FM World 6.11.14

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 6 NOVEMBER 2014

FMWorld www.fm-world.co.uk

NEWTON’S METHOD FM of the Year Chris Newton on his ideas for the sector’s future

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VOL 11 ISSUE 20 6 NOVEMBER 2014

CONTENTS

07| Europe’s stressed workers

18 | FM of the Year

22| Every Day Wonderful

NEWS

OPINION

FEATURES

06 Roof-top solar could be big earner for business 07 Government departments ‘lack drive and efficiency’ 08 Project of the Fortnight: Citi Group data centre, Lewisham 09 Think Tank: Do you think the new FM contracting model really has the potential to improve how FM is delivered to central government?

10 News analysis: Ebola epidemic highlights the critical role of FM 12 Business news: Graeme Davies: Ignore anti-EU rhetoric – union is good for FM 13 Norse and Great Yarmouth join forces to manage housing stock 14 In Focus: : Janet Dawson, HR director at Carillion

16 Roger Amos on staff retention 17 Five minutes with Martin Nowak of Interserve 46 No Two Days

MONITOR 31 Insight: Market intelligence 33 Standards: Warren Jenchner on new lift design standards 35 Technical: The perils of ignoring data centre load testing 36 Legal update: Health and safety legislation

26| Getting staff onside

18

Newton’s laws of attraction: FM of the year Chris Newton talks about how his career has progressed – and how he believes FM should develop

22

Glasgow bliss: How global telecoms company Three transformed its “tired and dated” office into a workspace where ‘Every Day is Wonderful’

26

Bearing sustainability: The sustainable workplace sounds good, but trying to enforce it or live in the midst of the changes is another matter

REGULARS 38 41 42 43 44

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Redactive Publishing Ltd 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP 020 7880 6200 www.fm-world.co.uk EDITORIAL Tel: 020 7880 6229 email: editorial@fm-world.co.uk editor: Martin Read ⁄ news editor: Herpreet Kaur Grewal ⁄ reporter: James Harris ⁄ sub editor: Deborah Shrewsbury ⁄ digital content executive: Hannah Whittaker ⁄ consultant art director: Mark Parry ⁄ art editor: Daniel Swainsbury

MARTIN READ EDITOR COMMENT

LEADER

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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 12,744 (Jul 13 – Jun 14) 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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t’s not just a potato – it’s an experience!” Thus spoke BBC Apprentice candidate Steven Ugoalah before his entirely predictable elimination from “the process” this year. In an excruciatingly risible scene, Ugoalah attempted to justify the price of an expensive sack of spuds in front of catering professionals. He was doomed from that point, of course. But then, what do you do with someone who says “If I went to Mars right now, I’d find a way to be excellent”?

To be fair to Ugoalah, a potato is technically an ‘experience’ in the way that everything from initial to terminal breath is an experience. But when we’re speaking about what an ‘experience’ means in terms of a business relationship, the key element is surely the end product – what the end-user actually experiences of the service, and how they feel about it. (Not long ago this would have been bracketed under the measurement of ‘outcomes’ rather than ‘outputs’.)

And now, step forward Sodexo’s Neil Murray and ITV’s Ian Jones, two people who have clearly given the subject of stakeholder and customer ‘experience’ in FM a lot of thought over recent weeks. Responding to Murray’s use of the term at a recent networking event, Jones has written a passionate appeal for service level agreements to be replaced by ‘experience level agreements’. (I wouldn’t normally do this from the middle of the comment column, but you may wish to turn to No 2 Days (p.46) straight away to read his letter) When you distil it, Jones’s case is that SLAs – and their evil minions, KPIs – have the corrosive effect of preventing others from suggesting radical new ways of supplying facilities services. SLAs and KPIs make the measurement of contractual relationships a series of stultifying tick-box exercises. The opinion that they can be restrictive and stifling is one with which plenty of FM professionals already agree.

By contrast, an experience level agreement – ELA – is about agreeing “what you are going to feel and how it’s going to make you feel”. And it’s not just in terms of the client’s perception of the service, suggests Jones. Thinking ELA rather than SLA changes how facilities team members view and value the work they do. “If you start to talk to your people in terms of the experience they are creating for their customers, it becomes dynamic. Being ‘experience providers’ rather than ‘service providers’ can potentially be genuinely uplifting in terms of esteem.”

That the measurement of a facilities service ‘experience’ would be undoubtedly more subjective when compared with the (theoretically) more empirical world of KPIs is clearly an issue here. But the link to the end-user’s broader appreciation of the cleanliness, timeliness, security, tastiness, warmth, comfort or, indeed, any other factor relating to their productivity or general happiness within a given facility is surely a good one. It suggests a more rounded appreciation of the service provided, allowing any radical ideas for a change in service provision to be measured in a less onerous, complicated fashion. Could a switch to experience-led measurement lead to dramatic change in how clients and service providers alike assess their roles? It’s an interesting debate, and we’d very much welcome your views (editorial@fm-world.co.uk).

“I

“An experience level agreement – ELA – is about “what you are going to feel and how it’s going to make you feel”

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

SHUTTERSTOCK

Roof-top solar could be big earner for business Installing roof-top solar is beneficial to commercial property because it can reduce running costs, says research by real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

The study by JLL and solar company Solar Century also finds that installing roof-top solar helps to meet government targets for improved performance of buildings and can increase the value of the property through providing additional income streams.

JLL carried out market research, analysis of the experience of commercial properties that already have solar roofs, and a review of valuation methodology.

The report identifies the rising cost of energy and changes in legislation as two key factors that are encouraging landlords and tenants to install solar; specifically, this relates to the projected 60 per cent increase in the industrial price of electricity in real terms by 2024, as well as the European Union’s 2019 zero-carbon requirement for commercial buildings.

Chris Strathon, director in valuation at JLL, added: “This is the first in-depth research into understanding the impact of solar and it is clear that the majority of commercial roof space is untapped as an additional revenue provider.

“The research is timely given the recent surge in demand for solar on commercial roofs driven by new legislation and increasing awareness of the opportunity to monetise the large unused roof spaces of commercial properties.

“We believe rooftop solar on commercial property adds value by improving the marketability of a property to occupiers who are

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driven by cost or CSR objectives, and additional income which is received via power purchase agreements and governmentbacked tariffs.”

Paul Crewe, head of sustainability, engineering, energy & environment at Sainsbury’s, said: “Sainsbury’s is now the largest multi-roof solar panel operator in Europe, having successfully installed 135,500 PV panels on the roofs of 218 properties, and we will have 170,000 panels generating 40 MW by spring 2015.

This is key to enabling us to take control of our energy costs and minimise our environmental impact and achieve the environmental commitments we made in our 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan.

“Supermarkets have the equivalent of football fields on their roofs, many of them underutilised, so it is ideal for turning that space into something positive.”

STANDARDS

International standard for FM gets green light An international standard for facilities management has been given the go-ahead by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).

Stan Mitchell, BIFM representative, chair of the British Standards Institution (BSI) FMW/1 facilities management committee, and chairman of ISO TC 267 committee for facilities management, has confirmed that he has received approval from the ISO to start work on an international standard for FM. This move represents “a significant step forward in the recognition of FM as a ‘businesscritical’ management discipline worldwide”, according to the BIFM. It is intended that the ‘Management System Standard’ will operate in a similar manner as other internationally recognised ISO standards.

Mitchell said: “Whilst there is

The ISO has green-lit a start to work on an international standard for FM

a lot of hard work to be done to ensure that a standard such as this is worthy of international recognition its potential in consolidating the discipline of facilities management as a structured and professional discipline is significant.”

The first meeting of the ISO

TC 267 committee to start work on this standard will take place during the first week in June 2015, alongside the European Facilities Management Conference in Glasgow.

The FMW/1 facilities management committee is part of the construction section of standards company, the British Standards Institution (BSI) and was established to provide a UK voice in the development work that was to be carried out via CEN, the European standards body.

Under the direction of the BSI Standards Policy and Strategy Committee, the FMW/1 is responsible for the maintenance of standards in facilities management.

It is also responsible for the development of standards in the field and has to liaise with all other standards in associated disciplines which have a potential impact on the management and operation of facilities services.. www.fm-world.co.uk

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NEWS

Government departments ‘lack drive and efficiency’ Departments are making “unacceptably slow progress” on some central efficiency initiatives such as shared back-office services, resulting in taxpayers’ money being wasted, according to an influential group of MPs. Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – which recently published a report called The Centre Of Government – said an apparent lack of agreement between ministers and civil servants in departments such as Number 10, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office on the role of the centre meant it wasn’t clear who was responsible for implementing cross-government initiatives including debt collection and centralised procurement.

Hodge said: “Departments are making unacceptably slow

progress on some central efficiency initiatives such as shared backoffice services and debt collection, resulting in taxpayers’ money being wasted.”

She added: “The centre needs to challenge departments more actively on their implementation of cross-government initiatives, like civil service reform and centralised procurement, including by holding permanent secretaries more strongly to account for departmental performance.”

The report also suggested that key specialist skills are in short supply and not distributed effectively between departments and the centre.

“The effectiveness of government is undermined by shortages in specialist skills and capability, such as recognised gaps

BRIEFS BREEAM refurb standard

in commercial, contracting and financial management expertise.”

Although some progress is being made – such as in the Major Projects Leadership Academy’s training of senior project managers, more coordinated central leadership of corporate functions such as procurement, and the Civil Service Reform Plan’s focus on developing project management, digital and commercial skills – the PAC said much of the talk about improving skills is still about future actions rather than what is being delivered now.

WORKPLACE WELLBEING

AKIN FALOPE/SHUTTERSTOCK

A quarter of Europe’s workers are “stressed” About 25 per cent of workers in Europe report feeling stressed at work all or most of the time, and a similar proportion believe that work affects their health negatively, says a study.

Psychosocial risks such as monotonous tasks, high work intensity, tight deadlines, worklife unbalance, and violence and harassment from the public or from colleagues – contribute to workrelated stress.

The study, by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and Eurofound, a tripartite European Union Agency that assists in the development of social and work-related policies, is published as part of a Europe-wide campaign, Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress.

It offers a broad overview on psychosocial risks at European workplaces and gives examples on the way forward at political as well www.fm-world.co.uk

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The importance placed on psychosocial risks differs depending on traditions across the EU

as company level – all illustrated with real-life case studies.

The research acknowledges the complexity of the relationship between health and work and recognises that practical support is needed to bring about change.

It provides a snapshot of working conditions and the incidence of psychosocial risks in Europe, discusses how to manage those risks in the workplace and

outlines policy interventions.

Dr Christa Sedlatschek, director of EU-OSHA, said: “One of the key messages of our 2014–15 Healthy Workplaces Campaign is that psychosocial risks, although more sensitive, can be tackled in the same systematic way as ‘traditional’ workplace risks.

By combining their strengths, EU-OSHA and Eurofound have produced a state-of-the-art review that will make an important contribution to the success of this campaign in getting that message across. In the same way, by working together, management and employees can tackle workplace stress effectively.”

Director of Eurofound, Juan Menéndez-Valdés, said: “Reducing psychosocial risks and protecting workers from these risks is critical for allowing longer working lives and preventing early labour market exits.“

A BREEAM sustainabilityrating scheme specifically for refurbishments and fit-outs has been launched.

BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out 2014 has been developed

by BRE Global to assess and improve the sustainability of UK building refurbishment and fit-out projects.

Gavin Summerson, future products manager at BRE Global, said: “This is driven by minimum EPC targets for the private rented sector as well as the need to drive down operating costs and reduce risk for ageing property portfolios.”

The scheme has been tailored to take account of the challenges of improving existing buildings, ensuring projects are assessed against the issues that each project can reasonably be expected to influence and not on factors outside of their control.

Ward wins City award Debra Ward, managing director of international FM leader Macro, has won the Women in the City award for the facilities management category.

The ceremony took place in London recently. Other categories apart from FM included construction and engineering, financial services, healthcare, professional services, public sector and technology.

At Macro, Ward is responsible for the overall political, economic, social, technical, environmental and legal compliance and success of the company in the UK, Europe and North America.

Previous winners have included Katy Dowding, Skanska’s facilities services managing director, and Wendy Cuthbert, global head of FM at Barclays Bank.

Correction In a Court Report article in our 9 October issue (Break clauses: renewal of a business lease at the expiry of the contractual term, page 39), a section entitled ‘Defence’ was erroneously included.

We wish to apologise for the error.

The full, corrected version of this article is available at: www.tinyurl.com/fmwcourtreport FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 07

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PROJECT OF THE

FORTNIGHT NEWS BULLETIN

BBC Scotland kitchens criticised by council The kitchens at a BBC building in Glasgow were criticised by the council for a lack of hygiene and inadequate food protection measures.

Officials from the Environmental Health and Trading Standards department from Glasgow City Council inspected the BBC Scotland HQ at Pacific Quay in Glasgow in May and found gaps in the way the kitchens were maintained.

The inspection report, which has only recently been made public, stated that there had to be better clarification “in relation to disinfection of surfaces and equipment between contact with raw and ready-to-eat foods in order to prevent cross-contamination”.

It had also stated that food handlers had to be adequately “supervised and instructed/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities”. Pest control and temperature control were “generally satisfactory” at the time of inspection, according to the report.

The kitchens are run by FM firm Servest Group, which was awarded a £25 million contract in March to provide catering at BBC bases across the UK. A spokesperson for Servest said: “We are aware that in the early opening weeks of the contract there were a few issues, but they have all been addressed and a pass certificate has been issued by Environmental Health.”

CITI GROUP DATA CENTRE, LEWISHAM PROJECT: Installation of a combined cooling and power (CCP) system ENERGY GENERATION: 23,680 MWh per annum INSTALLATION AND SERVICING: Clarke Energy COMPLETION DATE: Late 2015 COST: £5.2 million (£2.6 million invested by the Green Investment Bank)

Heat is on at Citi data centre Energy efficiency measures are being put in place at a London data centre to cut usage by 10 per cent.

The data centre, in the London Borough of Lewisham, is owned by global banking group Citi.

A 2.8 megawatt combined cooling and power (CCP) system is to be installed, as well as energy-efficient cooling units. Improvements are also being made to the building’s air conditioning system.

The CCP system will generate 71 per cent of the electricity needed to power the data centre.

It will also provide cooling for the servers housed in the data centre.

Citi currently uses mains electricity from the National Grid and relies on back-up diesel generators.

The upgrade is the first of its kind at a UK data centre.

The project is expected to cost £5.2 million; £2.6 million was invested by the UK Green Investment Bank through its Sustainable Development Capital (SDCL) UK Energy Efficiency Investments Fund.

Shaun Kingsbury, chief executive, UK Green Investment Bank, said: “The IT industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors globally, second only to aviation.

“Energy can represent up to 80 per cent of the cost of running a data centre, so they provide an important opportunity for energy-efficiency measures.”

Jonathan Maxwell, chief executive, SDCL, said: “It has been estimated that the UK data centre industry requires approximately 3 gigawatts of energy each year, making it one of the largest consumers of energy in the economy.”

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FM firms join drive to de-stigmatise ex-offenders Twenty-five employers with a combined workforce of 200,000 – including three major FM firms – have banned the criminal conviction ‘tick-box’ from application forms. The decision will enable ex-offenders to compete fairly for jobs based on an assessment of their skills first.

These employers, who come from a range of sectors – and include Carillion, ISS and Interserve Support Services – are able to employ people from a wider pool of talent while also contributing towards reducing the estimated £11 billion annual cost of reoffending.

The charity Business in the Community’s Ban the Box campaign – calling on more UK employers to remove the criminal record disclosure tick-box from application forms – influenced the employers to make the move.

It was launched a year ago in response to widespread discrimination against job-seeking ex-offenders.

But Business in the Community says too few employers are taking action to make their workforces accessible to the one in five unemployed jobseekers with a criminal conviction because of exaggerated fear, misunderstanding of legal requirements surrounding conviction disclosure, and the belief that the tick-box helps to prevent risk to the organisation and employees.

UK workers need more natural spaces, says report Productivity can be boosted by up to 8 per cent when office environments offer natural elements such as greenery and sunlight.

A European study by organisational psychologist Professor Sir Cary Cooper and sustainable business company Interface shows that natural elements of light, wood and stone have a positive impact on levels of happiness.

A third of those asked feel more productive in an open-plan office (just 26 per cent opted for a solitary office – this compares with 40 per cent of European office workers who feel most productive in a solitary office) and 9 per cent of UK office workers have no window.

The research shows UK employees working in environments with natural elements (such as greenery and sunlight) are 8 per cent more productive.

With over four-fifths (81 per cent) of the UK’s office workforce now based in an urban environment, interaction with nature is becoming increasingly limited and this is affecting our health.

The Human Spaces Report looked at 3,600 office workers in eight countries across Europe and examined how incorporating elements of nature into workplace design (biophilic design) can increase employees overall happiness, creativity and productivity.

Organisational psychologist, Professor Cary Cooper is co-founder of the Journal Of Organisational Psychology. www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM NEWS SIGN UP FOR FM WORD DAILY AT FM-WORLD.CO.UK 11% Yes

THINK TANK

WE ASKED 1,000 FMS… We asked 1,000 FMs “Do you think the new FM contracting model really has the potential to improve how FM is delivered to central government?”

The old FM contracting model for suppliers seeking to work with central government expired on 27 July 2014 and the one for NHS Building and Engineering Maintenance Services on 19 October. Neither agreement had an extension option, so an alternative contracting vehicle for FM-related services was required, according to the government.

The new Facilities Management Contracting Model includes a number of elements, one of which is the framework agreement for FM Services. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) also intends to publish separate OJEUs relating to different aspects of the FM supply chain. The FM framework includes provision for Government Soft Landings

(GSL) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) to be embedded into any further competition contract let.

We asked whether the new FM contracting model really would improve how FM is delivered to the government - and plenty have turned out to be sceptical. 11 per cent of you thought it would while 22 per cent thought it wouldn’t – but two thirds thought the model wouldn’t be as effective as government hopes.

Said one respondent: “Strategic measurement and the building of positive relationships is imperative.

Client / supplier relationships can be fraught in the public sector, with many challenges client-side to perceive the value that their contribution can bring to the

22% No

67% Not as much as the government envisages

service performance.”

Ultimately, thought many, the restructured contract would not deliver as much as the government envisages. One respondent thought the model “a wasted opportunity to really bring together the strength of regional delivery across the UK, against a one-size-fixeseverything solution”. He said there were “clear points” within the prime model in which the winning providers would need to subcontract to regional suppliers, thus adding margin, or rather reducing the operating margin of the regional supplier.

Another respondent said this also clashed with the Dynamic

Purchasing model “whereupon, quite rightly, major TFM/IFM suppliers will be looking at the additional services they can or should be delivering, but a single service provider may then provide instead”.

“The cake can be sliced each way,” said another correspondent, “but the end result is not efficient and certainly not friendly towards small and medium businesses. It ring-fences this sort of opportunity for another five years to the usual set of providers within the industry, thus stifling up-and-coming ones”.

Join the FM World Think Tank: www.tinyurl.com/fmwthinktank

SHUTTERSTOCK

FM firm seeks to identify “generational differences” Sodexo has launched an employee network to raise awareness of generational differences in the workplace.

The Generations network is a group of multi-generational employees who are focusing on the diverse age range of Sodexo’s employees.

The United Nations categorises the working age population into four generations, each of which has a different expectation and experience of the workplace: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. Generations is one of six areas Sodexo is focusing on as part of its approach to diversity and inclusion. The network has been set up to support employees in www.fm-world.co.uk

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understanding the personal and professional development needs of each generational group.

Sean Haley, managing director of service operations and executive sponsor of the Generations network, said: “Sodexo employs and serves a broad spectrum of people in a diverse range of

workplaces such as stadia, prisons, hospitals, schools, universities, barracks and offices. It’s important we recognise everyone’s background and values to help us give our employees a rewarding career and support them in delivering the best service to our clients and customers.

“Our latest employee engagement scores are very positive, but results do reflect a wider external trend which shows employees in their twenties are the least engaged. The first priorities of the Generations network will be to understand why this difference exists, and to explore how we can encourage the different generations to learn from one another.”

A report launched earlier this

year said the workplace could comprise four generations of workers in future. The Future Of Work, published by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), reported that multigenerational working will become increasingly common as people delay retiring until their seventies or even eighties.

It also predicted that the role of women in the workplace will strengthen, and that an increasing divide between those at the top and bottom of the career ladder will mean that, although highly skilled, highly paid professionals will push for a better work-life balance as other people will experience increasing job and income insecurity.

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HEALTH & SAFETY EMERGENCY

Ebola epidemic highlights the critical role of FM

GETTY

HERPREET GREWAL newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

On 20 October, Nigeria was declared free of the Ebola virus by the World Health Organisation (WHO). On its website the WHO stated: “This is a spectacular success story that shows that Ebola can be contained.”

As it is the most populous nation in Africa, the threat to Nigeria was quite large and became apparent in July. The country and its capital, Lagos, the largest city in Africa, was considered “a powder keg” for an outbreak. As the US Consul General in Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins, said: “The last thing anyone in the world wants to hear is the two words ‘Ebola’ and ‘Lagos’ in the same sentence.”

Dr Alero Ann Roberts, a senior medical consultant with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in the department of community health and primary care, was involved in driving measures to ensure the risk was well contained.

She told FM World: “Considering that Lagos is home to over 16

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million inhabitants drawn from all over the country as well as a large number of foreign and international expatriates on business, industrial and diplomatic missions for lengths of time varying from a few days to several years, the situation was quite dangerous.

The index case was a diplomat who came on a trade mission through Lagos en route to another big city – highlighting the speedy transmission of the virus through highly populated areas.”

Roberts said Lagos is an emerging mega-city with “vast and growing peri-urban developments, poor infrastructure for housing, water and sanitation, and a health infrastructure which is still undergoing major strengthening in reform and resources, and there is at best a volatile situation in which things could so easily have gone horribly awry”.

Government and private sector responded to the challenge adequately through various public health awareness strategies that necessitated several FM measures.

FM and real estate professionals were also strategically involved with government in setting up containment centres. The Central Public Health Laboratory and the isolation unit at the Mainland General Hospital were upgraded to deal with any victims of the virus.

Wale Odufalu, general manager of corporate services at Alpha Mead Facilities based in Lagos, says: “As soon as news filtered in about the breakout, public awareness about the need to control access at major facilities, especially entry points such as airports, seaports and land borders was instituted.”

Odufalu says: “We held several briefings for our staff… in this regard. This extended the practice of access control to both domestic and non-domestic facilities such as schools, banks, homes, and religious places. The government kept the primary schools closed as a means of preventing the possible spread among children.”

A major prevention strategy employed was to ensure that facilities were safe for occupants and visitors. Odufalu says: “The provision and training on the use of laser thermometers and sanitisers was top of the agenda for FMs.” Alpha Mead helped manage efforts to check the temperature and health of people accessing facilities, blocking access to anyone with Ebola-like symptoms.

“This step also helped us in keeping track of people in the facilities, and helped us ensure there was compliance with procedures of entering and exiting [buildings],” says Odufalu.

Strict hygiene measures were vital. Odufalu says: “Hand-washing and environmental hygiene were in the vanguard of prevention strategy and awareness. Critical infrastructure such as power and water are important in the process of ensuring uninterrupted water supply.”

In other places in the country,

FM companies encouraged the act of hand-washing. Banks and commercial buildings placed tap buckets with chlorinated water and sanitiser dispensers at entry points.

These had to be used or people were denied entry. Routine cleaning of facilities was also increased to guard against infection.

Open-air markets remained a challenge because they are crowded and have poor or nonsanitisation facilities. A UNICEF programme called WASH that was already running in the country was used to re-advocate for better washing facilities in the markets.

Helen Majemite, executive director of Lagos-based FM firm Oeetrot Concept, said communicating effectively with all the people was key to the containment effort. “We even used our local dialects for the uneducated people. Letting them know how deadly Ebola is.”

Majemite adds: “All social media platforms were used, Facebook, Twitter. TV jingles on how to prevent the disease were always on the screen. As an FM, I made sure all our clients were aware of the Ebola virus and its effect. We did this through emails. We advised people to avoid close contact with others. We also offered to clean and fumigate their offices.”

Majemite says she advised clients to avoid areas and buildings with a lot of people such as hotels, hospital, schools, and shopping malls. “We also trained some personnel on the use of the infrared thermometer to check for high temperatures.”

“As soon as medics noticed anything, the person would be quarantined. All places had to be kept clean and proper medical care provided.”

Nigeria ultimately confirmed 19 cases, of whom seven died and 12 survived, giving the country an enviable Ebola fatality rate of 40 per cent – far lower than the 70 per cent-plus seen elsewhere. www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 17:28

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27/10/2014 17:12

FM BUSINESS SIGN UP FOR FM WORLD DAILY AT FM-WORLD.CO.UK

ANALYSIS

Ignore anti-EU rhetoric – union is good for FM GRAEME DAVIES newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

The European Union is most politicians’ idea of the perfect punch bag at the moment, at least on the right of the political spectrum. The rise of UKIP and its threat to Conservative Party support has been one of the most beguiling political stories of the past 18 months, and Europe will remain a hot potato through the election campaign and beyond.

But below the surface the influence of the European Union and its blizzard of directives on the way the UK is governed and does business is more pronounced than ever. And, looking beyond the rhetoric of Brussels laying down the law to the UK, many of the laws and practices adopted are eminently sensible and noticeably benefit business in this country.

The FM sector is about to

feel the effect of a new European directive on government procurement of FM services that could be of great benefit to many operators as well as helping the government to dole out contracts more efficiently. Surely a ‘winwin’ in anyone’s political lexicon?

Last month the Official Journal of the European Union, the publication of record for all European Union legislation, notices and tenders, published the Facilities Management Service Framework Agreement.

This document will be used by central and local government to guide the way they contract FM services. The framework has been described as ‘more flexible and inclusive’ than its predecessors and also more up to date by mandating elements such as Building Information Modelling into contracts.

The framework is an integral

Contract wins

NEW BUSINESS Sodexo has taken a £500k-a-year, four-year contract with Northumbria University to provide a range of FM services at the university’s new 993bed student accommodation at Trinity Square, Gateshead. The company manages reception, helpdesk, energy management, mechanical and electrical maintenance, plus cleaning and horticultural services at the site.

Amey has retained a multi-million pound water-metering contract with United Utilities. The firm will install and maintain water meters across the North-West in commercial buildings and homes on behalf of United Utilities for five-and-a-half years, with the option to extend for another five years.

The deal is worth about £70 million.

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Robertson Group has extended its FM contract with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to cover soft and hard FM at the organisation’s HQ at Great Glen House in Inverness. Robertson FM already held the soft FM contract there. The extension adds to the company’s £1.25 billion order book.

Selex ES, part of global defence manufacturer Finmeccanica, has retained ISS Facility Services under contract for a further nine years. ISS has worked with Finmeccanica-Selex ES since 2006 and will continue to provide a total package of FM services operating a fully integrated facility services (IFS) model across its UK property portfolio.

Chartwells, Compass Group UK &

Ireland’s education business, has renewed a catering and hospitality contract with the University of Derby for five years in a £9 million deal. Chartwells has delivered food and hospitality services on site since 2004. Under the new deal its 75-strong team will continue to cater to 17,000 students and 2,000 staff across four sites.

News UK (formerly News International), publisher of The Times and The Sun newspapers. has appointed Imtech Inviron to manage the technical services at its new 17-storey HQ in Central London under a three-year deal. The contract includes an option to extend for another two years.

Bolsover District Council has awarded a 12-month contract extension to Interserve to continue asbestos management across 5,500 domestic and corporate properties. For five years Interserve’s environmental services team has run programmes to deliver HSG 264 and ISO 17020-compliant management, refurbishment, demolition, and asbestos surveys as well as condition monitoring.

The contract has an option for a further extension.

part of the government’s new Facilities Management Contracting Model. Alongside this, the Crown Commercial Service will also launch the FM Marketplace Dynamic Purchasing System, designed to ensconce the practice of centralised procurement. This is something the government has long wanted to establish and it should allow for more efficient procurement of government services. FM providers will need to apply to become part of the market place.

By centralising procurement, the government hopes to encourage one set of standards to which all providers will adhere.

The upshot for FM companies serving the public sector is expected to be fewer contracts coming out to tender, but with more flexibility within them.

This, in turn, could benefit the bigger players, who have more varied skill sets under one roof so will be well placed to win the lion’s share of the business. For the government, a standardised model of contracting should allow it to better analyse and track performance of contracts and contractors from one tender to another – improving accountability and value for money for the public sector.

And value for money is likely to remain at the forefront of government policy-making for many years to come. Despite what is now a sustained recovery in the UK economy, the public finances do not yet show any signs of improving. Indeed, the budget deficit grew in the most recent period. This has cast some doubt on recent Conservative pledges for tax cuts after the next election and pretty much guarantees that austerity measures are here to stay for some years yet.

Graeme Davies writes for Investors Chronicle

www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 14:48

Norse and Great Yarmouth join forces to manage housing stock Norse Commercial Services and Great Yarmouth Borough Council have formed a Joint Venture Company to manage and maintain the council’s community housing stock.

GYN Asset Management took over the asset management and building maintenance of the council’s 6,000 houses on 1 October.

The 10-year agreement is initially worth around £6 million a year, and is expected to rise over the coming years. It extends Norse’s partnership with Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

GYB Services, another joint venture between the two organisations, handles local services including refuse collection, cleaning, grounds maintenance, pest control, and other frontline services.

Peter Hawes, Norse’s managing director, said: “We are really pleased to be building on our long-term relationship with Great

BUSINESS BRIEFS Fullcircle for Three Nations

The latest contract builds on Norse’s long-term relationship with Great Yarmouth Council

Yarmouth Borough Council, which goes back to the formation of GYB Services in 2002.

“This new partnership takes the number of joint ventures Norse Group has with UK local authorities to 23, with a combined annual turnover of more than £140 million.”

This partnership follows the recent formation of Newport Norse, a joint venture in South Wales, and the company expects to see further significant growth

over the next few months.

Geoff Tucker, Norse’s sales director, said: “With these new partnerships, and a large number of contract awards across the UK, we have seen a 15 per cent increase in turnover this year, and we expect this success to continue.”

Trevor Wainwright, leader of the council, said: “The new approach will give the council much greater influence over the delivery of services in the area.”

ISTOCK

Mears buys Omega to grow in social housing market Mears, the support services group working in the UK’s social housing and care sectors, has acquired Omega Group in a deal potentially worth £40 million.

Mears paid an initial £20 million in cash for Omega, but payments of up to £20 million more could be triggered depending on how the company performs over the next three years.

Omega carries out residential lettings and management services, providing around 1,700 properties to 24 local authorities and housing associations. Most of the lettings are in London, www.fm-world.co.uk

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David Miles, CEO of Mears, said Omega made a strong cultural fit with Mears

although Omega has recently won a significant contract with Birmingham City Council to provide lettings, housing management and temporary accommodation services.

Omega, founded in 1998, was a family-owned and run business.

Its management team will remain with the business to ensure continuity of service for existing clients. The purchase aims to add value to Mears’ existing clients struggling with housing supply by offering best-value temporary accommodation and housing management services.

David Miles, Mears’ chief executive, said: “The shortage of safe and secure housing is a significant challenge faced by many local authorities who can struggle finding homes of a consistent and uniform standard.”

Drinks dispense service provider Three Nations has merged with FM firm Fullcircle Total Facilities Management. The company will remain registered as Three Nations Ltd, but will trade as Fullcircle.

Three Nations Ltd is the UK’s largest independent drinks dispense service provider, carrying out 150,000 service calls a year.

Fullcircle offers a comprehensive and integrated range of services to fulfil clients’ property maintenance requirements, from grounds maintenance to building and electrical maintenance.

Mitie buys vetting expert Mitie has acquired Procius, a UK pre-employment screening company, from the firm’s management team.

Procius is a specialist in preemployment screening and vetting with expertise in aviation and transport. The acquisition gives Mitie’s Total Security Management business additional niche capability and supports its growth as a provider of preemployment screening.

Progress for PowerPlant The Progress Group’s generator and UPS service and maintenance business, and all its assets, have been acquired by Brimlow Ltd, trading as PowerPlant Services (PPS). The deal has secured 22 jobs, says PPS. PPS, based in Yorkshire, provides industrial maintenance and servicing for generators and pumps across the UK. PPS has acquired the service and repair division and the UPS offering of Progress, as well as occupying its trading sites in Gildersome, Leeds, Biggleswade, Beds, and Larbert in Falkirk.

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30/10/2014 14:49

FM BUSINESS IN FOCUS

The interviewee: Janet Dawson, HR director, Carillion The issue: Hiring employees with past criminal convictions

Writing out the tick-box “Employers have an exaggerated fear of employing ex-offenders,” according to the charity Business in the Community. It’s launched a campaign called “ban the box” that calls on employers to remove the criminal record disclosure tick-box from online and paper application forms.

The campaign urges businesses to examine recruitment policies to identify how disclosure of convictions can be moved further down the application process. It also believes employers should publicly declare their commitment to offering fair opportunities for ex-offenders to compete for jobs.

Equality and diversity ISS, Carillion and Interserve are three of 25 employers who have signed up to the campaign.

Scott Hill, HR director at Interserve, says: “It was a relatively easy piece of work to build into our organisation because equality and diversity is at the heart of our business. Our recruitment and sourcing strategy is based around finding the right people with the right skills and capability to do the job.”

Across its contracts and supplier relationships, Hill says the company “ensures that skills of applicants are assessed first and the risk of any criminal 14 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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convictions accurately assessed”.

Hill added: “What we always take into account is the role applied for and the contract involved. If there is a legal or contractual requirement to ask about convictions we assess the relevance of the applicant’s convictions against the specific requirements and conditions of the role on a case-by-case basis.”

Richard Sykes, chief executive at ISS UK and Ireland, says not stigmatising ex-offenders “demonstrates business has a real role to play in reducing reoffending rates by judging people first on their skills and potential”. It also “helps promote a positive personal spiral based on improving self-esteem and a solid job”, he adds.

Janet Dawson, HR director at Carillion, says removing the disclosure tick-box from job applications is something Carillion has had in place for some time.

She says: “We haven’t required people to tell us at the first step in the process… [But the] Ban the Box [campaign] was a way to say we’ve always done it.”

She adds: “We want to get people on their expertise. How do people get a chance to get into the profession if we limit them by asking them [about their criminal record] that at the first stage?”

The campaign is not calling for any changes to the checks and processes that are legally required when recruiting for “regulated” roles such as jobs with children or vulnerable adults, according to Business in the Community.

(Although more serious convictions haven’t stopped the likes of Jamie Oliver hiring people; The celebrity chef recently hired a man convicted of a sexual assault against a 12-year-old girl for an apprenticeship at one of his Fifteen restaurants.)

A judgment call But Dawson sees it as a way to open up employment to “people who have had difficulties”.

“We want to know about people’s employment history and if there’s been a period if they’ve not been in employment we do want to know about it,” she says. Removing the criminal record disclosure box is not about jeopardising the safeguarding test, she adds, but each application has to be dealt with separately.

“I think it’s about individual judgment. It’s about the role being offered and the offence and our judgment on it… We might ask people about age as they might have committed offences when they were younger and now they’ve rehabilitated themselves.

Once we know about all that then we know about whether to put that person into the role in question… The discussion happens at the beginning.”

Dawson says Carillion has employed people who have come through a scheme run

by Business in the Community called Ready for Work. The scheme helps people who may have experienced a number of challenges – not just having criminal convictions – that exclude them from employment.

Many have experienced homelessness or face the risk of eviction. Criminal convictions and a lack of qualifications often stand in their way. Others have been in care, or are overcoming long-term unemployment.

One of those people is Michael, who is in his early 40s and is a team leader at Carillion’s headquarters. He says: “I’ve been in and out of prison for most of my adult life. When I received my last sentence I was in a really bad place – a long-term relationship had broken down and I was drinking and taking drugs to get through.”

Michael was also homeless when he left prison, but found the resolve to want to better his life. “I was determined to stay out of trouble,” he says. “But I didn’t even consider applying for more permanent work – I just thought ‘who is going to want to give me a job?’ especially if I had to tick a box and tell them about my past up front. I had no formal qualifications, a big gap in my work history and criminal convictions.” Through BitC he was offered a job at Carillion.

“Things have changed a lot since then. This will be my fourth year in work. I started as a junior administrator and have now progressed to be a team leader, managing a team of seven.“ HERPREET KAUR GREWAL herpreet.grewal@fm-world.co.uk

www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 16:36

Legally, you need to be licensed to play music at work.

You probably haven’t thought much about it. You’ve just got music on for your staff or customers. But did you know you legally need permission from the music’s copyright owners if you play music, TV or radio aloud at work? But don’t worry, to get that permission you simply need a licence from PRS for Music* (and in most cases, one from PPL** too). PRS for Music is a membership organisation that acts on behalf of songwriters and composers to ensure they’re paid for the use of their work. So if you have music playing, ask PRS for Music how you become licensed to listen today.

Contact PRS for Music on 0800 694 7344 or at prsformusic.com/musicatwork *PRS for Music licences cover the vast majority of music originating from the UK and all over the world. However, if you play music that is outside of PRS for Music’s control, you may need an additional licence from the relevant copyright owner(s). You will require a TV licence as well if you are using a TV in your premises. You do not need a licence from PRS for Music in the unlikely event that all the music you play is out of copyright or is not controlled by PRS for Music. **PPL collects and distributes royalties on behalf of record companies and performers. Further info at ppluk.com. All music licences are required under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 which stipulates you must gain the permission of the copyright owner if you play music in public (anywhere outside the home environment).

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28/10/2014 09:45

FM OPINION THE DIARY COLUMN ROGER AMOS

“IT IS TIME TO PROVE THAT WE ARE PROGRESSIVE IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD; THAT MEANS ENSURING THAT WE GIVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO THE NEXT GENERATION”

FM NHS consultant Trust

Roger Amos is head of property and HR shared services at the London Borough of Ealing

STAF F RETEN TIO N

ou train them up and they move on – Y you might hate to see them go, but it’s gratifying to know they’ll enhance our industry In Ealing we have worked hard to not only build a high-performing FM team, but to do it in such a way that our staff develop – not easy when structures are a lot flatter than they used to be and budgets are tight.

So what does this look like?

Well, in addition to developing their required skills and experience, I have tried to get my team to be confident to express themselves and value working as a team. I often tell my

managers to think of themselves as the fly-half of a rugby team – orchestrating play, but absolutely trusting that their team-mates are also in position, even when they can’t see them when passing the ball or delegating a task.

My vision has been to build a progressive department that will enable our staff to develop in such a way that it will put them in good stead for their next step.

The obvious downside to this approach is when theory turns

University Estates

into practice! Two of my key managers have announced that they are moving on to pastures new. Rather than wallowing in self-pity at the loss of these very good and highly respected people, it is time to prove that we are progressive in every sense; that means ensuring that we give every opportunity to the next generation within the teams to turn their potential into reality.

This approach makes us an attractive employer, and means that we have a far better chance of maintaining the high standards of service that we demand of ourselves as the nucleus of the team is retained and new players are introduced from within.

I believe we are developing

a brand. We still look to the outside world for innovation, but we add chapters to our book rather than rewriting them altogether.

I was at the BIFM awards last month and was impressed by the genuine energy and enthusiasm on display from right across the industry. FM has come a long way in 10 years. There were winners from many places – large and small companies and in-house teams. The industry is in good shape. As for those who are off to play for other teams – let’s hope they stay in our industry. We need more highcalibre nominations for next year’s awards.

BEST OF THE WEB Views and comments from across the web How are maintenance requests made in your building? (BIFM group) Craig Shepheard: One of my clients uses a clipboard with handwritten notes on it.

Jane Whatham: We used to use a system, but it felt that far too much time was spent completing it, rather than dealing with the problem/job/fault etc.

Now all faults/requests etc, are emailed to a generic facilities helpdesk email address where a 16 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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number of people in the department can deal with it. This system works well for me – single site, five floors, 275 people.

Luca Cotta Ramusino: Hi Nathan, all maintenance requests go through the helpdesk and are logged into our CAFM. Even if someone just stops one of our staff down the corridor to report an issue, he/she then radios in the request to the helpdesk.

Ebola: health crisis and FM issue? (BIFM group)

Pat Sessions: I have made amendments to the first aid arrangements, to refuse disposal (and particularly to appropriate PPE for cleaners), and made provision for evacuating staff from around a person who develops symptoms before evacuating the victim. The latter seemed the most practical thing to do. Although there is no evidence of Ebola developing an airborne strain, there is an appendix that outlines the beefing

up of the Legionella regime. We use pointof-use hot water and small self-contained heating. Places circulating untreated warm air might be asking for trouble if it develops.

Sam Clacker: We are dealing with this issue in an area we manage which is used for processing people who are in this country illegally. We are putting in place several measures ranging from toolbox talks about the disease, and researching

and ordering necessary PPE. If we have a confirmed case, we would look to outsource the cleaning and sterilisation of the area, however, the disease is active before symptoms are obvious, which gives us a potential operational risk before we even know it is there, particularly when unblocking toilets and similar ‘routine’ tasks.

Do you treat everyone as if they have Ebola needlessly? The answer, I think, is no. www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 12:49

You can follow us at twitter.com/FM_World facebook.com/FMWorldMagazine

BEST OF THE

FMWORLD BLOGS Cool is dead Workessence.com For a couple of hundred attendees at a Workplace Trends meeting in London in October it was the day we killed “Cool”. How did we ever fall in love with the zeitgeist that is “Cool”? Hipstermedia has pumped us full of envy of desolately Cool workspaces where people are nothing but shadows and outlines.

Steve Maslin took the first shot at the hegemony of Cool. He made us see the folly of so many modern workplaces through the perspective of human conditions we rarely consider, and implored that we design as much for the psychological as the physical. I had considered that “activity” alone may be too shallow and we might consider emotional-based working but here we also had sensory-based working. Steve asked what our buildings might say if they could talk to us: I suspect they might be silent. As if to emphasise the point, Richard Baldwin of Derwent London showed with pride their Tea building with a smorgasboard of a reception, flanked by a staircase to the lesser gods. He also offered the garbled myth of the “TMT Sector”, that fairytale clique of stripped-down workplace Cool that allows developers to create “white collar factories” with all the Victorian gloom of a hipster workhouse.

The Workstock presentations showed that we need the input from those outside the normal world of workplace. Mass movements, banners and membership have done little for workplaces in the past, and there is no evidence to suggest this may change soon. As Lloyd Davis suggested, “just enough structure – but not too much” might be all we need to stimulate the myriad of conversations that Euan Semple advocated. We need an honest, human relationship with our space and our technology.

Read the article in full at www.tinyurl.com/mwltjxv

How many employers pay their staff the Living Wage?

Lee Calver, International Workplace Living Wage Week runs from 2-8 November. The Living Wage Foundation says it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the Living Wage and the Living Wage Employer Mark. The new UK and London Living Wage rates for 2014-15 were due to be announced on 3 November.

The second annual State Of The Nation Report, published by the Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission, warns that Britain is becoming a permanently divided nation and recommends that the UK should commit to being a Living Wage nation by 2025. The UK has 912 companies with a Living Wage accreditation. An independent study examining the business benefits of implementing the policy in London found that 80 per cent of employers say the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, and absenteeism had fallen by 25 per cent. Two-thirds of employers reported a big impact on recruitment and retention, and 70 per cent felt that the Living Wage had increased consumer awareness of their organisation’s ethics.

In October, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors published a report featuring case studies focusing on strategic FM. One of the six studies looked at the Living Wage as a key area for professionalism in FM. The study, by International Workplace, features Guy Stallard, head of facilities at KPMG, who discusses the impact paying the Living Wage has had on the business. The foundation praises the study, saying it supports the work KPMG is doing with its service providers and specifically those linked to all areas of FM. But what about businesses that aren’t on board?

Will negative media attention pressure more firms into paying?

Read the article in full at www.tinyurl.com/khj7akt

www.fm-world.co.uk

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FIVE MINUTES WITH NAME: Martin Nowak JOB TITLE: Training and development manager, Interserve

After six years in the hotel industry, I decided I needed a change. I wanted to reclaim some of my weekends back and the natural choice of further career path was corporate reception, where I could apply my organisational, administrative and customer service skills effectively.

I’d wanted to get involved in training for quite a while. I thought that my previous experience as a teacher would make me an asset to the team. I’m involved in almost every service line, from cleaning and front-of-house to maintenance and engineering.

In this job I get involved with quite a few internal programmes and meet a lot of people from different service lines. I get to train security officers, for example, not just our front-of-house personnel. I also get to design training programmes; part of my job description is to attend tender presentations and talk about the training programme the client will get. I have to be quite flexible.

I get enormous satisfaction from helping and watching people grow. My role has also a creative aspect to it and I do a considerable amount of project work designing new training programmes.

All this means that I love Mondays!

You’ll certainly need an outgoing personality.

The job is about communications – being proactive in providing the service. But if you’re someone who’s considering a move across from a position in a hotel, that’s probably something you’ve already got.

We have so many projects going on at the training academy that I don’t think I’ll get bored. We’re in a very good position now as we’re given free rein on projects we want to develop.

We’re quite a big company so there’s a massive requirement for training – we’re trying to come up with new plans and new ideas all of the time; we’re constantly evaluating the training we offer.

FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 17

30/10/2014 12:49

FM FEATURE CHRIS NEWTON: FM OF THE YEAR MARTIN READ

NEWTON’S LAWS OF ATTRACTION In his retail and financial FM roles over the years, Chris Newton’s natural enthusiasm has seen every operational and property management function in the book gravitating towards him. Now, he’s the BIFM 2014 Facilities Manager of the Year. Martin Read reports

CATEGORY: FACILITIES MANAGER OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY: ELIOR WINNER: CHRIS NEWTON ORGANISATION: MITIE PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER SEARLE

18 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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C

hris Newton, son of a civil engineer and a schoolteacher, has lived his entire adult life in the city of Durham. He’ll be moving soon – to a house slightly closer to the city centre. But career-wise, Newton has travelled an extensive journey leading to his current role as Mitie’s contract managing director for Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), where he is responsible for setting and delivering the group’s FM strategy.

It started with a fascination for construction instilled in him by his father. “He’d take me around the sites he was involved with at the time, including motorways and bridges,” says Newton. “I knew early on that I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

(Naturally, when Hugh Dennis announced Newton’s name from the Grosvenor House stage last month, his father was one of the first to receive a call.)

Having transferred from an HND to complete a quantity

surveying degree at the then Newcastle Polytechnic, Newton took a series of placements in construction before entering full-time work with Rivergreen Developments, a regional property and construction firm with a reputation for developing large and prestigious buildings in the North-East.

But the job turned out to be not entirely as advertised.

Newton had joined as a quantity surveyor – “but gosh, it was so much more than that,” he recalls. “I did the VAT returns, the accounts, the payroll, client presentations, marketing; I was supported in all this by my MD, Peter Candler, but really it was just me and him driving the business. I know now how lucky and privileged I was to get a job with so much more to it.”

Over time, Newton gained a reputation for his then unusual fusion of QS and business management capability, moving to a number of other regional building organisations before

making the move into corporate management with retailer Asda.

It was an intense and formative time, says Newton. “I definitely served my apprenticeship!”

Aged 25 and with a young family, Newton next sought a role with a blue chip firm. Responding to a loosely worded national advert for project managers, Newton saw Asda appoint him to a role that came together during the interviewing process to incorporate something new to him – facilities management.

Newton joined three months before the handover of Asda’s newly constructed Washington Distribution Centre with the brief to set up the operations and develop a facilities team.

“I didn’t know what a forklift truck was,” recalls Newton, “and I had to do organise my own health and safety training. So I did my NEBOSH certificate at Sunderland University – worse than getting my degree – and just got on with it. We started with four people but ended up with a thousand.” www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 16:57

CHRIS NEWTON: FM OF THE YEAR

The Washington Distribution Centre went on to win awards, and Newton now sees his time with the retailer as crucial in developing his people management skills.

Newton was also organising everything necessary to run a retail distribution centre – a steep learning curve. “I remember organising a crèche, and realising that if I extended its opening times it would be deemed a care home. It was that level of detail.

We set up the restaurant, the M&E, the refrigeration – all the facilities support required.”

As Newton developed his role at Asda, the retailer’s hierarchy had to consider how best to further develop their rising star.

Customer services was added to his brief, meaning he was dealing with all the operational problems coming from Asda’s stores.

“If there was a mispick, a cage missing, some ice cream delivered to Stockton when it should have gone to Washington – it was my team sorting those issues out.

Now that was real customerfacing work!”

Asda and Newton then came to an agreement by which the retailer would sponsor Newton to take an MBA part-time through Durham University.

After Asda, Newton went to work for marketing software firm Acxiom, running the firm’s nonUS portfolio. Again, Newton’s law of attraction somehow saw him taking on procurement and general services responsibilities – and thoroughly enjoying it. Then came a return to retail with the Co-Operative Group.

“I thought I was just going to run the group’s logistics property portfolio,” says Newton of the interview, “but I soon became involved in the rejuvenation of the entire supply chain.”

Responsible for restructuring the requirement and building a range of new ‘super shed’ www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 19

30/10/2014 16:39

FM FEATURE CHRIS NEWTON: FM OF THE YEAR MARTIN READ

distribution centres in West Thurrock, Coventry and Durham, Newton spent five years with the Co-Operative Group.

By now, Newton’s portfolio of property management skills had grown to include acquisitions and disposals – but he wanted more.

“I thought: here I am, a chartered surveyor and quantity surveyor, I’m seen as a builder and as a facilities manager – but I wanted to get the full property life cycle picture, to show that I can do the estates management piece. I went to the University of Salford via distance learning and trained as a general practice surveyor so that I could talk the science of rent reviews and valuations.”

Then, in 2007, HBOS approached Newton with a view to introducing his retail and customer service expertise into the financial sector.

“The original intention was to run all of FM for HBOS,” says Newton. “At the time that was cleaning, security, managing the people, et al – classed as customer services role for group property because we were customer-facing for anything that happened in the buildings.

That was the original scope of the position. But again, more was bolted on as I moved through HBOS. I took on property shared services, and then they bolted estates management on, too.”

Newton was soon appointed head of estates, facilities and property shared services. Again, it’s tempting to wonder just what it is about Newton that’s seen all this work attracted to him?

“I’ve never ever canvassed for extra work,” he says, “but for some reason it’s always come to me. In every place I’ve worked, I’ve created FM as a business within a business.”

Newton started with HBOS in autumn 2007, but the issues in 2008 were to prove pivotal.

Lloyds TSB acquired HBOS 20 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

18_21 FM of the year.indd 20

in January 2009, the merged operation becoming the Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) we know today. The estates roles for LBG were split into three distinct roles – asset management, design and construction and facilities management – with Newton “lucky and humble” to be appointed FM director.

The move to Mitie Mitie had supplied services to both Lloyds TSB and HBOS in a relationship dating back to the 1980s. A variety of services had been provided to the LBG’s constituent brands over the years, leading to Mitie becoming one of LBG’s key service suppliers following Newton and colleagues’ rationalisation of its service supplier portfolio from c550 to just 17. At this stage, Mitie was contracted to provide services including cleaning, pest control and landscaping.

But then, LBG looked at “intelligence across the UK and elsewhere,” deciding that FM and asset management was now mature enough to be moved to a single supplier from 2012, with a view to making multi-million pound savings over a five-year contract term. Mitie won the contract, with FM within LBG reverting to a “thin client” model comprising a small specialist LBG property team responsible for setting the strategic direction of group property. In addition to hard and soft services, Mitie delivers building fabric, scanning and document management, landscaping, water treatment, capital works and life cycle planning and manages the gyms.

Newton was identified by LBG’s then group property director as the man to lead the newly outsourced FM operation, so he TUPE transferred over to Mitie a month before it began. At an unsettling time for employees, having Newton make the big

step across helped settle the concerns of others in the team.

Indeed, much is made of Newton’s abilities as a team leader, and, he says: “One thing I’ve learnt is to restructure quickly; to give people destiny and purpose. In 2012 we restructured over seven weeks across the entire organisation; that meant plenty of face-toface interviews, asking people about the role they wanted and matching them to tasks.”

Just as before, Newton is now running a business within a business. “The retailer in me is back,” he says. “I’m the same person doing the same job. But as well as running a budget for LBG, I’m also running a P&L for Mitie. To keep both bosses happy, I have to make

sure I constantly communicate, maintain relationships and keep both parties abreast of what’s happening in both organisations.

You’ve got to tell things as they are, so from day one it has to be a very transparent relationship.”

One major benefit Newton sees in his Mitie role is making sure members of his team have new opportunities for their own career progression.

“I’m proud that a number of people who transferred across with me into Mitie have since gone on to flourish elsewhere on other Mitie contracts. I love that aspect of the relationship.

Richard Piggin, for example, who worked as a regional FM for me, is now head of property for the entire Mitie organisation” and www.fm-world.co.uk

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CHRIS NEWTON: FM OF THE YEAR

CHRIS NEWTON CAREER FILE QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING: BSc (Hons) 2:1, Quantity surveying, construction management, Northumbria University MSc, Real estate and property management, real estate, University of Salford MBA, Business administration and management, general, University of Durham

FM JOB HISTORY: 2009-present Facilities management director, Lloyds Banking Group, London FM director/managing director, Lloyds Banking Group/ Mitie Group PLC 2007-2009 Head of estates and facilities management, HBOS, London 2003-2007 Head of property services (logistics), The Co-Operative Group 2000-2003 European general services leader, Acxiom

Julie Fawcett, former chair of Women in Property, also works for Newton.

Where next?

Newton hopes to help develop the FM structure tailored for LBG into a stronger offering for Mitie’s other financial services clients, talking up the prospects for a service function he is clearly proud of. “I think the goodness is in the way we relate to the managing of the people,” he says.

“The buildings should operate seamlessly, that’s the default – but the real difference is in the client relationship and people management elements; that’s the bit of what we do that I think can be transferred elsewhere.”

As for the wider FM www.fm-world.co.uk

18_21 FM of the year.indd 21

profession, Newton thinks new IT offers facilities professionals the chance to make more of a mark on their organisations. He sees new IT allowing greater empowerment at LBG. “It’s about decisive decisionmaking,” he says, “FMs using the information they gather to force more interventions. What is that information telling you? I also think we have more opportunity for local empowerment. Why can’t each building be its own business unit with the correct controls, checks and balances?

It’s a big step, but the technology that Mitie is introducing will quickly start to allow that empowerment.”

Already, tablets have been deployed to FM personnel on

1998-2000 Facilities and customer services manager, Asda Stores Ltd

the Mitie LBG contract that allow Newton to assess all of the issues in each building at the touch of a button. A new portal, designed specifically for the LBG contract, allows Newton to take the pulse of the facilities operation.

“We know any problems before anyone in the organisation, so that whatever the problem is, we can say that we’re dealing with it.”

He is also involved as nonexecutive director for NCG, one of the largest education, training and employability organisations in the UK. “My family is all in the North-East and I just wanted to give something back to the people who backed me,” he says.

“It also allows me to develop.”

The future of FM When I ask what he thinks are the next steps for FM as a profession, Newton immediately reaches for a pen to sketch it out.

“Architects, estate managers and building service engineers used to operate in isolation in a vertical process of delivering a building – FM wasn’t even thought about. It was a hierarchical structure that followed the process of how a building was built. Now FM is starting to eradicate the vertical lines within an organisational structure. The key now for FM is to start integrating horizontally. We in FM are the building owners because of all the intelligence we have of how buildings operate, the people in there, their whole life cycle. I believe that encompassing more of those functions within FM activity will bring us further up the food chain.”

Finally, Newton wonders whether the word ‘facilities’ adequately reflects the sector’s breadth of operational expertise.

Perhaps no surprise, given what his experience has taught him about FM’s potential. FM FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 21

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FM FEATURE

BIFM AWARDS: IMPACT ON ORGANISATION & WORKPLACE

F

The project aims to improve communication and collaboration between teams

ollowing the decision to build its sales capability in the UK, global telecoms company Three planned a major recruitment drive for its contact centre for customer services and sales, at its St Vincent Street offices in the heart of Glasgow. The scale of the expansion was ambitious; to increase the headcount from 570 to around 940 within the existing four-storey building.

Although the site had an efficient facilities team with services provided by Eore using a mixture of self-delivery and subcontracted services for specialist areas such as catering, it was the existing office design that posed a problem.

Diana Kilmartin, director of People Workspace & Strategic Planning at Three, explains: “Two of the key drivers of this project were to improve employee engagement and to immerse our people in our brand. The original layouts of the offices did little

SARA BEAN

to encourage collaboration, with uninspiring and dated décor, poor lighting and inflexible workstations.”

A poll of its Glasgow occupant’s revealed an engagement level of just 46 per cent, which meant that some work was needed to improve the workspace to both attract and retain staff.

Kilmartin says: “It was clear that change was needed, but the opportunity to change and reinvent our Glasgow office was one we relished.”

The project objectives included; bringing Three’s own brand philosophy of ‘Every Day Wonderful’ to a tired and dated workspace in which both morale and retention rates were low; improving communication and collaboration between teams; bringing the retail experience to the office environment to assist the sales team with its knowledge of what was being sold; accommodate a dramatic

GLASGOW BLISS By garnering the views of its staff, global telecoms company Three transformed its “tired and dated” Glasgow office into a workspace where “Every Day is Wonderful”. On October 13, the project won the 2014 BIFM award for impact on organisation & workplace. Sara Bean reports The Nurture zone, where staff can disconnect from technology, complete with deckchairs, trees and ‘grass’ 22 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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Plasmas display sales statistics and internal messaging and branding

92% OF THE OCCUPANT’S IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS BEING INCORPORATED INTO THE NEW DESIGN

growth in occupancy in line with an aggressive business plan; and improved levels of staff engagement, where staff would be proud to talk about the office environment outside of work.

To ensure that its people felt valued and aligned to the changes it was important that they were given some sense of control of their new environment. For that reason all occupants were invited to communicate and collaborate with the FM team on what they wanted from the new workspace.

Staff engagement A series of FM team discovery workshops were held throughout the planning stage, which ran from March to October 2012.

The process kicked off with an environment-brainstorming meeting with all staff, then www.fm-world.co.uk

22-25 Impact on organisation.indd 23

there was a series of discovery workshops using a steering group that, once the design was formulated, was invited to comment on the proposals.

Following the discovery workshops and staff interviews a ‘Staff Wish List’ of more than 100 items was devised, which resulted in 92 per cent of the occupant’s ideas and suggestions being incorporated into the design.

Three took the time to keep staff informed throughout the project. Office design firm IOR presented the design concept to the entire Glasgow workforce, and a mobile app and intranet site were created to update employees during every aspect of the project. Three produced posters and newsletters, used social media such as Instagram and Twitter, and display screens

Space for café/ break-out and training have acoustic integrity

FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 23

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FM FEATURE

BIFM AWARDS: IMPACT ON ORGANISATION & WORKPLACE

and images captured on a timelapse camera took an informative, educational and humorous approach that reflected the company’s ethos and brand values.

The project began in late October 2012, running over a 39-week period. The refit covered a gross internal area of 6,300 sq m across all four storeys of the building and was completed to its budget (£3,876,265.51) on time, despite the offices being fully occupied throughout, as well as taking on about 150 new starters.

A strong environmental remit ensured a Ska Silver-accredited fit-out, with re-use where possible, energy efficient lamps, light fittings and high frequency lighting, and the installation of occupancy monitoring lighting controls.

Kilmartin explains: “As with any project of this nature, time and cost are always a challenge.

For example, we decided to refurbish an additional floor, but had to do this from the original approved budget amount. This had to be achieved without impacting on the visual impact and quality of the project as a whole. It took some time, innovation and creativity, but we did it.”

Flexible fit-out Because the building had to accommodate a growing number of staff both during and following the refit, flexibility was a key driver. Within the main workspace a benching system was introduced, which could accommodate different-sized teams as required, depending on the call centre shift system.

This doesn’t mean loss of identity, however. All of the staff have their own desk space and are provided with lockers for personal belongings.

Workers can also elect to access technology from 24 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

22-25 Impact on organisation.indd 24

SARA BEAN

anywhere in the building, as the IT and wireless technology were also upgraded. This has helped to improve connectivity with the other Three sites, something that was problematic in the past. New air handling plant and comfort cooling was also installed to meet the increased headcount.

One of the difficulties with the previous layout was the large lobby area in the centre of the building around the lift core, which effectively divided every floor. The solution was to use these areas to offer a range of breakout areas that maximise opportunities for people to communicate, collaborate or learn.

Three types of areas were devised. Inspire is intended to educate employees by encouraging them to connect with technology, and includes space for new product demonstrations and displays.

One of the main employee complaints was the lack of available meeting space, so Discovery is aimed at improving team interaction and learning by offering a range of meeting and training rooms, which are now heavily used.

At the other end of the scale was a desire by staff to have somewhere to go to relax and get away from technology. For that reason four technologyfree nurture areas or pods were created with a mix of styles and furniture. Pod 1 brings the ‘outside in’ and features New meeting facilities allows staff to work cross functionally

“We really made the open-plan spaces work for our people by using the core of the building as shared and meeting spaces” www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 16:40

deckchairs sitting on a ‘grass’ carpet; Pod 2 is for relaxation, with chaises longues sited below low-level pendant lights to create a calming aura, which can also be used for yoga; Pod 3 consists of comfy open chairs and ottomans for staff to read and relax and finally, Pod 4 offers a tea point with fresh fruit to promote wellbeing and healthy eating.

Kilmartin says: “We really made the open-plan spaces work for our people by using the core of the building as shared and meeting spaces.”

“Without this and by taking a more traditional approach, would have meant we would have needed to take additional floor space by now.”

Branding Three Responding to the complaint that the building didn’t “feel like Three“, branding is incorporated www.fm-world.co.uk

22-25 Impact on organisation.indd 25

throughout, beginning at reception where ‘Gem’ screens with large-scale messages reinforce the Three brand for visitors; branded touchscreen kiosks welcome and issue visitor passes and the firm’s technology and wireless facilities are showcased.

The project also incorporated some simple, but very effective ideas that have gone a long way to engage staff. As it is a largely young workforce, based in the centre of a vibrant city, many of the Three staff go straight out to local bars and restaurants after work. The redesign had already included shower facilities to encourage people to cycle to work – but with the addition of lights around the mirrors, the bathrooms were transformed into dressing rooms. This simple and low-cost solution is just one more reason for staff pride.

Kilmartin says: “One of the

outcomes we wanted was for our people to talk about their workplace outside work and for that message to spread locally. We feel we have definitely achieved this and it is a very positive factor used in the attraction and retention of new employees.”

Following the project, maintaining high levels of engagement is dependent on continued monitoring by the facilities team. According to Kilmartin, this is being achieved by ensuring that new employees understand what “feels like Three” means in terms of how they work and use their workspace and in having an FM representative on the site leadership team so that any facilities issues are discussed, agreed and resolved by the senior team in Glasgow.

Going forward, she says: “We map trends and adjust our services where necessary. For

example, the headcount using the building has increased in 2014 and with it the hours of use have extended to include weekends and later nights. We have had to think about how we reinvent our catering and cleaning service to suit.”

The Impact on Organisation and Workplace Award celebrates working environments that as well as being functional and desirable also make a positive contribution towards job satisfaction and people’s productivity. If one of the measures of its success is the response of its employees to the new workplace then Three was already worthy winner.

Architect Jane O’Connor, design director at IOR, explains: “The success of this project was having such a great brief and having a client who would allow you to access the staff and was interested in making sure that the staff were heard.

“They were inspirational in the brief and in their approach, which was pretty refreshing.”

The BIFM judges agreed, remarking that the investment

by Three and the valuable contribution of the FM team resulted in excellent shared facilities, space to handle the growth of a busy UK call centre and a doubling of staff engagement improvements (43 per cent to 88 per cent), which managed to deliver on more than 90 per cent of the staff wishes.

Kilmartin says: “We are thrilled to have won this award as we feel we were able to demonstrate how the workplace and facilities can really make a positive impact on our organisation. The sense of achievement by all who worked on the project and were part of the award submission was amazing.

“It made our day an ‘everyday wonderful’ day.” FM FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 25

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FM FEATURE

SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING

ELISABETH JEFFRIES

BEARING SUSTAINABILITY The sustainable workplace sounds a fine idea, but actually trying to enforce it or living in the midst of the changes required can be another matter.

Elisabeth Jeffries reports 26 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING

ILLUSTRATION: DALE EDWIN MURRAY

I

t is all too good to be true.

Employees cycle to work.

Rubbish is neatly separated into different bins. LED lighting is fitted. These are all good practices designed to encourage an environmentally friendly, happy workplace, and in theory people enjoy a feel-good factor from helping protect the world around them.

In practice, the reverse is sometimes the case. The bins may be poorly located or labelled, so staff leave litter lying about. A bicycle shed is purchased, but there are no showers to wash on arrival or car parking is restricted except for the few lucky special cases. LED lighting linked to a building management system is difficult to control at one’s own desk. So employees rebel and feel that management is controlwww.fm-world.co.uk

26-29 Wellbeing.indd 27

freaky, and sustainability a chore.

Some of these experiences are reflected in a survey conducted

by Johnson Controls Workplace Innovation, a research and development section in the facilities management branch of the buildings products company.

Workplace Innovation carried out the survey in conjunction with the Royal College of Art’s Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design.

The study, entitled Sustainability@Work – Creating Greener Workplaces, found a surprisingly high number of employees were put off by sustainability measures.

It demonstrated that employees believe they are all responsible for sustainability and want to work in an organisation that enables them to behave sustainably. But they do not want

38% “38 PER CENT AGREED THAT “EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE BURDENED WITH IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES ON TOP OF THEIR EXISTING WORKLOADS”

to be burdened with it, and don’t want it to affect existing working patterns.

Of the 4,000 people surveyed in 2013 in six countries (the US, Germany, UK, China, India, Australia), only 28 per cent disagreed that sustainability initiatives should not affect the way people work. A further 30 per cent were undecided.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent agreed that “employees should not be burdened with implementing sustainable practices on top of their existing workloads”, while 33 per cent disagreed and 29 per cent were undecided.

Penny-pinching Sustainability can be a nuisance.

Many sustainability measures, unless carefully and sensitively put in place, will get in the FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 27

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FM FEATURE

SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING

way of a busy employee, be considered trivial or pennypinching and perhaps even cause more stress.

“If you take the stairs rather than use the lift, if you are rewarded if you cycle to work, if the building saves energy at certain times, these can all be an inconvenience,” points out Dr Marie Puybaraud, one of the study authors.

Taking the stairs will be difficult for those wearing high heels. Cycling may not be practical for employees taking their children to school. Energysaving measures may mean some people have to work alone with the lights turned off if they do overtime. All these will be especially unpopular with many employees if they are imposed from above. They can cause conflict.

Yet according to Dr Puybaraud and her team, a more thoughtful approach will work more effectively. This entails segmenting employees into different sustainability cultures or character types.

These they have divided into campaigners (34 per cent), housekeepers (27 per cent), libertarians (21 per cent) and pragmatists (18 per cent). rs believe that The researchers these four typess are to be found he world. across most of the If these four different yees types of employees rive and managers drive change through, o they are likely to ar adopt a particular approach to sustainability.

ELISABETH JEFFRIES

efforts from company and employees. Housekeepers focus on changing behaviours and finding ways to save or make do.

They would encourage employees to have a car pool and centralise waste and recycling bins.

Pragmatists believe that employees should not bear costs that become gains to the company. A pragmatist culture might have desk-sharing and homeworking. Campaigners expect matched efforts from company and employees. A campaigner culture might have free public transport and no parking.

“Most organisations did not know what they had in front of them. Everyone has a different attitude to sustainability. You may not become a pragmatist in the office if you are a pragmatist at home. You have to get to know the different people you have in front of you and communicate differently with different people,” says Dr Puybaraud. That said, in practice most companies have a tendency towards one of the cultures.

FMs were a section of the staff population with strong,

THE 4 DIFFERENT SUSTAINABILITY CULTURES

34% 27% 21% 18% CAMPAIGNERS

HOUSEKEEPERS

LIBERTARIANS

PRAGMATISTS

distinctive and often quite environmentally friendly views.

The authors write: “The building and services/FM industries consistently stood out as sectors which demonstrated more advanced sustainable behaviours and attitudes.”

For example, they disagreed the most that sustainability

should not impact on a company’s ability to compete.

Among industry sectors, they scored most highly in the belief that sustainability needs to be driven by everyone at all levels and needs to be embedded in how the organisation does business.

They also did not agree that employees should not be burdened with implementing sustainable practices on top of their existing workload, nor that sustainability initiatives should not affect the way that employees work. Finally, they agreed that sustainability should not just focus on short-term cost savings, but needs to be about long-term investment. Of the different sectors interviewed, they were the most in favour of homeworking.

The failure to communicate appropriately to the right people and implement the right measures may mean the sustainability project collapses.

“When my former employer, a public sector organisation, removed the car park, there was uproar,” remembers Jane Abraham, a consultant

Libertarian n or housekeeper? er?

Libertarians, for example, ble measures are believe sustainable hould not affect important, but should the employees’ way of working. ect matched They would expect 28 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLBEING

specialising in workplace environments. Hot-desking, she points out, is also often a mistake.

“Employees, on the whole, hate it. It doesn’t feel like it’s yours and you can pick up all sorts of germs. People like the comfort of knowing their environment and being able to control it.”

That hot-desking is often introduced for financial reasons may also grate with the libertarian and pragmatist types identified by Workplace Innovation. “The only reason, ever, for hot-desking and lean working is to reduce employer rental costs,” says Abraham.

To manage change more successfully, Workplace Innovation makes a number of suggestions. These are contained in the company’s engagement toolkit. The cultures conceptualised by the company may provide insight that can then be used to help managers develop an appropriate internal communications strategy for an effective environmental sustainability programme. It may be worth the effort, given the company’s findings that most employees aspire to be green.

Steps in the toolkit include evaluating employee attitudes and expectations and assessing the company’s current approach to understand which culture it tends to adhere to. Then it recommends creating a road map by identifying priorities and long-term goals, and identifying opportunities for communication about these with staff.

The next step is the creation of a communications strategy uniting all the initiatives under one brand. This helps management to understand what rewards and benefits to use to tailor initiatives to the different cultures in the organisation. A roll-out process is explained, along with the most www.fm-world.co.uk

26-29 Wellbeing.indd 29

likely effective communication channels. Workplace Innovation also recommends that the organisation should continually re-evaluate its strategy and give feedback on its goals to ensure continuous progress.

But views of the culturebased approach differ among sustainability and workplace professionals. Abraham also takes the view that managers need to distinguish between different types of employees.

“If you have a company-wide programme it might not match the needs of all the employees.

In terms of travel, you need flexibility for those that do need cars, for example. You need to be realistic,” she says.

Holistic nature However, other considerations need to be taken into account, especially if several programmes are running. She indicates that they need to complement each other. “You need to integrate competing bigger programmes around behaviour change so as not to be burdensome. If you can make it easy to empower people to engage, you are less likely to disincentivise them,” she adds.

Health and wellbeing programmes are an example.

“Health and wellbeing programmes need to be integrated with CSR. You are asking people to change their behaviour and their lifestyle.”

She suggests staff need to be made aware of the links between a healthy lifestyle and sustainability, such as diet. One reason is to avoid complexity.

Another is to ensure that people understand the broader, holistic nature of sustainability as a policy.

Bridget Jackson, sustainability manager at consultancy Price Waterhouse Coopers, agrees that conflicts may arise between sustainability and wellbeing.

“You may not become a pragmatist in the office if you are a pragmatist at home. You have to get to know the different people you have in front of you and communicate differently to different people”

The company has experimented with different communication strategies. In one case, staff were asked to cut down on business travel, but did not respond positively to this. Managers noticed some resistance and apathy. “If it’s about green first and foremost, it only appeals to a few people. For others, it doesn’t work,” says Jackson. However, the sustainability managers in this case did not turn to segmentation to sensitise their approach.

Instead, they turned to more commercial and personal values.

“We flipped our message to: sustainability drives good work performance. We launched a campaign to encourage employees to use alternatives like video conferencing. We did this by saying: if you don’t travel you are at odds with giving the highest service to the client,” she explains.

Quick and easy availability to clients was the point. By avoiding unnecessary travel, they were encouraging clients and consultants to be in touch in a variety of different ways. The tone of the campaign, she says, was “funny, witty, upbeat and not doom and gloom.”

Improving wellbeing by cutting down on travel was also part of the message.

According to Jackson, the use of alternative technologies for client contact tripled in three years as a result. But she indicates that segmented communications, as suggested by Workplace Innovation, may not always be the appropriate way forward. The consultancy also tried segmentation and found five different employee types.

“But we found we get much more impact by aligning the programme with the business message than pegging it to segments and values,” she says. FM FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 29

30/10/2014 16:41

Only weeks remain!

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R22 units awaiting replacement

For older cooling plants still operating with R22 refrigerant, be they industrial, process or commercial, time really is running out!

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U K D a i k i n d i s t r i b u t o r f o r o v e r 34 y e a r s

N O B O DY K N OWS DAI KI N B E T T E R

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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.

TOP 5 ELEMENTS MOST WANTED IN THE OFFICE

VAT rates: Standard rate – 20% (from 4 January 2011) Reduced rate – 5% Zero rate – this is not the same as exempt or outside the scope of VAT Source: HM Treasury (hmrc.gov.uk)

Bank of England base rate: 0.5% as of 23 October 2014.

The previous change in bank rate was a reduction of 0.5 percentage points to 0.5% on 5 March 2009.

42%

OF EMPLOYEES HAVE NO NATURAL LIGHT

NATURAL LIGHT A VIEW OF THE SEA BRIGHT COLOURS

42%

15%

20%

55%

OF EMPLOYEES DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO ANY GREENERY

7%

Source: Bank of England (bankofengland.co.uk)

Consumer Price Index (CPI): The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) grew by 1.5% in the year to August 2014, down from 1.6% in July. Falls in the prices of motor fuels and food and non-alcoholic drinks provided the largest downward contributions to the change in the rate. The largest upward effects, partially offsetting the fall, came from clothing, transport services and alcohol.

Source: (www.ons.gov.uk)

QUIET WORKING SPACE

LIVE INDOOR PLANTS

22%

18%

OF EMPLOYEES HAVE NO WINDOWS SOURCE: HUMANSPACES.COM

UK WASTE AND RECYCLING

LIVING WAGE

UK CONTROLLED WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SERVICES MARKET (£M) 2010-2015

The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.

It is set annually by the Living Wage Foundation, and calculated by the Greater London Authority and the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. It is recommended that employers should implement new rates within six months of the annual announcement. The 2014 rate was announced on 3 November (unknown at time of going to print). SOURCE: WWW.LIVINGWAGE.ORG.UK

25,000 22,500 20,000 17,500

EMPLOYMENT

15,000

National Minimum Wage NOTE: The following rates came into effect on 1 October 2014:

10,000

Category of worker

Hourly rate from 1 Oct 2014

Aged 21 and above

£6.50 (up from £6.31)

Aged 18 to 20 inclusive

£5.13 (up from £5.03)

Aged under 18 (but above compulsory school age)

£3.79 (up from £3.72)

Apprentice rate, for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship

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31_Insight.indd 33

£2.73 (up from £2.68)

12,500

SOURCE: WW.W.GOV.UK 2010 2011 2012 2013 EST 2014 FCST 2015 FCST

Data indicates that the market for the collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of controlled waste was an estimated £18.9 billion in 2013.

Strong annual growth rates have been driven by the implementation of EU directives to cut landfill and grow materials recovery through recycling, composting and energy-from-waste. The downturn in the UK economy suppressed growth rates in 2012 – project delays meant less waste was created and prices for many types of recyclate fell.

Now the EU Landfill Directive and renewable energy mean that regardless of the state of the economy, government, councils and businesses must step up waste reduction and recycling.

NATIONAL YEAR 2011 2012 2013

NATIONAL MIN WAGE* 6.08 6.19 6.31

UK LIVING WAGE 7.20 7.45 7.65

DIFFERENCE 1.12 1.26 1.34

*SET BY THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED LOW PAY COMMISSION **SET BY THE LIVING WAGE FOUNDATION, CALCULATED BY THE CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN SOCIAL POLICY FROM 2011

LONDON YEAR

NATIONAL MIN WAGE*

LONDON LIVING WAGE

DIFFERENCE

2011 2012 2013

6.08 6.19 6.31

8.30 8.55 8.80

2.22 2.36 2.49

*SET BY THE GOVERNMENT FUNDED LOW PAY COMMISSION **CALCULATED BY THE GLA FROM 2005, SET BY THE LIVING WAGE FOUNDATION FROM 2011 FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 31

30/10/2014 17:08

Want to be at the cutting edge of FM? Then get involved in the BIFM

Want to get involved in the BIFM? Then look sharp and contact us.

As the representative body for facilities management, we’re already the cutting edge of the industry. But as a member (or potential member), you might like to get your teeth into what we do and be a more active participant. It’s a fantastic opportunity to help shape

BIFM cutting edge NEW 186x123.indd 1 32 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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the future of our business – from the business end. Whether you’d like to simply attend a regional meeting and the national conference, organise an event, join a committee, become a mentor or sharpen your vocal or literary skills by being a key speaker or writing

in FM World, we’d love to hear from you. Because to help everyone in the industry make the most of it, we need all the useful tools we can get our hands on. So why not get involved and get more out of FM – for yourself and everyone else.

T: 0845 058 1358 E: membership@bifm.org.uk www.bifm.org.uk

2/8/10 12:19:58

28/10/2014 10:36

FM MONITOR WARREN JENCHNER

STANDARDS

Warren Jenchner, managing director of Apex Lifts

EN 81-20 LIF T DES I GN

he British Standards Institution (BSI) has just released the new European standards for lift design and manufacture, EN 81–20 and EN 81–50. Warren Jenchner explains why they are set to have a big impact on FM and the building industry

T

extra considerations for architects, building contractors and lift manufacturers alike. The dimensions required used to be set at 500 ft by 600 ft by 800 ft, but are now more complicated as the exact dimensions depend on the solution provided by the lift manufacturer.

Safer maintenance Released at the end of August 2014, the new EN 81–20 and EN 81–50 standards have not only replaced the EN 81–1 and EN 81–2 standards introduced in 1998, but have also completely restructured the way lift manufacturers and, importantly, their clients must approach compliance with lift safety legislation.

What’s changed In laymen’s terms, the new standards are as follows: EN 81–20 focuses on the design requirements for both hydraulic and traction passenger and goods lifts, taking into consideration the space required, and the size and strength of doors, landings and shafts. EN 81–50, on the other hand, dictates the standards required for safety components such as landing door locks that lift companies either manufacture or buy in from third parties when installing lifts.

Previously lift safety legislation compliance was dependant on the type of lift in a building.

For example, if dealing with a hydraulic lift, the EN 81–2 would be relevant, and for traction, compliance with EN 81–1 was required. The standards are no longer separated according to lift type – now, for a lift to be fully compliant, both new standards apply. www.fm-world.co.uk

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Structural requirements The structural requirements of new lifts have altered substantially. Lift shaft walls need to be able to withstand greater perpendicular forces to deflect potential damage and protect the lift shaft. The force a shaft wall has to resist has increased from 300N (in clause 5.3.1.1, as specified in the now defunct EN 81-1) to 1000N in clause 5.2.1.8.2 of EN 81-20.

Alex Miles, certification and approval director of Lift Cert, a lift regulations body explains: “The material used for the doors of entrance landings will be heavier owing to increase on requirements from 300N to 1000N. Heavier doors may well require the entrance landing spaces to be larger, and there must be increased space in the pit, on the car roof and at the top of the shaft. This is to accommodate the engineers who will ensure that your lifts are working efficiently and safely.”

To comply with the new EN 81–20 standard, buildings must have three different types of safety space; lift maintenance engineers must be able to lay, stand or work in a crouching box. These spaces have to be accounted for in building plans, as well as lift design, providing

The new standards are more rigorous, but also clearer, with an emphasis on advanced technology, increased efficiency and an optimised use of space.

The ultimate aim is to reduce risk and make lifts safer and more comfortable for all those who interact with them: the construction workers who build them, the maintenance workers who keep them running, the FMs who oversee them and, ultimately, the passengers who use them.

Consequently, understanding the new specifications outlined in the standards is not only the responsibility of those in the lift manufacturing industry. Building and facilities managers have a role to play too.

Compliance EN 81–20 and EN 81–50 are relevant to new installations only, rather than existing lifts, but the standards describe best practice, and observing best practice gives the end user a superior service.

Not only are the safety benefits

clear, it is entirely possible that EN 81–80 – the refurbishment standard – will be revised to be in line with the new standards in the near future, so you can get ahead of the game by purchasing new components in line with the standards specified in EN 81-50 when maintaining lifts. For example, use approved safety components, such as gate lock valves. Again, although it will involve expense, it will produce later efficiencies too.

The new standards come with a three-year adjustment period; this means that although EN 81–20 and EN 81–50 were published in August 2014, manufacturing companies (and lift projects) have until August 2017 to be fully compliant, allowing time for designs and manufacturing processes to be modified. That doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels – it’s best to get ahead now. Large building projects in planning or starting now may well not be finished before 2017, so time is of the essence.

Purchasing EN 81–20 and EN 81–50 from the BSI is the first step and further support and information can be found through the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA), the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), as well as from notified bodies, such as Lift Cert and, of course, from lift manufacturing companies. FM

“The new standards are more rigorous, but also clearer, with an emphasis on advanced technology, increased efficiency and an optimised use of space” FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 33

30/10/2014 14:47

THIS SEASON’S

NOVEMBER

“There were some excellent and very professional contributors who made the sessions very interesting with their in-depth knowledge of the FM industry - despite my experience and my initial apprehension being away from the office at one of our busiest periods, it was nice to find I still have a lot to learn!�

DECEMBER

PICKINGS Facilities Manager - Eric Wright Facilities Management Ltd [Understanding FM]

13 Managing FM Performance 18-20 Team Leading [ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills] 18-19 Display Screen Regulations & Risk Assessment 18 Client-Centred FM 19 Overview of FM Compliance & Standards 20 Cutting Costs But Maintaining Services 25-28 IOSH Managing Safely Certificate 25 Legionella Awareness, Responsibilities and Compliance

2-3 2 3 3-4 9-11 9-11 10 10 16-18 16 17 18

Property Management Advanced Sustainability Waste Legislation Property Mangement and Maintenance Strategy for FM Understanding FM Professional FM 2 Financial Management 1 Collaborative Working Professional FM 1 The Tender Process Contact Mangement Negotiating to Win

+44 (0)20 7404 4440

Telephone info@bifm-training.co.uk | www.bifm-training.com facebook.com/bifmtraining

twitter.com/bifmtraining

linkedin.com/company/bifm-training

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28/10/2014 10:37

FM MONITOR DAVE WOLFENDEN

TECHNICAL

Dave Wolfenden, director of Mafi Mushkila

THE PERILS OF I GN O R I N G DATA CEN TR E LOAD TEST I N G

ave Wolfenden asks why, although testing a data centre before the client takes possession is integral to its creation, few IT pros look at the testing procedures that could affect its reliability

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Testing a data centre before handover to the client is a normal part of data centre construction, but few IT professionals look at the testing that is carried out that can affect modern centres in the future. The usual reason for this is that until a full set of servers and allied IT systems are in place it is perceived as impossible to test a data centre under full loading conditions.

This assumption is incorrect, but it seems to be perpetuated by a number of misunderstandings about the complex technologies involved in a typical data centre.

In many cases airflow within the data centre is modelled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling software during the design phase. In addition to the testing set out by the commissioning team the CFD model should be proved before the IT infrastructure is installed.

The data centre facility should be tested at a variety of load levels, working up to 100 per cent load. Most of the energy consumed by IT infrastructure is rejected as heat; the simplest way to replicate the IT infrastructure is the use of fan heaters.

The heaters are often connected to temporary power supplies. These types of load do not reflect the airflow and temperature range akin to IT infrastructure and do not test the www.fm-world.co.uk

35 Technical.indd 35

power supply end-to-end.

The CFD model at 100 per cent is likely to assume that the data centre is fully occupied with floor standing and rack-mounted IT infrastructure. But during testing only some of the racks may be installed. To ensure the testing process is valid, temporary measures, such as installation of temporary IT racks, need to be in place to ensure the layout and load distribution reflect the CFD model layout.

Although the latter two issues can be met using sensible planning, effective heat control is something of a science in its own right, as dissipating heat – from whatever source – within the data centre is a critical process.

If carried out poorly or by using unreliable technology, a runaway heat problem can turn into an IT disaster, shortening both system and server lifespan at best – and causing equipment failures at worst.

ROI v cost conundrum In an ideal world a business could throw enough money at a data centre project to make sure of 100 per cent uptime and happy customers, as well as staff. But in the real world, even in a missioncritical application, there are clear return on investment (ROI) issues that must be addressed when planning, testing and maintaining

an effective facility. Corners may wrongly be cut when it comes to a process called Heat Load Testing, where the prodigious heat output of servers and allied IT systems in a data centre is emulated using specialist equipment such as a heat load bank or server emulator.

Although this testing equipment is cost-effective, the fact that the units have to be installed in a ‘shell’ data centre – that is, relatively complete apart from the IT systems and servers for several weeks and on a wide scale, has led some firms to superficially test the heat and electrical load, rather than apply in-depth testing processes.

A new IT equipment room, data centre – or modular data centre – is designed and expected to run continuously for the duration of its design lifetime, which can amount to years, even in the rapidly evolving IT arena.

Using actual servers to complete the tests is not possible, owing to the cost of filling the data centre with servers, the potential for damage to IT equipment and the time it would take to reset servers after each test.

Coupled with the need for fixed, predictable loading during testing, a server emulator provides a variable electrical load and produces a heat load. These loads allow the testing of the electrical and cooling systems in a controlled environment.

Test units in detail Good testing equipment allows the thermal inspection of all joints and connections under a full load condition before the building becomes operational, so reducing the fire risk. One useful side effect of this process is that

the electrical assessment process provides confirmation that power monitoring and billing equipment is operating correctly, as well as minimising risks and issues that may not otherwise be found for several years.

Allied to the electrical check process is the testing of ancillary systems such as electromechanical and mechanical units, pumps, cooling and chiller systems, as well as room air conditioning units (RACU) where appropriate.

These tests are also useful for load testing of intermediate heat exchangers, which are usually installed to cut water leakage loss in the suite, with capacities ranging from 100,000 litres all the way down to 250 litres.

For water chilling, the testing process normally requires load testing to prove that the chilled water ring has a sufficient volume of cold water to allow the chillers to restart when a generator kicks in, so negating the requirement to UPS-equip the chillers for resilience.

All these methods are a fundamental aspect of data centre testing as the comprehensive checking of electrical and chilling/cooling systems is infinitely preferable – on several fronts – to destroying a bank of servers. A rack of heaters cost a few thousand pounds, against the cost of a rack of servers that can cost up to six figures.

By documenting a safe and reliable testing phase of a data centre deployment, this can act as proof to insurers that the systems are fit for purpose under full load, as well as providing full assurance that the components and systems are set up and configured correctly. FM FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 35

30/10/2014 14:49

FM MONITOR LEE CALVER

Lee Calver, content developer, International Workplace

LEGAL UPDATE HEALTH AN D SA FET Y L EGI S L AT I O N

long with many aspects of FM, the world of health and safety rarely stands still.

Staying on top of vital changes is a daunting task, but it is essential that every organisation pushes health and safety to the top of the agenda, says Lee Calver

A

Being involved in FM requires knowledge across a range of topics, such as new laws or changes to existing legislation, an understanding of national and global best practices and an awareness of international standards. But how is it possible to absorb all of this information with so many daily tasks to keep on top of?

Becoming an expert on all necessary laws, regulations and standards is almost impossible, but it is paramount that you do stay on top of vital updates.

The government uses two Common Commencement Dates a year for regulations and new legislation to come into place; 1 April and 1 October.

The right direction This year can be seen as an iconic year for health and safety. It is 40 years since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Back in 1974, 651 workrelated deaths from accidents were recorded, while the most recent statistics for 2013/14 were 133 work-related deaths.

Clearly, more work is needed, but it is positive to see the figures heading in the right direction.

Over that 40-year period, we have also witnessed a wider remit of legislation that covers more workplaces, helps to protect more 36 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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workers and addresses some of the emerging risks that we now better understand.

It has not all been plain sailing and the UK has had to face a number of challenges, including the continuing battle to see health and safety as a positive thing to get right in the workplace. Above and beyond that is membership of the EU and its associated impact on what is done in the UK, plus deregulation and cost-cutting in some areas of the enforcement regime.

The government’s review of health and safety in the UK is now into its fourth year and there have been some significant milestones during that period.

Both Lord Young’s Common Sense, Common Safety report and Professor Lofstedt’s review are now forming the future strategy of health and safety regulation within the UK and outcomes from the ‘Good Health and Safety, Good for Everyone’ initiative are starting to filter through in terms of a more pragmatic approach to managing workplace risk.

Fee for intervention The HSE was given the green light in October 2012 to start charging for its time spent ‘intervening’ under the fee for Intervention scheme (FFI). At £124 an hour, latest figures suggest the HSE is recouping somewhere in the region of £1 million a month in FFI charges.

Although the average FFI notice is about £500, it is worth noting that 51 notices have been over £10,000.

To date, it is only the HSE that charges for its time spent inspecting, but that is not to say it won’t be extended to other enforcing agencies in the future.

A recent report stated that fee for intervention is effective and should stay, so it will be interesting to see whether other enforcing agencies follow FFI’s lead in the coming months.

Despite it getting the results it was looking for, has it driven a wedge between organisations and the HSE? Whereas companies in the past would feel confident calling the HSE to assist with their concerns, are they now afraid they will be hit with a hefty fine by asking for guidance?

Guidance and ACoPs Over the past couple of years Approved Code of Practices (ACoPs) and guidance surrounding health and safety legislation have been regularly discussed, and we have seen revision, consolidation and

“Back in 1974, 651 work-related deaths from accidents were recorded, while the most recent statistics for 2013/14 were 133 work-related deaths”

withdrawal of a number of documents in the recent past.

In the next six months changes to the following ACoPs are expected: ● Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) ● Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 ● Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 They should also receive an update following the recent consultation on proposals to exempt self-employed persons from section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Display the poster As of 5 April 2014, all workplaces had to make sure they were displaying the updated Health and Safety Law Poster; they risk being fined if they fail to comply with that legislation.

Under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER), employers are required to display the correct poster in a prominent position in all workplaces and should also provide staff who work remotely or off-site with a copy of the She’s health and safety law leaflet or pocket card.

The final outcomes following one of the biggest HSE consultations in history on proposals to revise the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007) is still to come.

The new regulations will be implemented in April 2015. FM International Workplace is the BIFM’s adviser on employment law, health & safety and premises management. This information was first presented at its biannual FM legal update event

www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 16:42

TA M LITE LIGHTING

LIGHTING FOR A LIVING TODAY AND BEYOND Tamlite have been lighting for a living since 1967. During that time we have been at the forefront of British lighting design, innovation and manufacture.

We know that our customers demand the very best and our in-house R&D and testing facilities are a vital resource in supporting the comprehensive lighting design and technical support team.

- 10 product manufacturing divisions in the UK, with more than 20,000 square metres of production and warehousing space

TM

p37_FMW061114.indd 2 Tamlite FP.indd 1

T. 01527 517 777 E. sales@tamlite.co.uk W. tamlite.co.uk

- Over 450 product ranges to suit all applications and supported by the Tamlite â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;INFINITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LED assurance programme

BRITISH Manufacturing

27/10/2014 14/10/2014 17:13 16:00

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

ThinkFM will be back at Kings Place in London on 13 May 2015 caption here

THINKFM CONFERENCE 2015

ThinkFM focuses on ‘competitive edge’ for 2015 ThinkFM, the leading FM conference from BIFM, will return to Kings Place, London, on 13 May 2015.

The theme for ThinkFM 2015 is The Competitive Edge: Gaining competitive advantage through the workplace.

What does competitive advantage actually mean? Put simply, it’s when an organisation acquires or develops an attribute or combination of attributes that allows it to outperform its competitors.

Taken to the limit, competitive advantage can ultimately transport an organisation to a space that is uniquely its own – making it the ‘go to’ place for a particular product or service.

ThinkFM 2015 will also open up the debate on how the workplace can help drive competitive advantage for business, the economy and society as a whole.

This will be building on the partnership with The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to champion the attribute of the workplace; the way we work and the spaces we create for work.

Bookings for ThinkFM 2015 will open shortly.

To be the first to hear when you can secure your place, register your interest now at www.bifm.org.uk/2015interest. i See more at www.thinkfm.com.

You can also follow all the latest news @ThinkFM. To get involved in this sell-out conference through sponsorship, please contact corporate@bifm.org. uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 630.

38 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

38-40_BIFM News.indd 38

BIFM AWARDS 2015

Save the date The 2015 Awards will take place on Monday 12 October, once again at The Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

Register at www.bifm.org.uk/ enter2015 to be the first to hear the 2015 categories and details of how to enter.

To be involved in the sell-out BIFM Awards, which attracted 1,350 guests in 2014 please contact corporate@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 630. i

ENERGY EXPERTISE

EMEX sessions If you are planning to visit the EMEX show from 19-20 November at ExCeL in London, make sure you come and visit the BIFM team on stand D70. We are also hosting two sessions at EMEX. ● Closing the Energy Performance Gap: Practical Tools and Tips, Sunil Shah, CBx and BIFM Sustainability SIG 19 November, 13.10-13.40pm at the Energy Use in the Built

Environment Theatre: On average, buildings consume between 150 per cent and 250 per cent their predicted energy value. This problem is known as the performance gap: the difference in energy use of non-domestic buildings, from design prediction to performance in use. In some cases, this gap has added over £10 per square metre in unexpected annual operating energy costs. The gap can occur for a number of reasons: from inaccuracies during the design process, to design changes or poor quality of construction, to inadequate commissioning or systems not operating as intended once the building is in operation. This session will look at some of tools and tips to reduce this gap through the building lifecycle. ● Climate Change Reality meets FM! Jamie Quinn, Cofely 20 November; 11:50-12:20.

Energy Management Training Theatre Jamie Quinn (a trained Al Gore ambassador) will provide a snapshot of the latest scientific research on climate change which builds upon the original An Inconvenient Truth film

by Al Gore. Jamie will update visitors on the science and the

effects across the world, along with the growth in renewable and sustainable solutions. To end the presentation, Jamie will make the connection between climate change and the huge impact that FM can have in both mitigation and adaptation. i Learn more about EMEX at www.emexlondon.com

CAREERS

Professions Week Professions Week – as part of the Access to the Professions – gives young people the exciting opportunity to understand what the variety of professions have to offer them.

During 10-16 November a number of events are being held across the country to help promote the professions and provide insight into what is involved.

Linda Hausmanis, head of professional standards and education at BIFM, is once again speaking at the ‘Pathways to the Professions Conference’ on November 12.

The audience will primarily be careers advisers, and sessions are www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 12:50

Please send your news items to communications@bifm.org.uk or call +44 (0)1279 712 620

designed to increase interest in being a professional among young people (14-19) and demonstrate the routes into the professions.

Linda will be sharing her expansive view on FM, what working in an FM role requires – focusing on the importance of communications, and highlighting to delegates the skill sets required and the opportunities and pathways for careers in FM. Other events taking place during Professions Week include The Skills Show on 13–15 November at the NEC Birmingham. It is the nation’s largest skills and careers event, helping to shape the future of a new generation. Attracting more than 75,000 visitors, the show provides hands-on experiences that inspire young people to explore further education, skills and apprenticeships. i Learn more about Professions Week at www.accesstotheprofessions.org/ professions-week

KNOWLEDGE

Advice for coping in poor weather As adverse weather is expected over the coming months, you can make sure you are prepared for the winter weather and manage the risks to your business by using BIFM knowledge resources.

BIFM members have free access to specialist guides covering: Winter Weather Guidance Flood Risk Management Guidance ● Flood Clean-Up Guidance ● ●

i The guides, alongside further knowledge resources from BIFM can be accessed via www.bifm.org. uk/knowledge.

www.fm-world.co.uk

38-40_BIFM News.indd 39

BIFM COMMENT

Lee Grant is head of service and community development

REPRESENTING THE VERY BEST OF THE FM PROFESSION

s one of the most recent additions to BIFM, I find myself joining a team of talented and motivated individuals committed to delivering its mission and vision to support the membership and the wider FM community. In my role of head of service and community development, I have responsibility for ensuring that our members are both valued and represented in the wider profession and that the structures are in place to allow our communities to continue to grow and prosper.

Over the years I have often asked myself “what does membership of a professional body actually mean?” I have been unable to pinpoint a definition that applies to the many audiences that professional bodies attract. However, one conclusion that I have made is that membership is much more than the sum of its tangible and intangible parts. While membership may be a leg up the career ladder, it can also be a source of information or a client requirement. Equally, it can be a measure of status, or the route to becoming qualified and maintaining your Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Whatever being a BIFM member means to you, signing up to the code of professional conduct and contributing to the promotion of excellence in facilities management should be at the core – professionalising yourself and the organisations you work with to benefit the economy and wider society.

I am fortunate to join BIFM at a time of growth and I have already had many conversations about recruitment, growth and retention. For me it’s simple; as the professional body, BIFM represents the very best of the facilities management profession and gains strength and voice through its members. The more members, the louder the voice; the louder the voice, the greater the impact!

If I were to comment on what success could look like, it is a continued and significant increase in membership at all grades throughout the UK and internationally. It would also see increased numbers of experts contributing to the advancement of the facilities management profession through BIFM’s regional and special interest group activities, resulting in BIFM’s members’ voices being listened to and acted upon by government and opinion formers.

Moving forwards, I hope to ensure that BIFM membership is highly relevant to those working in and supporting facilities management; the routes to membership are appropriate and accessible to those individuals and organisations and that BIFM continues to lead the promotion of excellence and professionalism throughout the sector.

A

“IF I WERE TO COMMENT ON WHAT SUCCESS COULD LOOK LIKE, IT IS A CONTINUED AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP AT ALL GRADES THROUGHOUT THE UK AND INTERNATIONALLY”

i lee.grant@bifm.org.uk @leegrant123

FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 39

30/10/2014 12:51

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Sustainability SIG AGM The Sustainability SIG held its AGM on 8 October, kindly hosted

by Arup.

Lucy Black, the outgoing chair, gave an overview of the year, which had seen the SIG present events across the UK working with the regions.

This had enabled BIFM members to get a greater chance to come to a sustainability focused event.

The group had also run the annual sustainability survey for the eighth year, sat on external panels developing and advising on national policy and inputted into the BIFM’s Good Practice Guides.

The efforts of the volunteers on the committee together with financial support from sponsors Open Energi, Cofeley–GDFSuez and Waldmann Lighting had combined to make it a good year, topped by being awarded the SIG of the Year.

A new committee was then elected in, with Simon Grinter as the new chair.

Ian Rogers, head of sustainability at Arup, presented the sustainability journey within the company.

Employee wellbeing has been at the heart of the company since it was founded in 1946, together with strong values for making a positive contribution to the world.

With its strong engineering base, Arup has integrated solutions for reducing energy and water consumption into buildings for clients, and more recently has been looking to its own estate.

The FM team has the challenge of working with building users who are all experts!

Following a tour of the building, participants enjoyed 40 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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some drinks as well as the opportunity to catch up with colleagues old and new. i Learn more about the BIFM Sustainability SIG at www.bifm.org.uk/sustainability

GUIDANCE

Contracts webinar this month Building on the collaboration between BIFM and NEC earlier in the year, members are invited to join a free ‘NEC for FM’ webinar on 25 November from 1pm-2pm.

Topics covered will include: ● The highlights and recommendations of the BIFM Good Practice Guide to Procurement ● Why the suite of contracts was important – no standard form of contract in industry ● An introduction to the Term Service Contract and Term Service Short Contract (TSSC) ● Case studies of the contracts in action.

Speakers include: ● John Bowen, author of the Good Practice Guide and past chair of the BIFM Procurement SIG ● Robert Gerrard, author of the How To Use guide and NEC Users’ Group secretary ● Chris Moriarty, head of insight and corporate affairs at BIFM. The session is suitable for anyone who is interested in finding out more about the TSC and why the Good Practice Guide To Procurement is indispensable to FMs using contracts as part of their on-going role.

Register to attend at www.neccontract.com/Products/ Webinars/NEC-for-FM-webinar i

BIFM TRAINING “FM CONTRACTORS JUST DON’T PERFORM PROPERLY”

t’s easy to blame the FM contractor if they’re not performing, but sometimes we should we review how it came about, and look at ourselves as FMs. The Tender Process & Specification: 16 December 2014/24 February 2015 When FM contracts fail to meet our needs it’s often a result of poor specification, inadequate pre-qualification and unsound tendering procedures. FM contracts are particularly vulnerable to such failings, so how do you avoid these traps?

The most effective specifications are developed from pure output and performance criteria, incorporating them into service provider method statements which contain agreed key performance indicators for subsequent contract management.

User comment: “Gillian was very friendly and made the day very enjoyable, her experience and knowledge was great and made the day.”

I

Contract Management: 17 December 2014/25 February 2015 Promised customer benefits and improved quality of service needs to be sustained throughout the contract, and the inevitable change must be managed, with day-to-day service problems overcome. Our practical contract management course will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to manage contracts and service levels and achieve the performance expected.

User comment: “Very good course, enjoyed all aspects of the training, learnt a lot, confident to put in place areas of contract management” Negotiating to Win: 18 December 2014/26 February 2015 Finally, negotiating isn’t everyone’s strong area, but FMs need to negotiate with colleagues, customers, contractors and suppliers on a daily basis, often with highly experienced negotiators determined to achieve their targets and goals. So this highly enjoyable and practical course helps maximise your strengths and own style to reach successful deals: User comment: “David is an amazing tutor and has instilled much confidence in me to take my new skills to work and use to my advantage” If you register for all three courses as a package you will benefit from a reduced fee. i For details of all courses go to www.bifm-training.com, email info@bifm-training.co.uk, or phone 020 7242 4141

www.fm-world.co.uk

30/10/2014 14:47

FM DIARY INDUSTRY EVENTS 19-20 November | Energy Management Exhibition Supported by BIFM. Exploring the latest measures to reduce energy use, regulations and grants, Low Energy Companies and Energy Performance Contracts.

Venue: ExCeL, London.

Contact: Jason Franks at 0208 505 7073 or visit www.emexlondon.com 27 November | The Building Services Summit 2014 Building services equipment is responsible for more than 80 per cent of energy consumption in commercial buildings. The Building Controls Industry Association has joined forces with the Building & Engineering Services Association to announce the 10-80-10 – Building Services Summit. Speakers include Deborah Rowland, head of property asset management, UK Ministry of Justice, James Pitcher, head of energy and environment, Tesco, and Michael Dick, head of buildings, City of London.

Venue: Barbican, London.

Contact: buildingservicessummit.co.uk 13 May 2015 | ThinkFM – The Competitive Edge: Gaining competitive advantage through the workplace.

The ThinkFM conference will be held at Kings Place, London. Full details to follow.

Venue: Kings Place, London.

Contact: To find out more, and to register your interest, visit www.thinkfm.com.

CHANNEL ISLANDS BRANCH 5 December | Guernsey quarterly training day – stress management The guest speaker is Dr Robert Gallagher.

Venue: TBC, Guernsey Contact: Email Naomi Fry at naomi.fry@investec-ci.com 12 December | Jersey quarterly training day – space management and acoustics More information to follow.

Venue: TBC, Jersey Contact: Email Naomi Fry at naomi.fry@investec-ci.com IRELAND REGION 14 November | Ireland conference Hosted by Jim Fitzpatrick, former BBC Northern Ireland business www.fm-world.co.uk 45 | 8 MAY 2014 | FM WORLD

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Send details of your event to editorial@fm–world.co.uk or call 020 7880 6229

editor. Presentations to be announced in the near future.

Venue: Titanic Building, Belfast Contact: Email Stephen Welch at stephen.welch@niassembly.gov.uk LONDON REGION 16 December | London region AGM More details to follow.

Venue: TBC Contact: Email Cathy Hayward at cathy.hayward@ magentaassociates.co.uk NORTH REGION 13 November | Collaborative partnerships The latest in the region’s series of key learning events. Paul Nolan of BAE Systems, David Hawkins of the Institute of Collaborative Working, Jeremy Campbell and Chris Kehoe of Emcor, and Steve Gladwin of Nodus Solutions to speak on BS 11000, its design and implementation, the latest developments and case studies on collaborative successes.

Venue: BAE Systems, Warton Aerodrome, Lytham Road, Warton, Preston, PR4 1AX Contact: Email Mark Whittaker at mark.a.whittaker@integral.co.uk or visit www.bifmbaw

SOUTH REGION

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

3 December | The involvement of FMs in the design process FMs complain about the buildings they inherit and manage. There are number of initiatives, such as ‘Soft Landings’, which are designed to give FMs a say in design.

Venue: Brighton University Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com.

12 November | Risk & business continuity – business resilience forum From 8:30am. Operated with RiskCentric and DSM. Discussions on communicating in a crisis, building the business case for continuity planning and more.

Venue: The Old Hangar, Elton Road, Sibson, Peterborough PE8 6NE Contact: Steve Dance at steve1dance@btinternet.com or visit www. tinyurl.com/oxplm6o to book tickets.

28 January 2015 | Technology and space utilisation Find out the latest thinking on using technology to assist with space utilisation. More information to follow.

Venue: Chichester County Hall Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com.

25 February 2015 | Qualification taster session An event outlining BIFM qualifications.

Venue: Specsavers, Forum 6, Solent Business Park, Whiteley, Hampshire PO15 7PA Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com.

SOUTH WEST REGION

9 December | Christmas social event More information to be confirmed soon.

Contact: Email Bob Rabagliati at bailiff@trinity-estates.org.uk

14 November | Quarterly training day The event will include presentatons on BMS controls, the new ISO 45001 standard, renewable energy sources and thermal imaging. Speakers to be confirmed.

Venue: Hilton Bristol Hotel, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JF Contact: Email dan.knight@ norlandmanagedservices.co.uk or visit www.tinyurl.com/odh729z to book tickets.

SCOTLAND REGION

WALES REGION

25-26 April 2015 | 2015 Gala Ball and Recognition Awards The Scotland region’s flagship event. The region’s awards evening will see FM Professional of the Year, FM Team of the Year and FM Project of the Year being awarded for the first time. Hosted

by Scottish TV and radio presenter David Farrell (DJ Romeo).

Venue: The Marriott Hotel, 500 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8RR Contact: Email Tony McKee at tony.mckeebifm@hcsuk.org or visit www.tinyurl.com/qbqnept to book tickets.

11 November | North Wales networking event From 4pm. A joint event with the BIFM Merseyside Network.

Talks on a variety of topics from Mark Whittaker, deputy chair of the North Region, Rachel Clacher, Moneypenny, Don Searle, Catch 22, and Caroline Reilly, The Living Wage Foundation.

Venue: Moneypenny, Ellice Way, Wrexham LL13 7YT Contact: Email Julie Hulme at julie.hulme@moneypenny.co.uk or visit www.tinyurl.com/m73obqt to book tickets.

27 November | West Yorkshire networking event More information to follow.

Venue: TBC Contact: Email Richard Keane at richard.b.keane@cummins.com

12 November 2014 | Cross cultural differences in FM Fridoline van Binsbergen, sitemanager, Shell Headquarters from Shell and Nannette Unger, from PostNL will discuss the outsourcing market, the implications of new ways of working for organisations and FM’s contribution to the CSR agenda, from the perspective of the Dutch market. Dave Wilson, Effective Facilities and Andrew Mawson, AWA will also speak.

Venue: Washington Mayfair Hotel, 5 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5HE Contact: Email Claire Sellick at clairesellick@btinternet.com 17 November 2014 | People management – FM of the Year, the DNA Chris Newton, the 2014 BIFM Facilities Manager of the Year, delivers a keynote speech on what makes a winning FM, followed by a panel discussion.

Venue: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 27 Sussex Place, London NW1 4RG Contact: Email Simon Aspinall at simonaspinall@c22.co.uk 3 December 2014 | Rising FMs – Christmas social event A social event, hosted by the Rising FMs special interest group.

Sponsored by recruitment company PRS. Venue: Las Iguanas, 1 Horner Square, Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EW Contact: Email Jason Gurd at risingfms@gmail.com or visit www.risingfmsxmas.eventbrite. co.uk to book tickets.

FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 41 www.fm-world.co.uk

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Call Jack Shuard on 020 7880 8543 or email jack.shuard@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack

FM innovations ▼ OCS ranks in Sunday Times Track 200

▲ Tinytag Data Loggers: Energy Efficiency Tinytags from Gemini Data Loggers support energy efficiency applications by accurately monitoring power usage, CO2, temperature and humidity locally or throughout a building. This will help identify where steps can be taken to improve energy efficiency, maximise cost savings, and ensure the occupants’ wellbeing.

The range includes the Energy Logger, a portable, non-invasive device for monitoring single and three-phase power usage of entire premises or individual high-consumption equipment.

For larger premises, the Tinytag Radio Data Logging System is an ideal solution, sending environmental information automatically via a receiver to a PC for analysis. Loggers in the radio range include robust, weatherproof units for use in outdoor and industrial applications, and discreet loggers for unobtrusive indoor monitoring.

See Gemini’s full range of data loggers at EMEX, 19-20 November, ExCeL, Stand G28

International total facilities management provider OCS, which ranked, earlier this year, in the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 of Britain’s private companies with the biggest growing overseas sales, has increased international sales by nearly 20% over the last two years and was listed as the single largest employer.

Stephen Waud, Director of OCS Group, commented: ‘I am proud to receive this award on behalf of OCS in recognition of the fantastic achievement of our people and the progress we have made in expanding our international operations and growing our geographic footprint.’

The annual Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 League Table, now in its 5th year, ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest growing international sales, over their latest two years of available accounts. W: www.ocs.co.uk

▲ First unit to filter not mask smells A new UK manufactured air filtration and fragrance system called ECOBreezeTM that filters out all smells, rather than masking them, is now available.

ECOBreeze is the first air care product that has a triple action system. First, it draws air through a dust filter to remove all airborne dust particulate; air is then directed through a sophisticated carbon filter to extract smelly organic molecules. Finally the clean air passes over a wicking system that releases a fragrance leaving the air in the washroom, kitchen or corridor clean, fresh and fragrant. Its attractive, ergonomic design means that it is suitable for all areas in all commercial premises.

The functional, economical and environmental benefits of ECOBreeze are applicable to all purchasers as servicing is quick, easy and can be carried out as part a cleaning schedule.

W: www.washroom-wizard.co.uk

▼ Keraflo launches Tanktronic

▲ Jangro launches new ID Jangro has launched a new corporate ID to celebrate its third decade as a leading innovator in the cleaning supplies industry. With £120 million turnover and 41 outlets, it is has more points of sale than any other janitorial supplies organisation in the UK and Ireland.

The new corporate ID is being launched on to Jangro Members’ vehicles, literature, stationery and promotional materials. The first packaging to adopt the new colourful house style is the Jangro Professional range. This will soon feature on the Premium range – products for demanding tasks; the Enviro range of products that have minimal effect on the environment and the Contract range of no-frills commercial products for everyday cleaning tasks.

The label is colour-coded to each range for easy identification and has been updated with colourful, consumer-style illustrations. QR codes have been added, enabling the user to access the relevant safety data sheet, risk assessment and product user guide.

W: www.jangro.net

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Keraflo, manufacturer of Aylesbury float valves and tank management systems, has launched a user-friendly version of its digital water tank control system Tanktronic. It provides a cutting-edge solution for buildings with water tanks to service a big reserve of water, i.e. hospitals, hotels and office buildings, and allows users complete control over their water stores.

It has been on the market for three years and is already installed in many prominent buildings such as The O2 Arena in London. One Tanktronic unit can control either one or two single water tanks or a twin-tank system. The enhanced model has a host of new features such as the Repeater Panel, which enables control from up to 100m away (meaning tanks housed in basements or roofs can be controlled from the comfort of the management office) W: www.keraflo.co.uk E: info@keraflo.co.uk

▲ De-Ice is ready for winter 2014-15 We have had a mild autumn - so far, but who knows what weather may be around the corner...

Over the past seven months, the team at De-Ice have been planning and preparing - getting ready for what we hope will be a busy season ahead. Our mission is to ensure that, in the event of any period of adverse weather, disruption is minimised, and that our clients’ sites are kept clear of frost, ice and snow - ensuring safety for staff, customers and suppliers.

Failure to do this could result in costly claims.

We are in the midst of our busy time - finalising contracts for the season. We’re urging companies which haven’t, as yet, finalised their winter planning to make contact - it still isn’t too late. Can you afford to be caught out this winter?

W: www.de-ice.co.uk

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30/10/2014 17:26

FM PEOPLE MOVERS & SHAKERS

BEHIND

DATA

THE JOB NAME: Alex Slack JOB TITLE: Senior facilities management surveyor ORGANISATION: Sanderson Weatherall LLP JOB DESCRIPTION: Responsible for the strategic FM of a multi-site portfolio (over 200 properties) across north & north-east England.

ALEX SLACK

TOPIC TRENDS We had always offered it in a roundabout way but never termed FM – we now deliver it as a standalone service rather than a tack-on for property management. One of my clients is a charity that plays a huge role in the city’s cultural landscape; we are constantly under pressure to reduce expenditure without compromising on the quality of services delivered. To date we have achieved this and seen visitor numbers increase year on year. It may not be the most lucrative job, but it’s the most rewarding.

OUR INTERVIEWEE RATES THE IMPORTANCE OF CURRENT FM TOPICS OUT OF 10. THE ‘AVERAGE’ SCORE (IN GREEN) IS TAKEN FROM OTHER RECENT INTERVIEWEES.

Ensuring compliance with legislation

9

10

AVERAGE

ALEX SLACK

If I wasn’t in FM, I’d probably be…

Key responsibilities

Still in construction/project management.

I am responsible for supply chain management, procurement and tendering, contract management and contract practice. Ensuring statutory compliance and delivering value for a multitude of clients. I also arrange and oversee minor works packages.

If you could give away one of your responsibilities to an unsuspecting colleague, what would it be?

What attracted you to the job?

If you could change one thing about the

Filing (paperless and electronic).

industry, what would it be?

The variety. Having previously been involved in Raise the profile! There are so many people who still putting buildings up it seems like the natural next don’t see the importance of the step to now operate and WHAT SINGLE PIECE OF role. maintain them – next step ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A demolition, I guess!

Which “FM myth” would you YOUNG FACILITIES MANAGER My top perk at work is… most like to put an end to?

STARTING OUT? I’m not sure about perks, but I That FM isn’t important. It is “Work hard but make sure you don’t work with a great team in the vital to all organisations and take everything (or yourself) too asset management department, effective FM can increase seriously. Be flexible, too – there’s it makes it worth coming into productivity, enhance no such thing as a job description work for. wellbeing, raise profitability in FM!” and generally improve our How did you get into facilities working lives. management and what attracted you to the industry?

I applied for a role originally titled “maintenance surveyor” and it grew organically from there.

I studied building project management at the University of Northumbria, and I have a background and I am a member of BIFM and RICS. What single piece of advice would you give to a young facilities manager starting out?

How do you think facilities management has changed in the last five years?

And how will it change in the next five years?

Technology should be embraced encouraged and engendered. The advent of new technology is so fast these days and if utilised effectively can be a huge asset to the FM environment.

Any interesting tales to tell?

Do your friends understand what FM is?

I was once nearly arrested by the military police when carrying out an inspection of a supermarket adjacent to an army barracks! It was quite good fun to wind up the work experience colleague!

No. Not a clue.

I guess developing FM as a service for the company. www.fm-world.co.uk

43_Behind the Job.indd 47

5 10

Working on energy-efficiency initiatives

7 9

Adapting to flexible working

5

7

While it could go a great deal further, the profile is being raised. People are beginning to seek out a career in FM rather than transferring to, or worse, being placed reluctantly into an FM role.

Work hard, but make sure you don’t take everything (or yourself) too seriously, be flexible – there’s no such thing as an FM job description.

What’s been your career high point to date?

Introducing/ working with new forms of IT

Maintaining service levels while cutting costs

8

8

Adapting FM to changing corporate circumstances 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.

8

7

FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 43

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Appointments

Call the sales team on 020 7324 2755 or email jobs@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack

JOBS

PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE

on the move New features available through your smartphone See the latest job listings View all the jobs from the website Search or browse to find the right opportunities Create and update your live email job alerts View jobs directly from your email alerts Save and apply for jobs Save jobs to your profile Email jobs to yourself or friends Apply for the right jobs first using your saved CV Keep track of all your jobseeking activity

Go to www.fm-world.co.uk/jobs 44 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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FM opportunities Operations Manager | Major Property Developer London • £40,000 - £50,000 We currently represent an investment property company and developer that is experiencing an exciting time of growth.

The successful individual will take on a cross-functional role, engaging key stakeholders from the facilities management and finance functions, as well as the letting agents, to drive operational excellence across a portfolio that includes commercial, retail and hotels to name a few. You will ideally be strong on risk and compliance and will have the ability to influence both internal and external stakeholders.

Ref: 281451

Regional Facilities Manager | Managing Agent London • £38,000 - £43,000 Cobalt has been instructed to recruit a Regional Facilities Manager for a well known managing agent. The responsibilities of this role will be to manage a mixed use portfolio that covers the Greater London region. To be considered for this opportunity, you will have managed a large portfolio of multi tenanted properties and an end-to-end service charge budget process, hence you will have come from a private practice environment. It is essential to be at least IOSH qualified, with NEBOSH being preferred.

Ref: 282661

Offices globally www.cobaltrecruitment.com Please apply for any of the above roles by emailing apply@cobaltrecruitment.com or call 020 7478 2500 to speak with David Bremner quoting the relevant reference number.

The power of people

Senior Building Services Engineer SALARY : £39,501 plus £3,501 location allowance.Progression to the band maximum of £51,165 will be via incremental progression.

LOCATION :London, SW6 The Metropolitan Police Service has an extensive and diverse property portfolio – from commercial offices to helicopter bases, forensic laboratories to custody centres. As Senior Building Services Engineer, you’ll support the design, development and maintenance of this Estate in line with the Corporate Real Estate (CRE) programme; a task that presents a range of interesting technical challenges that will stretch your capabilities.

Acting as a Project Lead interface, your role will involve dealing with an external supply chain, including the Facilities Management Supply Chain (FMS), professional services providers and contractors. You’ll support mechanical and electrical engineering resilience, maintenance and forward works planning; assist with the design evaluation of new developments and refurbishments and ensure we meet MOPAC Standards. Day-to-day, you’ll tackle everything from construction projects to feasibility studies and will always deliver on time and within budget. You’ll also drive environmental initiatives to help reduce our overall energy and carbon footprint.

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To join us you’ll need a relevant Building Services/Engineering qualification and ideally experience of Energy Management systems and BMS. We’ll also be looking for considerable engineering and facilities experience in a similar role and an enthusiastic, determined approach. You’ll be familiar with planned and statutory maintenance regimes; critical engineering systems; building services; design standards and legislative compliance. If you can also think analytically about supply chain contracts, savings and risks, prepare client briefs and reports, we’ll give you a varied role at the heart of a unique organisation.

To apply, please visit our website to download a role specific information pack and application form. www.metpolicecareers.co.uk We view diversity as fundamental to our success. To tackle today’s complex policing challenges, we need a workforce made up from all of London’s communities. Applications from across the community are therefore essential.

30/10/2014 12:46 FM WORLD | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | 45

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FINAL WORD

NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF FM

NO 2

DAYS

THE SAME NO END TO THE OFFICE YET A recent Guardian event to highlight how important the benefits of office-based working and concomitant FM still are was notable for the welcome presence in the discussion of BIFM chairman Julie Kortens.

She joined figures from across British industry, from banking to leisure, in general agreement that while companies can benefit from giving employees the opportunity to work remotely, it was still important to offer them the option of office space.

Indeed, flexibility of location isn’t universally embraced. A big talking point was the decision by Yahoo!’s CEO to ban remote working because it was felt that “some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings”.

The point was well taken by roundtable delegates, with Julie highlighting some of the benefits of working onsite. “You need guidance as you’re developing,” she said, adding that it was important for young people to have a sense of belonging, and that they needed to know the rules and boundaries between work and play before taking advantage of remote working.

Here’s hoping for more national media exposure in the near future.

SERVICE LEVELS ARE DEAD – LONG LIVE THE EXPERIENCE! We all know and understand Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Often dictated explicitly, sometimes implied, they exist so that we can agree the contracted level of service and measure it.

Yet they can be so rigid that they often stifle any potential creativity or potential for innovation that a service provider might bring. I know of companies and government departments that have people wandering around with clipboards ticking boxes and believing that this is what service is all about.

And how many people do you know who glaze over when we start to talk about SLAs and KPIs? They are not dynamic, and they can even be destructive in terms of allowing service providers the freedom to show how a service might be delivered differently.

So having heard Sodexo’s Neil Murray using the term at a recent event, I am suggesting that we rip up SLAs and KPIs and replace them with – the Experience Level Agreement.

An ELA is about the experience my company is going to give your company, or the experience my FM team is going to give my client’s stakeholders. It’s about how it’s going to make you feel. When you think about it, we all want an experience from everything we do, across every transaction that we carry out or are involved in. It’s the experience that makes things interesting, fun or engaging.

Thinking in terms of ELA rather than SLA opens up a new box of potential opportunities about the way we can teach our FM people to view and value what they doing. If you start to talk to them in terms of the experience that they are creating for their customers then it becomes much more dynamic – something that can be almost seen and touched.

Being ‘experience providers’ rather than ‘service providers’ can potentially elevate them and be genuinely uplifting in terms of esteem.

Take, for example, a kitchen porter. In the current contract and SLA there might be a line that says ‘to provide a person to be responsible for cleaning the crockery and utensils’ – so we then recruit someone to wash the dishes.

Ian Jones, director of facilities at ITV, proposes replacing the micro-measured misery of SLAs and KPIs with something more engaging for all concerned

Let’s change that to an ELA – ‘we will provide our customer with sparkling and shiny cutlery and crockery’. You have described not only what you will do, but also the experience that you will create.

So when we recruit the kitchen porter now, the job description doesn’t say ‘wash the dishes’, it says ‘provide the shiniest and most sparking crockery and utensils to enhance the experience of the diner’. You are highlighting the experience you want to bring to the client and the experience you want to create to the potential recruit. And you can measure their experience performance by looking at their shiny and sparkling output. OK, it’s a silly example, but you get the idea. Talk to the customer about the experience they will feel. Talk to the person doing the job about the experience they are bringing to the customer and their part in the overall delivery.

I’ve long argued that clever companies use their FM teams as an engagement tool and not a commodity. ELAs are about engagement with people.

I believe we should be measuring in terms of what our people are doing to enhance the experience of our customers and guests, to think in terms of experience rather than service.

A service is often bland, one-dimensional and cold.

An experience can be colourful, four-dimensional – it can even be a hug! I know which I’d rather have.

Long live the experience!

NEIL TURNER

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OUT 20 NOVEMBER

BIFM AWARDS: HOW KING'S COLLEGE LONDON AND BOUYGUES UPDATED THEIR RELATIONSHIP /// ROUND TABLE REPORT: FM'S ROLE IN SOFT LANDINGS //SECURING HERITAGE PROPERTY /// PRIMER: PROPERTY & LEASES /// WORKPLACE WEEK CONVENTION /// ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS

46 | 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | FM WORLD

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The electrical inspection and testing specialists • • • •

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As a leading key service provider we operate throughout the UK and Channel Islands providing a very competitive “best value” service which has become very well recognised throughout the Facilities Management market Please contact us for immediate attention Email: qcltd@quantectest.co.uk Phone: (01634) 865750 Fax: (01634) 861195

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Accelerate your FM prospects To speed up your FM prospects ACT FAST and join the BIFM today.

If you want to get on in facilities management, get into the BIFM. As Britain’s leading association for our profession, we’re here to advance your cause. Use our extensive network of training and expert advice to progress your career.

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Take your opportunity to shape your industry’s future by getting involved in everything from regional committees and local events to national strategy planning. And make it your first priority.

T: 0845 058 1358 E: membership@bifm.org.uk www.bifm.org.uk 2/8/10 12:13:00

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