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THINK TANK
OUR READERS SAID…
No sign of change: 44%
We asked our LinkedIn and mailing list members whether the move towards a ‘lighter’ IT infrastructure was emerging in their organisations
At November’s Worktech conference, Microsoft’s Anton Andrews outlined his vision of a future workplace empowered by new lightweight technologies designed to work alongside the various smart devices we all carry. “Technology that is heavy, costly and hot will become redundant,” said Andrews. “It will be replaced by technology that is lighter, cheaper and cooler.” This new ‘lightweight tech’ would complement phones and tablets, fitting more comfortably around our increasingly flexible working patterns and allowing for a more “organic, natural flow of work” in the workplace. The rise in use of co-working spaces and the need to sweat office assets with low occupancy levels would
also benefit from a more ‘nimble’ IT infrastructure. Said Andrews: “We are on the journey from informal to formal when it comes to technology use.” This isn’t just a move away from expensive cabling and the use of Wi-Fi, it’s a change in corporate mindset on IT in general, in which IT infrastructure is as much what people put in their pocket as that wired into buildings. We asked if there are signs of this new world. How much are you moving towards a ‘lighter’ IT infrastructure? Only 6 per cent of you agreed that you had seen such ‘light technology’ in the workplace. Half suggested this change was happening gradually. One respondent said: “My
organisation tends to wait for other organisations to prove the worth of new systems.” Possibly the reasons why 44 per cent of respondents said they had seen no sign of change. However, another respondent described the changes happening at their organisation: “Large numbers of staff no longer rely on office-based IT-related equipment. Instead, they use laptops and smartphones. In addition, tablets are increasingly rolled out to staff required to recruit and those on-boarding staff; staff engaged in quality checking functions and other client related live data roles.” He added: “This approach
A change is happening, but gradually: 50%
encourages staff mobility and their firsthand operational knowledge, speeds up administrative processing so that company systems are updated at once.” The advantages of lighter IT infrastructure were not lost on those surveyed. Said one correspondent: “The benefits are not just the obvious cost of time-saving, but staff can now easily move about, including visiting more of client premises than when they were tied to FM offices; it increases both operational efficiency and client satisfaction.” Join the FM World Think Tank: www.tinyurl.com/fmwthinktank
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Acclaro index shows sustainability acumen of top FM firms Facilities management organisations have increased their implementation of sustainability practices, according to the latest results of an annual study. Sustainability In FM Index, conducted by the consultancy Acclaro Advisory, found that implementation of sustainability among FM contractors, such as Amey, Babcock and OCS had risen by 5 per cent over 2014. “This is due to legislation and increasing pressures on FM organisations to demonstrate their corporate responsibility,” the report claims. Interviews were undertaken with people from FM, HR, procurement and other departments in 27 FM www.fm-world.co.uk
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organisations including Bilfinger, Bouygues, Carillion, CBRE, Cofely FM, Compass Group, G4S, Integral, Interserve, Kier, ISS, Mitie, Serco, Servest and Vinci. Management scores had
decreased, according to the findings. Management was defined as the strategy companies had for sustainability. The index also details how private organisations compare with listed companies, areas of highest and lowest performance, and key recommendations for improvement. “The index provides an assessment for FM providers to measure and validate sustainability performance,” claims Acclaro. “The intent is to address issues of efficiency, raising the performance and delivery of sustainability by showcasing achievement and highlighting excellence, stimulating a positive change
within the sector through both internal performance and external perception. The focus has been to avoid creation of yet another set of confusing questions and criteria, but instead to perform the majority of evaluation through desktop studies and with interviews.” In the first year of assessment, 16 companies took part. In this second year, the number is 27. A spokeswoman for Acclaro said: “Recent reports have highlighted the need for organisations to understand performance and play a more proactive role in the delivery of sustainability through showcasing best practice and communicating with stakeholders.” FM WORLD | 4 DECEMBER 2014 | 09
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