2012-02-23 FMW

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 23 FEBRUARY 2012

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VOL 9 ISSUE 4 23 FEBRUARY 2012

CONTENTS

7 | Global real estate survey

18 | Rackspace

26 | Benchmarking

NEWS

OPINION

FEATURES

6 Government announces that social housing may benefit from full FiT rate 7 Global real estate survey shows that managers have seen pay rise 9 Think Tank: What issues are the main obstacle to green improvement?

10 Business news: Graeme Davies suggests that energy savings can be found at the margins 11 UPP eyes a 40 per cent increase in rent roll over next two years 14 Report from this year’s ISE conference held in Amsterdam 16 RICS Strategic FM conference discusses a ‘golden era’ for the sector

12 Diary of a facilities manager: John Bowen offers his analysis of the nature of sustainability 13 Five minutes with Dave McLean, head of network operations at Arthur McKay 42 No Two Days

MONITOR 28 Legal: Tony Thiaray explains the impact of TUPE regulations 29 Court Report: Break clauses can cause a big issue if not understood 30 Technical: Bob Cannell advises on the technical aspects of silo cleaning 31 Insight: Market intelligence 32 Standards: FM Model BS EN 15221-1 explained by Stan Mitchell

REGULARS

34 | BIFM News

18

Rackspace: Natalie Li finds out how server hosting company Rackspace specified a dynamic new UK home for its ‘fanatic’ customer-orientated workforce

22

ARC: A highly secure alarm response centre on the Wirral uses an air-lock entry system and fire-proof concrete, finds Martin Read

24

BIM: Building information modelling is opening up fresh pastures in FM, as the industry seeks to know more about the providence of materials

26

Benchmarking: Facilities managers are increasingly turning to benchmarking to rate the performance of their building, finds Peter Kimmel

For exclusive online content including blogs, videos and daily news updates

34 BIFM news 37 Diary of events 38 People & Jobs 40 Appointments

COVER IMAGE: Rackspace

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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: David Arminas ⁄ sub editor: James Richards ⁄ assistant editor: Natalie Li ⁄ art director: Mark Parry ⁄ art editor: Daniel Swainsbury ⁄ picture editor: Sam Kesteven ADVERTISING AND MARKETING email: sales@fm-world.co.uk

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LEADER

senior display sales executive: Adam Potter (020 7880 8543/6230) ⁄ recruitment sales executive: Carly Gregory PRODUCTION production manager: Jane Easterman production executive: Aysha Miah PUBLISHING publishing director: Steve Bagshaw Forward features lists and media pack available at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us SUBSCRIPTIONS BIFM members with FM World subscription or delivery queries should call the BIFM’s membership department on 0845 0581358 FM World is sent to all members of the British Institute of Facilities Management and is available on subscription to nonmembers. Annual subscription rates are UK £110, rest of world £130. To subscribe call 020 8950 9117 or email fm@alliance-media. co.uk – alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us/ subscribe/ To order the BIFM good practice guides or the FM World Buyers’ Guide to FM Services call Natalie Li on 020 7880 6229.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Simon Ball, business development manager, Interserve ⁄Jason Choy, director, Persus⁄ Ismena Clout, energy consultant, powerPerfector ⁄ Nick Cook, managing director, Haywards ⁄ Robert Greenfield, group SHEQ director, GSH ⁄ Anne Lennox Martin, FM consultant ⁄ Peter McLennan, joint course director, MSc Facility Environment and Management, University College London ⁄ Lionel Prodgers, principal, Agents4RM ⁄ Chris Stoddart, general manager, Heron Tower ⁄ Jeremy Waud, managing director, Incentive FM ⁄ Jane Wiggins, FM Tutor and author ⁄ Chris Wood, senior associate at Advanced Workplace Associates

Average net circulation 11,357 (Jul 10 – Jun 11) 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 Pensord ISSN 1743 8845

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t feels as if we are hurtling headlong into a world in which every possible item is coded and catalogued. Perhaps I sense this more because I already do it myself. I can, for instance, tell you how many Maltesers are in the average family bag (46) and how many goals the mighty Wealdstone FC have scored in my presence (feel free to take my word on that one).

The logic is simple enough. The more detail you have, the more you can expect to measure. In the case of an asset register for property portfolio, what’s on offer is a reassuring sense of control. Companies that spend the time and money to catalogue their portfolio in all its fine (some might say ‘granular’) detail tend to exit the exercise with an evangelical zeal for the benefits that accrue. Christopher Newton of Lloyds Banking Group is a case in point; at the RICS Strategic FM conference he said that his team’s approach to asset-level control had given the FM function at Lloyds a newly elevated status within the company. “Now, FM is leading the capital plan,” he said with an obvious sense of satisfaction; “we know where we’re spending the money.” It seems obvious that the knowledge of how many pieces of kit you have, their condition and probable maintenance / replacement requirements is critical to the planning and cost calculation of both capital and maintenance expenditure.

Yet this is cataloguing post-construction. What are we to make of building information modelling (BIM)? Here’s where the floor plans, wiring diagrams and spec sheets of individual components are coded into three-dimensional models, each packed with technical and geometric information right down to the details of the vendor chain involved.

Effectively, the provenance of every brick in a building is being written into the initial construction plans at a granular level. This sort of dynamic cataloguing has profound implications for the way buildings are conceived and constructed – and if the recent RICS BIM conference is anything to go by, it’s going to have a seismic impact on the way designers and the construction industry interact with each other.

On the face of it, BIM makes huge sense to the construction and design sector. It allows everyone in the construction chain – designers and architects through to project managers and construction companies – to avoid overlap and duplication of materials, and assess cost and performance of components prior to their ultimate specification. But delve only slightly deeper and it becomes obvious that BIM is where FM can at last be of certain relevance to the process of designing the buildings it ultimately manages. Part of the data set fused into each component is its operational performance – and that, clearly, is where FM comes in.

The recent RICS conference on BIM saw speaker after speaker tripping up over themselves to explain how FM and the operational side of the equation was of critical importance to the whole concept of BIM. They may all have said it, but there was little detail about how FM would actually be involved in the process. Therein lies a great opportunity.

I

“FM CAN AT LAST BE OF CERTAIN RELEVANCE TO THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING THE BUILDINGS IT ULTMATELY MANAGES”

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SUSTAINABILITY

DAVID ARMINAS newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

Social housing groups, community projects and distributed energy schemes could get full feed-in tariffs (FiT) for solar panelgenerated energy, the government has announced.

Organisations, or an individual with more than 25 photovoltaic installations, will get 80 per cent of the reduced 21p/kWh feed-in tariff for electricity sold into the national grid, said the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The tariff takes effect from 1 April for domestic-size solar panels with an eligibility date on or after 3 March 2012. Other tariff reductions apply for larger installations.

However, the government, in its latest pronouncement on the controversial feed-in tariff reductions, said some groups may get the full rate.

The government also said it has eased up on the eligibility requirement of an Energy Performance Certificate rating of ‘C’.

A rating of ‘D’ will be acceptable.

“The previous proposals for a ‘C’ rating or a commitment for all Green Deal measures to be installed was seen as impractical at this stage,” according to the statement.

“We estimate that about half of all properties are already eligible for a ‘D’ rating.”

Also from 1 April, “new ‘multiinstallation’ tariff rates set at 80 per cent of the standard tariffs will be introduced for solar PV installations where a single individual or organisation is already receiving FiTs for other solar PV installations”.

The government said this 80 per cent rate “reflects the lower costs 06 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

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of such installations, as they benefit from the economies of scale”.

The government cannot give certainty on tariff levels to people who install solar panels with an eligibility date between 12 December 2011 and 3 March 2012, due to ongoing legal proceedings.

The government is challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold a High Court ruling that its slashing of the FiT from 12 December was unlawful. The case will be seen by the Supreme Court.

Installers of solar systems said the bottom would fall out of the market and led one firm, Mears, to announce it was pulling out of the market altogether.

Installers argued that the financial incentive for people and businesses to ‘go-green’ through solar power was undermined by halving the potential income from selling electricity back to the national grid.

ISTOCK

Social housing earmarked for full FiT tariff

Safe as houses? Social housing may feel the full benefit of PV feed-in tariffs

But construction and refurbishment outfit Willmott Dixon said in December, after the announcement by DECC, that it was business as usual for its PV installation work.

Willmott Dixon said it had recently spent nearly £100,000 installing 150 square metres

(more than 1,600 square feet) of PV to provide affordable energy at an extra-care scheme for Housing 21 in Birmingham.

The BIFM also voiced concern in December over the FiT situation and called for a “clear, consistent, long-term policy” to make the scheme work.

READER SURVEY

Complete our reader survey to enter iPad draw The FM World Readership Survey has been extended, with the prize offered in the draw for taking part improved. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win £500, or an Apple iPad – whichever is the winner’s preference.

The survey, to find out what you think of the magazine and the news service we provide, will now continue until the end of February.

This is your opportunity to give us your views on the magazine and to help in shaping its future

content. In this rapidly changing media environment, we want to make sure that FM World is providing you with the tools you need to do your job.

All answers in the online questionnaire will be treated as completely confidential and will only be analysed in aggregate form – we never pass the information on to anyone else.

The questionnaire should take no more than ten minutes to complete, and we greatly appreciate taking the time to complete it.

Readers who completed the

survey in December or January will also be included in the draw for the bigger prize.

To complete the survey now, visit - tinyurl.com/ FMWorldReaderSurvey

FMWorld THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 27 OCTOBER 2011

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Heron Tower’s general manager Chris Stoddart is FM of the Year 2011

THE HIGH FLYER SPECIAL ISSUE:

The winners of the 2011 BIFM Awards

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www.fm-world.co.uk

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Salary boost for property managers

BRIEFS RICS publishes rating tool The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published a Ska rating for the fit-out of retail and restaurant premises. Ska – named after interior refurbishment business Skansen – is an assessment method developed in 2005 to measure the environmental impact of fit-outs and set benchmarks for improvements.

It rates areas such as energy consumption, CO2 emissions, waste, water and material use.

SHUTTERSTOCK

An overwhelming majority – 83 per cent – of corporate real estate managers saw increases in their base salary in 2011, according to a new global compensation study.

This compares to a year earlier when 64 per cent reported an increase in base salary in 2010.

Additionally, 81 per cent of participants expect to receive an increase between calendar or fiscal year 2011 and 2012, noted the survey conducted by CoreNet Global and FPL Associates, a compensation package consultancy.

Corporate real estate executives picked up an average increase of 5 per cent in base salary last year.

Between 2011 and 2012, more than three-quarters expect to receive an increase in their base salary. The average increase is expected to be four per cent in 2012.

Average base salary for a head of corporate real estate in the US

NEWS

Top dollar: real estate managers see salary increase in 2011

was the equivalent of £113,000, versus almost £117,300 in Europe.

For a regional head of real estate in the US, it was £99,200 whereas in Europe it was nearly £86,500.

A senior-level asset manager in the US had an average base salary of £82,000, while their European counterpart took home £91,550.

A US mid-level asset manager was paid £72,800 as against nearly £62,500 for one in Europe.

A head of facilities in the US took home nearly £83,900.

In the US, the head of workplace

services, or space planning, earned £105,000. Their subordinate was paid the equivalent of £74,000.

The survey is based on responses from 288 businesses and organisations, many of them major international firms including Adidas Group, Bank of America, Jones Lang LaSalle, Goodyear, Thomson Reuters, Royal Dutch Shell and Honeywell.

The average number of employees in the companies represented in the survey, conducted in 2011, was 50,306.

Value for training spend?

Asset Skills wants to hear from employers about the types of skills training they think could be improved.

A new £250 million fund unveiled by the government has been made available for address shortfalls. The Employer Ownership Pilot will allow businesses the power to design, develop and purchase the vocational training they need. Contact Asset Skills on 0845 678 2 888 or e-mail torton@assetskills.org. The Employer Ownership Pilot is available in England only. To access the prospectus, visit tinyurl.com/SkillsPilot

Public sector hot on CO2

FM WORLD SALARY SURVEY

A survey of the public, private and third sectors has revealed that the public sector is the most committed to reducing carbon emissions. More than half – 58 per cent – of public sector respondents to the online poll said their organisation planned to make “tangible investments” in carbon reduction in 2012, according to the survey by the Carbon Trust in association with the Guardian newspaper. In contrast, 46 per cent of private sector workers confirmed their company will make investments to cut emissions this year.

Readers have until Friday 2 March to fill out the annual FM World salary survey online. Results of the survey, to be published in April, will make fascinating reading. What’s the top salary in your professional area? Are you making more or less than your peers?

BIFM members and FM World web site visitors are invited to take part. Readers who complete the survey will be entered into a free draw to win £250.

The questionnaire takes ten minutes to complete online. It measures basic salary, bonus and benefits and the issues that matter most to facilities managers in the development of their careers.

The 2012 survey is being launched at a time of unprecedented economic flux. FM World readers are invited to help build a complete www.fm-world.co.uk

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Salary survey participants wanted

Have your say and win £250

and accurate picture of sector salary packages. The published results will appear in a separate supplement within the magazine.

Our last salary survey, published at the beginning of 2011, found that security and good career prospects were uppermost in the minds of respondents. Salaries in the period 2010 to 2011 had remained fairly

static, with only 37 per cent reporting an annual increase and 36 per cent reporting no salary increase at all. Client-side FMs were more likely to have received a pay rise than their supply-side counterparts.

To complete the survey now, visit www.tinyurl.com/ FMWorldSalarySurvey

OCS moves into fast lane Starting in 2012, Lotus racing cars in the British GT Championship and GT4 endurance series will carry the OCS logo, which will also feature on team clothing.

The five-year corporate sponsorship deal comes after OCS expanded its services to Lotus from document management provision to a more integrated offering.

OCS has provided a bespoke document management service, with graphic design, print management and mailroom capability, to the group’s headquarters in Norwich for two years.

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NEWS BULLETIN

Event buyers fear shortages due to Olympics Choosing Tork hygiene solutions from SCA can enable you to achieve your business sustainability targets.

Nearly a third of buyers in the events industry think they don’t have enough equipment in stock to deal with heightened demand resulting from the London 2012 Olympics. Supply Challenges: London 2012, published by the International Special Events Society (ISES) and event personnel supplier Crewsaders, found that 29% of those surveyed believed they would be short of resources when the Olympics caused a spike in demand.

Glastonbury Festival organisers cited potential supply shortages and extra costs resulting from the games as part of the reason for taking a year off in 2012. There was concern, for example, that it would not be able to get the required number of portable toilets because they would be needed for London 2012.

30 per cent of surveyed buyers said they would need to substitute products to continue to meet demand for their goods and services. The research found that of those who believe they will be resourced enough, 60 per cent will only achieve this by establishing new operational processes to increase the productivity of supplies. Key to this method, it said, is establishing a mechanism to improve stock allocation.

Norland honoured at CIBSE Awards A sustainable choice is in

Norland Managed Services was one of the big winners at this year’s Building Performance Awards, organised by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. It picked up the Training for Building Performance award for its Energy Matters training programme to increase energy awareness among its engineers.

The University of Bradford was crowned Carbon Champion of the Year for cutting energy consumption and carbon emissions by 8 per cent since 2005.

The university also won the client of the year award.

Aecom was named Consultancy of the Year, while Imtech Aqua took Contractor of the Year. Norman Disney & Young took the Project of the Year for transforming the Angel Building, an early 1980s structure in north London. CIBSE low-carbon energy assessor Andrew Gardner took the title of Low-Carbon Consultant of the Year. Over one year, he helped his clients save around 61 tonnes of carbon.

BCO sets up specification accreditation course Tork tissue systems provide hygienic solutions – from high capacity dispensers for busy areas to single sheet consumption control, they help to reduce waste and the impact on the environment whilst saving you time and money.

www.tork.co.uk For more information contact us on 01582 677570 or follow Tork on: twitter.com/torkuk facebook.com/TorkUK youtube.com/SCATorkuk

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The British Council for Offices (BCO) has launched an interactive online accreditation course based on the latest edition of its design advisory Guide to Specification.

The course has been produced in conjunction with the College of Estate Management (CEM). Like the Guide to Specification, it offers advice across all aspects of office design. Topics include sustainability and how to measure it, what the drivers are for the latest designs and choosing an office location, and engineering requirements of the overall structure.

The course has been backed by leading developers, including immediate past president of the BCO, Gerald Kaye, a director at property developers Helical Bar, and Francis Salway, chief executive of Land Securities.

Sector skills council seeks advice on £250m fund Asset Skills wants to hear from employers with ideas about the types of skills training they think could be improved with money from a new £250 million fund unveiled by the government.

Potential projects to be funded could include the development of apprenticeship frameworks to meet industry needs, the formation of employer guilds and gaining support for specific areas of training provision.

Asset Skills urges input from employers and groups of employers in facilities management, housing, property, planning, cleaning and parking about how they think this investment could work for them.

Contact Asset Skills on 0845 678 2 888 or e-mail torton@assetskills.org. www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 10:51:43

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THINK TANK

WE ASKED 100 FMS… What are the key issues affecting the sustainability agenda in your organisation?

If there is one major thing that affects sustainability improvements, it’s budgetary constraints, according the latest FM Think Tank Poll.

Two-thirds of respondents said budget cuts are reducing what can be done on the sustainability front. Other issues pale in comparison, according to our respondents.

A lack of buy-in from senior management was important for only 15 per cent of respondents.

So, too, was an organisation’s need to comply with legislation – 15 per cent of respondents cited this as holding back sustainability.

Apart from budget constraints, just under half of respondents said it was the ability of their buildings to cope with physical changes to help meet sustainability targets or support a sustainability policy.

“All the issues listed in the poll affect the sustainability agenda,” said a respondent.

“I have buy-in from senior management in principle, but operationally, this still has to be driven by myself,” he said.

“Legislation and taxes are definitely helping to focus minds by adding financial incentive, and there is at least a better understanding when I raise issues

1) The problems caused by the physical constraints of our buildings

46% 2) A lack of buy-in from senior management

15%

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Eighty-five per cent of managers believe that employees expect greater flexibility from their employers. Sixty per cent of organisations surveyed equip the majority of employees with the technology to work from wherever they need to.

When asked to rank the perceived benefits of flexible working to employees, managers put improved employee satisfaction and retention at the top of the list, the report noted. More than 75 per cent of

15% 5) A concentration on budgetary constraints, leading to less focus on sustainability issues

66%

3) The need to connect sustainability to our other policies (energy, water consumption, etc)

11% and propose initiatives.”

FMs driving forward their sustainability policies sometimes struggle with short-term thinking by board members. As one respondent said, budget cuts mean a lot of sustainability initiatives have been put on hold. Thankfully, the same correspondent said that board members remained focused on long-term strategies to counter rapidly increasing energy costs.

Flexible working can boost morale Flexible working is more important to employees than tangible benefits including a financial stake in the business, bonus schemes and pensions, a new study has revealed.

More than 75 per cent of employees say flexible working boosts their job satisfaction and improves work-life balance.

To cope with this expectation, UK companies are focusing more and more on softer workplace benefits to attract and keep the best talent, according to the research published by Vodafone UK. The report, Exploring the Shift in Employee Expectations, is based on interviews, done last October, with 1,366 senior managers and employees in organisations of all sizes.

A work-life balance – as cited by 28 per cent of respondents – is nearly as important as basic salary, cited by 30 per cent of respondents.

To this end, employers are battling to hire the best, according to the report.

4) The need for legislative compliance and reporting

employees said flexible working boosts their job satisfaction and improves their work-life balance.

“Flexible working has gone from being a nice-to-have perk to being at the heart of employees’ expectations,” said Peter Kelly, enterprise director at Vodafone UK. “Finding better ways of working will strengthen an employer’s offer to potential new talent but will also enable current employees to find a work-life balance that suits them,” he said.

Another respondent said that fewer sustainability initiatives are taking place in their organisation because their clients are not letting contacts as much; the driver for moving forward is not as intense.

Want your voice heard? Email newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk or find us in the ‘FM World Think Tank’ group on LinkedIn. Our current Think Tank question is this: “Who do you report to in your organisation – HR or finance?”

Mitie boss speaks at ThinkFM Mitie Group chief executive Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE will address delegates at the BIFM’s ThinkFM conference in June.

McGregor-Smith, honoured for her services to business and diversity in business in the 2012 New Year Honours List, will speak at the conference on a range of issues, including diversity in the workplace, sustainability, apprenticeships in the UK, and work-life balance.

ThinkFM on 18 June is organised by BIFM in association with Workplace Law and will be held at The Royal College of Physicians in London.

Early-bird bookings that offer significant savings are available up to 23 March. Visit www.thinkfm.com, e-mail conference@thinkfm.com or call 08701 632 804.

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 09

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ANALYSIS

Energy savings at the margins soon add up GRAEME DAVIES newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

The new secretary of state for energy and climate change Ed Davey was greeted upon his arrival in the department by a letter demanding a revision in financial support for onshore wind farms, signed by 101 Conservative MPs and a handful of supporters.

Although a change in the short term is unlikely, the weight of support among the largest party in the House of Commons was indicative of a shift in attitudes towards expensive subsidies for emissions-reduction schemes

in these straitened times.

The move follows on from the government’s troubled attempt to slash feed-in tariffs offered to solar power installations which, in itself, mirrored tariff reductions enacted by governments in Germany and Italy after the notable success of their subsidy schemes.

The slashing of solar tariffs is more likely to be problematic to FM companies than any threat to wind farm support – many FMs set up subsidiaries to take advantage of generous tariffs that they could claim for fitting solar panels to social housing projects

they were already working on.

But such big-ticket government gestures do not necessarily offer the best value for money.

Indeed, the long-term business opportunities lie not in areas where government support makes the installation of technologies viable, but in enacting smaller, more incremental energy efficiency schemes that offer more tangible, lasting benefits.

Governments now understand that concentrating on a large number of smaller but easier wins will collectively add up to a major saving. Indeed, the Carbon Trust estimates that buildings account for 40 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions. Thus for homeowners, the Green Deal has been devised to support energy efficiency measures, such as better insulation and more efficient boilers.

But, if the sight of office towers with all their lights blazing on a weekend are anything to go by, business premises are as big a problem. This is where the FM

Contract wins

NEW BUSINESS Hartlepool College has awarded a 12-month contract to NG Bailey for mechanical and electrical maintenance for its new facility.

NG Bailey was involved at all stages of the college’s redevelopment.

OCS has won a contract with Merlin Entertainments Group to provide security services at four of its London attractions – Madame Tussauds waxworks, the London Eye, the London Dungeons and London Aquarium.

Heron International and Cushman & Wakefield have awarded Incentive QAS a three-year cleaning contract 10 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

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at the flagship Heron Tower in Bishopsgate, London. Services include pest control, janitorial services, washroom services and cleaning of the fully glazed ‘double-deck’ elevators.

Avon and Somerset Police Authority has received the green light to construct a £129 million operations base, a private finance initiative to be built and operated by the Blue Light consortium comprising Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, Miller Construction and Cofely, the energy, environmental and facilities management division of energy group GDF Suez.

Yorkshire Water Services has chosen Integral to provide planned and reactive heating, ventilation and air-conditioning maintenance for 19 properties. The contract also includes maintenance of uninterruptable power supply for IT systems.

Lloyd’s of London has awarded Principle Cleaning Services a threeyear, £1.2 million-per-year contract at its One Lime Street office in the City.

The London School of Economics (LSE) has awarded Resource Group a cleaning contract worth £2.5 million.

The minimum three-year deal began last month. The school has more than 8,700 students and 1,300 academic staff across 25 academic departments.

Kudos Cafés, part of the Crown Group, has secured a contract with Warwick District Council to provide food and venue management services. The sixyear deal is worth around £12 million.

opportunity comes in. Not only is improving building energy efficiency a good marketing ploy for a business, in this age of carbon reduction commitments and soaring energy pricing, it can also make major financial sense.

In this respect, companies such as Mitie and Carillion from the middle tier of the UK’s FM industry may be stealing a march on their rivals, given how well-developed their energy efficiency offerings are. Mitie’s CarbonCare offering has been built both organically and through the notable acquisition of Dalkia in 2009, while Carillion’s services were boosted significantly by the acquisition of eaga.

On a much smaller scale, technology providers can also benefit from the boom in energy efficiency by selling into the FMs. A prime example here is Sabien Technology, which has, of late, rapidly grown sales of its M2G device, which helps commercial boilers run more efficiently. In the six months to 31 December, its sales grew by 32 per cent and profits by 63 per cent, albeit from low levels.

Sabien’s pipeline has risen to £9.5 million of opportunities as clients, who are primarily FMs and local authorities, catch on to the quick payback and long-term benefits its products offer. This is an example of an incremental measure, which is part of a wider programme of energy efficiency.

There are a myriad other technology providers that sell widgets and gadgets into the FM industry, some of whom will find themselves targets for larger operators who wish to bring them in house. Businesses are being increasingly ‘encouraged’ by government to improve their energy efficiency and this can only play into the hands of specialists who offer services into this area.

Graeme Davies writes for Investors Chronicle

www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 10:52:30

Duncan Palmer, UPP Residential Services’ COO

UPP eyes 40% boost in rent roll in two years Student accommodation specialist University Partnerships Programme (UPP) has set its sights on a rise in rent roll (income) of up to a 42 per cent within two years.

The higher target is based on an anticipated increase in its residential stock, from 26,000 to 35,000 units, and is conditional on maintaining a high occupancy ratio across its portfolio.

The rate stands at 99.8 per cent, said Duncan Palmer, chief operating officer for UPP Residential Services, the FM delivery arm of UPP. But there is no guarantee

BUSINESS BRIEFS Fountain rescue

that the occupancy rate will remain high just because UPP’s on-campus accommodation business model means the residential units are directly linked to a university.

It’s a competitive market and will remain so, Palmer said in an exclusive interview with FM World. There are now a lot of speculative studentaccommodation landlords that build close to universities, but are not attached to the institutions.

“Students have a choice and they know it,” he said. “This is where the FM provision side becomes important and

adds value for money.”

UPP has partnerships with 12 universities, such as the University of Exeter, where a £133 million development is under construction. Contract lengths are usually between 35 and 50 years.

However, a recent win at the University of Reading created a new benchmark with a £230 million contract to manage student accommodation for 125 years. The deal was driven by the university, said Palmer.

The “pioneering deal” has UPP operating 4,321 rooms for the university as well as managing its accommodation office.

Servest bullish over acquisitions Servest Group UK is aiming for turnover of around £84 million by year-end in September, boosted by the acquisition of Turners Cleaning and Support Services.

The target in the longer term, over three years, is to hit the £150 million to £200 million mark, said Stuart Buswell, managing director of the commercial and public sector division of Servest Group UK. It’s an ambitious target, but it looks highly possible, Buswell told FM World. The target will be met “through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth, but with it weighted more towards acquisitions”.

Immediate focus for Buswell is the integration of Turners, which Servest bought last October. The www.fm-world.co.uk

10_11_BusinessNews.sr.indd 11

purchase increased group turnover by around a quarter, to £70 million.

Buswell was at Ecocleen when it was bought and rebranded by major South African support services business Servest in 2008.

He then helped to integrate Sherwood, an FM provider to blue-chip businesses and the public sector.

The Sherwood purchase was a good base for creating Servest UK’s commercial and public sector division, which sits alongside its slightly larger-by-revenue sister retail division.

The UK group is 70 per cent owned by Servest in South Africa and 30 per cent by the UK directors. The business adds between 10 and 12 per cent of Servest’s global turnover. Buswell’s

OCS Group has acquired the forest management, land brokerage and geo-spatial technology company Fountains. After picking up its UK assets from administrators, OCS Group has also acquired Fountains America and its subsidiaries Fountains Forestry, Fountains Land and Fountains Spatial.

Fountains America provides forest management, land brokerage and geographic information system (GIS) services throughout the US and worldwide.

Compass trading steadily Compass is continuing to trade in line with expectations on the back of good revenue growth and contract retention, according to the first interim management statement from the group for 2012.

Group revenue growth was more than 8 per cent, with expectations for the full year remaining unchanged and the improved level of retention achieved in the second half of 2011 continuing into the new financial year. Since 30 September 2011, Compass has announced £140 million of acquisitions.

‘Uncertainties’ recognised Stuart Buswell of Servest

division brings in about 40 per cent of total UK revenue and has an 85 per cent contract retention rate for deals running at least five years.

Servest is hoping to challenge major players like Mitie and Compass, said Buswell. The key is self-delivery and Servest self-delivers most cleaning services while subcontracting others, including security, waste management and catering.

An interim management statement for the period from 1 October 2011 to date shows that Mitie’s order book remains strong. However, in its statement, the service provider said that it recognised “the wider uncertainties in the global economy” in some of its more cyclical markets.

Earlier this month, Mitie and the Prison Service announced that they had entered into a partnership to bid for the management of all nine prisons in the prison competition announced by secretary of state for justice Kenneth Clarke.

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 11

16/2/12 10:52:39

FM OPINION THE DIARY COLUMN JOHN BOWEN

“WHAT WE NEED TO SEE MORE OF IS EVERYONE MAKING A SUSTAINED EFFORT FOCUSED ON DELIVERING OBJECTIVES”

John Bowen is an FM consultant

SU STAIN YOU R S USTA I NA BI L I T Y

e should all be looking to improve the sustainability of our own organisations, argues John Bowen.

But it takes a harmonious group effort to make it succeed

W

Over the past few years, we have seen sustainability appear as a major topic and a word that people like to chuck into conversations and business proposals, and to have included in policy documents.

As with most words that get overused, it tends to lose its meaning and therefore its power – ironic in this context, if you think about what the word really means.

I’m saying that the word itself has become unsustainable.

Most people probably associate sustainability with the environment (another word that has seen its meaning shift through wide usage), but I still like to use it to describe the practice of keeping something going.

I got on to today’s train of thought when talking about charities and, as these things do, one thought led to another. The first one was around what happens to the benefit. We’re all familiar with the expression ‘give a man a fish’ and so on, but how many of these charitable efforts have actually been successful? Or are they just sustaining the problem?

Like most businesses, charities have two parts – one that is selling and one that isn’t. In the case of the charity, the selling part, as far as I am describing it here, is the bit bringing in the money: it’s the people that sell the charity to donors. The other part is the one that distributes the benefit.

In the discussion I was having, the issue was just how often charities suffer the same blight as other organisations, in that they can grow a large and often unnecessary function in between these two parts. The real objective gets lost and the bit in the middle takes on an importance and a life of its own at the expense of its parent.

I have talked before about a process becoming a trap if it wasn’t right; many organisations end up with more focus on the process than on doing the job.

In the world of music, sustain is about how long you can keep a note going. We talk about sustain with regard, perhaps, to an organ or a guitar and we refer to the time before the note decays. And that use of the word decay is very apt in terms of today’s musing, for what happens to organisations so often is that a form of decay sets in and spoils the connection between the two halves. The ability of the one to sustain the other begins to rot away.

So, my point is that we really

should be looking to improve the sustainability of our own organisations, be they public, private or third sectors, by removing any areas that will be susceptible to decay and to apply lean principles to sharpen the connection between the two parts. Whether you are selling products, providing services or delivering benefits, whatever your organisation’s reason for existence, the other part of the organisation should be focused solely on supporting that activity.

Try an internet search for Trireme. You’ll find it is one of those old ships with banks of oars.

Forget for a moment what it meant to be chained to one of those oars, but consider how all of those folks could get a ship that size moving at up to eight knots. That is the power of all rowing in harmony.

But if you don’t all pull together you will go nowhere. What we need to see more of is everyone making a sustained effort focused on delivering objectives and results.

BEST OF THE WEB Views and comments from across the web British Institute of Facilities Management Johanna K, group marketing manager at Conergy UK There have been cuts to solar subsidies, but are there are still returns to be made?

Mike Russell: That may

well be the case, but commitment to outlay finance, without evidence of payback and fiscal advantages, will not encourage people to have solar fitted. Current publicity is all negative, and the industry will inevitably shrink due to lack of demand, again

leading to negative press.

So where are the returns to be made that will be sufficient to change the viewpoint?

Dan Skipworth-Michell: Currently there are other options supported by government. Efficient lighting especially for car parks, loading and

marshalling areas gives a very good ‘return’ on significantly reduced energy bills with LED verses T5. Capital allowances can make the installation work at almost zero cost. So while solar still struggles with pay-back and waning government support,

on-costs for facilities can be addressed using ‘smart’ systems. nazali noor @ nazalinoor Sharing of best practices in #facilitiesmanagement #outsourcing in this link: tinyurl.com/groupanswers What say you? www.fm-world.co.uk

12 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

12_13_Opinion.indd 12

16/2/12 18:04:40

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

BEST OF THE

FMWORLD BLOGS Up the hill backwards Neil Usher, general manager Reverse engineering is the process of deducing design decisions from an analysis of the end product, with little or no knowledge of what went into the original idea. It is most often used when history has swallowed the evidence. We have something – how did it get here? The modern office-based workplace is a product where the predecessor of the serviette – on which the concept design was sketched – was used to mop up some spilled mead, and thereafter returned to the soil. We have been struggling to understand the outcome ever since.

Much of the difficulty is due to the innate and undeniable complexity of the human condition and social relations. Scientists in particular have been trying to force the marshmallow into the slot machine for centuries. I could argue that artists of several genres have been more successful – something for another blog.

The workplace is a product, essentially, of the way we work. Those consulting for client organisations on a strategy for the workplace, its design, operation and future flexibility, by necessity need to understand the way employees of the client go about their business. As the way people work within the vast majority of office-oriented organisations barely differs in any substantive way – “the way we work” gets lumped into one bucket.

However all too often the process undertaken by workplace consultants in contemplating and understanding the way we work is one of reverse engineering, making deductions from a number of given physical situations – each of which was influenced by its predecessors – often adorned with myths peddled by the loudest charlatans on the conference platform.

This is where the present schism between the workplace profession and the progressive end of HR and an emerging genre of social thinkers is all the more concerning. Reverse engineering has produced workplaces that have barely differed for over a decade despite the supposedly uncontrollable pace of change. The workplace of today, and those in progress that will be delivered tomorrow based on the same limited skeletal brief, are fundamentally conservative and uninteresting because they are repeatedly drawn from a flawed reverse-engineered process.

This is why workplace consulting is – and will likely only ever be, in its present form – window dressing. I proclaimed it dead earlier this week, which may have been a little premature. “Retired” might be a better description. It is in fundamentally the wrong place altogether to understand work and where it may be heading. The people and resources it needs to understand the fundamental essence of work are not within its own domain, and need to be actively sought and discovered, engaged and their ideas embraced. The window boxes look lovely though, don’t they?

Read more of Neil Usher’s blogs at www.workessence.com

More from FM World’s blog pages: Are you operating an obsolescent building?

How many times can you renovate, revamp and reorganise your building before you have to just admit defeat, asks Dave Arminas, FM World news editor. tinyurl.com/obsolescent-building

www.fm-world.co.uk

12_13_Opinion.indd 13

FIVE MINUTES WITH NAME: Dave McLean JOB TITLE: Head of network operations COMPANY: Arthur McKay

Many offices have been ‘flood cabled’ or ‘flood wired’, where forward-thinking businesses have installed extensive high-speed data cabling to serve existing need while planning for future growth and increased connectivity. This is an excellent idea when done properly, but the problem is when structured cabling - which is hidden in ceiling spaces, under floors or behind walls - is laid in inappropriately large bundles, cable-tied too tightly, or positioned too close to sources of interference without adequate protection.

Even laying cables across rafters or beams can cause sagging, placing stress on internal wiring and affecting the performance, meaning workers suffer patchy and slow connections.

IT support staff are usually looking for problems with software or servers. Generally, they’re not thinking about cables as a possible source of problems. We eventually find it can be something like switching on a fluorescent light or a particular piece of equipment that gives out an electromagnetic field. That will affect a cable, so that every time it is switched on, someone on the network will suffer.

Someone in a completely different part of the building can affected by the network issues but there is no immediate, clear link. It can take a very long time to diagnose a sick network, if it is accurately diagnosed at all.

If a network has been poorly installed there is no telling how long it will last. You may get five years, but you definitely won’t get anywhere near 25. The years you do get are liable to be plagued by problems. Likewise if a cable network has to be prematurely replaced, the initial costs are compounded by the strip-out cost and a reinstallation t is likely to be three times greater than the original installation.

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 13

16/2/12 18:04:56

FM EVENT ISE 2012

Delegates at Amsterdam’s RAI Centre for ISE 2012

A TOUCH OF CLASS Mark Eltringham reports from ISE 2012, where he finds products confirming technology’s place as the connective tissue of the modern office There was a time when an exhibition of workplace products meant a predominance of furniture, usually on display in the vast halls of the Cologne Exhibition Centre or the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

This reflected the office as it was – a place we went to work and where we stayed put at our own desk. In contrast, the modern office trade show is more likely to be about technology, the glue that binds an increasingly flexible workforce to a place that has changed its function dramatically in just a few short years.

This may explain why, even in these straitened times, just under 41,000 people attended ISE 2012 in Amsterdam in the first week in February. ISE is the largest professional AV and systems integration trade show ever held in Europe. Preliminary figures from the show indicate a 17 per cent rise in visitor numbers, who came to see exhibits from over 700 technology companies including Mitsubishi, Hitachi, LG, Samsung, Sharp and Condeco.

The major themes of the event reflected the most pressing concerns for organisations, particularly for solutions that are flexible, integrated and scalable.

In terms of their functionality, there was a clear focus on interactivity and collaboration.

“That comes as no surprise,” explains Pervez Gibbs of Condeco.

“It is indicative of the role of 14 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

14_ISE2012.sr.indd 18

the office as a place where people come together to meet, use shared workstations and exchange information and ideas.

The office is no longer solely a place in which staff work on their own tasks in a fixed place.

It’s inevitable that the main focus of much of the technology on show here is how to support this new approach.”

Condeco was using the Amsterdam event to launch the new Condeco Touch room booking system, which includes a check-in facility, instant bookings from the screen and an ordering system for catering and other hospitality. This gives individuals control of meeting rooms and support services, ensuring information relating to booking is accessible and reported for later analysis.

Sign of the times Condeco was one of a number of firms highlighting the trend towards intelligent digital signage.

This is a market that is on the verge of making a breakthrough to the mainstream as a way of displaying information about a

room and as a wayfinding tool.

Sharp had installed landscape screens throughout the exhibition, which were welcome in a venue that lacked static signs showing information on the halls.

Sharp reported a great deal of interest in their touchscreens as a result.

Similarly, Dutch giant BenQ showcased its interactive panels that convert images into a multitouch screen, which means two or more people can use the screen at the same time. In keeping with the firm’s green credentials, the panels also featured a built-in light sensor to detect the level of ambient lightning in the surroundings, adjusting the display setting to minimise energy consumption.

Both Hitachi and Mitsubishi used ISE 2012 to launch their latest projectors. Even here, there was a focus on interactivity. In the case of Hitachi, its new LCD projector includes the Hitachi Starboard software to deliver an interactive display on any flat surface.

One of the most talked about developments at the show was HDBaseT, a technology for the distribution of uncompressed high-definition (HD) multimedia content, which has applications in both domestic and commercial settings. The HDBaseT Alliance, which promotes the technology was exhibiting and partnering on a number of other stands to showcase the use of the technology in home networks and commercial installations.

ISE 2012 attracted visitors from around the world, including Jeremy Pollak of Sydney-based

workplace technology and AV specialist Peace of Mind.

“For me, as well as the ongoing trend towards digital signage and interactive technology, it is evident that there is an increased level of standardisation so that products are essentially vendor agnostic,” he said. “This is very welcome because end-users can simply plug new products into existing systems, either hardware or with standard software such as Outlook or Microsoft Exchange.

It all helps to open the office building up to remote staff and clients.”

This development is also evident in the growth of unified communications: the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging, telephony, video conferencing, data sharing and so on, with communication services such as voicemail, email and text messaging.

Unified communications allow individuals to send messages on one medium and receive the same communication on another.

“If ISE 2012 proves anything, it is how technology will come to define the new workplace,” says Pervez Gibbs. “The focus on interaction, collaboration and unified communications is no coincidence. These are the technologies that will weave together the various elements that go to make up the modern workplace. The office is no longer solely a physical space.” FM Mark Eltringham has worked in the office design and facilities management sector for 15 years as a marketing professional and magazine editor

www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 10:53:24

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4/1/12 14:04:43 FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 15

14/2/12 10:30:59

FM EVENT RICS STRATEGIC FM EVENT MARTIN READ

Facilities management’s unique ability to influence corporate activity was a recurring theme at the recent RICS Strategic FM conference in London, as Martin Read reports hree themes emerged from the presentations and debate at last week’s Strategic Facilities Management Conference, held by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors at its Parliament Square building in London.

The first is that government and private sector alike are being forced to ‘get real’ about the way FM is procured and managed.

The second is that demographic and technological issues are conspiring to put FM under an unprecedented public spotlight that could see the sector having a much greater influence in the years ahead; and the third is that if the sector is to take advantage of this higher corporate profile, the next generation of facilities managers will need to be pretty damned smart indeed.

Although there’s not necessarily anything new in these themes, perhaps what is different is the amount of science going into understanding and explaining their effects. And it’s in making these revelations that the conference’s speakers were at their most interesting.

T

Open and honest Deborah Rowland, head of FM at the Government Property Unit, was first to the lectern.

In an enjoyably frank opening address, Rowland conceded that government procurement of FM had until now been hampered by an inability to benchmark data and an inconsistent approach to contract management. Government negotiating power had not been sufficiently maximised, she said.

Expressing amazement at 16 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

16-17_RICS.indd 22

FM ENTERS THE ‘SWEET SPOT’ how the cost and contract data associated with central government FM contracts had proven neither transparent nor easily obtainable, Rowland said it was now a necessity for central government to move towards the standardisation of FM contracts. And so, at the natural expiry of existing FM arrangements, central government departments will begin to use a new contracting vehicle for FM procurement that will incorporate a centralised data, management information and contract management layer. A set of generic key performance indicators is currently under development.

At the same time, divestment of property is under way, with government looking at redeploying some of its freed-up buildings for free schools or business incubator units (just in England, initially).

Responding to questions from the floor, Rowland conceded that government FM procurement had been “all over the place” as

a result of different departments each procuring facilities services independently of each other. “We didn’t have the wider vision,” she said. The estate was too big, too dispersed and under-used, she said. Freeholds were not being used efficiently.

The new central government contracting vehicle will be made available to local government, too, with primary-care trusts having already indicated that they would consider using the new contracting template.

In the first of many electronic polls of attendees conducted during the day, 44 per cent of those taking part said that they expected savings attributable to the standardisation of FM services across the central government estate to be between 11 and 20 per cent.

Next to the stage was the consultant and FM World ‘pioneer of FM’, Dr Barry Varcoe. Now working at Zurich Financial Services, Varcoe has put a

considerable amount of time into researching the real impact of the wider generational mix and take-up of flexible working on the amount of workspace an organisation is likely to require in the future. And if it’s anything like true, it’s startling – Varcoe is predicting cuts in the amount of space occupied of up to 63 per cent.

A golden era?

Varcoe said that FM is entering a ‘sweet spot’ in time, during which it can have a “huge influence” on how businesses restructure themselves to cater for a more diverse and dispersed workforce.

He cited economic and demographic issues as the catalyst for a fundamental change in the nature and format of the typical workplace.

“We are entering a phase where the workplace needs, for the first time, to accommodate four different generations of workers,” he said. “The amount www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 14:14:22

RICS STRATEGIC FM EVENT

Dr Barry Varcoe (pictured right) addressed delegates at the RICS Strategic FM Conference

Newton had something to say on O’Donnell’s earlier point about skills. “A lot of my team came up through the ranks,” he noted. “It’s the FMs who are out in the field who are the ones that tend to form the relationships they need. For me, communication skills trump technical skills every time.”

Ask the audience

of change in the world right now is unprecedented. How people want to work is changing and the technology to enable that is only now becoming really useful.”

Although the pace of change had been constrained by lease terms, organisations are gradually starting to make good use of new workplace technologies, said Varcoe. “Since the internet started to influence our lives in the early 1990s, there have been twelve or thirteen generations of these technologies.

Only now are they reaching a critical mass of acceptance.”

Varcoe’s own calculation model looks at the amount of space allocated to employees, the average people-to-workplace ratio and the average percentage space utilisation. It’s from drawing on this research that Varcoe has arrived at his 63 per cent figure.

Next up was Nick O’Donnell, director of estates and facilities at King’s College London. Taking on the topic ‘What do the new www.fm-world.co.uk

16-17_RICS.indd 23

“For the first time, the workplace needs to accommodate four different generations of workers” generation of facilities managers look like?’, O’Donnell said he’d seen a huge shift in the make-up of the sector, towards FMs whose sole experience is of the supply side. He expressed his concern that the sector was risking losing the valuable experience of in-house FMs, and that “we really need a blend of the two”.

“We talk about living in this

golden age of FM, but I wonder about the skills people are obtaining,” continued O’Donnell.

A lack of diversity and the importance of communications skills (“way more important than technical skills”) were also concerns, as was the possibility that FMs “can become so niche that they do not understand other disciplines.” O’Donnell had a useful anecdote about an FM team seeking to cut energy costs without engaging with the site’s catering team. “They hadn’t spoken to them, so they didn’t understand about the energy used for preheating ovens, prepping for service etc — that slightly scares me.”

In the afternoon, Christopher Newton, Lloyds Banking Group’s director of FM, discussed his organisation’s move to take greater control of its asset data management. Having surveyed the group’s entire estate over a twoyear period (including the auditing of all the property above its high street branches), Newton’s team set up a formal maintenance register.

The company has now cut its supplier base dramatically, merged four helpdesks into one, and deployed a bespoke software package to keep control of the new register.

The exercise has turned FM in Lloyds into a more business-focused unit. “Now, FM is leading the capital plan,” said Newton. “We’re understanding our lease obligations and driving the budget. We know where we’re spending the money.”

Later in the day, Nigel Mason and Lionel Prodgers, of Rider Levett Bucknall and Agents4RM respectively, ran a panel session in which they sought confirmation from the audience, on some of the accepted truths about the sector.

For example, to the question “does the management of sustainable development belong firmly in the scope of FM practice?”, 68 per cent voted ‘yes’, while 32 per cent disagreed.

Perhaps most surprising in this exercise was the audience’s lack of awareness about European FM guide standards EN15221-1 and 2, and the new FM procurement standard BS8572:2011. The majority (more than 80 per cent) of the audience expressed their ignorance of these two (admittedly recent) standards, despite their appearances in the pages of FM World and beyond.

Less surprising was the answer to the question “is the current economic climate causing decisions to be made on cost rather than long-term environmental considerations?”. Two thirds agreed that that was the case.

There was also little doubt about the audience’s perception of the international regard in which the UK’s FM expertise is held.

Delegates agreed that visits to the UK from foreign governments and institutions seeking to understand FM and the PFI model were commonplace. “The UK is standing out as being advanced in this thinking,” said Prodgers.

RICS intends to run more FM focused events during 2012. FM FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 17

16/2/12 14:14:35

FM CASE STUDY RACKSPACE NATALIE LI

SIZE OF SITE: 9,290 SQUARE METRES (100,000 SQUARE FEET) NUMBER OF STAFF: 4,000 GLOBAL, 750 IN THE UK CATERING: THOMAS FRANKS CLEANING: PEAR TREE CLEANING SECURITY: SHIELD GUARDING HVAC: RISBY HEALTH & SAFETY ADVISORS: WORKPLACE LAW GENERATOR: AVK-SEG

HOST T WITH THE MOST IT hosting company Rackspace has expanded into vibrant new UK premises. Natalie Li finds out more

18 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

18_21_Rackspace.sr.indd 18

he task was this: to find a new, inspiring building for a growing company, while managing the fit out and relocation – all within six months. Back in December 2010, the facilities team at hosting and cloud computing company Rackspace rose to this daunting challenge.

Rackspace Hosting, founder of open-source cloud platform OpenStack, has its main headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. Placing great emphasis on a high level of customer service, employees work around the clock, 365 days a year, to get fast solutions to critical issues and offer technical phone support.

In the UK, Rackspace employs 750 staff. They were originally based in two offices in Stockley Park, Middlesex, with a data centre in Slough, still in place and housing 70 members of staff.

The company had witnessed fast growth over the preceding years, seeing more than 100 new staff members joining each month. To support the UK team

in providing the best service possible, a grand design project was undertaken, with the brief to house sales, support, finance, HR and administrative staff under one roof and reflect the existing vibrant company culture. Creating a harmonious, inspirational, themed and homely environment was top priority – and with new staff arriving all the time, speed was of the essence.

The facilities team found the building they considered a natural fit – a 9,290 square metre (100,000 square feet) office space, spread over four floors, in Hayes, Middlesex, situated to the west of London. It wasn’t far from the Stockley Park offices and had the added bonus of being nearer to a train station.

“The fit-out was very much a design-led piece of work,” explains director of real estate Jamie Kinch, who has been with Rackspace for seven years.

After tendering for three design companies, Morgan Lovell was chosen as the fit-out firm to transform the space – in just www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 15:42:56

RACKSPACE

An original Mini (left) typifies the design of the office, which combines retro elements with cosy, familiar furniture

IMAGES: RACKSPACE

“We felt it was important to let the designer’s imagination run wild and rein them in where necessary.

We certainly wanted to avoid a conservative look and feel” 13 weeks. Rising to the challenge, the space opened up on week 11, with staff tours taking place on the premises during week nine.

“We gave the designers a very loose brief,” says Kinch. “We didn’t want to stipulate exactly what we wanted as we felt it was important to let their imagination run wild and then we could rein them in where we felt necessary.

We certainly wanted to avoid a conservative look and feel.”

Kinch was also keen to invest in staff happiness and so, along with the rest of the FM team – FM manager, office manager and two receptionists – involved the whole company with the move and the look of the office. A consultation took place with all staff members (known colloquially as ‘rackers’) and in the summer of 2010, Kinch and his team presented the initial concept to every member of staff.

Conscious of fulfilling staff needs and paying attention to feedback, the FM team then met with a final consultation group of 20 employees every week to analyse feedback and commentary. www.fm-world.co.uk

18_21_Rackspace.sr.indd 19

Home from home The office needed to be open 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week, with support teams working on various shift patterns. From this, the idea of creating a ‘home’ environment naturally evolved, with a range of facilities offered on site.

With the home theme in mind, each of the four floors in the Rackspace building has been designed to mimic a domestic environment. Themes include a garage-style area complete with

an old Mini sourced from eBay for £1,300 by Kinch. The first floor is laid out with retro lounge furniture, bright orange carpets and green sofas, while the second floor houses a quiet library area filled with mahogany furniture and Chesterfield sofas. The third floor features a courtyard garden with picnic benches and a glassroofed atrium.

A state-of-the-art gym is available for staff to use free weights, take classes and relax in the treatment rooms. In addition,

there is bike storage available close to the gym.

A staff restaurant on site was a must, offering subsidised meals and space for informal meetings, while a cosy country-style kitchen was created to provide an informal area for shift workers around the clock. Long wooden benches fill the space to allow teams to congregate for informal meetings.

Meals can be prepared throughout the day and night. “We’re even looking for a catering company that can provide staff with readymade meals or gourmet packs of ingredients complete with recipe cards,” says Kinch.

Up on the downside When it comes to working, each floor is carefully dotted with quiet ‘downtime’ areas where small, informal meetings can take place or for private working.

Large, long tables are also dotted around each floor – ideal for larger team meetings.

The meeting rooms themselves proved the most emotive subject among staff feedback, says Kinch.

Eight meeting rooms are therefore available on each floor. Fitting in with each floor’s theme, the ground floor meeting rooms are named after car manufacturers; the first, after 1970s’ music groups; the second, after children’s authors; and the third, after London parks.

With international business taking place on site, a fun boardroom came into existence – a replica of 10 Downing Street’s famous black door, complete with a David Cameron cardboard cut-out outside. It has proved a hit with staff and those over on business from as far away as Hong Kong. “People love having their picture taken outside our 10 Downing Street,” says Kinch.

Such lavish designs and the small time window compounded the pressure on the budget.

Kinch points out it was necessary FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 19

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FM CASE STUDY RACKSPACE NATALIE LI

to be as frugal as possible in the overall spend.

“There was a fine balance – we didn’t want flash over substance,” he says. “We were very aware of creating a fun and usable space within budget. We didn’t need expensive finishes. ”This meant reusing a lot of old furniture where we could – in particular in the café/canteen area, where we brought in the old tables and chairs, which worked well.”

According to Morgan Lovell’s project designer Stuart Jefferson, rugs were also a relatively inexpensive way to create a homely feel and setting.

Savings were also made in other areas. Previously, travelling to the Stockley Park site involved a shuttle bus service from the train station to the work site. Moving to the new site reduced bus usage by 30 per cent and C02 emissions by 10 per cent, according to Kinch.

The decision to consult with staff seems to have paid off; ‘Rackers’ perform well and respond to their environment with enthusiasm.

One, Kinch tells me, brought his parents into the office during their visit to London. He was so proud of where he worked, he just wanted to show it off.

But it wasn’t just the staff workspaces that needed attention – Rackspace puts customer service at the top of the agenda and 20 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

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A replica of 10 Downing Street’s famous black door (far right) amuses visitors to the Rackspace boardroom that lies beyond

with a brand motto of ‘fanatical support’, it was necessary to design spaces reflecting corporate priority aims.

Therefore, a shiny, sleek reception area greets visitors to the Rackspace building, all glistening red glass and white floors, complete with a kitchen area, large TV and seating areas.

These are mainly used for customer and partner day events, with a partition sliding across to cut out noise from reception. A number of meeting rooms are also available for interviews and formal meetings. Cleverly placed glass panels offer a glimpse into other areas of the office and beyond.

The outdoor space also experienced a transformation

during the fit-out. The surrounding area now offers 1,858 square metres (20,000 square feet) of green space for summer barbeques and parties.

It’s not just staff members and visitors who are impressed by this innovative space. In 2011, Rackspace was recognised by the Sunday Times Best Places to Work and Financial Times Top 50 Great Places to Work in the UK for the sixth year in a row.

Handling growth But with rapid growth increasing the density of the office, the challenges naturally grow too. The building has desks for 750 staff, but numbers will increase to 1,000 by the end of March 2012. Just

how does the FM team of seven cope with this kind of demand?

“Staff were very tolerant of the work we’ve had to put in and understand the growth of company,” reveals Kinch.

“We’ve had to accommodate for extra Rackers and are sometimes only given a few days of warning. This can mean moving half an office floor, but we’re so impressed at how responsive staff are.

“We are regularly tasked with undertaking internal moves involving 20 to over 200 people, right up to relocations involving the entire office. Each move must have minimal impact on the business, particularly on the sales and support teams. Moving offices www.fm-world.co.uk

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RACKSPACE

tends to take place out of hours and shift workers are kept on the same floor to save on energy.

“But with the site being operated 24/7, department reorganisations can certainly present some challenges,” he adds.

Agile working allows staff to be more mobile, but Kinch believes loose hot-desking could be the answer.

“Technology moves on and it would be a good thing to have performed more testing on www.fm-world.co.uk

18_21_Rackspace.sr.indd 21

possible hot-desking options. As the company continues to expand, people won’t need to be rooted to the conventional desk space.”

Kinch adds that the company is looking to trial a videoconferencing photo booth, which can be used to free up meeting room space.

“The issue we have is that we are a global company and rely on video conferencing (VC) technology on a daily basis,” he says. “Often, though, we have one member of

staff using a large meeting room for the sole purpose of video conferencing technology. The photo booth trial is to create areas where one staff member can attend a VC meeting in private without using up our meeting rooms, which are a valuable resource.”

And if he could change anything? “If we did the project again, we would think a little bit more about improving collaborative and quiet spaces,” says Kinch.

But with any design-led project rolled out in such a small amount of time, tweaks and changes are part of the process.

All the contracts in the building are completely new – a big challenge for the FM team, which had shared facilities with the tenants in the previous building at Stockley Park. The contracts are expected to last for a year.

While the UK operation has settled nicely into its new home, Kinch is gearing up for a permanent move to San Antonio to lead up the strategy globally. He will lead a project to convert a disused shopping centre into a new head office for Rackspace in the US with the ability to accommodate more than 6,000 people.

“It’s a continual process,” concludes Kinch. “We intend to roll out further projects across the globe – each office designed with its own identity.” FM

“One employee brought his parents into the office during their visit to London. He was so proud of where he worked, he just wanted to show it off”

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 21

16/2/12 15:46:49

FM EVENT ARC MARTIN READ

The ARC facility is extremely secure, with security features including steel windows and ram-raid foiling concrete barriers

n a Wirral trading estate there’s an unassuming office building on an unassuming road. At least, that’s exactly what you’d think if you passed it by. In fact, this particular building hides a secret – it’s a BS5979 Category II accredited alarm receiving centre (ARC), one of just 64 in the UK. This building is operated by SitexOrbis. The company provides alarm monitoring and lone-worker protection services to more than 10,000 subscribers in the UK, and from an FM perspective, the Wirral ARC – housing an operation that runs 24/7/365 – is a fascinating case.

The company provides an empty property service for commercial property and social housing clients. It puts up metal screens on the windows and doors, cleans and clears the premises, and monitors the sites with alarm systems connected via the GSM network. Through a web-based workflow management system, it also provides energy certification,

O

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ALARMING STATS The staffing and running of an alarm-monitoring centre is governed by a strict British standard that obliges operators to provide a particularly secure facility, as Martin Read discovers

repairs and maintenance.

To provide lone worker protection services, SitexOrbis has to ensure that its alarm receiving centres can offer emergency service response as quickly as possible. There’s a British Standard regulating the construction, staffing, operations and security of alarm monitoring centres for security alarms and social alarms (BS5979) and it’s the compliance with this standard that makes the Wirral ARC such an intriguing facility.

Because of the sensitivity of

the centre and the requirements of BS5979, it’s been constructed in such a way as to protect it from the possibility of any external influence. From the street it looks like any other office facility. Walk through the front door and that perception is reinforced by a typical office layout complete with reception desk, conference room and back office. To get in, you need to go through a secure airlock door.

Restricted access All visitors entering the ARC are monitored by cameras and must

be accompanied by an authorised member of the management team (making it an ARC that you have to enter two by two…). The team member has to introduce himself and request permission for themselves and their visitor to enter. Once permission has been granted through a pre-agreed authorisation protocol, the airlock can be accessed. The visitors are again monitored before finally being let in. Even at this stage the operator needs to double-check the identities of the visitors against an approved list, satisfying themselves www.fm-world.co.uk

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ARC

“THE REQUIREMENTS OF BS5979 HAVE MEANT THE BUILDING BEING CONSTRUCTED TO WITHSTAND ANY EXTERNAL INFLUENCE”

that there are no safety or security concerns. (For example, two people in the airlock when only one has introduced themselves to the camera will result in access to the ARC being denied.)

Tough nut to crack If that procedure sounds intense, it’s a level of security easily matched by the construction of the building itself. The windows at the front are reinforced with steel plating, a second wall has been built inside the external walls and the ceiling, made from fireproofed concrete so it cannot be penetrated by intruders, serves as a fire resistant membrane. A ‘viper’ alarm sensor is embedded in all of the internal perimeter walls which, if disturbed in any way (for example by someone trying to ram-raid the walls or drill through them) sends an alert to a nominated third party ARC in the form of a panic alert.

And if you were thinking of ram-raiding the building, you should perhaps take another look www.fm-world.co.uk

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at the rock features placed in front and back of the building – all carefully positioned to prevent such an eventuality.

For the ARC’s operatives, the lack of windows means no access to fresh air, so an air filtration system is used to ensure staff work in a comfortable environment.

There’s an emergency switch that can be activated to close down the air filtration vents if staff feel there is an unusual smell or coloured smoke coming through the vents, thus indicating possible sabotage.

There’s also an alarm timed to go off every hour; this requires staff intervention to prevent, thus ensuring that the staff are still present in the facility and that all is normal.

A wall panel indicates the current power source into the ARC, which can be supported by backup generators in the event of mains failure. Any serious fluctuation in power is recorded here and, again, an alarm is triggered.

Despite the strength of the security systems obliged by BS

5979, should the worst happen a back-up facility is located less than two miles away at Port Sunlight.

Closed encounters The people staffing the ARC are not your average office workers, and it’s important to emphasise that this is not a call centre environment. The operators who take the calls have the skills and experience to deal calmly and professionally with highpressure and stressful situations.

There is the potential for them to witness distressing situations such as intruders stealing copper pipes being electrocuted, or lone workers under attack. All operators receive counselling, which is made available to them at any time. And of course, working in an enclosed environment can also bring its own stresses; for example, for security reasons the operators’ computers do not have internet access (although staff can get internet access from a single terminal in the small kitchen).

On a practical level, there are

screens to show staff what the weather is like outside – important for keeping operators informed in an area where six feet of snow can fall very quickly.

Despite these privations, there was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst the people I encountered on my visit. Operators work in rotating shifts, with temporary staff brought in to help response and technical services director Anne Carter cover spikes in activity at the end of the day.

Typically, the staff at the Wirral ARC deal with 800 activated alarms a month.

Elsewhere on site, SitexOrbis runs its sales and admin functions over both levels of the building.

The ARC is in fact a separate part of the building, positioned to the left of the main office entrance on the first floor (see diagram above).

Although sealed off from the rest of the world, operators can at least be sure that if Armageddon were to be triggered, their colleagues on the other side of the double wall would let them know. FM FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 23

16/2/12 14:47:08

FM EVENT BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING MARTIN READ

A government commitment to have all public buildings constructed through building information modelling (BIM) from 2016 has created a headlong rush to understand what BIM means for the construction sector in general acilities management could, and arguably should be the key to the success of building information modelling. At a conference held by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) just days after its strategic FM event (see page 16), speakers claimed, among other things, that building information modelling (BIM) could “break the cycle of buildings being perpetual prototypes”, forcing operational and life-cycle issues to the top of the agenda for all construction projects in the future.

That’s quite a claim, and, on the face of it, quite an opportunity for the industry. Last June, the government announced that any supplier wanting to be involved in public sector construction projects would need to have transitioned to the use of BIM “tools and techniques” by 2016. In a strategy document outlining how all such projects would need to be BIM-led from 2016 onwards, the logic of this decision was outlined: “the

F

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THE BIM SUPREMACY government as a client can derive significant improvements in cost, value and carbon performance through the use of open, sharable asset information.”

Now, the government is using the procurement of four prison projects through the Ministry of Justice as a trial BIM project. Mark Bew, chairman of the government’s BIM working group, told the RICS conference that an extension to Cookham Wood prison in Kent would be going out to tender before the end of February.

The government’s commitment

to BIM in the public sector has heralded a headlong rush to understand the ramifications, as the standing room only at the RICS conference made clear. But what’s also clear is that despite the 2016 deadline these are still early days indeed for BIM. So, what does it all mean? The idea is that individual component parts are no longer simply elements in a CAD drawing.

Instead, everything from bricks to plasterboard – every individual element that combines to make up a structure – are individual

objects with their own data sets.

These data include dimensions, operational information and vendor details. Supplier cost databases will be linked to these component items, so that specifiers will be able to see, at individual brick level not just the dimensions of the product but also the price of it from different vendors.

Each construction project will be developed from these individual pieces of construction DNA, with the logic being that during the design stage it will www.fm-world.co.uk

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BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING

There was no shortage of delegates at the RICS BIM conference , here being addressed by Government chief construction adviser Paul Morrell

“Retrofitting photovoltaics is all very well, but what if we’d spent more time getting the initial orientation of the building right?”

be possible to calculate not just the quantities and prices of an individual component, but its operational effectiveness. An effective building information model will comprise data that can be evaluated post-construction in a far more transparent way, with lessons learned being easily adapted to future projects. This has potentially huge ramifications for the designing-in of energy efficiency measures.

At the RICS conference, architect Paul Fletcher said that the construction industry needed to learn how to work very differently. Indeed, Fletcher was scathing about the way the construction sector had managed its own information flows to date.

“We urgently need to grapple with this issue,” he told the audience, “how we currently manage information is not sustainable.

“Every building we produce is effectively a prototype, and not enough credence is given up front to the outcome we’re looking to achieve with each construction www.fm-world.co.uk

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project,” said Fletcher, who is also the co-chair of ‘CIC task force 3.6’, a pan-industry group set up to implement recommendation 3.6 of the government’s Low Carbon Construction Innovation Growth Team report (concerning the delivery of low carbon buildings).

“We don’t know how the buildings we design are going to perform,” he continued. “We need to realise that BIM is about information processing, and our current information processing skills are pathetic. We need to start using information and tools in a completely different way. For too long the construction sector has profited from fragmented, incomplete information.”

The ability to manipulate BIM data sets gives designers, architects, construction companies and other stakeholders the opportunity to produce simulations of building performance, thus de-risking projects, said Fletcher. “Simulation of outcomes could significantly affect energy use”, he continued.

SURVEY

Major challenges

A MODEL OF UNCERTAINTY

Several RICS conference speakers broke BIM down into three distinct levels. Level 1 is where most projects are now – using just 2D or 3D information for each component item. Level 2 is where the data on specification, vendor and operation is added to each component. But level 3 is the big one – complete transparency of data for each component. For this to be achievable, data will need to be centrally served to all who need access to it. This means storage in the cloud of huge swathes of data. How this can be achieved is a question for considerable debate.

In a picture of uncertainty, one thing seems clear. If BIM projects are to be carried out as expected, there will need to be a central co-ordinating function to oversee all aspects of project delivery.

Although most speakers at the RICS conference cited the value of facilities management in the development of BIM over the coming years, there was little discussion about how it could be practically involved. Martin Roberts, partner at law firm Pinsents Mason, observed that there was a requirement for some kind of BIM information manager to take charge of projects and liaise with all stakeholders in a BIM construction project. “Is this a role for quantity surveyors,” he asked, “or project managers? Who will take the lead?”

The prospect of whether perhaps facilities management could be the obvious sector to take on this critical role went unmentioned. FM

2011 saw a plethora of seminars and workshops targeted at the construction sector. For 2012, a national BIM report has already been published. The report’s centrepiece is a survey of more than a thousand professionals in the construction sector, from organisations including RIBA, BSRIA, the Construction Industry Council and the Institution of Structural Engineers.

The survey provides an illuminating snapshot of what people from architects through to chartered surveyors and FMs (in the case of just 1 per cent of respondents), understand about BIM and how it is likely to impact them.

Perhaps the most important observation made in the report is that “people continue to agree that the industry is not yet clear enough on what BIM is.” Respondents variously considered the need to embrace BIM as an expensive proposition at a time of austerity – and a time-consuming proposition at that. More optimistic respondents felt that now was the perfect time to make the changeover to BIM software as there was more time to consider issues of training and implementation.

The overall picture is of a sector struggling to find the time and money to invest in BIM but fully aware that it represents the future way of working for construction.

2012 is likely to be a critical year in the development of BIM as the protocols necessary for software vendors are agreed and the wider construction chain starts to fully assess its implementation.

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 25

16/2/12 18:18:45

FM CASE STUDY BENCHMARKING PETER KIMMEL

MEASURE FOR MEASURE… Benchmarking is only worth doing if it is approached properly. Peter Kimmel looks at how it should be done enchmarking is the process of using a formal analysis to compare certain characteristics of a building with those of another.

To get the most of out the process, you must determine what you want to accomplish. This is the first issue discussed below; the remaining ones will help you evaluate whether benchmarking is helping you meet your goals as effectively as possible.

B

ISTOCK

1⁄

What’s your goal?

The various easons to benchmark include to: a) Reduce your operating expenses or space utilisation b) Identify how to make your building greener c) Justify to management a desired improvement d) Know whether or not you are managing effectively e) Monitor how your buildings are performing over time – are their rankings improving? f) Find out how your clients are performing compared to the rest of the population.

Note that (a) and (b) relate to the intention to improve a service; the remainder are used only for

comparison. Most who benchmark are interested in comparisons only – to see how a building is doing compared to others. However, this can motivate improvement in the building’s performance.

2⁄

Know your area

There are different ways to measure a building, such as using gross or net figures, and several standards (IPD or North American for gross; BOMA or IFMA for net). Most systems use gross area, but even within that, there are different standards.

Different standards can vary by as much as 15 per cent when measuring the same building, so it follows that benchmarking data could be out by 15 per cent.

The best systems give FMs a choice and then allow them to compare their results to only those that are measured the same way. Systems that force someone to measure through a specific standard aren’t as reliable, as they are dependent on the FMs being willing to re-measure their site.

3⁄

Average or median?

Most benchmarking

tools use medians, while some use averages. Medians are what the middle-performing building is doing, regardless of how high or low the buildings at the extremes are. Averages (or means) use data from all the buildings and calculate the average. Medians are considered more accurate for benchmarking as they downplay any outlying data at the extreme ends of the range.

4⁄

Which report?

There are many types of reports one can generate, and you will have to know which ones you may want to generate so that you can select the best benchmarking tool for you: ● Building performance metrics (for example, utility consumption per unit area, area cleaned per custodial worker, maintenance cost per unit area, and so on) ● Best practice reports (to generate improvements, as opposed to comparisons only) ● Show multiple buildings for the same client on one report ● Show multiple years of benchmarking for the same client on one report ● Print quality reports to give to management.

5⁄

Identify your filters There

are lots of types of filters that one can generate to compare buildings. Many of these are fairly common and include climate, building size, building age, hours of operation, primary use.

Then there are some that may be more important, but are not tracked in many systems: ● Maintenance craft ● Preventive versus corrective maintenance ● In-house versus contract labour ● Union verses non-union labour ● Security clearance requirements Keep in mind that the more filters selected, the more buildings needed in the benchmarking database to generate meaningful comparisons.

6⁄

Using valid data

a) How up to date is the database? Knowing when the data was input for the portion of the database you will be using is very important. Certain parts of some benchmarking databases are updated only once every three years and most of this data was captured at least 3-6 months previously and may represent data

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BENCHMARKING

from the previous fiscal year.

Such data is usually too dated to be meaningful. b) What are the safeguards to prevent anomalies or data with errors from being input? There are many opportunities for human error, ranging from holding a key down too long (resulting in an extra digit or two), or just a building so unique that it probably shouldn’t

be benchmarked. Some systems use tools to flag these situations so that the FM must approve them, while others ignore them.

7⁄

The filter set

With any benchmarking system, it works well only if there are enough buildings in the comparison set (filter set) to yield meaningful

TYPICAL BENCHMARKING REPORT

YOUR BUILDING BEST PERFORMING BUILDINGS

Each building is shown by its own vertical bar. The only buildings shown are those that the FM has selected, based on a set of filters selected. The vertical axis represents a building metric, such as maintenance cost per unit area. Thus, the buildings on the left of the chart are spending less per unit area that those on the right side. Our subject’s building (red bar) appears in the third quartile (yellow bars), meaning that there is plenty of room for improvement (toward the blue bars).

Chart provided courtesy of FM BENCHMARKING.

results. This usually means a minimum of 25-30 buildings with your selected filters (when applying three to four filters simultaneously, this can result in a database of over two or three thousand buildings).

The more filters one selects, the more buildings one will need in the database. In this sense, the database can never have too many buildings.

Geographic filters (for example by city) can be important.

Unfortunately, most systems do not contain enough buildings in enough cities to make benchmarking viable, so workarounds become relevant and can be done through use of specialised filters.

Here are a few examples that your benchmarking system should have: ● For utility consumption, look at cities with similar temperatures and humidity ● For labour costs, look at cities with similar labour rates for certain common tasks.

8⁄

Refine your filters

The object here is to determine which filters have the most impact and then limit the report to just the three or four that will be most meaningful. For example, let’s assume that we have identified six potential filters.

We start with the one most likely to have an impact and generate a report for that filter, and note in which quartile our building falls (see chart).

We then try another filter.

If our building appears to move significantly to the left or right, we should keep that filter. Otherwise, we turn it off and look at a third one. We keep doing this until we have tried all six filters, and then keep the three most meaningful.

9⁄

User friendly

The following aspects of user friendliness are important:

● Secure web that allows you to

access results from any location ● Ability to batch input data from

multiple buildings via an Excel (or equivalent) data entry form ● Not requiring that all data fields be input ● Not requiring that all data fields be input at the same time (not all data are always available) Ease of use characteristics include: ● It should be obvious how to use

the system without much training ● Even if it is obvious what to

do, keystrokes for common tasks should be kept to a minimum ● The system should be fast, reducing the user’s waiting time to go from screen to screen.

10⁄

Draw conclusions Without accurate conclusions, all the above work is meaningless.

Let’s assume that the FM already has correctly selected the most appropriate benchmarking tool for the desired output. The FM will still need to exercise judgement in the following areas: ● Knowing which reports to generate ● Knowing which filters to apply ● Areas of required experience and expertise ● Knowing which best practices we should implement Benchmarking is not an exact science – it is both an art and a science. The first part of benchmarking is to understand your benchmarking goals. Then, one needs to select a system that will facilitate the achievement of those goals. Finally, one must apply a mixture of good judgment, trial and error, expertise and experience to benchmark successfully. FM Peter Kimmel is a principal of FM Benchmarking, the online benchmarking tool for BIFM members. He is an architect and a former facilities manager FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 27

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16/2/12 10:54:19

FM MONITOR TONY THIARAY

LEGAL UPDATE

Tony Thiaray commercial lawyer at Cushman & Wakefield facilities management

T U PE – A B R IEF OV ERV I EW, R I S K A N D MITIGATION

ow can facilities management suppliers H mitigate the risk of falling foul of the TUPE regulations?

The broad effect of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) is to preserve the continuity of employment and the terms and conditions of those employees who are transferred to a new employer.

It also contains a number of obligations upon the transferring employer (the transferor) and the receiving employer (the transferee) to inform and consult with affected employees.

How it applies Briefly, for there to be a transfer under TUPE there must be: ■ a business or “undertaking” capable of transfer that does in fact transfer from one employer to another, retaining its identity; and/or ■ a change in contractor where services carried out by one service provider cease and are carried out instead by another (in other words, a “service provision change”).

In practice, on a change of service provider all contracts of employment and associated liabilities will transfer by operation of TUPE from the outgoing employer or service provider to the incoming employer or service provider. Effectively, the new employer steps into the shoes of the old employer as though the employee’s contract of employment was always with them. Where TUPE applies, a new employer usually cannot change the transferred employees’ terms and conditions even to match those of its existing employees.

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Thus, for example, when outsourcing a service for the first time, FM must ensure that their businesses fulfil their obligations and responsibilities to any transferring employees and fully disclose all necessary information to any new employer in accordance with TUPE. Whether employees are within scope will always involve an assessment of the individual circumstances, but it is important to note that even though employees might not be operational or might be employed by a different entity, TUPE may nevertheless apply to them. For an FM, the question of exactly when TUPE does and does not apply can be challenging. This is why it is imperative to engage specialist legal and HR teams prior to any change of service provision or transfer of employees.

Key point: Failure to spot a TUPE risk is at the very nub of most TUPE disputes. It is safer to assume TUPE will apply even if in doubt as to whether TUPE does in fact apply.

Minimising risk Often in the rush to transfer services to a new service provider, time is limited. At contract transition, commercial and operational mobilisation due diligence exercises must work in synergy with the HR due diligence process to discharge legal duties, protecting contractual terms by way of obtaining the right employee information, identifying risks and liabilities early on.

More often than not, customers and suppliers will supplement the fundamental position under TUPE by agreeing warranties and indemnities that go to (among other things) the conduct of the parties and the apportioning of liability, both on entry and exit.

It is not a case of leaving the due diligence process solely for HR to sort out on their own; FMs need to initiate early discussion between all parties involved so as to indentify the commercial/monetary impact of TUPE on their organisation.

Key point: Seek a warranty when you want the other party to confirm that certain information they are giving you is correct.

For example, you will want to ensure that the information about the pay and benefits of transferring employees is accurate. If it turns out that it was inaccurate you will have a claim for damages against them, although this will be subject to an obligation to mitigate the loss suffered.

Seek an indemnity where you want a guaranteed remedy of reimbursement in respect of a particular liability. For example, if an employee has a claim that arose prior to their transfer. In such instance and under the indemnity, the client will reimburse the service provider’s costs of dealing with this claim and any compensation it has to pay.

With any change of service provision there is frequently the likelihood of it affecting staff and their roles. Change does not come without a cost but the cost can be minimised when dealing with staffing issues related to outsourcing by managing this professionally and with the input of professional advisors to assist you during the process.

The mistake many firms make is at the very beginning by not explaining to staff that they are looking at ways to minimise costs which “may” result in changes to the way a process or function is run. By leaving this to the end of the process, it can potentially take longer to deal with and end up costing your organisation more.

For example, when pitching for a new bid ask yourself: ■ are the services being provided for a single client ■ is there going to be a designated team focusing mainly on that client’s work; and/or ■ are we taking the services back from an external provider, or moving them out to a new provider, or transferring between outside providers?

Additionally, when looking at tender documents, check the small print! Buried in a tiny paragraph at the end of the document, the client may have inserted a clause that it makes no warranties about the applicability of TUPE. Ignore this at your peril, for once you’ve signed on the dotted line, it is you who will take all the liabilities if there is a TUPE situation or any related legal challenge; such claims will probably wipe out your margins.

CONCLUSIONS 1. Effective communication, due diligence and legal advice is vital at any stage of the TUPE process.

2. TUPE often presents significant uncertainties on exit, so it is best to deal with it at the outset. Ensure you do your due diligence (both legal and HR) and that you have secured (or provided only those) indemnities that are absolutely necessary in order to protect your legal and contractual position in the event of any claim. www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 18:14:42

Court Report AVOCET INDUSTRIAL ESTATES LLP V MEROL LTD & ANOR [2011] EWHC 3422 (CH)

Conditional break clauses THE ISSUE

Break clauses are traditionally a hotly contested area of law and practice. It’s easy to understand why: stakes are high, principles are applied strictly and mistakes are easily made.

From the perspective of a tenant wishing to move on, the consequences of a failed attempt to break a lease can be catastrophic, as it finds itself on the hook for several more years of rent. In a tough market, the stakes are raised still higher as tenants try to reduce their overheads by moving to cheaper premises while landlords seek ways to challenge the validity of their tenants’ purported break notices and thereby guarantee their rental income stream.

The following case is an example of this dynamic, and serves as a cautionary tale to tenants thinking of breaking their leases in the current economic climate.

BACKGROUND

Merol Ltd (the tenant) had a tenyear lease from Avocet Industrial Estates LLP (the landlord). The lease contained a conditional break clause allowing the Tenant to break the lease after five years, provided that it had satisfied a number of pre-conditions, including payment of all unpaid sums due under the lease at the break date and payment of a penalty sum for

www.fm-world.co.uk

29_Court Report.indd 33

breaking the lease equivalent to six months’ rent (the sum).

The lease separately contained a clause requiring default interest to be paid on any unpaid sums.

During the lease, the tenant had made several late payments of quarterly rent in relation to which the landlord had demanded interest on some, but not on others. The tenant sent the landlord its break notice with the requisite contractual notice and the day before the break date delivered to the landlord a cheque in the amount of the sum together with the keys.

ARGUMENT

The landlord issued proceedings for a declaration that the tenant had not complied with the conditions in the break clause, that the tenant’s break notice was ineffective and that the lease was continuing.

The landlord’s first ground of challenge was the fact that the tenant had delivered a cheque. The landlord argued that this was not sufficient and that only cleared funds into his bank account by the break date would suffice.

The second ground of challenge related to the instances where the tenant had paid various amounts due under the lease late.

The landlord argued that default interest on these amounts had accrued and had not been paid.

The landlord argued that it did not need to have formally demanded payment of such interest, and that the tenant could ascertain what sums were

due in the absence of such a demand.

DEFENCE

The tenant argued that while the general rule was that payments must be made by legal tender (which a cheque is not), this had been set aside in this instance. It contended that the landlord had accepted cheques in the past and that this course of dealing meant that the parties had an implied agreement that payment by cheque was acceptable. Even if this were not the case, the landlord had in fact accepted the cheque by failing to reject it promptly on receipt and this should preclude the landlord from later asserting that payment by cheque was insufficient.

On the second ground, the tenant contended that on a proper construction of the lease it was not liable to pay any default interest on late payments unless and until the landlord had validly demanded such interest, which it had not.

DECISION

On the first issue, the tenant won.

The course of dealing between the parties meant that they had impliedly agreed that cheque was an acceptable mode of payment.

On the second issue, however, the tenant’s case fell down. Under the lease, the landlord was not obliged to demand default interest before the tenant’s liability to pay crystallised. Further, the landlord was not stopped from challenging the break notice on the basis that it

should have told the tenant that it owed default interest: the landlord did not, at the break date, know that the tenant owed any interest.

Accordingly, the tenant was liable for five additional years of rent totalling over £300,000.

By contrast, the default interest outstanding totalled a mere £130.

While the judge conceded that the outcome was “harsh”, he said he was bound to it by legal principle.

IMPACT

This case highlights the difficulties presented to tenants by conditional break clauses and the sometimes stark discrepancy that can exist between the material consequences of a failure to break (rental liability) and the reason for that failure (eg a relatively minor overdue payment). ● Tenants wishing to break their leases must conduct a thorough review of their lease and any pre-conditions to break including noting any missed or late payments made.

In the event of ambiguity a cautious approach would be to discharge any possible debts while courts continue (in the main, although not without exception) to construe break clauses strictly against tenants. ●

Beverley Vara is a partner and head of real estate litigation at solicitors Allen & Overy LLP

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 29

16/2/12 18:15:02

FM MONITOR BOB CANNELL

TECHNICAL

Bob Cannell is business development manager at Hygiene Group

SILO CLEAN IN G

ilos are used in the food and beverage sector for storing powdered and granulated ingredients. Bob Cannell explains what to expect from a silo-cleaning contractor

S

The size of silos and the worth of their contents means that cleaning and maintenance must be correctly managed. Any contamination of silo contents is not only costly in terms of waste, downtime and lost production, but also brand image, if contaminated product finds its way into the main production line.

While there is no specific legislation governing silo cleaning intervals, best practice as applied by most major retailers typically requires that silos are emptied and thoroughly cleaned at least once and usually twice per year.

Planning and preparation are key to a safe and successful cleaning job.

Silo cleaning is a specialist task and should always be undertaken by a professional contractor able to demonstrate certification in a number of key areas. Suppliers should be able to provide documented proof that their teams are trained in Confined Space Entry and the safe use of access equipment such as tripods, winches and bosun’s chairs.

SHUTTERSTOCK

The scope of the job The supplier should carry out a detailed survey of the silo in terms of access and identifying any obstacles such as filters that may need to be removed to allow cleaning to take place. They should also establish whether the silo can be vented at the bottom to allow air circulation.

30 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

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The supplier should assimilate information about the silo – whether, for example, it has powered or screw feed. Good practice in this area also requires the preparation of a report on the condition of the silo, including ‘before’ and ‘after’ images, details of any infestations, issues of mould or ‘bridging’ – the clumping together of water-absorbing granules, which can block access to portions of the silo’s interior surface – and state of repair. Separation of the interior lining, for example, from the exterior shell, is not uncommon and should be reported.

They will then need to ascertain how the silo will be isolated from pneumatic, electric and physical factors for cleaning. They will need to agree with you on a time window for the cleaning job. Power supplies for the cleaning equipment are key and you will need to be clear with the supplier as to what power, if any, is available close to the silo in terms of electric power or compressed air, so they can devise their working plan accordingly.

You will also need to advise your supplier of any local systems

of work of which they should be aware, as well as giving them full details on the contents of the silo.

It is generally up to the facilities manager to ensure the silo is emptied as far as possible and that no deliveries are scheduled for the planned cleaning day.

Having collated all this information, the supplier should undertake a thorough risk assessment and then develop a safe system of work, with an escape plan in case any safety issues arise. You are within your rights to request a physical demonstration of how an injured person would be removed from the working area. The supplier should take into account factors such as the weather when finalising the cleaning date – cleaning should not take place during heavy rain or snow due to the likelihood of contamination of the silo interior.

Protective equipment On the day of cleaning, the supplier should ensure all operatives are wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and, check the ‘breathability’ of the air using a meter before work commences. Even if the air is found to be of an acceptable standard, the silo cleaners – who must work in teams of at least three - must always wear a dust mask throughout the cleaning process.

The first stage is usually to vacuum down the interior surfaces of the silo. Brushing is not an option as this increases the risk of explosion, as a cloud of dust can be

created. All tools and equipment used for cleaning the silo must be spark-proof, from plastic scrapers through to vacuum cleaners which can be air powered and which must also be fitted with anti-static hoses.

Any metal product must be phosphor bronze or copper, while all lights must be sealed and cleaning operatives must wear disposable paper suits. All electrical equipment is subject to ATEX, the name commonly given to two European Directives for controlling explosive atmospheres. Most silo areas are classed as ‘Atex 21’ zones and electrical equipment suitable for use in these zones is rated accordingly.

Silos are normally cleaned dry, although pressure washing can be undertaken if mould is present.

If the latter, blow drying will be required immediately afterwards.

Virtually all silos have filters (either of DCE or reverse jet design) on top, which will need to be cleaned and examined for soundness and filter elements replaced if required. If there are any signs of infestation present, the supplier should recommend that a specialist pest control supplier should be immediately called in.

Once the work is complete, the supplier should provide a detailed written report on the work undertaken, any issues found and recommendations for any repairs or other work needed. FM Further information is available on the Health & Safety Executive website at www.hse.gov.uk

“You are within your rights to request a physical demonstration of how an injured person would be removed” www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 14:15:09

FM MONITOR MARKET INTELLIGENCE

INSIGHT

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.

ECONOMY

BIM SURVEY 2011 – RESPONDENTS

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

At the end of 2011, a survey on Building Information Modeling (BIM) was carried out.

The National BIM Survey (NBS) followed up research conducted in 2010, which allowed a comparison of how attitudes had changed over the course of a year.

Around 1,000 respondents replied to the online survey, more than double the number of the previous year.

As in 2010, architects represented the largest group of respondents (37%), followed by architectural technologists (21%).

Respondents came from a range of organisation sizes, with a quarter coming from very small organisations (one or two employees) and 14 per cent coming from very large businesses (over 500 employees). The majority came from organisations with fifteen or fewer employees (52 per cent).

Respondents come from a diverse range of services, with a majority offering specification, contract administration, planning, tendering, project management and building regulation services. Three quarters offer a detailed drawing service, while half are now offering 3D computer modelling services.

Source: HM Treasury (hmrc.gov.uk)

Bank of England base rate: 0.5% as of 7 September 2011.

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

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

Consumer Price Index Annual inflation fell to 3.6% in February, from 4.2% in December.

Annual inflation has now fallen by 1.2 percentage points since November 2011; the only time there has been a larger fall over a period of two consecutive months was between October and December 2008.

Source: ONS (www.ons.gov.uk)

EMPLOYMENT

National Minimum Wage The following rates came into effect on 1 October 2011: Category of worker

Hourly rate from 1 Oct 2011

Aged 21 and above

£6.08

Aged 18 to 20 inclusive

£4.98

Aged under 18 (but above compulsory school age)

£3.68

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

£2.60

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31_Insight.indd 52

CATERING

Profession Architect Architectural Technologist Other Quantity Surveyor Structural Engineer Building Surveyor Civil Engineer Contractor CAD Technician Engineer: Other Building Services Engineer Landscape Architect Interior designer Manufacturer Facilities Manager Property Developer Building Engineer Chartered Surveyor

% 37% 21% 11% 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Source: National BIM Report 2012

BIM SURVEY 2011 – AWARENESS OF BIM

The survey shows 21% of respondents are still neither aware of nor using BIM. This is down from 43% in 2010, indicating awareness and use of BIM is growing. In parallel, more than double (31%) now say they are aware of and currently using BIM (up from 13% last year).

Words Just aware of BIFM Aware and currentley using BIM Neither aware nor using

2010 45% 13% 43%

2011 48% 31% 21%

Source: National BIM Report 2012

BIFM SURVEY – TAKE-UP OF SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

The annual BIFM Sustainability in FM survey for 2011 pointed out a marked improvement in facilities managers’ attitudes towards the effectiveness and implementation of sustainability initiatives in their organisations.

In the five years since the beginning of the annual audit, there has been a steady increase in the number of FMs who rated their implementation as either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

The survey of 410 facilities professionals, authored

by Wisdom Kwawu and Abbas Elmualim of the University of Reading, assessed the perception of FM professionals on how and why they were engaging with sustainability agendas within their organisations in terms of sustainability policy, FM responsibilities

concerning sustainability issues and the performance of sustainability activities. Corporate image, legislation and organisational ethos were cited as the three principal reasons for driving sustainability activity.

2011

5 33

2010

5 21

2009

9

2008

2 20

2007

11

36 40 31

11 14

31 15

23 33

25

Adequate

15 24

50% Very good

4

24 32

0 Excellent

21

16

100% Inconsistent

Poor

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 31

16/2/12 17:11:33

FM MONITOR STAN MITCHELL

STANDARDS

Stan Mitchell is chair of the BSI’s Facilities Management Committee

THE D EVELOPM EN T O F STA N DA R DS I N FM

Why standards?

Many people in the industry still wonder why some individuals pursue the seemingly distant and obscure goal of standards in FM. The fact is that standards are a crucial step that the FM community must take on the road to achieving the above objectives.

Much has changed with the establishment of the British Standards Institute (BSI) Facilities Management Committee and the European Centre for Standardization’s (CEN) Facilities Management Committee. The establishment of these bodies has helped to cement FM’s status as a distinct business sector.

An important phase of development was the realisation that if the profession was to succeed, then it had to take the good work that had been done, 32 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

32_Standards.sr.indd 32

The first standard The industry has come far since those days. When the opportunity arose to engage with the wider European Facilities Management community Committee, whose intent was to create a Europeanwide set of standards for FM, the BIFM proactively worked alongside the BSI to establish the BSI Facilities Management Committee FMW /1. This was formed in 2003.

The inaugural role of that committee was to participate in the establishment of the first ever standards in FM, which, after three years of consultation and discussion, were published in 2006.

BS EN 15521-1 ‘Facility Management – Terms and Definitions’ was developed and published in 2006 and was accepted

SUPPORT PROCESSES

Client

TACTICAL

SUPPLY

Customer

STRATEGIC SPECIFYING KPIS

such as in setting up the BIFM Qualification, and establish a more substantial foundation upon which the profession could move forward. The subsequent development of Further and Higher education qualifications, Asset Skills, designation of a Standard Industrial Classification code, IFMA qualifications, RICS and CIBSE specialist focus groups have all, since then, contributed to the ongoing development of those standards.

PRIMARY PROCESSES

SPECIFYING SLAS

The development of facilities management standards in the UK really began with the emergence of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM). However, attention was initially focused on what was needed in order to create a professional discipline. In those early days, it was all about building credibility through education as the platform upon which a new professional discipline had to be built.

The discipline had to be: ● Relevant to government, business and commerce ● Sustainable ● A career of choice.

FM Model BS EN 15221-1

DEMAND

key step on the road for FM to recognised as a respected, well-defined profession has been the establishment of standards, explains Stan Mitchell

A

Internal and external

End-user OPERATIONAL PRIMARY ACTIVITIES

across 31 countries in Europe.

Within this standard, facilities management is defined as: “The integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services that support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities”.

While being a generic statement in itself, when fully understood and articulated, it aptly describes the intent and purpose of FM. Included in the standard, the ‘FM Model’ diagram is a useful aide-mémoire to use when explaining the nature and scope of FM, as opposed to support services or property management.

It separates the scope of FM into two main categories: 1. Space and infrastructure 2. People and organisation In this way, the diagram essentially defines what is commonly referred to as both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’

FACILITY SERVICE

services, terms that are familiar to most FMs. It goes on to specify what is involved in FM at strategic, tactical and operational levels, as well as the interaction between them. It concludes that effective FM should: ● Foster integration of the different service processes ● Streamline the link between the strategic, tactical and operational levels ● Ensure consistent communication (bottom up and top down) ● Develop and cultivate the relationship and partnership between clients/end-users and supplier/service providers ● Support the connection between historical facts, current facts and future requirements. FM Stan Mitchell is chief executive of Key Facilities Management International, chairman of the BSI Facilities Management Committee, past chair of BIFM and founding chair of Global FM

“FM is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services that support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities” www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 10:54:42

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14/2/12 10:27:16

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

The Royal College of Physicians (top), guest speaker, Ruby McGregor-Smith (below)

Wales Millennium Centre ● What’s BIM got to do with FM? ● Win Win: Intelligent FM Service Partner, intelligent FM client Workplace Law

ALAMY

THINKFM CONFERENCE

ThinkFM is a day of learning, debate, interaction and networking, including an earlyevening drinks reception, brought to you by BIFM, in association with Workplace Law. The theme is ‘Ideas for Change: How great facilities management makes the difference’ and it takes place on 18 June 2012 at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

The hubs are ‘Workplace: Making spaces work’, ‘People: Inspiring the team’, ‘Competitive advantage: Driving performance and value’, and ‘ThinkFM Lab’.

You can focus on one hub or move across them all, selecting from the following sessions: ● Barts and The London Hospitals case study Jane Sansome, chief executive, Capital Hospitals ● Benchmarking Masterclass Peter Kimmel, principal, FM Benchmarking ● BIFM Qualifications clinic ● Calculating the Costs of Employment: 10 ways to control cost and improve margins, Workplace Law ● Career Development Duncan Carter, managing director, Macallam Executive Recruitment ● Central St Martins College, Simon Francis, senior facilities manager, University of the Arts, London ● Choices in Education and Training for FM ● Customer Service: Who is the Customer for FM? ● Do the Hokey Cokey – Adventures in Outsourcing Lucy Jeynes, managing director, Larch Consulting ● Driving Efficiencies through Effective Collaboration Paul Worland, director business

34 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

34-36_BIFMNews.indd 36

i View the latest programme at www.thinkfm.com/programme.

Book at www.thinkfm.com/ booknow, email conference@ thinkfm.com or call 08701 632 804.

The early-bird offer for ThinkFM ends on 23 March, so BIFM members would pay just £295 plus VAT for the full conference programme. The delegate fee includes an early evening networking reception, with guest speaker Ruby McGregor-Smith, chief executive, Mitie Group plc

AWARDS 2012

BIFM Awards development, EMCOR ● Elizabeth 2 Court office case study Mike Chater, senior architect and sustainability design advisor, HCC Property Services ● Employment Law: Impact on FM Jayn Bond, associate director, Workplace Law ● Experimental FM – What are we really learning? Greg Davies, head of service development, Elementus ● Flexible/Agile Working Chris Webber, The Agile Organisation ● FM Procurement and Supply Chain Management – Driving value for clients Martyn Sherrington, head of procurement and supply chain management, SGP Property Services & Facility Management ● Food Magic: reduced cost sustainable food for an inspired workplace Nick Parker, managing director, Bite Catering ● Global FM International Workshops ● ICT: What’s new and what works Matthew Wailling, director of consultancy, Cordless Consultants ● International SIG interactive

session ● Is all exposure good exposure? David Sharp, managing director, Workplace Law ● Managing Mobility: Usercentric workplaces. Philip Tidd, head of consulting, EMEA, Gensler ● Opportunities in Hard Times.

Oliver Jones, chief executive, Chayora Ltd ● PFI/PPP Promise and Performance ● Protection of Freedoms – keeping up to date with legal issues Workplace Law ● Safety culture: Beyond Compliance Simon Toseland, head of health and safety, Workplace Law ● Streamlining CDM Compliance: Putting the client in control Workplace Law ● Think Green, Act Green: A sustainable approach to refurbishment Peter Watts, environmental consultant, Workplace Law ● Wales Millennium Centre Case Study Jonathan Poyner, director, venue operations,

The BIFM Awards, with headline sponsor Mace, recognise excellence in FM. It is our esteemed judges who search for this excellence based on the entries received. Would you be interested in becoming a BIFM Awards judge? If so, you need to: ● Be a BIFM member ● Write a short biography explaining why you wish to become involved in judging ● Detail which category or categories you would be interested in (available at www. bifm.org.uk/awards2012) Please email this information to awards@bifm.org.uk. There is no time frame in which to apply.

“Deciding to become a judge in the BIFM Awards is an important commitment to the profession for any individual in the FM industry,” says Oliver Jones chairman of the judging.

“Determining who is the ‘best of the best’ in any of the categories requires experience, perspective and importantly vision – as we need the recognised leaders to help push the overall industry standards to ever higher levels.” www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 14:47:58

Please send your news items to communications@bifm.org.uk or call 0845 058 1356

According to Jones, “We are constantly seeking out those who want to be part of making a difference and furthering our profession”.

“The great thing about being a BIFM judge is that you learn so much,” added Nick Shaw, lead judge for the Innovation in Products category.

“This comes through a combination of the people you meet through the judging process, the companies that are demonstrating best practice in trying to win the awards, and the innovative products that are presented to you.”

In addition, “there is the altruistic feeling that comes through representing the FM industry and rewarding those who are stretching the boundaries of excellence. It really is such a positive and rewarding process to be involved in.” i To learn more about the awards visit www.bifm.org.uk/awards2012

AGM

BIFM AGM The BIFM AGM 2012 will take place on July 12 2012 at Redactive Publishing (publishers of FM World), 17 Britton Street, in London. It is scheduled to start at midday and end at 1pm.

As in previous years, the BIFM will be using online voting for those at member grade or above, so you can have your say on the institute without the need to attend the AGM. i Full details on the AGM will be posted at www.bifm.org.uk/ AGM2012 and presentations given at the AGM will be available here from 13 July.

Should you wish to attend the AGM please register at www. surveymonkey.com/s/BIFM_ AGM12. Full joining instructions will then follow in early July

www.fm-world.co.uk

34-36_BIFMNews.indd 37

David Sharp is managing director of Workplace Law

GUEST COMMENT THINKING FM

n 18 June 2012, the doors will open on ThinkFM, the flagship conference for the UK facilities management sector, brought to you by BIFM in association with Workplace Law. The largest gathering of FMs outside of North America, it promises to be a valuable day for finding out what’s happening in FM, network with colleagues, and meet with potential partners and suppliers. The word ‘essential’ is frequently over-used, but I can honestly say if you are in FM and can only go to one event this year, this is the one you should visit.

For the first time, Workplace Law will be actively involved in the event. For the past twelve years, we have run our own annual conference, having welcomed some 1,500 delegates looking to keep up to date on employment law, health and safety and environmental management.

This year, and for the next two years, we have taken the decision to combine our event with ThinkFM. Like the institute, we wanted to create a vibrant, interactive gathering that really delivered: an event where you could meet people doing similar jobs and facing the same issues as you; find out how the law and practice of FM is changing, what it means to you, and what you can do to prepare for it; and where you could share war stories, solutions, and get the lowdown on the industry.

We realised after about year five – yes, it took us that long! – that much of the value from our annual conference was delivered, not from the stage, but from the floor. Often, our delegates knew as much, if not more in some cases, than our presenters. And so, over time, we changed the format, making the event more informal, to reflect the way knowledge is really transferred. We stopped trying to teach, and started learning to share.

To deliver truly the best experience for delegates, you need to have numbers. And so we decided that, rather than effectively competing with ThinkFM, it would be in the interest of both Workplace Law and the BIFM – and most of all our facilities management visitors – if we worked together, rather than separately. Hence I am very proud that Workplace Law is programming a third of the sessions this year across all three hubs – workplace, people and competitive advantage.”

So what’s so good about ThinkFM? Well, for a start, it’s been streamlined – down from two days to one – which means a big saving in time and cost for anyone attending.

Second, there’s the rate, down to just £295 for early bird member bookings, which I think represents genuinely good value compared to events run by other institutions and commercial operators.

Third, there’s the programme. Workplace Law is conducting dedicated research into the FM sector, which will be presented at the conference. There are 24 sessions to choose from in all.

Finally, it’s taking place in central London, easily accessible to most people by public transport. It promises to be an event well worth attending.

O

“WE CHANGED THE FORMAT, MAKING THE EVENT MORE INFORMAL, TO REFLECT THE WAY KNOWLEDGE IS REALLY TRANSFERRED”

i ThinkFM (www.thinkfm.com) is taking place on 18 June 2012 at the Royal College of Physicians in London. David Sharp is managing director of Workplace Law, specialists in employment law, health and safety and environmental management. www.workplacelaw.net

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 35

16/2/12 14:48:29

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

BIFM TRAINING SPECIAL CONFERENCE DEAL

Sig name change The BIFM special interest group formerly known as Security & Business Continuity, is now the Risk & Business Continuity Management Sig. While physical security and business continuity remain a major part of the remit for many FMs, regulatory compliance and the management of physical risks to premises also form part of that remit. The scope of the Sig has now been extended to encompass these issues and therefore provide a wider offering of CPD events for BIFM members. The Sig aims to: 1. Provide BIFM members with a wider choice of CPD events in the field of risk, compliance and business continuity 2. Reflect current thinking that business continuity, compliance and risk are all interrelated issues 3. Further recognise the broad base of issues and disciplines that are covered within FM which include risk and business continuity

SHUTTERSTOCK

4. Provide a forum for the promotion and exchange of best practices related to physical risk management, regulatory compliance and business continuity i Any members who would like to participate in the Sig as committee members or who like to speak on issues mentioned above, should contact Steve Dance, chair of the Sig, steve1dance@btinternet.com.

Learn more about all BIFM regions and Sigs at www.bifm.org.uk/groups

36 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

34-36_BIFMNews.indd 38

e’re currently taking bookings for our two upcoming conferences but did you know that a 10 per cent discount is available when two or more places are booked?* Our conferences, where our FM experts take the speaker platform to discuss the key concepts and FM issues of the moment, provide excellent forums to discuss best practice and innovation within the profession.

Those of you wary on the impacts of this year’s Olympics should most definitely consider attending our flexible working conference in April – see below.

Flexible Working – Is this the answer to all our problems? 25th April 2012, central London We’re being encouraged by the Government to embrace flexible working practices and a number of forward thinking companies are reaping the benefits of the home worker.

This conference addresses the critical issues and how you can support this working practice and provide a strategic business case, including cost savings, a culture of partnership and trust, improved retention of key employees and savings on recruitment, a reduced office print, how flexible working is planned, implemented & operated and technology innovation. We hear from Telefónica UK and how they are implementing flexible working to manage their new European Corporate Headquarters in Slough, and close the day with a discussion on business continuity during the London 2012 Games – it’s not too late to develop those crucial contingency plans.

Building Services & Maintenance including Legal Update, 22nd May 2012, central London Well designed and managed building services produce a comfortable, productive, energy efficient and safe & healthy workplace. Many generalist managers who have overall responsibility for these vital services however are not from engineering/technical backgrounds or may not be up-todate with new developments and techniques. This practical conference is designed to explain the technology of building services and how to effectively manage them. Delegates will also learn effective management and decision making techniques to improve liaison with key parties, including contractors and consultants. Crucially, there is a huge amount happening around policy for the built environment at present, so we include a legal update on the most important issues. You’ll also hear from Channel 4 who give us their strategic view on managing building services.

W

SIG

FM EXPERTS

Are you an FM Expert?

BIFM is looking to establish a network of FM ‘technical experts’ to support the on-going development of our knowledge provision for our members.

We would be delighted to hear from members who are interested in becoming part of our technical expert panel to work closely with the product development team on a variety of new developments and help us fill the knowledge gaps.

This really is a great opportunity to become involved in the institute’s activities and use your expertise for the benefit of other members.

As one of our technical experts we will ask you to work with us in your area of particular expertise in a variety of tasks. Some may be quick wins resolved over the phone or by email; some may be longer term projects requiring conference calls, for example. i Register your interest by completing the form at https://www. surveymonkey.com/s/FMExpert. If you have any queries contact annie. horsley@bifm.org.uk or call 0845 058 1356

*Each conference is priced at £395+VAT for BIFM members or £425+VAT for non-members. When two or more delegates are booked from the same organisation at the same time on either one or across both conferences, a 10% discount can be applied. i Download the full brochure online at www.bifm-training. com/bifmConferenceFS.htm. Alternatively you can request a copy or register by calling 020 7404 4440 or emailing info@ bifm-training.co.uk

www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 14:48:43

§

FM DIARY NATIONAL BIFM EVENTS 18 June ThinkFM 2012 ThinkFM will be a day of learning, debate, interaction and networking.

Delegates will be able to take away new ideas to their organisations.

ThinkFM 2012 will include new features, such as site visits, so that delegates can see first-hand how great FM is making a difference.

Venue: Royal College of Physicians, London Contact: conference@thinkfm.com or call 08701 632 804 12 July 2012 BIFM Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2012 Full details on the AGM will be posted at www.bifm.org.uk/AGM2012 and presentations given at the AGM will be available here from 13 July.

Venue: Redactive Publishing (publishers of FM World), 17 Britton Street, London Contact: sharon.mcKenzie@bifm.org. uk or call 0845 058 1356. Visit www. surveymonkey.com/s/BIFM_AGM12 to register 8 October BIFM Awards 2012 The BIFM Awards is the biggest and most influential networking event within the UK’s FM calendar and gives national recognition to the leaders in our profession. The BIFM Awards are designed to celebrate the increasingly strategic profile of FM by highlighting the key role it plays in the success of public and private sector organisations. The night of the awards ceremony brings together the leaders of our sector with the winners, finalists and high-profile guest presenters.

Venue: Grosvenor House Hotel, London Contact: communications@bifm.org. uk or call 0845 058 1356 SCOTTISH REGION 17 April Hot topic expert panel – HR, employment law and procurement issues Following the success of last year’s expert panel event, join us and put your questions to our expert panel.

Venue: City of Glasgow College, North Hanover Street, Glasgow Contact: mkenny@fesfm.co.uk or call 07920 136 784 24 May The 16th Scottish regional golf day Venue: Kings Acre Golf Course, Lasswade, Edinburgh Contact: bill.anderson@

www.fm-world.co.uk

Diary.sr.indd 37

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

telerealtrillium.com or call 01977 598 914 12 June AGM and prestige building visit Annual general meeting and prestige building visit, with talk from FM provider and/or client.

Venue: TBA Contact: mkenny@fesfm.co.uk or call 07920 136 784 28 September Annual conference and exhibition Venue: Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Contact: mkenny@fesfm.co.uk or call 07920 136 784 29 September Scotland Region social evening As there is no ball this year, another social event will be held. Full details to follow.

Venue: TBA Contact: mkenny@fesfm.co.uk or call 07920 136 784 13 November Hot topic expert panel (topic to be announced) Venue: TBA Contact: mkenny@fesfm.co.uk or call 07920 136 784 HOME COUNTIES REGION 15 March Case study: O2 – what a superb refurb Venue: O2, 260 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire Contact: ash@fm-recruitment.co.uk or call 01635 431 00 26 April FM in FM – knowing the numbers Venue: Hilton Hotel, Newbury Contact: jane@fmtutor.co.uk or call 07799 033 341 21 June FM beyond our borders Venue: TBC Contact: jane@fmtutor.co.uk or call 07799 033 341 NORTH REGION 7 March Gateshead Design Centre tour Venue: Gateshead Quayside Contact: Paul.thomas@turntown. co.uk or call 07908 505 214 16 May North Region golf day Venue: The Oaks Golf Club, Aughton, York Contact: ian.burgin@ norlandmanagedservices.co.uk or call 07779 145 470

INDUSTRY EVENTS 26 February – 1 March Hotelympia Hotelympia is the UK’s largest exhibition for foodservice and hospitality. Running every two years, it’s the ultimate platform for exhibitors and visitors to meet in a business-focused environment.

Venue: ExCeL London Contact: www.hotelympia.com 29 February 2012 Webinar: Managing health and safety for commercial property managers The first in a series of webinars in collaboration with Barbour.

The webinar aims to provide an understanding of important risk management considerations. The event is free to attend.

Venue: Online Contact: Becky Fane at barbourmarketing@ubm.com or visit tinyurl.com/BIFMwebinar to register online 17–18 April FM and property event 2012 is an important year in FM and property due to transformations in the procurement of building and infrastructure, support services and workplace strategies.

This event will explore the positive undercurrent of good news that resides, unnoticed beneath the surface of today’s troubling headlines.

Venue: The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales Contact: Leighhussain@ globalbusinessevents.co.uk or call 01633 225 040 9-10 May Green Build Expo Green Build Expo focuses primarily on professionals working in the volume housing and non-domestic building sectors. It is also known as the biggest sustainable building and refurbishment event in the northern parts of the UK. Venue: Manchester Central Convention Complex Contact: www.greenbuildexpo.co.uk 15-17 May Facilities Show Organised in association with the British Institute of Facilities Management, the Facilities Show has established itself as the leading meeting place for the industry.

Venue: NEC Birmingham Contact: Registration for the Facilities Show opens soon.

Visit www.facilitiesshow.com

15-17 May Safety & Health Expo Europe’s definitive annual event that brings together the safety and health industry. It will be packed full of the industry’s leading manufacturers, distributors and suppliers showcasing their latest innovations.

Venue: NEC Birmingham Contact: www.safety-health-expo. co.uk 23-25 May BCO Conference The usual ingredients will be on offer, including a series of plenary sessions, access to interesting projects and engaging seminars.

Venue: Manchester Central, Petersfield, Manchester Contact: www.bco.org.uk 25-26 June 31st Facilities management forum This event is specifically organised for FM directors and managers who are directly involved in the procurement of FM products and services.

Venue: Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire Contact: Mick Bush at m.bush@ forumevents.co.uk or call 01992 374 100 28 June World FM Day 2012 The annual event aims to raise the FM profession’s profile around the world.

Venue: World wide Contact: Visit www.globalfm.org for more details 12-13 September Office Interiors A new trade exhibition for the UK’s office interiors industry.

Venue: Olympia Exhibition Centre Contact: For information and to enquire about exhibiting, please contact Ali Mead at amead@divcom. co.uk.

9-10 October Total Workplace Management Total Workplace Management is the ideal place to meet face-to-face with leading professionals from across the industry.

Venue: London Olympia Contact: Visit www.twmexpo.com for details 31 October – 2 November IFMA’s World Workplace Annual conference and exposition for facility management and related professions.

Venue: San Antonio. Texas, US Contact: www.worldworkplace. org/2012

FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 37

16/2/12 10:55:07

FM PEOPLE MOVERS & SHAKERS

BEHIND

THE JOB

NAME: Michael Veail JOB TITLE: Change manager ORGANISATION: Carillion Facilities Management JOB DESCRIPTION: Principally responsible for managing operational variations (which enable the team to safely control changes to customer service delivery). The challenge is to mitigate risks generated by change

How did you get into facilities management and what attracted you to the industry?

While in entirely different employment, during my spare time, I helped set up from scratch an arts centre building with theatre, bar, activity areas and a gallery, which I ran for some years. After that, I set up a sports association property with bar and sports facilities. I realised one day there was a bit of a theme to my leisure interest and that I could do the same sort of thing for a job all the time! I started by managing facilities at a bank’s regional centre, then moved to its FM head office and worked on converting sites over to total FM. My interest focus tends to be on people’s interaction with their work environment and how well it works for them. I get a real kick out of seeing how people relate to what has been created and maintained for them.

What attracted you to the job?

I am motivated towards FM specifically by wanting to improve and manage building presentation and effectiveness for building users.

What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

It might be yet to come! One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced so far was an early change project I was involved with, which was mobilising the BT Project Jaguar (now called Monteray) contract to look after all its estate – with 8,000 buildings involved.

If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be‌ in politics, but I saw the light in time.

For some years, I was actively interested in restoration of ships, but considering my recent experience, I think I would most like to have been a historic building restorer.

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

Hard to say, because most of the role is interesting and rewarding in its way – although perhaps I would hand over some of the repetitive reporting aspects.

Which single piece of advice would you give to a young facilities manager starting out?

A successful facilities manager is essentially an effective organiser and communicator. To grow a career, they have to be hungry for management tasks and leadership.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

Relatively short-term contracts disrupt people’s working lives and I would like to see a typical FM service contract last for 10 years or more.

Which FM myth would you most like to put an end to?

That FM is one profession. It is more of a conceptual understanding of related activities.

Help us shape the next 125 years.

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Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions is a leading provider of facilities and commercial real estate management for many of the world’s largest companies. Our employees across the world have delivered more than $3 billion in savings for our customers over the last 10 years.

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38_PeopleAndJobs.sr.indd 37

We have opportunities in South Africa for facilities management and workplace professionals looking to develop their careers. If you would like to help us deliver innovative solutions and high-value support to our global clients please visit our website www.johnsoncontrols.com/careers to view current opportunities and register for future alerts.

Our Level 3 Value-Adding Supplier BBBEE status demonstrates our commitment to the socio-economic transformation of South Africa.

www.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 10:57:18

FM NEWS

Call Adam Potter on 020 7880 8543 or email adam.potter@fm-world.co.uk For full media information take a look at www.fm-world.co.uk/mediapack

FM innovations ▼ G4S’s single channel video encoder The final addition to the Visualizer network encoder range from G4S Technology is a single channel encoder, EN-7901. A cost-efficient solution to put a single analog camera on the network, the Visualizer EN-7901 is ideal for small applications.

Providing a single-input channel and using the latest H.264 compression the EN-7901, like all the encoders in the Visualizer range, is available with and without video content analytics.

Symmetry video content analytics provide advanced filters based on pre-programmed motion within the view of the camera. Easy to set up and operate the Symmetry analytics can provide an additional layer of security and follow the Symmetry strategy of making video more proactive for immediate response to incidents.

T: 01684 850977 W: www.g4stechnology.com

▲ Weatherite completes refurbishment

▲ Security solutions for your location A smile costs nothing, but says everything about you and the company you represent.

If you would like to enhance your service requirements, then having the right person in the right location is of paramount importance.

To maintain a high standard of practice, our personnel are regularly checked and briefed to ensure their roles are correctly applied to the highest level. Quality of service is enhanced with modern technology and communications. Our experienced management team provides the highest level of security at competitive rates. Our teams of fully qualified, licensed officers adhere to our unique Rota system – and are in communication with head office.

For all your requirements in concierge, porterage, front-of-house security officers and guard dogs.

W: www.lapasecurity.co.uk T:01322 615 271

Weatherite Building Services (WBS) has carried out a complete refurbishment of the kitchen at Hawksworth Wood Primary School in Leeds.

WBS managed the entire project, including the installation of new kitchen ventilation equipment, electrical rewiring, upgrading gas services and replacing the ceiling and flooring. The contract was awarded by the architectural design services department of Leeds County Council and will deliver savings in both energy usage and costs.

Central to the upgrade was the installation of a highly energy efficient kitchen ventilation system. To further reduce energy usage, WBS added a tempered air supply system to the kitchen. The project included an electrical re-wire of the kitchen area and an upgrade of the gas system to meet the latest EU regulations.

T: 0121 665 2266 E: rboswell@weatheritegroup.com

▼ Glass Aftercare’s intelligent materials Glass Aftercare aims to help you integrate the latest intelligent materials and products into your project.

Materials range from laminated glass facades and entrances, digital-printed glass, Blink intelligent glass and fire-rated solutions.

The company also professionally install, maintain and service your installation through our full service and repair package. Our extensive team of skilled technicians will respond quickly and efficiently to all your enquiries. Our aim is to always ensure to cure the problem in the first visit. If the client can detail the particular location of the problem item, then assisted with our detailed asset register, the engineer will be well-prepared to diagnose and rectify any faults.

T: 0845 0745 736 E: office@glassaftercare.com W: 01923 277 902

▲ Cofely’s FM services get the blue light

▲ Get your message out on the street

Cofely, a GDF Suez company, is to deliver integrated FM services to a range of new facilities being constructed for Avon and Somerset Constabulary by the Blue Light Partnership consortium.

Cofely will provide a range of integrated FM services for a period of 25 years following completion of the construction phase. Scope of service includes, building management, technical operation and maintenance of plant, and life-cycle management.

The consortium – comprising Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, Miller Construction and Cofely – will design, build, finance and operate a new operational base, two custody and crime investigation centres, two police stations and a tri-force firearms training centre. The project has been procured under a £129 million PFI agreement.

W: www.cofely.co.uk

An innovation in floor-applied graphics has created new opportunities for indoor and outdoor surface markings. The graphic panels from Applied Media are ideal for applications such as parking-bay demarcation and corporate branding.

In addition, the graphics can transform previously under-utilised spaces into profitable sponsorship and advertising locations, or provide temporary directional markings for sports or charity events.

The graphics are durable, slip resistant and designed for use in areas with heavy pedestrian and even vehicular traffic. The panels can be supplied in any design, are fast to install indoors or out and are quickly and easily removed when required, without damage to the underlying surface.

T: 0845 478 5016 E: info@appliedoutdoormedia. com W: www.appliedoutdoormedia.com

www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 39

16/2/12 14:16:09

Appointments

Call Carly Gregory 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

Speedy is a leading service provider offering equipment for both hire and sale, and associated expertise and support services to construction, infrastructure, industrial and other related industries. We are the UK’s largest provider of hire equipment and have grown to be a £350 million turnover organisation with over 1,000 customers, 4,000 employees and c.300 leased industrial sites.

The main duties and responsibilities of this role include:

Reporting into the Head of Property, the successful candidate will be capable of effective management and delivery of Facilities Management services across the Speedy estate.

You will have strong financial awareness and management skills with the ability to manage financial targets and financial reporting systems.

•

Leading and managing external consultants, contractors and suppliers assigned to facilities management delivery, measuring performance against agreed KPIs.

•

Implementing detailed plans to meet statutory, Health and Safety, environmental, security, cost, governance, regulatory and legislative requirements.

•

Identifying, documenting and managing key risks throughout ensuring appropriate risk management, risk mitigation and contingency planning.

•

Working with contracting and consultancy partners to investigate, propose and deliver demonstrable supply chain efficiencies in terms of cost, quality and programme improvements year on year.

•

Continuing to develop the facilities supply chain and framework service delivery ensuring excellent customer satisfaction ratings.

In exchange, Speedy will offer a great working environment, with development and career progression opportunities. The salary for this Senior Management role is c.£45,000 per annum, depending on experience. Company car and other benefits are also provided.

If you feel you have the experience and skills for this position, please request an application form or submit your CV to debbie.woods@speedyservices.com or alternatively visit our website at www.speedyhire.com

Find your ideal FM job at www.fm-world.co.uk/jobs To advertise on fm-world.com contact y Gregory g y on 020 7324 2755 755 Carly

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FM New appoints 230212a.indd 40

jobs.fm-world.co.uk

16/2/12 16:58:42

Assistant Estates Manager Salary £30-33k depending on skills and experience

National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is one of the UK’s leading science facilities and research centres. It is a world-leading centre of excellence in developing and applying the most accurate standards, science and technology available.

NPL occupies a unique position as the UK’s National Measurement Institute and sits at the intersection between scienti¿c discovery and real world application. Its expertise and original research have underpinned quality of life, innovation and competitiveness for UK citizens and business for more than a century.

We are looking for an individual to join the NPL Estates Team to assist with overseeing the smooth operation of the site. The role includes managing building services to ensure the delivery of the required hard and soft services, with a particular responsibility for monitoring the FM service provider’s performance, space and move planning, and delivery of required building modiÀcations.

This is a two-year Àxed term appointment.

As part of the Serco Group plc, we offer competitive salaries, a wealth of career opportunities and a wide range of bene¿ts.

NPL is based in a unique research environment which is located in pleasant surroundings on the edge of Bushy Park in south-west London. We have a host of onsite facilities including a subsidised crèche, restaurant, and a sports and social club.

NPL Management Limited is committed to supporting their people to develop both personally and professionally and is committed to equal opportunities.

Closing date: 2 March 2012 For further information, please contact (no agencies please): Sally Williams Human Resources Tel: +44 20 8943 8636 Email: sally.williams@npl.co.uk

NPL.QPV.indd 1

FACILITIES DEPARTMENT

Sustainability Manager Fixed Term Contract until February 2014 The Facilities Department is responsible for the management of the University’s property portfolio across all of the University estate and related facilities.

The scope and size of the University’s portfolio is complex and the department is seeking to appoint a driven and committed individual to lead, manage and co-ordinate the development and implementation of the University’s environmental and sustainability agenda to ensure that environmental sustainability is achieved in accordance with the objectives and targets of the University’s Strategic Plan. Reporting to the Director of Facilities you will work with University faculties and departments ensuring compliance, value for money and sustainability for the future development of the University Campuses, assessing current working and business practices, ensuring the University achieves continual improvement in this area.

You will provide expertise to the Director and relevant staff on the legal requirements for compliance and provide advice, guidance, raise awareness of sustainability issues and identify opportunities for relevant awards and funding.

You must demonstrate extensive experience in a similar role within a multi site organisation. This role requires excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.

Candidates may download further details and an application for from our web site at www.chester.ac.uk/jobs or send an A4 SAE to HRM Services, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ

quoting reference number HRMS/11064.

Closing date: Thursday 8th March 2012, 12 noon.

www.chester.ac.uk

16/2/12 13:45:27

Facilities Manager London, West End

We are looking for an enthusiasƟc, professional individual to Įll the role of FaciliƟes Manager for this London based company. The FaciliƟes Manager will assist the Head Of FaciliƟes who has responsibility for the smooth day to day running of mulƟple properƟes. This involves implementaƟon and AdministraƟon of a wide scope of oĸce policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, maintenance and monitoring of daily operaƟons involving oĸce and building services. The successful candidate will oversee the running of various departments, including but not limited to, LogisƟcs, Security, MeeƟng & Events, Switchboard, Retail Shop, Cleaning and Maintenance. They will need to demonstrate strong contract management skills including experience in tendering for new contracts. The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of managing a diverse team of people to achieve results, have a broad knowledge and experience of faciliƟes management, including a good knowledge of Health and Safety LegislaƟon and managing major and minor refurbishment projects from planning stage to implementaƟon. An IOSH or NEBOSH qualiĮcaƟon is preferred but not essenƟal.

The FaciliƟes Manager will have primary responsibility for the day to day management of one of the smaller properƟes and principal accountability for security at all sites. The successful candidate will contribute posiƟvely to the wider company, be able to communicate eīecƟvely with staī at all levels and work Ňexibly within a team. They will need to be available for work outside of normal business hours and be on call for emergency and security purposes.

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas: management of access control systems, CCTV soŌware, staī management, and good commercial awareness to support funcƟon/business need. They will be a problem solver and self moƟvated with excepƟonal communicaƟon skills on mulƟple plaƞorms. A good knowledge of food hygiene, DSE Assessments, and customer service would be helpful.

ApplicaƟons in wriƟng to recruitment@condenast.co.uk with your name, the job Ɵtle and reference number in the subject box

CondeNast.HPH.indd 1 jobs.fm-world.co.uk

FM New appoints 230212a.indd 41

16/2/12 12:34:46 FM WORLD | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | 41

16/2/12 16:53:58

FINAL WORD NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF FM

NO 2

DAYS

THE SAME BIGGER, BUT BETTER?

ORCS, FOX HEADS, MANURE… FM coach Liz Kentish recently asked her Twitter followers: What’s the strangest request you’ve ever had as an FM? Here are some of the best responses. (Tweet @FMCoach with yours and we'll run the best here.) ● "Why don’t we get 12 types of tea?"

(There were eight already available.)

The government has been long concerned about the levels of obesity in this country. Data from the Health Survey for England (HSE), released last year showed that that nearly 1 in 4 adults, and over 1 in 10 children aged 2-10, are obese.

In 2007, the Government-commissioned Foresight report predicted that if no action was taken, 60 per of men, 50 per cent of women and 25 per cent of children would be obese by 2050.

But it's not just those adults and children suffering.

Street benches are feeling the weight of increasing obesity levels. According to Jonathan Goss at furniture manufacturer Townscape Products, architects and

councils are considering bigger seats and benches to satisfy larger users, while accommodating average size members of the public. "Thankfully our materials are strong enough to ensure our seats and benches never warp under the weight," says Goss.

The Department of Health warns that there is also a significant burden on the NHS; direct costs caused by obesity are estimated at £4.2 billion per year, a figure that will double by 2050 if we carry on as we are.

So another batch of gloomy, unhealthy sounding statistics from the government but at least flimsy, groaning benches are being fast replaced. Things, it seems, are looking bigger if not necessarily better.

● "Could you just (!) move a 30-foot

tree in a glass box in reception to make way for a party?" ● "Would it be safe for some orcs

on stilts to run around our marble reception"? ● "Could the helpdesk stop car

drivers beeping their horns outside the building?| ● "Could you dispose of the

amputated leg of a Polish sailor?"

(We had the only waste incinerator on the islands. It took four days). ● "Could you put manure on the

(newly laid) concrete to make it look older?" ● "Please buy a purple hot air balloon

to fly over our HQ and to illuminate it with purple laser lights." ● "Can we please have somewhere

secure for the Robot Mime to store his day clothes?" ● "Please remove that fox's head

from outside our lab. It's on the grass and it keeps looking at me."

A COPPER FEEL One of Brazil's busiest airports is looking to improve public hygiene with the installation of antimicrobal copper surfaces. Congonhas Airport in São Paulo has introduced germ-killing copper on handrails and counters in an attempt to protect travellers from transferring germs from touch surfaces.

According to brand Antimicrobial copper, the metal rapidly kills bacteria, viruses and fungi that settle on its

surface, and the metal confers this antimicrobial ability on many of its alloys, including brasses, bronzes and copper-nickels.

The copper craze is not confined to Brazil. The Centre hospitalier de Rambouillet, in the Paris region, is the first hospital in France to install antimicrobial copper touch surfaces to fight pathogens and reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections for its patients. Bed rails, trolleys, taps, handrails, door handles and push plates made of copper and copper alloys have been fitted in the intensive care and paediatric units.

"Based on 15 years of scientific research carried out in laboratories and in hospitals that demonstrates copper's antimicrobial properties, we decided to equip our intensive care and paediatric units accordingly," said Rambouillet's director, Jean-Pierre Richard.

"We decided to affect a proactive risk prevention policy by using innovative materials that will have no impact on the way the medical staff work. The main purpose of this operation is to improve the well-being and safety of our patients," he added.

"There is growing evidence that the environment has a significant role to play in the transmission of infection, and alongside standard hygiene practices such as systematic hand washing, copper touch surfaces help to considerably reduce microbial contamination."

ALAMY

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OUT 8 MARCH

DEALING WITH RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE IN THE WORKPLACE /// CASE STUDY – STRYKER /// CHILLED BEAMS /// FM AT TILBURY DOCKS /// REPORT – WORKPLACE FUTURES 2012 /// INNOVATIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT AT UCL /// MINIMUM CHEMICALS CLEANING /// THE LATEST NEWS, ANALYSIS AND COMMENT

42 | 23 FEBRUARY 2012 | FM WORLD

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16/2/12 18:05:18

Do you and your team want to win a top industry award?

Do you want recognition as the very best in the FM industry?

The BIFM Awards are open for entries and we are looking for the leading FMs, teams and projects in the UK.

www.bifm.org.uk/awards2012 Entries close 27 April 2012 (‘FM of the Year’ category closes 20 July 2012) The awards take place on 8 October 2012 in London Email awards@bifm.org.uk Call 0141 639 0708 Headline sponsor:

Sponsors:

How do you compare?

How can you improve? &RPSDUH WKH SHUIRUPDQFH RI \RXU EXLOGLQJV DJDLQVW VLPLODU RQHV WR VHH ZKHUH \RX FRXOG VDYH DQG LPSURYH Analyse differences, identify best practices, improve RSHUDWLRQDO HIĆ‚FLHQFLHV UHGXFH FDUERQ IRRWSULQW Start benchmarking now www.bifm.org.uk/benchmarking

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14/2/12 10:34:06

“ WHEN WE RECOMMEND A CONTRACTOR FOR A PROJECT, WE NEED TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THEY ARE RIGHT FOR THE JOB” Jim Rowland, Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

ECA electrical contractors are periodically assessed to ensure their technical competence

ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT. To find an ECA contractor that’s right for you:

FMW.23.02.12.044.indd 1

www.eca.co.uk 14/2/12 10:25:08