
OUR READERS SAID… We asked our LinkedIn and mailing list members: Does a greater variety of workspace equal better health?
People are no healthier or productive than they were 60% Last month we trialled a sitstand desk (see page 25), so it was timely to read a report in the medical journal The Lancet detailing the detrimental impact of working longer hours at your desk. Apparently, those who do so for more than 55 hours a week have a 1·3 times higher risk of stroke than those working standard hours. But what about the work location itself? How has the diffused working environment in the typical corporate office affected the health of workers? We asked whether you are seeing a correlation between the broader advent of displaced working – flexible working, benches, hot desking, third spaces – and the health of the people you serve? In your opinion are
people in your organisation less stressed and more productive as a result? Or are you disappointed that these innovations haven’t had the positive effect they were promised? A perhaps surprising 60 per cent of you said you had adopted these new forms of working, but people were no healthier or productive. But 40 per cent of you said the greater variety of workspace and workstyle was indeed making people better, healthier performers. However, as one respondent said: “This also increases expectations and the challenge for FM is to continue to innovate”. Another said: “Working in a static environment certainly encourages people to slow down
their productivity.” One respondent said: “Having had the option of working at sitstand workstations within an agile work space for over 20 years, I find the thought of only working in a static environment fills me with dread. “The key to improving our health is not about just sitting or standing, it’s about varying our posture throughout the working day and moving to the correct work setting for the task you are about to undertake.” One respondent went further: “If we truly want people to have better overall health, let’s also look at how we behave towards
each other at work. We should remember that space is one thing, but trust within the organisation and the right culture is equally important.” And there’s a question of basic levels of energy, too. Said one respondent: “My company believe that using standing desks and stairs in the workplace tackles the sedentary behaviour so commonly spoken of in desk-based jobs. It not only improves health and wellness but increases both time and team engagement. This leads to higher productivity for business and happier, healthier employees, which I guess leads to better employee retention.”
ANTHONY-MASTERSON
UK workers still neglecting health and wellbeing Despite knowing about the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, UK workers are still not doing enough to improve their health and wellbeing. Insurance group the Health Insurance Group and consultancy the Wellbeing People carried out a study examining the four ‘proximate’ causes of preventable ill health –poor nutrition, lack of exercise, alcohol excess and smoking. Of the 16,808 people studied, one in five men admit they never eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Women appear to be more aware of the importance of a balanced diet, with a lower 15 per cent who admit that they don’t consume the www.fm-world.co.uk
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recommended portions of fruit and vegetables daily. Being active and physically fit has enormous health and wellbeing benefits but the research shows that almost one in five (19 per cent)
men and one in four (24 per cent) women are not exercising at all. Brett Hill, commercial director of The Health Insurance Group said: “The report shows just how much more needs to be done to get
the nation’s workers healthier and happier.” Ben McGannan, managing director of Wellbeing People, said: “There is a growing body of evidence that shows that the financial benefits enjoyed by organisations that implement wellbeing programmes include reduced sickness absence, improved productivity and reduced staff turnover. Health is the responsibility of every business, and employers will benefit from improving the health of the people that work for them.“ This is the fourth annual report by Wellbeing People, providing the largest snapshot of the health of the UK working-age population. FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 09
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FM NEWS REPORT
HERPREET KAUR GREWAL
STAFF WELLBEING: ARE FIRMS TAKING ALL THE NECESSARY STEPS?
L
ast month a report published in the The New York Times suggested that online retailer Amazon rejected “many of the popular management bromides that other corporations at least pay lip service to”. The article has provoked a lot of debate, with talk about how work culture must be about the wellbeing of staff - but how many workplaces actually place wellbeing at their heart? In an article in American magazine Salon, Rob Reich, former US Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, said the US was “a nation of Amazons” and a lot of “work-friendly policies” only applied to a tiny group considered ‘talent’ – highly educated and in high demand”. Frank Van Massenhove, chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Public Service Social Security in Belgium, spoke at this year’s ThinkFM conference about how he changed his work environment radically to make it more appealing for workers. He commented: “I fear Amazon’s higher purpose is not worker wellbeing.” 10 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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In the Workplace Conversation report produced by the CIPD and the BIFM, ITV’s director of facilities Ian Jones commented that “every company is different and some are happy with their workspace; it works for them. Many seem driven by fads, fashion and the whims of designers – only Google can be Google, so let’s all stop trying to be them.” A recent survey conducted by online professional community Escape the City found that 50 per cent of young professionals do not see themselves working long at their current organisation. Half of the 1,000 respondents wanted to join companies that were relatively newer, mostly involving either food and drink or technology-based service. Most wanted to leave professions dominated by banking, accounting and consultancy firms that follow more traditional top-
down models of management. But the report on Amazon suggests that not all new tech companies put the wellbeing of their workers at their heart. It paints a picture of a corporate culture that has led to a workplace many workers describe as “an intricate machine propelling them to achieve [founder] Jeff Bezos’ everexpanding ambitions”. Many workers described the punishing aspects of their workplace “with what many called its thrilling power to create”, according to the report, which was put together after the New York Times spoke to more than 100 current and former employees including members of the leadership team, human resources executives, marketers and engineers. One person interviewed said: “Nearly every person I worked with, I saw cry at their desk.”
“If you run a business and employ people, staff wellbeing should be your top priority”
Liz Kentish of Kentish and Co., and former deputy chairman of the BIFM, said: “We have to work with the culture we have, not try and create something that doesn’t exist. Amazon to us, sounds like the army – break them down then build them up. With one exception: they seem to leave some people broken. This isn’t the way to create happy employees.” Leeson Medhurst, workplace consultant at Fourfront Group, said: “If you run a business and employ people, staff wellbeing should be your top priority. If you fail to give it the attention it deserves morale, productivity, and your profitability are likely to suffer. Wellbeing is a combination of the physical, personal, social, cultural and economic effects of the workplace on its employees.” Kentish thinks a culture change is happening. “Many organisations are beginning to understand the individual and business benefits of focusing on employee wellbeing and are investing in this area. But focusing on employee wellbeing is not just about reducing absenteeism… it should also be about increasing presenteeism – ensuring that employees … are engaged and productive.” www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:50
“UK companies are failing to build a culture of wellbeing and risking lower productivity”
A snapshot of Amazon’s work culture
“A
t Amazon, workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered), and held to standards that the company boasts are “unreasonably high.” “While the Amazon campus appears similar to those of some tech giants — with its dog-friendly offices, work force that skews young and male, on-site farmers’ market and upbeat posters – the company is considered a place apart. Google and Facebook motivate employees with gyms, meals and benefits, like cash handouts for new parents, ‘designed to take care of the whole you’, as Google puts it. “Amazon, though, offers
no pretense that catering to employees is a priority.” “Compensation is considered competitive — successful midlevel managers can collect the equivalent of an extra salary from grants of a stock that has increased more than tenfold since 2008. But workers are expected to embrace ‘frugality’, from the bare-bones desks to the cellphones and travel expenses that they often pay themselves.” “Some workers who suffered from cancer, miscarriages and other personal crises said they had been evaluated unfairly or edged out rather than given time to recover.” Extracts from Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big ideas in a Bruising Workplace – The New York Times, 15 August 2015
Worker wellbeing is crucial, say FM professionals
61%
10 June 2015, FM World Sixty-one per cent of FM professionals think that improving the workplace environment and employee wellbeing will have a high impact on their organisation over the next two years, according to research by Sodexo and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Researchers surveyed 105 international FM professionals who have worked with Sodexo as customers and suppliers or are members of RICS. The survey sought to uncover attitudes of those working in the field, revealing how FM is increasingly becoming a strategic management discipline crucial in helping increase organisations’ productivity and wellbeing.
Company culture does not support wellbeing 18 July 2014, FM World UK companies are failing to build a culture of wellbeing and risking lower productivity, according to a survey of 2,000 UK office workers conducted by the British Council for Offices (BCO), Morgan Lovell and Hatch. The report investigated working conditions, attitudes and expectations, and stating the transformations needed for workplace culture and design to drive higher performance.
Worker wellbeing is the key to productivity
Staff wellbeing maintains profits, report suggests
10 April 2014, FM World
There is a direct relationship between wellbeing and healthcare costs, productivity and more, a report by Global Workplace Analytics claims. The paper, What’s Good for People? Moving from Wellness to Well-Being, explores how better workplaces, processes and practices can improve workplace wellbeing, employee engagement and organisational performance. The study starts from the premise that people are dealing with unprecedented stresses and pressures in the workplace that now need to be addressed in the context of a recovering economy, the limits of an approach that focuses on doing more with less and an increasingly scant pool of human resources and talents.
A healthy workplace leads to better business performance, according to research. Workplaces that promote a worker’s wellbeing have better performing businesses, states the research, backed by office furniture company Steelcase and led by psychologist and researcher Beatriz Arantes. She says there is a direct correlation between a worker’s wellbeing and business performance. Arantes said companies should intentionally design the “emotional experience” of the environment to favour a positive state of mind that would lead to healthier, more productive workplaces. www.fm-world.co.uk
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ANALYSIS
Minimum wage threatens FM’s tight margins GRAEME DAVIES newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk
Being a smaller player in a big pool such as the European outsourcing sector is tough. Smaller operators have to either rely on specialist skill sets to pick up contracts or try to undercut larger operators in a game they are unlikely to prosper at for long. Recent market trends suggest that smaller players may be holding their own, although in
the UK a big challenge to margins could be looming. The latest data from the Europe, Middle East and Africa region suggests that the value of outsourcing deals has surged in recent months with the value of deals in the second quarter of this year up by 23 per cent, driven primarily by a strong UK market during the period. Within this, the number of contracts themselves rose by
around a third to 169, with a value of ¤2.2 billion (£1.6 bn), suggesting that the growth has been provided by smaller contracts, which is likely to have benefited specialist providers more than the industry’s heavyweights. Information Services Group, which compiled the research, points out that in the first half of 2014 a total of 293 contracts have been awarded with a combined value of ¤4.1 billion (£3.0 bn) compared with the first half of 2008, just before the financial crisis took hold, when ¤5.7 billion (£4.2 bn) worth of business was spread across a third fewer contracts. This suggests an increase in smaller and often shorter-term contracts that are being picked up by specialist providers. But although this is a potential boon for the UK’s smaller players,
Contract wins
NEW BUSINESS Cofely has been awarded a total facilities and property management contract by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Encompassing about 80 corporate properties, the deal is initially for seven years with an option to extend it to another three. It should deliver £20 million of direct savings over the life of the contract.
Spectrum Services Solutions has won a contract for bundled services with construction and development company Skanska. It will provide a range of soft FM and security services including daily cleaning, manned guarding, internal and external pest control, outdoor maintenance, internal and external waste management.
A Carillion joint venture – PSBP Midlands – has closed on the Midlands Priority School Building Programme deal, a 25-year publicprivate partnership contract using the government’s PF2 model. The aim is to improve education facilities in eight schools by replacing substandard buildings. The schools will be built over a two-year period.
Mitie has been appointed preferred bidder for a five-year integrated FM contract with professional services company Deloitte. The contract is worth in at least £40 million. Mitie will provide FM services including cleaning, security, landscaping, pest control, waste management, health and safety management, energy consultancy and helpdesk manning across Deloitte’s UK
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estate, comprising 34 offices and more than 1.3 million square feet of offices. Panasonic has renewed its catering contract with FM service provider Servest Group. The company has worked with Panasonic at its Cardiff manufacturing plant and office facility since June 2012. The new two-year contract, started on 1 September, will see Servest provide a breakfast, lunch, vending and hospitality service from Monday to Friday at the site, which accommodates almost 450 people. Facilities maintenance and services provider MJ Ferguson has been chosen to provide M&E planned and reactive maintenance services for three academies in the Ark Schools Framework. Works involve maintaining a biomass boiler, access control, fire, security, lighting and catering equipment maintenance. Robinson Services has been awarded the security contract at Howgate Shopping Centre in the town of Falkirk in Scotland. The Howgate constitutes more than 190,000 square feet of prime retail space.
especially given the acknowledged strength of the domestic market, a potential cloud has emerged on the horizon for the whole industry that could threaten margins in the years to come. The government’s pledge to increase the minimum wage significantly over the next five years has led many to speculate on its effect on people-heavy sectors such as support services, outsourcing and FM.
Specialist skill sets Indeed, only this month Interserve warned investors that the first hike in the minimum wage, from £6.50 to £7.20 from next April, will slice between £10 million and £15 million from its profits next year with the potential for a further hit to come in the following years as the minimum wage rises further. This is a particular problem for employers such as Interserve, Serco and others who employ large numbers of predominantly low-skilled workers. Interserve reckons that around 10,000 of its UK employees will see a significant uplift in their wages. For smaller operators, who are less able to spread their costs over a wide base or cut unwanted fat from operations, the impact of the minimum wage could be significant, especially in terms of their ability to compete on price. But many smaller players compete on specialist skill sets rather than large-scale deployment of low-skilled workers so they may be less likely to be hit by minimum wage hikes than their larger competitiors. Nonetheless, for the industry as a whole, the minimum wage could pose some tricky problems in the years to come – especially as margins across the sector tend to be rather thin anyway. Graeme Davies writes for Investors Chronicle
www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:50
West Suffolk councils form a commercial FM joint venture Two councils and a local provider are forming a commercial facilities management business to develop savings and income to help support key services across West Suffolk. Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council are looking at commercial opportunities, including this joint venture company, to carry out FM at its buildings – delivering catering, cleaning, courier services and security. The two local authorities had been using several methods of service provision, but concluded that forming a joint venture with the publicly owned commercial oufit Eastern Facilities Management Solutions (EFMS) would allow them to improve services. They also believe it would
The joint venture will serve Bury St Edmunds and wider West Suffolk
allow them to make the most savings, share in the profits, and offer the flexibility to add other services at later dates as demand requires. Creation of the joint company, called Verse, has been prompted in part by one of the councils’ own FM contracts with an
BUSINESS BRIEFS
external firm coming to an end. The move is set to save the two councils at least £40,000 a year – before it begins to explore the commercial opportunities to provide a greater range of services and sell them to other businesses and organisations. Ian Surtees, EFMS’s managing director, said: “It has always been our passion to put the customer at the heart of everything we do; this partly involves striving to meet the ever-changing demands of budgetary cuts without compromising on the quality of service we provide. “It is of utmost importance to EFMS to focus its efforts on giving back to the local economy, we feel strongly that the creation of Verse will provide great career opportunities for those living and working locally.
CULTURA/ALAMY
Mears Group welcomes a £19.2m half-year profit Mears Group, a support services provider to the social housing and care sectors, made a profit of £19.2 million before tax in its interim results for the six months to 30 June 2015. Recent contract wins were worth more than £220 million. The company said it had seen a “strong period of business development in housing management” in its social housing division. Its acquisition of rival Care at Home (CAH) division of Care UK in June made Mears the second biggest such provider in the UK. David Miles, chief executive of Mears Group, said: “Our social housing business has delivered a solid performance. Our revenue growth has been constrained www.fm-world.co.uk
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Costain buys Rhead Group Costain has bought Rhead Group, a professional services consultancy for £36 million. The acquisition is expected to increase Costain’s earnings from 2016 with a view to “further broaden its service offering and enhance its ability to offer clients integrated solutions across the full lifecycle of a project”. Rhead Group was established in 1985. It has a workforce of more than 550 and provides a range of solutions for the life cycle of infrastructure, construction and asset management programmes.
Servest builds up its energy Servest has acquired the energy efficiency business Llewellyn Smith to expand its energy management provision. Llewellyn Smith provides compliance and consultancy services in commercial and domestic markets, including the big six utility companies, and energy efficiency installers within the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) initiative. The company is also a lead assessor for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).
CE secures Octavian’s UK arm
Mears says its care business has delivered a solid performance in a challenging market
temporarily by a hiatus in new bidding opportunities for maintenance work. “During this quieter period we have built upon our leadership position in traditional social housing maintenance work by
addressing the broader housing management challenge. “We believe we are starting to come out of this quiet period and we expect that the quality and quantity of opportunities will accelerate significantly as well.”
CE Facilities Services has acquired the UK division of Octavian Security. The move sees the two companies shift towards the integrated FM model. The next phase will see Octavian Security UK absorbed into the CE Facilities Services brand. Octavian’s operations in the US, Middle East, Africa and Asia remain under the Octavian brand and continue under the guidance of CEO Sukhi Ghuman. FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 13
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FM BUSINESS
IN FOCUS
The interviewee: Bruce Melizan, executive director at Interserve The issue: Developing the Sustainabilities programme with clients and staff
A new quality of conversation Two years ago, Interserve publically launched a major internal initiative to put in place a framework for assessing its overall impact as a business. Called Sustainabilities, it’s a sustainability project with a series of goals that will see the company having halved its absolute carbon emissions and introduced closed-loop value chain systems by 2020. That will also be the date at which Interserve is investing 3 per cent of its pre-tax profits in local communities and introducing wellbeing KPIs into its contracts. The second annual report detailing the ‘Sustainabilities’ initiative breaks the organisation’s goals down into 48 targets, 15 goals and five outcomes. It’s clearly no small undertaking, and the man running it, head of sustainability Tim Haywood, says that the plan has been enthusiastically adopted, its desired outcomes and targets now fully integrated into business planning. Take into account just how much has happened at Interserve in recent months – the game-changing acquisition of Initial, the move into health, significant new business with organisations from DLR to B&Q – and you see just how much needs to be considered when measuring goals such as 14 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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goal 1 (‘go above and beyond in communities where we work’), goal 2 (‘embrace and promote wellbeing’) and the broadest possible goal 15 (‘value more than just money’). And naturally, the company is keen to emphasise just how much its Sustainabilities initiative says about Interserve and its culture as an organisation. Executive director Bruce Melizan says the programme has been a game-changer for Interserve’s internal processes. “By all of us at Interserve getting behind this programme, we’ve started to understand ourselves better,” he says. “We’re sharing best practice far more effectively than we were before, telling stories and putting in place communication activities which encourage our people to listen to those stories.” It’s a process that allows account managers to better establish facets of operational performance from account managers on other contracts,
inviting them in to meet their own clients and explain how things work elsewhere. In this regard it addresses something of a cultural issue within Interserve. Says Melizan: “It’s shifting us along culturally, addressing one of the very good core characteristics of Interserve – that we don’t tend to shout about what we do from the rooftops. We’re conscious that we are a quieter brand, and we regularly challenge ourselves on that, but I think now that we’re getting better at sharing our good news.” That’s important in a sector still faced with clients seeking to price the FM service as a commodity. “Sadly in our industry we still have a situation where a significant number of clients procure on price,” says Melizan. “It’s part of the process, but we don’t think clients [who procure primarily on price] get the best of us. We get so little opportunity in those procurement processes to tell our story.” Indeed, he continues, “when
“We don’t think clients [who procure primarily on price] get the best out of us. We get so little opportunity to tell our story”
you spend time with clients, you find that many of these things matter to them, that they’re already being talked about”. Sustainabilities is still a developing programme and there’s much to do to provide data on performance that resonates with clients in both public and private sectors. Measuring societal impact is quite a difficult thing, agrees Melizan, but “there’s a big emphasis on demonstrating where we are in measuring certain aspects or talking about how we’re going about putting in a mechanism for how we ARE going to measure”. And the Sustainabilities programme is also proving to be a competitive enabler. “Not only do we already use it when talking to existing and prospective customers,” says Melizan, “we also use it when talking to potential new recruits.” Melizan is convinced that the effect of a binding programme of sustainability activities is that it encourages interest in Interserve and its activities from the next generation. “When you take it to the graduate community, you find that they’re really locked in to some of those targets – they’re important to their generation.” And while all too many client conversations still focus on price to the exclusion of all else, the breadth of the Sustainabilities programme appeals to clients looking beyond their current requirements. Says Melizan: “My personal experience of using Sustainbilities as an engagement tool with clients is that it allows us to have a completely different quality of conversation. Our clients are also thinking about their impact regarding all these things as well.” MARTIN READ martin.read@fm-world.co.uk
www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 18:21
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FM OPINION
THE DIARISTS
WHY ARE WE STILL DOING THIS? IT’S WORTH ASKING
‘
JOHN BOWEN
is an FM consultant
Years ago I had a laminated card that I used to keep in my briefcase to pin by my desk. On it were three words: Why? Why Not? Three words and two questions that really crystallised what I had learned up until then as a manager and leader. The first was about why should we do this, or why do we want to do this? The challenge was not a resistance to change either because it was extended to “why are we still doing this” on a regular basis. It was about ensuring that we had worked through the thought process and understood how what we were proposing would make things better and it made it easier for us to sell ideas to people. Asking why not was just coming at the issue from the opposite direction. It is easy
to have enthusiasm for an idea that comes from within and asking why was part of checking ourselves and not getting carried away, but when an idea came from somewhere else, or something looked too hard or costly or just didn’t fire anyone up to ask why not helped to draw out the real pros and cons. If you want to try it start with yourself and be brutally honest as you ask yourself why what you do is important; what does it do for your employer?
“START WITH YOURSELF AND BE BRUTALLY HONEST AS YOU ASK YOURSELF WHY WHAT YOU DO IS IMPORTANT; WHAT DOES IT DO FOR YOUR EMPLOYER?”
Two years ago I challenged delegates at BIFM’s Scottish conference to light a fire under the industry and make a difference in the way the boardroom sees FM. The challenge now is the same; what do you do for your organisation against what could you do? We can’t make a difference by cruising, we have to push so take a good look at yourself and your team. Ask yourself why you do what you do and how does it provide benefit. If you find that you are doing things that don’t add value ask what will happen if you stop doing them. If we just accept the status quo the change that is going on all around us will often leave us behind. Investing time in looking at what you do and why can often make life better all round.
BEST OF THE WEB Views and comments from across the web What is required in a contemplation, quiet or prayer room? (BIFM group) Antonietta Capasso: For our room of quiet contemplation we have found that was important to have a foot wash in the near proximity, shoes rack, mats and a kneeler. Louise B: Ours has just got a couple of chairs, cushions, a mat pointing East, nought else; it’s in a quieter corner of our building, probably more by luck than judgement, low key decor (bland) carpet 16 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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tiles – that’s it. Javier Bermejo Busto: The lighting of the room is important. Try to create a darker atmosphere than the rest of the building. But be careful! Not too dark. Some candlelight is amazing and helps you to meditate and focus. Mike Coles: Consult with those likely to use the facility. How to alleviate ‘too hot, too cold’ complaints? (FM group) Kenn Reff: Have you done an air barrier survey? We
have found that many times, small gaps in the building exterior are allowing warmer/cooler air through the building, leading to one side being noticeably a different temperature than another. Elevator shafts, rooftop units, etc also can lead to a stack effect of pulling outside air in. Mick Anderson: This issue is generally nothing to do with how the equipment is operating, it is about managing people! All people react to heat and cold differently. I
have in the past placed thermostats visibly around the offices not next to windows or draughts and clear signs denoting HSE guidance on temperature levels. Dave Thomas: Older buildings with radiators are probably the cause of the problems solely because they were viewed/surveyed as open space and radiators just placed under windows, as a ‘norm’. No allowance is made for the fitting out, the location of desks with people sitting at them.
Some are in the centre of the space with lots of draughts from doors opening, people moving. Biggest floor maintenance headaches? (FM group) Hannah Albers: I manage a 24-hour manufacturing facility where oil is spit out on the floor and needs to be scrubbed at least every 12 hours. The issue is that even though the floor is gritty to give more traction, it still gets slippery when oil or water accumulates. www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:49
You can follow us at twitter.com/FM_World www.tinyurl.com/fmthinktank
BEST OF THE
FMWORLD BLOGS How offices affect staff & why businesses better listen Mark Bradshaw, Fmandproperty blog Glass monoliths fill our cities, along with the pockets of investors and developers. Many structures function as 21st-century editions of the industrial factory. Those who work in them pay a high price in financial, social and health terms. Traditional offices configured of modular or linear desk arrangements are no longer compatible with the way we work. For many, ‘work’ no longer consists of a single activity. Different activities drive different ways of working, and these workstyles benefit from appropriate workspaces to support its delivery. The cost to the employer of providing such space is often a difficult argument to make in financial terms, but in a low-unemployment, high-skills shortage world the balance has shifted. Workplace experts face a challenge to convince corporate organisations of the value of a design that incorporates multiple worksetting types against what’s considered a space-efficient linear desk layout. A combination of ‘function’ and ‘form’ can deliver the most effective and accepted work environments that meet the employer’s fiscal demands and the workforce’s social requirements. Research shows that being empowered to change your environment is linked to wellbeing. Modern workplace designs are not simply based on the intuition of designers, but evidence-based design approaches to facilitate users with their needs. But as a society we are left waiting for a time when these internal designs receive the same recognition and award as external structures. To achieve this, we continue to show that businesses can be more effective because of where they work rather than in spite of it. Read this full article at www.tinyurl.com/q7azmzc
It is time to move on from the Triple Bottom Line? Martin Brown, fairsnape isite We are familiar with the Triple Bottom Line approach for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility – Environment, Society and Economic. It forms the basis of many environmental and sustainability visions. And we are familiar with its Venn diagram. Such thinking can be traced back to Patrick Geddes, the grandfather of planning, who coined the triptych Place, Folk and Work. But its current form is credited to John Elkington’s book Cannibals With Forks: Triple Bottom Line Of 21st Century Business. While we can identify Geddes’ Place as being the Environment circle and the Work aspect as the Economy circle, there is an uneasy fit with people or folk within the Society circle. Are staff part of society, and where do the governance arrangements of a business (including vital for sustainability ISO 9001-related quality and organisational arrangements/controls) fit into the three circles? The Quadruple Bottom Line introduces Governance as the fourth bottom line, or perhaps better, as Culture. Governance or Culture is defined here as including both the formal business, administrative and ‘control’ processes of an organisation, as well as the informal networks, traditions and cultural and behavioural norms that act as enablers or disablers of sustainable development. Sustainability governance could include those organisational items that are seen as enablers for sustainable development, many of which are embedded in modern sustainability building programmes such as the Living Building Challenge, JUST, or Well Building Standard (diversity, equity, fair pay, education, collaborative working, working places, biophilia, health & wellbeing, happiness, communications and social media). This fourth leaf on the Venn diagram could usher in a new generation of thinking. Read this full article at www.tinyurl.com/nsw87uh
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FIVE MINUTES WITH NAME: Peter Cheese JOB TITLE: Chief executive, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
The assumption that we will transition to a more productive, higher value, higher skilled economy by increasing the conveyor belt of graduates is proven to be flawed. Simply increasing the qualification level of individuals going into a job does not typically result in the skill required to do the job being enhanced. In many cases that skills premium, if it exists at all, is simply wasted. This situation is unsustainable given that the government estimates that 45 per cent of university graduates will not earn enough to repay their student loans. It’s crucial we as a nation take stock now of whether our higher education system is delivering desired returns for graduates, organisations and society. We need to start a national debate about how to generate more high-skilled jobs – which means organisations investing more in developing leadership and management capabilities, building more progression routes and improving work organisation and job design so people’s ideas and skills are used more effectively in the workplace. The government needs to ensure its productivity plan includes a focus on creating more high-skilled jobs – and work with employers, particularly SMEs and stakeholders like Local Enterprise Partnerships and Business Growth Hubs, to help organisations achieve this. Efforts need to be redoubled to ensure young people who are making choices after receiving their GCSE and A-level results can access good quality careers advice and guidance to make better informed decisions. Our report (‘Overqualification and skills mismatch in the graduate labour market’) highlights why young people should think carefully about opting for university when, for example, going into an apprenticeship at 16 or 18 could be a much better choice. FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 17
03/09/2015 14:32
FM FEATURE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ELISABETH JEFFRIES
ILLUSTRATIONS: PETER GREENWOOD - FOLIOART.CO.UK
THE SOCIAL Since the passing of the Public Services (Social Value) Act requiring public authorities to incorporate economic, social and environmental wellbeing into services contracts, FM providers are doing more to get involved with local communities. Elisabeth Jeffries reports
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03/09/2015 15:29
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
CONTRACT
T
he venue is Copper Box Arena, host of handball and modern pentathlon fencing during the 2012 Olympic Games. It is sports day for London hospitals in the Barts Health NHS Trust. This includes not just its own staff – it’s open to residents in the area to promote healthy lifestyles. An FM team is on hand to make sure all goes well, but it is not running the facility. It has sent in a team to compete. More than 150 Skanska employees and family members attended the event on 9 August 2015.
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FM FEATURE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ELISABETH JEFFRIES
“ “Local authorities are asking for social value – FMs now have to come with a social value element” FM involvement in client socials is not new or unusual. But the Skanska FM group’s fixture went further than that. It was an effort to participate more closely with the local community, an example of some of the relationships evolving as more FMs introduce outreach programmes to their contracts. Rachael Baldwin, sustainability manager for Skanska’s FM arm, says the company’s community engagement through clients has been increasing noticeably. “This is only the first year we’ve done this type of activity – something like the sports day. This has gradually increased 20 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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over the last five years. The difference is our partnership approach. It had usually been that, as far as community engagement is concerned, we helped with training young people on site. It was very transactional – we just had a list of requirements to follow.” Now, she says the company is developing its connections with the community around the hospitals more closely. As far as local government contracts are concerned, legislation passed during the coalition government is one major driver. “The Social Value Act is an agenda item now. Clients are
becoming more informed about it and are asking for it. It’s a combination of legislation and social demand. It’s a new aspect of contracts compared with 10 years ago, when we focused on delivery of compliance/best practice,” she explains. The Social Value Act, she says, is driving change. Passed in 2013, it may not yet have matured across the market as a motivator of corporate social responsibility. Its wording is rather generalised. It requires “people who commission or buy public services to consider securing added economic, social or environmental benefits for
their local area”. Nevertheless, leading names in the FM field are starting to use it as a competitive differentiator, among them Skanska, Amey and Interserve. “It’s becoming a measured part of our presentations internally. We have a list of questions, 3-5 per cent of which are weighted for social value. It may not sound that much, but there was nothing there at all two years ago,” says Baldwin. Amey’s strategy communications manager Ray Bains suggests that social engagement has become a much more important aspect in one of the company’s key FM accounts. Known as the tri-borough contract, it is a 10-year agreement including TFM with the three London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster. “Government and local authorities are asking for social value – FMs now have to come with a social value element,” he says. The contract includes a range of social value activities taking place under an ambitious agenda: to support the [local] authorities and build a strong local economy by supporting young people and assisting long-term unemployed into work; regenerating local communities; and supporting local community groups. Moreover, the company says one its company’s key performance targets is to reinvest 3 per cent of its profits in supporting communities and people. This includes providing employability ‘passports’ to students to help provide them with skills they can use in the workplace and helping 100 people with physical and www.fm-world.co.uk
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FM FEATURE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ELISABETH JEFFRIES
“With this type of FM we are moving more to helping people with long-term goals and towards preventative care.” intellectual difficulties back into work. It means providing work experience for schoolleavers, recruiting apprentices and refitting charity project facilities. Some of this work is done by partnering with a charity in the three boroughs. Employees also take time off to volunteer as mentors.
Plaster for austerity? Equally, the Skanska healthcare FM contract includes elements previously absent from similar contracts. “With this type of FM we are moving more to helping people with long-term goals and towards preventative care. We are also providing apprenticeships and helping actively with early career development too. Previously this was for human resources only,” says Rachael Baldwin. Other activities include building stronger links with primary schools, spending time showing children round plant rooms and planting trees. “Engineers and the other different FM trades go to trade fairs. Children don’t just see HR managers, but people who do the actual work,” she says. For Amey, Ray Bains indicates a potential expansion in the contract could mean a further strategic impact on communities, as it is possible several more boroughs could be integrated into the contract. “This means our social value impact will expand and have a greater impact across London. So, for example, we will have over 1,000 staff in London on the contract to which we can volunteer their community days to support charities or take part in CV writing workshops” he says. On a corporate level, it sounds very worthwhile and certainly beyond the ordinary traditional 22 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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scope of FM professional activity. But it is hard not to see this as a sticking plaster following the extensive government austerity programme. This has driven local authorities to cut thousands of jobs across the country as part of an outsourcing policy. As Bains says, part of his company’s task is to help the unemployed find jobs. But there are signs that the FM strategy may be broadening in both the public and private sector as the state narrows its control across the many counties cutting back on public expenditure. This gives more responsibility to the corporate and third sectors. Among the innovations that could affect FM involvement with the community on both a strategic and a day-today level is the Government Soft Landings (GSL) policy. Although initially aimed at public sector contracts, its influence could extend to the private sector. The greater focus on buildings and estate users to improve asset performance could mean more FM involvement with people beyond the client’s employees or tenants. BIM will progressively be used as a data management tool in the process. But FMs take different views of its influence. “BIM is data-led rather than estate user-led. A building retrofitted using BIM produces a lot of data used to monitor buildings services; it would just be about what you find in the data,” says Ray Bains. But Howard Jeffrey, BIM specialist at Skanska, takes a wider view. The post-occupancy evaluation (POE) in particular could, he says, affect the FM
role. Once problems had been identified, it could extend the FM interaction with estate and building visitors and be used to inform better future design. “There’s a perception that FM is about fixing things. But GSL is saying that there should be an explanation to the users of the building of what they should be doing… that’s one of the roles of FM, to get close to the people using the buildings.” As an example of potential changes to the FM role, he points to conflicts that can occur between some building functions. One concern is the need to create a secure building without being invasive or making people feel unwelcome. Most buildings or estates need a thoughtfully designed and welcoming access point, especially if they are used by the local community. But conflicts in this area could require greater engagement with people beyond the immediate confines of the client. Schools are a case in point. “An issue arising in school entrances has been having two doors creating an ‘airlock’ area that really has to be supervised most of the time. Staff can swipe in and go through, but do they or can they always challenge people following through?” he says. Children and visitor access has to be managed, as does out-of-hours access to community rooms. Typically, this falls on admin or teaching staff who may not have envisaged this as a routine commitment. “This is not an FM function per se,” says Jeffrey, but it could mean an extension to the job description.
“There will be a lot of complaints which the POE will identify. A spread of different people could be responsible for responding depending on the setup. Historically, people had services in-house and are now privatising them, and FM can be quite a good way of offloading in-house services. There are different combinations and permutations,” he says.
FM’s public role Certainly, it makes sense for FMs to gear up to a more public role as the procurement climate changes. Companies tend to have separate community relations teams dealing with new build. But efforts to develop more holistic design practices are likely to broaden the FM task beyond the initial construction, extension or major retrofit phase. The start of a trend is visible, but it is too early to draw conclusions. As far as community wellbeing is concerned, some campaigners express doubts about these governmental initiatives. Among them is Pooran Desai, co-founder of Bioregional, a non-governmental organisation working on sustainability in the built environment. He believes new local council responsibility for public health since the Health and Social Care Act 2012 “is a massive opportunity to improve people’s health”. But he considers public procurement programmes a poor answer in a dysfunctional property market. “It’s a fragmented industry with systemic problems about how buildings are organised. Adding more procurement policies and laws adds more complexity and doesn’t solve the problem. You need a different philosophical approach to community building.” FM www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 15:29
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FMW.100915.024.indd 024
27/08/2015 10:19
FM FEATURE
SIT-STAND DESKS
Chris Moriarty, development director, Leesman “Having spent an hour with Gavin Bradley of Active Working (the man behind the Get Britain Standing Campaign), there are some astounding benefits from getting up and moving around for knowledge workers in particular. He told me to do my morning emails stood up. Blood flows quicker and therefore your brain is sharper. I flew through the emails.” Will Bowen, facilities manager, ActionAid “The ActionAid FM team first started to look at standing work and meeting rooms spaces in 2014. This included installation of drop in benches in the office area. More recently we converted our old FM office into a standup creativity and innovation room for staff to use. “Research we carried out showed our staff were keen to collaborate in areas other than traditional meeting rooms or break-out areas, and also to be able to think on their feet in shorter focused meetings solving problems around any project. Additionally we researched work and campaigns such as Get Britain Standing that also encourage and highlight the health benefits to workers who often spend a lot of their day at a desk. The feedback we have received from staff has been positive and the space is used frequently.” www.fm-world.co.uk
25-26 Sit-stand.indd 25
JAMIE HARRIS
STANDING THE TEST OF TIME Sit-stand desks seem to have come from nowhere, but are now associated with a campaign to “Get Britain Standing” and a growing narrative seeking to rid the UK workforce of sedentary working. Added benefits, claim those in favour, include increased productivity and improved employee wellbeing. But what are they like in practice? Standing desks are not a new phenomenon, and can in fact be traced as far back as the 1800s: In ‘Writing without a master: a practical treatise on the art of writing, by A Teacher of the New System of Writing; 1858’, the author suggests “the first thing that is necessary to impress upon the learner’s mind is the position to be occupied while writing; and, although a standing position is most healthful, it must be understood that the posture of the body, hands, and arm while writing, ought to be precisely the same at both standing and sitting desks. As nearly half the business writing is done at standing desks, it is much better for the learner to practise at a standing desk…” A little more recently, research
published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: The Sedentary office: a growing case for change towards better heath and productivity, by John P Buckley et al, suggests that office workers should be on their feet for a minimum of two hours each day during working hours. This daily quota is advised to break up prolonged periods of sitting with standing-based work and regular walking in the office. “For those working in offices, 65-75 per cent of their working hours is spent sitting, of which more than 50 per cent of this is accumulated in prolonged periods of sustained sitting,” say the authors. But then there’s the research published by the Mayo Clinic
in 2014: In Sedentary Behavior, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Physical Activity, and Cardiometabolic Risk in Men:, The Cooper Centre Longitudinal Study, by Kerem Shuval et al, the association between prolonged sedentary time and poor health was found to be “markedly less pronounced when taking fitness into account”. This research suggested that its participants, who spent a lot of time working in a sedentary position but also exercised regularly, did not exhibit the negative effects connected to sitting for prolonged portions of the day. So, some conflicting accounts. But what is it like to have the option of sitting and standing at your desk? FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 25
03/09/2015 18:21
FM FEATURE
SIT-STAND DESKS
JAMIE HARRIS
A GROWING APPETITE FOR SIT-STAND?
T
he market for sit-stand desks appears to be growing and there are several manufacturers of manually and electronically adjustable sit-stand desks. Kinnarps UK’s range of standing, and sit-stand desks starts from £400 - and that figure is important says Marc Bird, the company’s head of marketing. The company’s own research found 98% respondents agreeing that they could see the attraction of introducing sit-stand working. And Kinnarps itself sees a “huge disparity” between the popularity of sit-stand working in the UK and Scandinavia. So, enthusiasm to adopt - but in the same Kinnarps research just 10 interviewees (out of 132 questioned) reported sit-stand desks as being available within their organisation and a further 28% reporting that their use was limited to employees with health or mobility problems. There seems to be an aversion to the cost, but with the £400 price per desk and the annual runing costs (for raising and lowering the worktop) at 40p a year, Bird believes “employers need to consider the short-term purchase costs against the long-term potential costs of having a sedentary workforce.” It certainly feels as if there is plenty of debate still to be had, particularly about whether the health benefits can outweigh the capital expenditure.
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
F
M World decided to test the theory that standing in the office is good for your work as well as your health. Office furniture manufacturer Kinnarps let the FM World editorial team borrow a sit-stand desk with electronically adjustable height. Here’s how the team, and others in our office, got on.
Martin Read Editor
Herpreet Grewal News editor
Jamie Harris Assistant editor
Laura Edgar Reporter
“I couldn’t escape the feeling that people would be looking at me - because you are certainly more exposed when standing at one of these things. When you sit, you’re only visible above waist height. At a sit-stand, you’re suddenly aware of being entirely visible to all of those close to you. “I also felt a need to position the worktop at a height at which I could rest my elbows. Somehow, by having more contact with the desk I felt more connected to the work at hand; without that connection it was as if I was just walking past somewhere my work was, rather than being connected with it. I certainly understood the whole thing about circulation and feeling more energetic, but felt a bit odd when standing there for a long period of time.”
“My first attempt at trying a sit-stand desk involved me sitting down like it was a normal desk. My colleagues were a bit flummoxed by this, but the post-lunch slump dictated I sit. I felt it was important to try the desk as a complete experience, as much sitting as standing. A while later I took a break and stood up. It wasn’t as momentous an event as I had envisioned, but I was impressed by how far the desk could rise to be comfortable for those of varying heights. I did feel more productive, but I’m not sure if it was down to the desk, or being in a quieter part of the office that was responsible for that. The thrill of using the desk was a little anti-climactic, but it was useful to have the option of standing if sitting got tiring.”
“I’d jump on the standing desk if I got restless at my regular seated desk. I felt a sudden wave of energy working at the desk – whether that was more blood pumping or the self-fulfilling prophecy that I am more productive because I feel I should be more productive, I’m not sure. Either way, I felt I got a lot more done in the same amount of time. “Being able to stretch my legs was useful, but I’d switch it to seated level for 20 minutes to rest, before standing again. “The rest of the office was intrigued by the desk – those working on it were the centre of attention, which may or may not be a distraction. To get a true idea of its effectiveness, one would need to trial it every day for at least two weeks, if not a month.”
“I stood at the sit-stand desk between 3pm and 4pm, breaking up the afternoon. Rather than slipping into a post-lunch slump, I felt more awake standing up for an hour, and able to stretch my legs. I got more work done in that hour than I would have done sat down, while my productivity levels continued once I sat down at my own desk. “But I don’t think I’d be able to stand all day and neither do I think having sit-stand desks throughout the office is a good idea. I think there should be an option; an area with sit-stand desks for people to book out and use as and when they want to, with employers encouraging staff to use them. An hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon would be best for me.”
26 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
25-26 Sit-stand.indd 26
www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 18:22
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07/07/2015 13:17 FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 27
27/08/2015 10:21
FM FEATURE
ACTIVITY-BASED OFFICES
IRIS DE BEEN, MARION BEIJER, DORIEKE DEN HOLLANDER
ACTIVITY-BASED PROS AND CONS
28 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
28-31_Activity-based.indd 28
www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 16:39
ACTIVITY-BASED OFFICES
‘Activity-based’ offices offer more flexibility in workstyle choice, but they also require managers capable of imposing strong user discipline if they’re to be truly effective — as research at the Center for People and Buildings, Delft University of Technology, has found
N
ew developments in office environments are typically based on the expectation that the effectiveness of the environment will increase and productivity levels will grow. Another aim, one often mentioned by Dutch employers, is the desire to be an attractive proposition for future employees. Organisations fret that without a popular and competitive work environment they might lose the ‘war on talent’ (Rieck & Kelter, 2005). What’s more, research shows that offices do indeed influence job satisfaction and www.fm-world.co.uk
28-31_Activity-based.indd 29
productivity (Carlopio, 1996; Veitch et al, 2003). Many European organisations have already adopted flexible and dynamic office ideas – the Netherlands having seen many so-called ‘activity-based’ office concepts, (also referred to as flexible or combi-offices). A core principle of activitybased offices is that users can choose the type of workspace that best fits their activity. Thus, activity-based offices typically offer a great variety of open, half-open and enclosed workplace types – alongside spaces set aside for both informal
and formal meetings. In this regard the activitybased office is similar to the open-plan office – both offer openness and transparency. But in contrast to open-plan, the activity-based office is distinguished by its offering of both open and enclosed workspaces and the elimination of assigned desks – all employees share all the available places. Managers of activity-based offices often deploy a clean-desk policy to ensure that enough workplaces are available at all times. Employees are expected to clear their desks if they plan FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 29
03/09/2015 16:39
FM FEATURE
ACTIVITY-BASED OFFICES
IRIS DE BEEN, MARION BEIJER, DORIEKE DEN HOLLANDER
“The example set by managers plays a key role. Clear rules regarding the use of the work environment can help people to bring up behavioural issues among colleagues” to leave them for more than a couple of hours. The goal of this research was to find out what users found good and bad about activity-based offices, identifying interventions that FMs can make to address problems in existing or future activity-based offices.
The positives The most frequently mentioned positives were architecture and interior design, with most people liking how these elements contributed to a warm and pleasant atmosphere. The work environment was also perceived as cleaner and tidier compared with more traditional work environments. People also appreciated the large amount of light, use of transparent materials and generally open layout of the building. People also experienced more communication and knowledge exchange in general. Serendipitious meetings with colleagues and greater interaction between different departments were also cited. The openness of the work environment was specifically mentioned as a key positive, and people found it easier to see each other and meet new staff. This, said some employees, leads to a more dynamic vibe. Furniture was another factor regularly described as an 30 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
28-31_Activity-based.indd 30
advantage. The design of the furniture was particularly valued and employees also appreciated acoustic materials being applied in the work environment to keep down the noise.
The negatives Several significant negative issues came out in the group interviews with employees. From these it was clear that the most important downside of the activity-based office environment was the lack of possibilities to concentrate. In some cases respondents specifically complained about the acoustics. Some felt that the more open work areas were uncomfortably crowded; others cited being distracted by the noise and other people moving about. Another perceived negative was the lack of privacy. Many participants did not like having a confidential conversation or phone call in the open space, often fearing that they would bother others. The lack of visual privacy was also an issue for some employees. This applies especially to the smaller meeting spaces in which confidential conversations should take place. Indoor climate emerged as a major shortcoming – most complained about temperature or uncomfortable airflow. In some cases concerns about a poor indoor climate in the enclosed
spaces were also raised. This was linked to a lack of personal control over the indoor climate because people had to share the space. The provided mix of workspaces was brought up as a positive aspect, but more frequently a negative one. A main reason for the large number of complaints is that some of the workplace types are simply too popular. People who arrive at the office late in the morning often do not get the opportunity to select the workspace most suited to their activities. The less popular spaces are barely used, so people feel like this is a waste of valuable space. In more than half of the research cases, support facilities emerged as a drawback (15 cases, 32 interviews), and complicated and inflexible IT systems reduced flexibility for employees. Having to move personal belongings and files from one place to another was also seen as a time-consuming hassle. Respondents also said that not everyone switches workplaces
during the day or even during the week, regardless of the ‘flexible’ intent of the activity-based idea. This problem was also reflected in remarks about undesirable ‘claiming behaviour’ by managers. Addressing annoying behaviour among co-workers was seen as difficult, and people also complained about having to actively search for a workplace – for these people it was just not practical for some functions to work flexibly. A lack of social interaction with co-workers was cited as a significant concern; many said they could not have a personal conversation with colleagues because of the openness. People also complained about less knowledge sharing and less social bonding with colleagues. Storage and archiving facilities also came up as a drawback. The shift to a digital archive was not always without problems and in some organisations difficulties continued after moving into the activity-based office. But despite these issues, the longer people spend in an www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 16:17
ACTIVITY-BASED OFFICES
Methodology In this research the ●
results of 20 post-occupancy evaluations were analysed. ● Case studies consisted of online post-occupancy evaluation with one or several group interviews.
“In contrast to open-plan, activity-based offices offer both open and enclosed workspaces and do not have assigned desks” activity-based office, the more they are likely to enjoy them.
Conclusions The generally fresh, light and colourful environments generated by activity-based offices are typically relished by workers. But the general increase in knowledge sharing and social interaction – evidence that accords with other literature in this field – can perhaps be seen as double-edged. People also report experiencing a decrease in communication with their direct colleagues, as well as difficulties with discussing private issues in open space. The social bond with colleagues also seems to suffer. One explanation for this is that the openness of the work environment makes it more difficult to share thoughts, feelings and values (Oldham and Brass, 1979). So solving these problems could hinge on mutual agreements on worker availability and ‘findability’ in the office, as well as the introduction of teambuilding activities. As expected, there were low www.fm-world.co.uk
28-31_Activity-based.indd 31
satisfaction scores when it came to work requiring concentration and privacy. Distractions come mostly in the form of phone calls and conversations in open spaces. Dedicated enclosed spaces for phone calls help solve this common problem, and the same is true for ad hoc meetings, which should be held in dedicated meeting areas or enclosed rooms close by. Confidential meetings should be held in small meeting rooms and enclosed rooms with acoustic and visual privacy. Behaviour also plays an important role; after providing appropriate spaces, employees must be policed to use these specific spaces in the right way (for example, no telephone calls in open spaces). And although workers certainly appreciate the different types of workplaces an activitybased office offers, the right space is not always available to those who want it when they want it. Because some workplaces tend to be more popular than others, they are claimed regularly (or because
people do not clean their desks). These issues call for more detailed initial analysis before fit-out of workplace types to ensure provision of a variety of workplaces according to the work done by employees. All these benefits and drawbacks are influenced by the behaviour of building users. When people use activity-based work environments correctly, they tend to benefit from all of its various elements. The example set by managers plays a key role. Clear rules regarding the use of the work environment can help people to bring up behavioural issues among colleagues. And although these interviews mainly confirmed much existing knowledge, the results took us a step further in explaining the positive and negative matters cropping up in activity-based offices. FM About the authors Iris de Been, Marion Beijer and Dorieke den Hollander are researchers at the Center for People and Buildings, Delft University of Technology. This research was first presented at the EFMC 2015 Conference in Glasgow.
● POEs were carried out with the Work Environment Diagnosis Instrument (WODI), developed by the Centre for People and Buildings, to gain insight into the perceived positive and negative aspects. ● Evaluations took place in 20 activity-based workplaces from four semi-public bodies in the Netherlands. ● Measurements were taken to collect generic data about the experience of the office environment as well as to provide organisations with points of departure to optimise their office concept. ● Worker population in these cases varied from 31 to 806 employees and averaged 256. ● From 5,128 building users in the 20 cases invited to take part, 2,377 responded. ● For insight into aspects of questionnaire results, qualitative data was gathered in semi-structured group interviews. ● In all, 57 group interviews were conducted with 271 workers to explain results of the corresponding postoccupancy evaluation with the WODI questionnaire.
FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 31
03/09/2015 16:17
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FMW.100915.032.indd 032
27/08/2015 10:26
FM MONITOR
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
INSIGHT ECONOMY
The figures on this page have been compiled from several sources and are intended as a guide to trends. FM World declines any responsibility for the use of this information.
HOW NOISE AT WORK AFFECTS EMPLOYEES
VAT rates: Standard rate – 20% Reduced rate – 5% Source: HM Treasury (hmrc.gov.uk)
Bank of England base rate: 0.5% as of 9 July 2015.
QUIET ROOMS FOR WORKING ALONE OR IN PAIRS ARE SEEN AS IMPORTANT BY OVER THREE-QUARTERS OF RESPONDENTS IN THE LEESMAN INDEX
(76.5%)
NOISE LEVEL SATISFACTION SITS WORRYINGLY LOW AT 29.7% DESPITE IT BEING SEEN AS IMPORTANT BY 76.5% OF RESPONDENTS. IT IS A CONCERN BECAUSE EMPLOYEES THAT REPORT A LOW SATISFACTION WITH NOISE ARE STATISTICALLY MORE LIKELY TO DISAGREE THAT THEIR WORKPLACE ENABLES THEM TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
Source: Bank of England (bankofengland.co.uk)
Consumer Price Index (CPI): The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) grew by 0.1 per cent in the year to July 2015, up from 0.0 per cent in the year to June 2015. A smaller fall in clothing prices on the month compared with a year ago was the main contributor to the rise in inflation. Falling prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages partially offset the rise.
BUT IT IS THE SECOND LOWEST-RANKING FEATURE IN TERMS OF SATISFACTION, WITH ONLY
25.9%
THE ABILITY TO FIND QUIET AREAS TO WORK IS AN INCREASING CHALLENGE AS ORGANISATIONS FAVOUR OPEN-PLAN OFFICES.
SOURCE: LEESMAN INDEX (WWW.LEESMANINDEX.COM)
Source: (www.ons.gov.uk)
EMPLOYMENT
National Minimum Wage The following rates will come into effect on 1 October 2015: Category of worker
Hourly rate from 1 Oct 2015
Aged 21 and above
£6.70 (up from £6.50)
Aged 18 to 20 inclusive
£5.30 (up from £5.13)
Aged under 18 (but above compulsory school age)
£3.87 (up from £3.79)
Apprentice rate, for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship
£3.30 (up from £2.73)
SHUT TERSTOCK
UK Living Wage: The following rates are set by the Living Wage Foundation: Category of worker
Hourly rate from Nov 2014
UK Living Wage
£7.85 per hour
London Living Wage
£9.15 per hour
www.fm-world.co.uk
33_Insight.indd 33
HAVING A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTS, INCLUDING QUIET AREAS, IS IMPORTANT TO COMBAT DISSATISFACTION WITH NOISE. EMPLOYEES WITH A HIGH SATISFACTION WITH THE CHOICE OF WORKING ENVIRONMENTS REPORT AVERAGE SATISFACTION WITH NOISE LEVELS OF 45%.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT RENTAL
CONTRACT CLEANING MARKET
Players range from national equipment rental firms to independents. Some rely on construction – others have diversified into manufacturing, recycling and events. The market saw growth of 9 per cent over this year compared with last year, but remains below its 2007 peak. There is a heavy dependence on hire demand from construction, but call for each type of equipment varies, reflecting the performance of the sectors requiring the equipment. The overall market was flat, seeing only modest growth during 2010-13, but its value grew significantly in 2014 owing to a rise in housing and non-domestic building as well as in manufacturing and other non-construction sectors. Hire rates recovered post-recession, but the crane sector only saw big demand in 2014, prompted by infrastructure such as Crossrail, road and utilities works. Earthmoving equipment is the largest kit sector – 20 per cent of the market. The fragmented market reflects the high number of specialists with different rivals in different hire product sectors. And it continues to consolidate; the top four firms account for 30 per cent of business. SOURCE: AMA RESEARCH
Contract cleaning is a highly fragmented market, and one of the most competitive of all contractedout sectors. Despite the recession and budget cuts, both private and public, it has performed well compared with wider FM. Modest growth is forecast until 2019 but an issue facing the industry is the Living Wage. Over25s will receive rate of £7.20 an hour from April 2016, rising to £9+ an hour by 2020. Some of these costs will be absorbed, but the rise will hit an industry where average pay rates are low and labour costs represent a high proportion of contract prices. This will drive the market upwards and could drive growth in the equipment sector as larger firms look to increase productivity to offset higher labour costs. ‘One-stop shop’ solutions and bundled services are becoming attractive options for larger clients. The recession also pushed firms to improve operational efficiencies and control costs. Demand for bundled services deals will continue to be a strong force. It is already a key factor behind several acquisitions of single-service providers by FM firms, particularly in sectors such as energy management. SOURCE: AMA RESEARCH
FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 33
03/09/2015 14:34
FM MONITOR
STEVEN BOOTH
LEGAL UPDATE
Steven Booth is associate director at Guardian Water Treatment
AR E YOU R WATER T R EAT M EN T CH EM I CA L S O N T H E LIST?
ny biocides used to prevent and treat A waterborne pathogens must be registered under the Biocidal Products Regulations. Steven Booth explains what this means for FMs ‘Article 95’ is the name of the list now home to biocidal ingredients that can be legally used to prevent and treat Legionella, Pseudomonas and other bacteria found in cooling and process water systems. In total, Article 95 covers 23 different products types, such as disinfectants, preservatives, pest control and antifouling substances. The list has been introduced as part of the Biocidal Product Regulations (BPR), Europeanwide legislation designed to ensure that biocides are assessed for their safety near people, animals and the environment before they are made available on the market. Facilities managers who deal with water treatment in-house must ensure that their supply chain is compliant; if you employ a third party, it’s important that you check your service provider uses approved products.
Keeping safe with the BPR Biocides approved under the BPR are subject to a risk assessment to decide if they can be used without any undue risk. The label on an approved/ authorised product contains specific health and safety advice, which if followed, should not cause adverse effects for the user, or those who come into contact with the treated water. If you are unsure if the biocide 34 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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products being used are safe, you can search for them on the HSE’s website [www. tinyurl.com/ qd4d9d3]. If you are concerned that a biocide that is not on the list is being used, you can contact the HSE or local authority environmental health officer to report it.
Legionella prevention Apart from choosing the right biocides from reputable suppliers, FMs must more generally take steps to make sure their buildings are safe from potentially deadly diseases. Risk to human health aside, wherever poor water hygiene causes an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease, for example, fines and there will also be damaged reputations. As water is used as part of HVAC systems, for sanitation and drinking in every building, water hygiene should be a priority for all FMs. Any internal staff tasked with monitoring and treating water must be fully versed with ACoP L8. Legionella awareness training is advised to ensure they are up to speed with the risks and how
to minimise them. In the event of a pathogen outbreak, this person or team will have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, so the role should be considered an important one. External suppliers should have a current Legionella Control Association Certificate, in addition to other industry standard certificates and accreditations. Legionella risk assessments are a requirement of the ACoP L8 for every building to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the COSHH Regulations and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Act. They need to be reviewed regularly with a continuing scheme of control to ensure that water hygiene is maintained. You cannot just build a water system with the right Legionella prevention measures in place and then leave it – continuous monitoring and water sample testing are strongly recommended. Temperature control, preventing stagnant water, regular pipe and water tank cleaning will all go some way to keeping water hygienic.
Taking the nonchemical route It is also important to note that chemical dosing is not the only answer when it comes to water treatment. Photocatalytic water purifiers greatly reduce bacterial levels
“Non-chemical alternatives to Legionella water treatment should be considered to more generally reduce our reliance on toxic substances”
in the water without the use of biocides, inspired by nature’s own way of purifying water. A specific frequency of light and photocatalytic surfaces are used to create free radicals that break down harmful micro-organisms and other pollutants in water. Highly reactive, these radicals instantaneously break down harmful microorganisms and other pollutants. The radicals are short-lived and exist for only a few milliseconds, which means they have no possibility of affecting water quality or causing harm to the environment. And whether approved under the BPR or not, chemicals are chemicals, and the less we use of them, the better it is for the health of people, animals and the environment. While not a solution for every system, non-chemical alternatives to Legionella water treatment should be considered to more generally reduce our reliance on toxic substances. Whether used on their own, or in conjunction with traditional chemical dosing, they present a more sustainable and costeffective approach to keeping water clean and pathogen-free. As with many health and safety issues, water hygiene can sometimes get ignored, with responsible parties reacting to problems rather than preventing them in the first place. Making sure that your biocide supply chain complies with the BPR provides facilities and property managers with a good opportunity to check that the right precautions and measures are in place when it comes to assessing and managing Legionella risk – a risk that could prove fatal if left unchecked. FM www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:34
FM MONITOR
DAVE USHER
HOW TO...
Dave Usher is managing director of InterAction ergonomics consultancy
WOR KER W ELL BEI N G I N A WO R L D O F ‘BR I NG YOU R OW N DEV I CE’ R EM OT E WO R K I N G
hat do employers need to do to ensure that employees are free to work in a more fluid way, while still meeting their wellbeing obligations? Dave Usher offers useful advice
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Workplace regulations covering employee wellbeing are necessary, and it is right that employers should ensure the health and wellbeing of those they employ. But changing working practices are adding complications to what was previously a relatively straightforward regime. Increasingly, the modern workplace bears little relationship to what it was even a decade ago. Wi-Fi networking and mobile devices have ushered in an era of fluid office space and remote working. On top of this, the growing prevalence of BYOD sees people using their own laptops, tablets and smartphones. This means there is now an element of the unknown to contend with. How exactly do you apply the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 to a device you don’t, as an employer, own? And when your employees work from home, or on the move, how can you control or influence things like their posture? As the Health & Safety Executive recognises, “unsuitable seating can cause people to adopt awkward postures which can lead to discomfort, back pain and upper limb disorders. This may prove costly to employers in the form of staff absences, potential civil claims and lost production”. So how can you be sure that you are satisfying your legal obligations in this new flexible www.fm-world.co.uk
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world, and what can you do to encourage employees who work remotely to act in their own, and the company’s, best interests? Since 30 June 2014, all employees who have worked for their employer continuously for 26 weeks have had the right to ask their employer if they can work flexibly. Meanwhile, research has shown that the ‘bring your own device’ phenomenon can boost employee happiness and productivity, so it makes sense to embrace it. While there is a clear discrepancy with regard to the employer’s legal obligations, best practice and the reality of the modern working environment, there are strategies that employers can adopt to address health, safety and wellbeing. Developing a corporate culture of awareness and education can be crucial in helping remote workers to take care of themselves.
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Duty of care
As an employer, you have a duty of care for all employees whether they are in the office or not. This represents the biggest
unrecognised cultural shift in the modern workplace, and too many employers fail to understand that their responsibility travels with their employees. Make sure this is understood across the organisation – by both management and staff – to encourage shared responsibility.
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Remote environment
It is easy to control the office environment, but you cannot control the remote working environment, so staff should be educated about issues such as the importance of posture, in the same way you would educate them in how to lift a box correctly as part of your health and safety training. For example, staff should be made aware that the type of chair used has an important effect on posture at the desk. A chair with armrests will keep the body straight and relieve the spine of some of the weight. Staff should be shown how to adjust the seat height so that their thighs are almost horizontal with their feet flat on the floor, with the angle of the backrest adjusted so that their torso is vertical.
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RSI prevention
Repetitive strain injury can arise from over-use of the computer mouse or laptop trackpad. It is a real and serious condition of the
“Research has shown that the ‘bring your own device’ phenomenon can boost employee happiness and productivity, so it makes sense to embrace it’’
wrist, which makes keyboard work painful. Women are more likely to suffer from it than men. Special computer mice and external laptop keyboards are available to reduce twisting of the wrist and it is worth investing in these for staff.
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Screen use
The Display Screen Regulations are increasingly out of step with remote working BYOD culture, having been originally developed for office-provided equipment and environments. Until legislation is updated, the best approach is one of training staff in correct use and developing a risk assessment regime based on the likely use and behaviour of people according to their responsibilities and roles.
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Assess risks
Risk assessments should check that the proposed work arrangements are suitable and include issues such as lighting, space, desk, chair and computer. Employees working remotely should understand that access could be required at the home to conduct an initial health and safety assessment and initial setup of the home working environment. Responsibilities include rectifying problems in the remote environment highlighted by the risk assessment, and adequate maintenance of their own equipment. Don’t let network security be your only concern regarding employee-owned devices. Ensure employees understand their responsibilities if they are introducing their own devices and working from home. FM FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 35
03/09/2015 14:51
FM MONITOR JAMES CORNWELL
STANDARDS
James Cornwell is the environmental and quality director at Fourfront Group
‘W ELL’ BU ILDIN G STA N DA R D
ames Cornwell explains the thinking J behind the new WELL Building Standard and the benefits it could bring to the built environment In February a new standard was introduced to the UK – the WELL Building Standard, hailed as the world’s first building standard to focus exclusively on human health and wellness. You might wonder if we need another green building certification system when existing Green Building certification standards, BREEAM (the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) already focus on the delivery of sustainable buildings. These meet sustainability standards in building design, construction, fit-out and operation, but they do so from the perspective of the building rather than the occupants, and are focused more on preserving the environment and cutting costs than enhancing the health of the people inside. The WELL Building Standard focuses on putting the wellbeing of the occupants of a building first – by linking best practices in design and construction with evidence-based health and wellness interventions. But there is some synergy between it and existing standards. The WELL Building Standard, devised by US-based property developer Delos, is managed and administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and is third36 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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party-certified through IWBI’s collaboration with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) – the certification body for the LEED Green Building Rating System. It has the seal of approval from the British Council of Offices (BCO), which in May published a paper, Putting People First: Designing For Health And Wellbeing In The Built Environment. This argued the need for this new standard focused entirely on the health and wellness of building occupants and calling for a better understanding of related medical science research and a deeper collaboration between owners, architects, engineers, contractors and FM to identify design criteria that go beyond comfort.
What does it do? The WELL Building Standard sets performance requirements in seven categories relevant to health in the built environment, each of which comprises a series of features that add up to a total of 102 features that must be applied to each building project.
Air: Although other standards do address air quality from the perspective of heating and ventilation, the Well Building Standard goes further in determining if the quality of air – whether via air conditioning or natural ventilation meets ‘medically validated performance based thresholds for healthy indoor air quality’. Water: This standard approaches water from the perspective of the consumer, putting the emphasis on implementing design, technology, and treatment strategies to achieve optimal water quality for all internal water uses. Nourishment: Sets of protocols to reduce the availability of unhealthy foods in the environment and encourage healthy eating among building inhabitants. Light: Lack of exposure to natural light can have an adverse effect on quality of sleep, level of alertness, emotional state and overall health and wellbeing. The Well Building Standard aims to ensure that room illumination minimises disruption to the body’s circadian rhythm while providing appropriate illumination for all tasks. Fitness: The objective is to
“This standard offers something new by focusing on the psychological and physiological health of people who, after all, are the most important aspect of any organisation”
provide building occupants with opportunities for physical activity, so a Well Certified building must meet a performance threshold, which includes access to a gym, fitness protocols and technologies. Comfort: The Comfort Concept takes a holistic approach to address the different factors at work – ergonomics, acoustics, electromagnetic fields, hygiene, temperature control and air flow, to enable occupants to experience comfort, both physically and mentally. Mind: This implements design, technology, and treatment strategies to provide a built environment in which the occupant’s mental and emotional wellbeing is enriched. It even introduces the idea of biophilia – that there is an instinctive bond between humans and nature. These features are intended to address specific health, comfort or knowledge aspects, meaning that a WELL-Certified space can help to create a built environment that improves the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns, and performance of its occupants. Fourfront Group is working with several clients to implement the standard. The level of interest in it is growing, particularly among tech and media organisations. As so many environmental assessment methods are becoming general best practice, we have found that it offers something new by focusing on the psychological and physiological health of people who, after all, are the most important aspect of any organisation. FM www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:51
FM MONITOR DAVID DAVIS
HOW TO...
David Davis is preconstruction director at G&H Group
M &E: F IVE CON S I DER AT I O N S FO R FM S
ommunication is everything when carrying out a mechanical and engineering project. David Davis outlines the FMs role for making things run smoothly
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Deadlines and budgets are two of, if not the most important elements on every mechanical and electrical (M&E) project. But these fundamental aspects are often ignored, causing huge consequences for the length of time projects take – and the cost. Communication is a vital issue that is often overlooked or not given enough respect. The evidence is witnessed regularly by two of four parties involved –building services and maintenance. This partnership working is vital to deliver highperforming, efficient buildings. And the true cost of a building isn’t the initial construction fee, but how much it costs to run and maintain efficiently thereafter. The main considerations are design, implementation, impact on maintenance and finish. Here are five key considerations for FMs:
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Creating the right dialogue
It is not just communication that is needed – it’s the right type of communication that has to be prioritised. It is the biggest friend for building services, FMs, builders and crucially, end users, yet is seldom used efficiently, with the designers complying with the specification buy and ignoring the end users’ specific requirements. Clear talks need to be held with the end user as well as the builder at the outset. By www.fm-world.co.uk
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using this as the starting point, a host of benefits, especially those relating to maintenance, become available and more coordinated projects are delivered. More thought needs to be given to whom the building is for, and how it is going to be used, so the best M&E systems can be fitted at the first time of asking. In new-build circumstances, the building is designed and equipped at category A only for the end user to realise it’s not fit for purpose, leading to elements having to be stripped out to facilitate a category B to better suit the occupants’ requirements. If you were to overlay category A with category B designs the differences would be stark. This can be avoided if building services companies speak to the right people early enough in the process to understand what the building is to be used for. A massive difference in plant spatial requirement (and savings) can be made by designing systems to meet specific client needs.
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End-user input and use
The more detail that can be given before the building is designed and built, the better.
It seems obvious, but the building is for the end-user client, not the main contractor. Crucial basics to know are when the building is going to be used, the number of people who will be in it, what it will be used for, and what’s important. If the building is going to be used by hundreds of people a day, but only in groups of 30 at any one time, then large powerful, permanent systems are not always needed; better to have flexibility so heating and ventilation can easily be reduced when it’s not in use. If it’s an education facility where exams are carried out, services need to be able to turned down to create as silent an environment as possible.
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FM central to designs
A crucial aspect of all pre-build design is significant input from FM teams. BIM plays a really valuable part in demonstrating how the M&E will look, enabling FMs to consider and highlight improvements. Our maintenance division takes a leading role in the design process of our work, analysing ideas and highlighting areas that need changing before we get on site to allow for planned and reactive maintenance to take place quickly. This, for example, prevents things like pipework or electrical containment being installed in front of AHU access doors. Designing schemes that offer
“It seems obvious, but the building is for the end-user client, not the main contractor”
ease of access to services and appliances is paramount. FMs can identify efficiency savings, which products are best suited and formulate a maintenance strategy that will provide longevity. It means the building can perform better while returning financial savings to the end user and achieving a far higher level of client satisfaction.
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Ensuring compliance
The role of FMs in delivering compliance is a vital part of the process. By their very nature, M&E and all building services installed including gas, electricity and water supplies have to be tested and must meet legislation. Active FM involvement from design to installation means compliance is guaranteed and no surprises arise causing delays or work having to be carried out again. FMs that work well with building services are invaluable for the builder and the end user, which is why the two divisions liaise so closely on projects.
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Commission and final handover
As with all projects, commissioning and final handover should be a smooth process but this is only made possible in M&E schemes by FMs being involved throughout the entire process. This reiterates the previous four points made; the more involvement from FMs from the outset coupled with close working relationships with building services during the design and installation work means the final handover should be a formality. FM FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 37
03/09/2015 14:51
BIFM NEWS
BIFM.ORG.UK
2015 VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARDS
Winners BIFM’s Volunteer Recognition Awards gives BIFM the opportunity to reflect on the incredible impact our committees have on the BIFM, the industry and FM professionals. They also provide an opportunity to recognise and praise volunteers who give so much of their own time to support, develop and promote the FM profession. Our 2015 winners are: ● BIFM Regional Volunteer of the Year (two winners)
Beth Goodyear (South West Region) Beth is the first to offer a helping hand at events and always has a warm welcome for delegates. She works hard to promote FM as a career of choice and has recently started to present at secondary schools. Beth has volunteered for nearly a decade, promoting the region, BIFM and FM profession. Mark Whittaker (North Region) Mark has responsibility for organising and hosting a large number of events, and building relationships with Special Interest Groups to provide great content and collaboration. He has a passion for encouraging fresh talent into the industry and raises profile of both FM and BIFM. ● BIFM Special Interest Group
Volunteer of the Year Winner: Tanya Brick (Women in FM) Tanya regularly has ideas for events and her social media work helps to highlight the work of the committee. She is a committee member who is keen to ensure that new attendees at events are not on their own; collaborates with other groups and is a great ambassador for facilities managment. 38 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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Winners (l-r) Bob Seddon, chair of Workplace SIG, Michael Kenny, chair of BIFM Scotland Region, Victoria O’Farrell, former chair of WIFM SIG, Lucy Jeynes, current chair of WIFM SIG and Julie Kortens, BIFM chairman
Highly Commended: Victoria O’Farrell (Women in FM) ● BIFM Regional Committee of the Year Winner: Scotland Region Scotland delivers a wide range of events with emphasis on the BIFM competences, with high attendance and positive feedback. The committee is proud of “Advancing Our Profession” by representing members – its monthly meetings are well attended, helping with planning and development. ● BIFM Special Interest Group
Committee of the Year Winner: Women in FM WIFM prides itself on demonstrating BIFM values and competences through a wide range of events. As an active group, the committee contributes to sharing knowledge through events. It is committed to supporting and collaborating with groups and engaging members through events. Highly Commended: Workplace Interest Group ● BIFM Volunteer of the
Year: Tanya Brick (Women in FM)
Thanks to everyone who took part in the 2015 Awards, and a huge thank you to all volunteers who make BIFM the institute it is. i If you are interested in volunteering for BIFM please email membership@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0) 1279 712 650.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Important updates The BIFM’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 12 August in London. The close of the meeting signalled the start of three new board members’ terms. Lucy Black, Victoria O’Farrell and Stephen Welch all began their two-year board tenures and replace Ashley Rogers, Samantha Raishbrook and Emma Bailey respectively, whose terms have come to an end – alongside Graham Briscoe. The BIFM board now comprises: ● Julie Kortens – chairman ● Ian Townsend – deputy
chairman ● Lucy Black – chair of members’ council ● Ashleigh Brown - members’ council representative ● John Coke – BIFM finance director and company secretary ● Robert Kidson – chair, audit committee ● Victoria O’Farrell – Special Interest Group representative ● Stephen Roots – regional representative ● James Sutton – BIFM CEO ● Keith Waterman – chair, governance committee ● Stephen Welch – members’ council representative Speaking on the board, Julie Kortens, BIFM chairman, said: “I would like to thank Ashley, Samantha, Emma and Graham for their service to the board and, of course, welcome Lucy, Victoria and Stephen. They bring new skills, backgrounds and opportunities which help us keep the board agile and open. I look forward to working with them.” Members’ council also saw changes at the AGM. Graham Briscoe joins as individual representative – replacing Beth Goodyear, and Gemma Lynch of Carillion PLC joins as the new corporate representative, replacing Mike Rollinson. Lucy Black also takes the helm at members’ council from outgoing chair Ashley Rogers: ● Lucy Black – chair of members’ council ● Simon Aspinall – people management ● Martin Atkinson – South ● Simon Biggs – catering and hospitality ● Stuart Bonner – Midlands ● Graham Briscoe – individual
KEEP IN TOUCH » Network with the BIFM @ www.networkwithbifm.org.uk » Twitter @BIFM_UK » LinkedIn » Facebook » YouTube » Flickr www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:52
Please send your news items to communications@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 620
representative ● Bill Clarke – individual representative ● Dave Cooke – risk and business continuity management ● Jason Cousins – London ● Stephen Fowell – Fellows ● Nick Fox – South West ● Sue Gott – North ● Rob Greenfield – health and safety ● Simon Grinter – sustainability ● Jason Gurd – Rising FMs ● Lucy Jeynes – Women in FM ● Michael Kenny – Scotland ● Gemma Lynch – corporate representative ● Mandy O’Shea – Home Counties ● Roy Parrish – East ● Sajna Rahman – corporate representative ● Bob Seddon – workplace ● Leslie Stratford – procurement ● Jayne Townsend – education ● Neil Williams – Wales ● TBC – international ● TBC – Ireland ● TBC – retail QUALIFICATIONS IN FM
Assessors/ moderators required BIFM’s growth and continuing expansion of its qualification programme has resulted in the Professional Standards and Education department needing to extend its team of committed assessors/moderators. The BIFM qualifications provide career pathways throughout an FM’s employment: from entry level 2 right through to strategic level 7. All the qualifications are accredited on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and are internationally recognised. Qualifications are unit-based, with mandatory and optional units at each level, allowing maximum www.fm-world.co.uk
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GUEST COMMENT
Steve Gladwin is chairman of the judges for the BIFM Awards and director of Nodus Solutions Limited
THE BEST PEOPLE; THE BEST IMPACT AND THE BEST INNOVATION
hat will you be doing on Monday 12 October? Perhaps you’ll be in the company of more than 1,300 fellow FM professionals at the Grosvenor House in London. If you are, you’ll be there to see the winners of the 2015 BIFM Awards being crowned at the annual Awards ceremony. If you are a seasoned BIFM Awards guest you’ll know that the ceremony is the highlight of the FM social calendar. If you’ve never been – perhaps 2015 is the year for you to attend? The blacktie event gets under way with drinks receptions, followed by dinner. We then move into the ceremony with celebrity host comedian Simon Evans. Here we will see the winners announced across our 12 categories. Then, after the formalities and congratulations, we move into the entertainment with live band, dancing and charity casino. All in all, the ceremony encompasses networking, celebration and fun. We must remember, though, that the BIFM Awards are so much more than the ceremony. Last month we revealed our finalists (www.bifmawards. org/2015-finalists). These 54 finalists will form the class of 2015, and in the months following the awards we’ll get the opportunity to learn more about their case studies. This learning is an integral facet of the BIFM Awards. It is important that we all get the opportunity to understand how the winners used their people, impact and innovation to deliver award-winning, first-class FM. The BIFM Awards attract a high calibre of entries. For evidence look no further than BIFM success in the ‘Global FM Awards of Excellence in FM’. This year JLL was awarded the top Platinum accolade, as was Deborah Rowland from the Ministry of Justice in 2014. In 2012 two BIFM entrants were awarded the top prize – KPMG and also Serco Healthcare Enabling Services, in partnership with Forth Health and NHS Forth Valley. In 2011 BBC Workplace took Platinum with Gold going to Mitie FM. This makes me think about what further successes our 2015 finalists will go on to achieve – I will be taking a keen interest in their stories. In closing I would like to thank all of you who have played a part in the BIFM Awards. Whether you are an entrant, judge, sponsor or guest, your involvement makes the awards possible and gives us all a great platform to showcase what great FM can achieve. I look forward to seeing you on 12 October and raising a glass to our FM people, impact and innovation.
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“IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE WINNERS USED THEIR PEOPLE, IMPACT AND INNOVATION TO DELIVER AWARD-WINNING, FIRST-CLASS FM”
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BIFM NEWS
BIFM.ORG.UK
flexibility for both learners and employers. Assessment is practical and related to experience in the workplace through the use of assignments relating to case studies or live business projects and activities. BIFM is looking for individuals who are: ● Qualified in FM or a related discipline (for example MSc or MBA in FM); ● Experienced in FM at a senior level; or ● Experienced professionals in the academic world related to FM higher education.
If you would like to contribute to the FM profession by sharing your considerable experience and expertise please submit your expression of interest, including a copy of your CV, to fraser.talbot@ bifm.org.uk. i Learn more about BIFM qualifications at www.bifm.org.uk/ qualifcations, email qualifications@ bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0) 1279 712 651.
BIFM SCOTLAND
All about FM! BIFM Scotland Region is hosting its annual ‘All about FM!’ conference and exhibition at BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, on 29 October 2015. Sessions confirmed to date include: ● Keynote address by Debra Ward, managing director, Condeco ● H&S – how can you combine the roles of safety & operations? Brian Muir, safety & operations manager, Hampden Park ● The challenges of FM in the public sector and the need for change – David Melvin, MD, Cordia ● Service versus margin – Anne Lennox-Martin, owner, Anne Lennox-Martin Ltd 40 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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● Get Britain Standing – Gavin Brady, founding director, Active Working ● Taking FM back in-house – Neil Edmonds and Chris Leahy, operations directors, British Telecoms Facilities Services ● Brain & safety – Professor Guillaume Thierry, Bangor University
BIFM members can attend for £55+VAT, and non-members pay £65+VAT. For details and to book go to www.bifm.org.uk/allaboutfm Exhibitor packages are available for £525+VAT, and sponsor opportunities at £300+VAT, contact Michael Kenny mkenny@fesfm. co.uk for further details. Thanks to headline sponsors, PRG Recruitment. BIFM AWARDS
2015 finalists revealed Finalists in the 2015 BIFM Awards have been revealed – there are finalists across 11 categories, which are grouped into the three themes of People, Impact and Innovation. Congratulations to our finalists and thanks to all who entered. See www.bifmawards.org/2015finalists for further information on the people, teams, projects and organisations that are in contention for an award in 2015. Winners will be announced on 12 October at the Awards ceremony, which takes place once again at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. More than 1,350 guests are expected to attend following on from last year’s event, which was a sell-out. Tickets and tables for the blacktie event are available from www.bifmawards.org/theceremony.
BIFM TRAINING A GUIDING HAND WITH MANAGEMENT
anagement is one of those subjects for which people often need guidance, either because of the complexity of the matter or because of budget implications and performance parameters. BIFM Training has created a set of courses to give you a complete outlook on what needs to be done and assessed when dealing with contracts by combining at a reduced cost, three contract courses which, if taken as a whole, will give help you deal with specifications, management and negotiation with greater confidence and knowledge. (If you prefer to take each course individually you can attend each one in your own time.) Contract Specification, Management and Negotiation for FMs Suite: three days This gives delegates a systematic and professional approach to contract management from devising specifications, tendering, negotiations and appointment and management of contractors to meeting objectives, targets and performance levels set out in a contract or SLA and promised benefits delivered and improved quality of service sustained during the contract. All contracts involve negotiations between customer and service provider – this explains how to maximise opportunities, minimise risk and manage negotiations. It includes: ● Purchases, projects and services: different contract needs and objectives; ● Developing effective specifications: process & structure; ● Invitation to Tender (ITT) & and defining outputs and standards; ● How to identify key performance indicators (KPIs); ● The importance of contract conditions; ● Pre-qualification, pre-tender interviews and negotiation; ● Managing the tender process; ● Evaluating bids for value for money; ● Contract award, handover and implementation; ● Understanding the legal framework of contracts; ● Dispute avoidance and resolution; ● Contract management roles and responsibilities: managing relationships; ● Maintaining quality and adding value; ● Managing contract change, cost variation & cash flow; ● Setting realistic targets in negotiations; ● Preparing and managing opening positions; ● Effective closing The next course is on the 15th-17th September 2015. See: www.bifm-training.com/cqf_contract_management_ suiteFS.htm
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i Call us on 020 7404 4440, email at info@bifm-training. co.uk, or visit www.bifm-training.com
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FM DIARY INDUSTRY EVENTS 30 September | Corporate members event: BIM and Soft Landings Venue: Admiralty House, 28 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AS. Contact: For details, email corporate@bifm.org.uk or call 01279 712 675. 7-9 October | IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo Annual conference and expo for those who support facilities from FM, IT, PM and HR to engineering, security, real estate and sustainability/energy specialists. Venue: Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, US Contact: See more at: www.worldworkplace.ifma.org 12 October | BIFM Awards The BIFM’s annual awards ceremony, bringing together the leaders in the sector with the winners to celebrate excellence in FM and giving national recognition to the leaders in the profession. A few sponsorship opportunities, tickets and tables are still available. Venue: Grosvenor House, London Contact: Visit www.bifmawards.org or email awards@bifm.org.uk Follow @BIFMAwards on Twitter.
Send details of your event to editorial@fm–world.co.uk or call 020 7880 6229
Associates. The week includes tours of interesting workplaces, a convention on 12 November, and fringe events in aid of BBC Children in Need. Contact: For more information, visit www.workplaceweek.com CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION 18 September | Jersey – managing contractors In partnership with the Jersey Occupations Safety & Health Association (JOSHA). Information on managing contracts to minimise the risk they bring to any organisation. Robert Greenfield to speak. £5 for BIFM or JOSHA members; £7.50 for non-members. Venue: Pomme d’Or Hotel, Liberation Square, St Helier, Jersey Contact: Email Patrick.guyomard@ lawatworkci.com for more details. NORTH REGION 19 November | Outsourcing vs In-house More information to follow. Venue: Ministry of Justice, Manchester Contact: Email mark.a.whittaker@ integral.co.uk to register interest. SCOTLAND REGION
15 October | Workplace Trends: Designing for inclusion Creating a welcoming, productive workplace for everyone, that goes beyond legislative compliance. Speakers include Charlotte Sweeney, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and Richard Baldwin, Derwent London. From 9.30am. Venue: 155 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3YD Contact: For more information, visit www.workplacetrends.co.uk 20 October | The FM Inspired Conference More than 200 industry-leading delegates will be able to learn new ideas, share knowledge and meet solutions providers. Attendees can select workshops they wish to participate in and the areas of expertise they want to source. Venue: Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London Contact: For details email info@ inspiredconferences.com or call 020 8012 8180
18 September | Security and serious organised crime Police Scotland to present on Serious Organised Crime, and Community Safety Glasgow to present on Security. Venue: Hilton Strathclyde Hotel, Phoenix Crescent, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire ML4 3JQ Contact: Email Isabel.Brown@ glasgowlife.org.uk for more details. 29 October | All about FM! Annual conference and exhibition. From 8.45am. Keynote address from Debra Ward, MD, Condeco Software. Sessions include the challenges of FM in the public sector, combining the roles of safety and operations, Get Britain Standing and more. £55+VAT for BIFM members, £65+VAT for nonmembers. Venue: BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Contact: Email Michael Kenny at mkenny@fesfm.co.uk for details. SOUTH REGION
9-14 November | Workplace Week A week-long convention, organised by Advanced Workplace www.fm-world.co.uk 45 | 8 MAY 2014 | FM WORLD
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30 September | Sustainability Greg Davies, Assurity Consulting
to discuss the potential opportunities and threats of sustainability in FM. Venue: EDF Energy, 329 Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 5SU Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com for more information or visit www.tinyurl. com/oyuaczz to book tickets. 28 October | Help for Heroes A site visit to the Help for Heroes recovery centre in Tidworth. Venue: Tedworth House Tidworth, Hampshire SP9 7AJ Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com for details. 25 November | Managing FM in Science and Business Parks The South Region looks at managing FM in a business park. Venue: Fasset Business Park, Havant, Hampshire Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com for details. SOUTH WEST REGION 18 September | Quarterly training day – legislation and compliance Speakers include NHS Properties, Browne Jacobson, Ryder Marsh Sharman on topics such as health and safety culture, contractor management and compliance. Venue: Hilton Bristol Hotel, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JF Contact: Email Nick Fox at nicholasjamesfox@outlook. com or visit www.tinyurl.com/ bifmswqtd15 to book tickets. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS 15 September | International – service management 3.0 Peter Ankerstjerne, ISS, Denmark will present how the key differentiator for service providers lies in the service management model and the ability to execute it. Ankerstjerne believes that the traditional models and themes are no longer sufficient, future focus should be on the service delivery system and the power of the human touch. Venue: EC Harris, 34 York Way, London N1 9AB Contact: Email ClaireSellick@ btinternet.com for more information. 23 September | Risk and business continuity – Business resilience forum Hosted by RiskCentric and DSM
Continuity in partnership with BIFM. From 8.30am. Presentations on business resilience in the supply chain, case studies on business continuity incidence and managing resilience in a multiclient business. Venue: The Old Hangar, Elton Road, Sibson, Peterborough PE8 6NE Contact: Visit www.tinyurl.com/ q44maxf to book tickets. 30 September | Women in FM – Are we feeding our mind as well as our bodies? More information to follow. Venue: Good Housekeeping Institute 21-25 St Anne’s Court London W1F 0BJ Contact: Vicky O’Farrell at wifm@ bifm.org.uk for more information. 6 October | Procurement – Why is it good practice to use NEC for FM contracts? Speakers from BIFM and NEC to highlight case studies of NEC3 Terms Service Contract (TSC), a panel discussion and more. The event is to be live streamed to enable remote participation. Venue: Institute of Civil Engineers One Great George Street Westminster London SW1P 3AA Contact: Email Wendy Sutherland at wendy@ramsaytodd.co.uk for more details, or visit www.tinyurl. com/q4fjfzg to book tickets. 22 October | International – Apples and pears: the differing shape of FM in international markets More information to follow. Venue: Workplace International in central London. Contact: ClaireSellick@btinternet. com for more information. 4 November | International – A BNP Paribas case study Venue: BNP Paribas, London Contact: ClaireSellick@btinternet. com for more information. 17 November | People management – DNA of a facilities manager An event providing the chance to meet the new Facilities Manager of the Year and previous winners. Venue: Sodexo, 1 Southampton Row, London WC1B 5HA Contact: Email alimoran@hrworks. org.uk for more information. For more information on CPD, site visits and networking events, visit www.bifm.org.uk/events FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 41 www.fm-world.co.uk
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FM MONITOR
PRODUCTS PUT TO USE
Call Greg Lee on 020 7880 7633 or email greg.lee@redactive.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack
CASE
IN POINT FEATURE CASE STUDY
Beware of bundling services – they can be a false economy PROBLEM Pest control is often a peripheral service, but if you get it wrong the consequences can be very serious. This was the case at a shopping centre where the FM had ‘bundled’ pest control with the cleaning and landscaping contracts in an effort to save costs and management time. Unfortunately, a serious rat problem developed around the shopping centre. It was caused by litter such as fast-food remains being discarded by shoppers. This rubbish should have been removed by either the landscapers or the cleaners. Because the contracts for the three services were bundled the pest control company was in an awkward position of not wanting to blame others who were part of the same contract so the pest
problem took longer to solve than usual.
SOLUTION Some services can be successfully bundled, but pest control should always be kept separate – even if this costs slightly more. Pest control providers should be carefully researched – cheapest is not always best. OUTCOME When the rat problem started to affect the reputation of the shopping centre the FM realised that he needed to change the pest control arrangements. The shopping centre now has a separate pest control contract that includes regular preventative visits so problems can be nipped in the bud quickly or prevented in the first place.
Call 0800 056 5477 for more information E: enquiries@cleankill.co.uk Visit www.cleankill.co.uk
Disposables UK scores with the Owls
BREEAM ‘Excellent’ research Cyclehoop performs at National Theatre centre chooses Remeha
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club’s previous supplier for disposable paper toilet tissue and hand towels cost the club £20,000 a year. As a result of poor dispensing, the cleaners had to frequently attend to the unreliable dispensers and constantly replenish them.
The MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research briefed installment of reliable, low-carbon heating technology in compliance with Part L of Building Regulations at its new £10.4 million international research centre, the Sir Michael Stoker Building.
The National Theatre has three auditoriums and 1,000 people working on its fiveacre site, so it is vital that cycle parking is sufficient. The complex was keen to increase cycle storage capacity as the lockable cage in its car park was regularly full.
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
SOLUTION
Disposables UK were selected to try to cut costs and waste. It chose Bay West Revolution and Bay West Optiserv systems for the club’s washrooms after a referral from Scunthorpe United. Bay West was the first brand to provide a range of environmentally preferred washroom products.
M&E Consultant Arup specified a Remeha Gilles HPKI-K 240kW Pellet Biomass boiler in conjunction with a Remeha Gas 610 Eco Pro high-efficiency condensing boiler to complement architect Sheppard Robson’s design.
A mixture of semi-vertical and high-density cycle racks was installed – completely transforming the area to make a simple, clean, space-saving bike parking area. Cyclehoop stripped the old racks and installed the new ones in a day-and-a-half.
OUTCOME
OUTCOME
OUTCOME
The Remeha biomass system has assisted the building in achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. Scott Winton, M&E contractor at Crown House Technologies, was impressed with the “quality of the boilers and Remeha’s technical support”.
Feedback about the new racks was positive. “The bike cage looks fantastic, they are spacious and clean, excellent work”, said the theatre. Cyclehoop provided more than 100 new spaces for staff to be able to conveniently park their bikes.
After testing the products in a washroom in the stadium’s west stand, the club saw cost savings of £10,000 a year. The range is now installed in all toilets, corporate areas and the training ground. Visit www.disposablesukgroup.co.uk for more information
42 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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Visit www.remeha.co.uk T: 0118 978 3434 – E: boilers@remeha.co.uk
Contact: Cyclehoop, 02086991338 www.cyclehoop.com Quote FMW query
www.fm-world.co.uk
03/09/2015 14:54
FM PEOPLE
MOVERS & SHAKERS
BEHIND
DATA
THE JOB NAME: Lisa Hart JOB TITLE: Facilities management operations manager ORGANISATION: Eversheds LLP
LISA HART TOPIC TRENDS
responsibilities to an unsuspecting colleague, what would it be?
OUR INTERVIEWEE RATES THE IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT FM TOPICS OUT OF 10. THE ‘AVERAGE’ SCORE (IN GREEN) IS TAKEN FROM OTHER RECENT INTERVIEWEES.
Nothing really, I enjoy it all! If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
I find the biggest challenge at the moment is finding the right companies to work and partner with – I believe sales teams and operational teams should work more closely together on their pitches to ensure that when the contract starts they can deliver what they sold us at tender.
Working on energy efficiency initiatives
8
10
AVERAGE (SINCE JAN 2014)
LISA HART
Key responsibilities
I manage operational FM across the UK, support our global offices, and develop strategic contract management and FM service. I head 85 regional FMs, assistant FMs, front and back-of-house teams.
Any interesting tales to tell?
What attracted you to the job?
I’d like to be travelling the world, but if I had to work my ideal job would be a psychiatric nurse.
Certainly none that I can repeat! If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be…
I joined Eversheds in 2006, originally in a regional FM role. When this position came up three Which “FM myth” would you most like to put years ago I was attracted to a position which an end to? would let me be part of directing the bigger, I’d get rid of the perception that strategic picture for FM, driving FM is just cleaning and security. operational excellence across our WHAT SINGLE PIECE organisation. OF ADVICE WOULD YOU How do you think facilities GIVE TO A YOUNG FM My top perk at work is… management has changed in STARTING OUT? It’s a great place to work – I work the last five years? “To remember that customer Since I started there has been a with a group of great people, and service really is key, particularly greater awareness of the role of we have plenty of suppliers who keeping your clients up to FM. Companies are increasingly we can work in partnership with. date. I’d also say to maintain recognising the need to have and treat your premises with How did you get into facilities FM professionals looking after management and what their buildings; many companies the same respect as you would attracted you to the industry? are recognising the advantages your home” I had been working in finance – not just financial – of having and credit control for a telecoms elements of FM, particularly company when I became aware of the work of their client-facing areas, in-house, and getting the best FM team. When an internal vacancy came up I went mix of in and out-sourced services. for it! Now I can’t imagine doing anything else. And how will it change in the next five years? What’s been your career high point to date?
Some that stick out have been my chances to work across FM and the promotions that has brought me, and I always relish identifying efficiencies in our operational delivery that can be achieved without affecting the services provided to the business. What has been your biggest career challenge to date?
The move into our current premises in Leeds; 750 people, from three different offices into one, all over one weekend! If you could give away one of your www.fm-world.co.uk
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I think the awareness and professionalism of the industry as a whole can only grow, particularly as more companies will seek to balance a mix of services in-house and from outsourced providers.
Buying in or speccing up FM services
7
8
Organising training for myself or the FM team
8 8
Adapting to flexible working
6 10
Maintaining service levels while cutting costs
8 10
Do your friends understand what facilities management is?
No. Certainly not the sheer volume and variety of the job and the different areas of responsibility, including the law we have to comply with. Have you got a story to tell? We are looking for facilities managers to feature in Behind the Job. Contact the team at editorial@fm-world.co.uk for more information
Adapting FM to changing corporate circumstances
8 10
FM WORLD | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | 43
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Appointments
Call the sales team on 020 7880 7665 or email jobs@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack
JOBS Maintenance & Service National Support Manager
Assistant Estates Manager
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire £55,000 pa + benefits
Manchester £25,000 pa
Facilities Manager London £29,000 to £48,000 pro rata pa + generous bens
Facilities Controller
Estate Manager London £30,664 - £36,858 pa + bens
Facilities Manager Bracknell Competitive salary + bens
Hampshire £33,200 to £40,000 pa + additional bens To check out all the latest FM jobs go to:
www.fm-world.co.uk/jobs FMW Laundry List Banner.indd 1 44 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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03/09/2015 12:18
London opportunities Head of Facilities Management | Local Authority Contract London • £55,000+
FM Business Development Manager London • £40,000 + Excellent commission structure
Our client is a hard services biased service provider who has recently mobilised a local authority site in South West London. Reporting to the Contracts Manager, you will manage the delivery of both hard and soft services through a team of direct and indirect line reports. The role also has a commercial element to it, where you will look at new areas of the contract to develop new revenue streams from. To be successful in this role, you will ideally have come from a local authority background in a Facilities Management capacity. It is preferred that you hold NEBOSH and are MBIFM. Ref: DaB1263199
Representing an award-winning serviced office provider, Cobalt Recruitment is seeking an ambitious and commercially-minded individual. Helping to drive the business forward initially on a 12 month FTC basis, you will build lasting relationships with new and existing clients, develop opportunities for tendering new contracts and oversee every aspect of the sales process. Deriving from a Facilities Management background and with experience of tendering security and cleaning contracts previously, you will be rewarded with a strong commission structure and a role that will grow around your work, affording plenty of opportunities for career progression. Ref: CS1263590
Offices globally www.cobaltrecruitment.com Please apply for either of the above roles by emailing apply@cobaltrecruitment.com or call 020 7478 2500 to speak with David Bremner or Chris Sycamore quoting the relevant reference number.
The power of people
JOBS PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE
on the move See latest job listings Create job alerts by email Save and email jobs from mobile Apply for jobs by saving your CV to your profile Keep track of your activity
Go to www.fm-world.co.uk/jobs jobs.fm-world.co.uk
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REQUESTS
SURVEYS / POLLS / EVENTS / RESEARCH
CALLS TO
Unless otherwise stated, all surveys mentioned on this page will keep your contact details confidential at all times and not use them for commercial purposes
ACTION HERE’S WHERE WE BRING TOGETHER ALL THE LATEST REQUESTS FOR YOUR INPUT – AND THE REASONS WHY IT’S WORTH YOUR WHILE TO GET INVOLVED ( = DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES)
FM WORLD’S NEW SNAPSHOT GUIDE TO FM SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS
What The BIFM Awards 2015 Commitment The finalists have been announced and there is still time to book your table for the awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Monday 12 October. Why The BIFM Awards evening, now in its 15th year, is expected to be another sell-out. At the time of going to press, only a handful of premium tables remained available. Notes Individual tickets cost £250+VAT, £2,400+VAT for a table of 10, £2,760+VAT for a table of 12, and £3,400+VAT for a premium table of 10. www.bifmawards.org The awards evening is held on Monday 12 October at the Grosvenor House Hotel
FM SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS 2015 SECTOR GUIDE
What FM World is launching a snapshot guide to FM software, capturing the current state of the market, developing trends and profiling case studies of good FM systems in practice. Commitment FM World would like anyone in the FM software sector to share their experiences of software products and services whether it’s CAFM software, meeting room booking systems, or space planning and management software. Why The guide will be a distillation of current debate and best practice in the use of software systems, talking to and naming key influential people and providing highlights from useful reports and resources. It aims to serve as a desktop reference, looking back at the past 12 months and ahead to the next. Your comments on your experiences of software systems will be of huge value to this project.
Email editorial@fm-world.co.uk to register your interest Please get in touch by 30 September
BIFM’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER SURVEY What BIFM Newsletter survey Commitment A short, three-minute online questionnaire for BIFM members on the BIFM weekly newsletter. Why As part of BIFM’s continuing commitment to improve its member communications, it is currently reviewing the existing format of its newsletter. The survey is designed to capture feedback on type of content, frequency and format of the newsletter. Notes The BIFM newsletter is currently sent out to members who have opted in to receive it each Wednesday. Visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/BIFMNEWS to complete the questionnaire The survey closes on 15 September IN THE NEXT ISSUE OUT 24 SEPTEMBER
WELLCOME TRUST GENOME CAMPUS AND SANGER INSTITUTE /// FM IN NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS /// LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL'S SERVICE OUTSOURCING SOLUTION /// BSI 8536-1:2015 CODE OF PRACTICE FOR FMS /// BEST PRACTICE: FM TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS /// ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS 46 | 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | FM WORLD
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03/09/2015 18:22
Focus on...
...our
projects Fixed wire testing - Queen Elizabeth Hospital A clean bill of health for Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Birmingham Contract delivered for Cofely Testing in 17 individual areas from car parks through to critical care departments The comprehensive electrical testing of around 15,000 electrical circuits in compliance with BS7631 The deployment of testing teams ranging from one to nine engineers
Testing in
17 areas
15,000 electrical
circuits
PTSGGroup
Putting patient care at the top of the collaborative agenda at the world’s largest single-floor critical care unit, PTSG and Cofely have established a unique, collaborative culture for the delivery of routine fixed wire testing throughout the state-of-the-art site. From the outset, one clear objective has been at the forefront; the mitigation of any disruption which could have a potential impact upon patient care. This has created a collaborative culture of adaptability, flexibility and innovative ways of working.
Teams of 1-9
engineers
430
man days
@PTSGPLC
www.ptsg.co.uk • 01977 668 771 • info@ptsg.co.uk With eleven locations across the UK, PTSG offers full nationwide coverage. FMW.100915.047.indd 2
27/08/2015 11:00
Think fresh
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Ways that could save as much as 35% of your MRO budget. Savings that help your business to be more efficient and more successful, not only now, but into the future. The key is actionable data insights, created by examining your consumption behaviour in a different, better way. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already worked with several leading FTSE organisations to unlock value through innovative thinking. Now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to work with you. We should be talking. E: lets-talk@rs-components.com W: uk.rs-online.com/working-together LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-mro-procurement
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