FM World 14.8.14

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | 14 AUGUST 2014

FMWorld www.fm-world.co.uk

CIVIC PRIDE Brent’s project to bring all of its services under one roof

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VOL 11 ISSUE 15 14 AUGUST 2014

CONTENTS

16 | Brent connects

22 | The paperless shift

26| Sodexo’s Open season

NEWS

OPINION

FEATURES

06 Company finance bosses see FM as a ‘necessary evil’ 07 Regional public sector estates unit to launch 08 The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew 09 Think Tank: Is the ‘conventional’ office in decline?

10 Business news: Graeme Davies on how mutual-style outsourcing is gaining traction 11 Carillion and Balfour Beatty drop merger talks 12 In Focus: Kim Challis, managing director of G4S

14 Roger Amos on executing ‘Exercise Sunshine’ 15 Five minutes with James Gilding 46 No Two Days

30 | Trust the ‘feel-good’ factor

16

Town hall of plenty: Brent’s Civic Centre has replaced 14 buildings that provided council services – adding a social and cultural hub for the public

22

Shift up a gear: Shift management software can help you to make optimal use of your teams by automating even the most complicated tasks

26

Playing above par: Sodexo’s FM players started sharpening up their game at the course a year before the first tee-off at July’s British Open

30

FM’s trust dividend: BIFM research says a client’s confidence in its facilities service department and FM service provider generates a ‘feel-good’ factor

MONITOR 33 Insight: Market intelligence 34 Comment: Cleaning up indoor air 35 Technical: Rethinking energy efficiency in the workplace 36 How to: Running a successful helpdesk 37 How to: Dealing with regulators

REGULARS 38 41 42 43 44

BIFM news Diary of events Products Behind the job Appointments

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THIS SEASON’S

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

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

SEPTEMBER

16-17 IOSH Risk Assessment in Practice NEW 17 Social Media for FMs 17-18 Strategic Procurement in FM [BIFM Executive Programme] 18 Essential Communication Skills 18 Introduction to Catering Contracts 23 IOSH Managing Safely for Senior Executives 23-25 The Professional FM 2 [Intermediate] 24 BS11000 Collaborative Business Relationships 24 Financial Management 1 - The Essentials 25 Financial Management 2 - Getting Results 24-25 Introduction to Sustainability 30 Understanding FM [Foundation] 30 Selecting & Controlling Contractors on Site 30 Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity 30 Security Management

OCTOBER 1-2 7-8 7-8 7-9 8-9

Building Services - The Next Step Project Management Information & Knowledge Management The Professional FM 1 [Intermediate] (Edinburgh) Managing in an FM Outsourced Environment

+44 (0)20 7404 4440

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

twitter.com/bifmtraining

linkedin.com/company/bifm-training

YO UR BO TA O BL K EN OW

CELEBRATE SUCCESS 13 October, The Grosvenor House Hotel, London HEADLINE SPONSOR

Join us for the facilities management (FM) industry’s most prestigious night of the year as we celebrate the amazing achievements of the finalists and announce the winners of the 2014 BIFM Awards. Be inspired. Mix and mingle with the stars, over 1,200 guests. Book your seat. Take your place.

For tickets and tables visit www.bifm.org.uk/awards2014 today! awards@bifm.org.uk | +44 (0)1279 712 640 | #BIFMAwards

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

MARTIN READ EDITOR COMMENT

LEADER

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING email: sales@fm-world.co.uk senior display sales executive: Norbert Camenzuli (020 7880 7551) ⁄ display sales executive: Jack Shuard (020 7880 8543) / recruitment sales: Call 020 7324 2755

PRODUCTION production manager: Jane Easterman senior production executive: Aysha Miah PUBLISHING publishing director: Joanna Marsh Forward features lists and media pack available at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us

SUBSCRIPTIONS BIFM members with FM World subscription or delivery queries should call the BIFM’s membership department on 0845 0581358 FM World is sent to all members of the British Institute of Facilities Management and is available on subscription to nonmembers. Annual subscription rates are UK £110, Europe £120 and rest of world £130.

To subscribe call 020 8950 9117 or email fm@alliance-media.co.uk – alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us/subscribe/ To order the BIFM good practice guides or the FM World Buyers’ Guide to FM Services call James Harris on 020 7880 6229.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Simon Ball, business development director, Mitie ⁄ Martin Bell, independent consultant / Lucy Jeynes, Larch Consulting / Nick Cook, managing director, Avison Young ⁄ Rob Greenfield, group SHEQ director, GSH ⁄ Liz Kentish, managing director, Kentish and Co. ⁄ Anne Lennox Martin, FM consultant ⁄ Peter McLennan, joint course director, MSc Facility Environment and Management, University College London ⁄ Geoff Prudence, chair, CIBSE FM Group ⁄ Chris Stoddart, director of FM, Regent Street Direct ⁄ Jeremy Waud, managing director, Incentive FM ⁄ Jane Wiggins, FM tutor and author ⁄ Chris Wood, FM consultant Average net circulation 11,920 (Jul 12 – Jun 13) FM World magazine is produced using paper derived from sustainable sources; the ink used is vegetable based; 85 per cent of other solvents used in the production process are recycled © FM World is published on behalf of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)

by Redactive Publishing Ltd (RPL), 17 Britton St, London EC1M 5TP. This magazine aims to include a broad range of opinion about FM business and professional issues and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the BIFM nor should such opinions be relied upon as statements of fact. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any print or electronic format, including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet, or in any other format in whole or in part in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher. While all due care is taken in writing and producing this magazine, neither BIFM nor RPL accept any liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. Printed by Polestar Stones ISSN 1743 8845

BIFM ENQUIRIES

British Institute of Facilities Management Number One Building, The Causeway, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 2ER Tel: +44 (0)1279 712 620 Email: admin@bifm.org.uk Web: www.bifm.org.uk

www.fm-world.co.uk

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round the turn of the century, the late actor Bob Hoskins was employed

by BT for a series of advertisements to promote the telecom firm’s tariffs.

At the same time, a football club of my acquaintance played an FA Cup preliminary round tie against East Ham United – no, that’s not a typo – and trounced them 10-0.

East Ham’s goalkeeper for that match was the spitting image of Hoskins, and at first he was quite happy to engage in ‘banter’ with the crowd about his marked similarity to the cockney thespian. But the psychological impact as ball after ball flew past him into the net soon took its toll. Lying prostrate on the pitch, and distraught at the impotence of his defence, the Bob-alike keeper began remonstrating with his incompetent teammates. Why, he asked, couldn’t the centre half and the full backs communicate properly? This, decided the crowd, was the right time to deploy Hoskins’ BT campaign catchphrase. “Yes, keeper,” they goaded, “it’s good to talk.”

And indeed it is. Which is why, when trying to work out why so many clientsupplier relationships falter, you have to ask – at what point did the talking stop?

Because there’s certainly more than enough talk at the outset. Each party is keen to declare how tremendous their newly announced contract partnership is going to be; the client has done its homework and is keen to promote that fact, while the supplier is happy to express their delight at being chosen. It’s what happens once the contract’s up and running that’s so baffling. Clients can become suspicious of their service providers’ commitment, and suppliers can resent that suspicion. That’s a sweeping statement, of course, and other, perhaps less visible pressure points exist.

But regardless of the catalysts, couldn’t they just have talked the problem through?

BIFM research, reported in this issue, suggests those organisations with a more positive view of the FM function in their organisation are also benefiting from more trusting relationships – with their own FM departments, and indeed with the service providers those departments contract with. It’s difficult to believe that regular talking between client and service provider, at both strategic and operational level and all stages in between, hasn’t helped to develop that state of affairs.

The porous nature of FM service delivery and its touching of all aspects of an organisation’s performance mean that any mistrust between the two parties could be born of a myriad things. Poor pricing by the supplier, perhaps, or an inadequate assessment of the FM service’s impact on external customers by the client. Of all the issues we cover, procurement of the FM service and its subsequent failure to meet expectations is the one that most people are happy to talk about. If the two parties involved could thrash out their differences in private, we’d surely hear fewer people discussing the problems of FM procurement in public. So of course it’s good to talk – but perhaps it’s who’s involved, and when they talk, that needs further thought.

A quick note here on the stunning news about the death of Chris Stoddart, a great friend to us at FM World and the BIFM. He leaves a huge hole on our editorial advisory board and will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him. RIP, Chris.

A

“When trying to work out why client-supplier relationships falter, you have to ask – at what point did the talking stop?”

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FM RELATIONSHIPS

ISTOCK

Company finance bosses see FM as a ‘necessary evil’ Finance directors should support facilities managers more when deciding how to spend company budgets to hit sustainability goals, delegates were told recently at an event in London.

A gathering of FMs, finance directors and others, co-hosted

by BIFM and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), was convened to discuss how FM and finance could both work together more effectively to achieve an organisation’s sustainability goals.

Andrew Porter, managing director of FM consultancy Spingate Consulting, said: “Sadly, most FMs are often seen as a necessary evil [by finance directors].

“Their work is not seen to generate profit but is perceived as an overhead cost. They are not glamorous and often the question in a finance director’s mind is ‘How can we spend less money on FM?’” Gary Johnson, head of facilities at the ICAEW, said FMs should strive to overcome this poor perception. “FMs need to do more research to convince finance directors of what is needed in a building. Finance people want to understand numbers, so FMs should make the financial case to them.”

Other delegates suggested that FMs needed to “research, pilot and prove what they suggest is going to be handy,” while others remarked that finance bosses had to “think ahead” more when evaluating the cost and efficiency of the workplace.

Stephen Oates, process and projects manager at ISS facility

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services, said: “Companies and finance directors are used to looking at only monthly, quarterly or yearly projections but they should be looking five or 10 years ahead.”

Many of the changes that FMs might suggest would represent an “ongoing return in the future,” said Oates – but they may not be seen to reap immediate savings, and thus not viewed as imperative by a finance director. However,

FMs must make their value to a company clear in the board room

longer-term thinking would always make sense, said Oates.

“Sustainability is about

preparing everything [buildings and assets] for future generations.”

ENVIRONMENTAL

Commercial buildings set to fail energy standards Up to 35 per cent of commercial buildings in the UK could fall below new energy efficiency standards by 2018, professional services firm WSP has warned.

A recent consultation launched by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) proposes to make it mandatory for commercial properties with a poor energy rating (lower than EPC ‘E’ rating) to be brought up to standard before they can be let from 2018.

But buildings that score an E rating now could be downgraded to an F rating by the time the regulations come into force because EPC scoring gets progressively tighter as building regulations get more stringent.

Construction and property engineering and management consultant WSP modelled five reference buildings to show how the EPC bandings changed between 2008 and 2013 – and how this could change again by 2018.

WSP’s research suggests that if this is the case, the proposed MEP

consultation could affect up to 35 per cent of commercial property by 2018 – a figure nearly double that of the 18 per cent mentioned in the consultation.

Anna Walton, WSP’s lead on EPCs, said: “EPCs are benchmarked by building regulations which are revised on a regular basis. Our research shows EPC ratings drop half to one band each time the regulations change. By 2018 this could mean that buildings with an EPC ‘E’ rating now could be classed as an EPC ‘F’. That would mean the number of buildings affected by DECC’s proposals is far higher than the consultation sets out.

“These proposals will have a

significant impact on owners’ ability to lease their buildings if they’re adopted. Many property owners are already reviewing their buildings and developing proactive strategies in anticipation of the regulations and getting ahead of the game, which is the right approach in our view.”

WSP says there are simple and cost-effective ways to improve a building’s energy performance rating. The two simplest are to make sure the EPC is based on accurate data, not assumptions and, where investment is needed, concentrate on the efficiency of lighting, as this has a particularly significant influence on scores. www.fm-world.co.uk

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NEWS

BRIEFS FM contracting model news

Joint property unit to oversee public sector estates A Joint Property Vehicle (JPV) is being explored by a number of public sector partners in the West Midlands. If approved it could mean the creation of a single property unit tasked with overseeing the management of public sector estates in the region.

The approach would be the first of its kind in the UK is projected to deliver property-related revenue savings of about £110.7 million between 2015 and 2025.

Partners exploring the potential of a JPV include Herefordshire Council, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, Redditch

Borough Council, Warwickshire Police, West Mercia Police, Worcestershire County Council, and Worcester City Council.

Each partner has approved the development of a full business case, which is expected to be submitted for approval later in the year. This will establish how the JPV will be governed, developed and what its role and responsibilities will be. If approved, the JPV is expected to launch in early 2015.

Jim Stobie, programme manager, said; “The JPV is a unique and progressive opportunity to get best

value from the local public sector estate and make sure we continue to deliver frontline services for people living in the region.”

The JPV is supported by a range of government stakeholders, including the Government Property Unit and Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which provided £150,000 for an initial feasibility study. The JPV partners have also been awarded £400,000 from the Transformational Challenge Fund for 2014 – 2016 to support the design phase.

FM LEADERS

SHUTTERSTOCK/AKIN FALOPE

Former FM of the Year, Chris Stoddart, dies As we went to press, FM World was saddened to learn of the death of the former BIFM facilities manager of the Year and fellow of the institute, Chris Stoddart.

Stoddart, who died suddenly, will be missed by the FM profession in which he played an active part. His participation within the BIFM included a seat on the institute’s governance committee as well as roles with the Fellow’s Forum, Women in FM, Rising FMs and People Management SIGs. Gareth Tancred, CEO, BIFM, said: “I was extremely sad to hear the shock announcement about Chris.

“Chris has been a huge advocate for BIFM over the years, having held a number of roles with various SIGs. He was not only someone who achieved so much professionally – typified by being awarded FM of the Year in 2011 – but also someone who contributed so much to FM as a whole. www.fm-world.co.uk

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“I had spoken to him recently about his role as lead judge for this year’s FM of the Year category and he was extremely excited. He was a popular figure within the team at the institute and with volunteers; he will be very sadly missed.”

Julie Kortens, BIFM chair, said “I was so incredibly sad to hear of the loss of Chris Stoddart, who I have known and admired for many years through his tireless work with BIFM, but also as a trusted adviser. He will be missed by so

many and my thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.”

Consultant Martin Bell, who worked with Stoddart as a BIFM Awards judge, described him as “consistent, sensible, utterly likeable – and thoroughly ethical.”

Polly Plunket-Checkemian, Cushman & Wakefield’s Head of UK Property & Asset Management, said: “With enormous sadness, I can confirm Chris Stoddart, director of facilities management for Regent Street Management Direct, has passed away. Chris was a talented and highly respected individual who has been a senior member of Cushman & Wakefield’s site services team since joining me as general manager of Salesforce Tower (formerly Heron Tower) in early 2010. Our thoughts at this time are with Chris’ family, his wife Nikki and friends, of which I was proud to call myself one.”

The government is to hold a special industry briefing for suppliers who are interested in tendering for the Facilities Management Services agreement.

The Cabinet Office website says the event, to discuss aspects of the upcoming FM contracting model, is due to take place on 21 August at the Treasury in London.

It will provide interested suppliers with an outline of the proposed strategy and lotting structure and key characteristics of the contracting vehicle.

It will also give an overview of key invitation to tender (ITT) documents as well as information on the procurement process.

Office shortage worsens A rise in developers converting commercial properties to homes is causing a shortage in office space for businesses, a survey indicates.

The UK Commercial Market Survey for Q2 2014 by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows that the nationwide availability of commercial property has been declining at a fast rate.

Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist (RICS), commenting on the survey, said the latest results provided “clear evidence that the economic recovery is broadening out across the country with rising employment increasing the demand for space in all sectors of the market”.

CIC opens standards forum The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has launched an online consultation for its review of the Construction Senior Management National Occupational Standards.

The CIC has reviewed the national occupational standards for construction senior management. It focuses on integrating new industry practices on sustainability, energy use, low carbon and Building Information Modelling.

These standards are relevant to contracts and production managers and commercial managers, operations directors of smaller construction companies, property and FMs and specialist construction managers – as well as those in construction project management.

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PROJECT OF THE

FORTNIGHT NEWS BULLETIN

FM to get sustainability resource FM providers are to get their own resource for sustainability.

In January 2015 the online Supply Chain Sustainability School will launch a support resource specially designed for FM and services suppliers, contractors and clients.

As the UK market for FM and services is forecast to rise to more than £117 billion by 2017, the ability to deliver that growth sustainably and responsibly will be critical to the sector’s long-term success, according to the school.

The Sustainability School offers workshops, e-learning, training and online self-assessments for organisations.

David Picton, Carillion’s chief sustainability officer, who will be chair of the school’s FM Leadership Group, said: “Environmental, social and economic responsibilities have become key to any balanced, long-term growth, but the demands on the FM services supply chain are complex, dynamic and pressurised. The school will offer a free support resource – built upon responsive, innovative and sustainable best practice – to help that supply chain meet the requirements of clients, managing agents, occupiers, users, regulators, other stakeholders and their wider communities.”

Employers must support introverts in the workplace KEW GARDENS, RICHMOND UPON THAMES, LONDON MAIN CONTRACTOR: Julius Rutherfoord/The London Window Cleaner CLIENT: The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW

Palm House regains its gleam A mix of traditional ‘elbow grease’ and modern technology was needed when specialist cleaning contractor Julius Rutherfoord oversaw a complex window cleaning assignment at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew’s Palm House – designed by Decimus Burton and engineered by Richard Turner – was built between 1844 and 1848. The house on Kew’s 360-acre site is recognised as one of the most important iron-and-glass structures in the world. It was first restored between 1955-1957, when the entire construction was reglazed, and the glazing bars were cleaned.

In 1984-1988, 10 miles of replica glazing bars – made from stainless steel – were used to hold the new panes of toughened safety glass.

London’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular visitor attraction is a sensitive environment with a huge diversity of facilities and buildings that all require different cleaning methods to protect and preserve the delicate materials.

The London Window Cleaner (TLWC) supported the contract cleaner on the job. Starting in the middle of March, 15 operatives spent more than 1,600 hours over a six-week period on the project. Work included the use of rope access, three different mobile elevating work platforms and numerous extension poles. Cleaning sponges also had to be specially designed to fit between each pane of glass.

All purified water used during the cleaning was recycled back into the on-site rainwater harvesting system to help Kew retain the sustainability credentials it values so highly. Indeed, green thinking was a key element in Julius Rutherfoord securing the Kew contract; part of the bid involved the use of bicycles with trailers to allow for the fast, efficient and environmentally friendly movement of cleaners across the site.

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Serving the needs of introverts in the work place is fast becoming a key issue for employers, new research has revealed.

Introverts constitute between a third and a half of any workforce and can be some of the most creative thinkers in a company or organisation.

However, they often struggle in many workplaces today that were created with a bias toward extroverted behaviour and extensive open-plan facilities.

Zoe Humphries, senior workplace consultant for Steelcase in the UK, said: “Every organisation has introverts, and a lot of them. This large segment of the workforce is going through the day just trying to get by in an office environment not designed to support their needs. The question now is how do businesses unlock the potential of introverts?”

“We looked more closely at introverts and their needs in the workplace.

Some of the world’s greatest business leaders are self-proclaimed introverts, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Charles Schwab and Brenda Barnes. As a business decision it makes sense to ensure all workers can find the correct office environment which will allow them to achieve their full potential.”

Humphries added that introverts “are wired differently and are overwhelmed by the clamour of open- space offices. Providing time-out areas with sound insulation and adjustable lighting and allow for more relaxed postures is a relatively simple solution to getting the best out of all staff”.

Food service operators unaware of allergen law Almost half of food service operators (44 per cent) are unaware of new allergen legislation that comes into force in six months’ time, reveals research conducted for Unilever Food Solutions.

More than half of respondents were unable to identify the allergens (53.7 per cent), despite over 80 per cent of operators saying they were sometimes, or frequently, asked for information by customers.

Nearly 40 per cent of operators have read about the new law in the media and a third have obtained information from the Food Standards Agency. Just 13 per cent received information from their environmental health officer.

From 13 December 2014, operators will be required to answer any questions from consumers about allergens that might be present in the food they sell. Under the new rules they must be able to provide information on the following 14 allergens: eggs, milk, crustaceans (shellfish), molluscs, fish, peanuts, sesame, soya, sulphur dioxide, nuts, cereals containing gluten, celery, mustard and lupin.

Wendy Duncan, technical manager for Unilever Food Solutions, said: “Only a third of businesses said they felt ready for the change. About 85 per cent of caterers told us that they would like a handbook to help them prepare and 44 per cent believe they need to invest more in training. www.fm-world.co.uk

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6% – Plan to adapt to the ‘portfolio’ working approach

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THINK TANK

WE ASKED 100 FMS…

44% – No sign of this kind of change

50% – ‘Portfolio’ working already happening

Is the ‘conventional’ office really in terminal decline, or are reports of its predicted demise too loudly lamented?

A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report stated that only 14 per cent of workers want to work in a traditional office environment.

One in five of those questioned said they wanted to work in a ‘virtual’ place where they can log on from any location or use collaborative workspaces. And what’s more, a quarter believed ‘traditional employment’ won’t be around in the future and that, instead, they will be their own ‘brands’ – individualised skillsets sold to those who need them.

We asked what a shift to ‘portfolio’ careers would mean for those who service the workplaces in which they work. Some

respondents were not convinced that this would happen any time soon. One said: “We have to be careful of assuming that most companies are at the forefront of workplace thinking.

“Whilst there are many organisations implementing some great working practices these are still the minority. The landscape of work is changing, but currently for the few rather than the majority.”

Others were more convinced.

“For a law firm, this will come, even if it may seem unbelievable now.”

Some thought it should happen, but that obstacles were still in the way at the moment. One public sector worker replied, saying: “Being

in a public organisation that needs to comprehensively encrypt data there is currently little scope for this approach. The staff that do work some or all of their day on laptops outside of the office find it difficult as the software grinds to a halt.”

He added: “I would like to see this change as I do not believe that we are giving the public the value for money they deserve if we are still occupying buildings for no other reason than upholding out-of-date working practices.”

Remote working and lone-worker issues are already catered for with mobile apps that can be integrated into management systems “so there is little argument against this trend”,

one person argued.

Another respondent said when it does happen it could mean “backof-house activities which do need a physical presence are moved to cheaper locations outside London, but still with excellent transport links such as Newcastle, County Durham or North Yorkshire, where both space and wages are cheaper”.

As this takes place, the traditional Central London office would become “more of a conference centre with focus on meetings and hot-desking, meaning a smaller overall footprint”, the respondent added.

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

ISTOCK

Conventional workplace of 9-to-5 is in decline, says report Only 14 per cent of UK workers want to work in a traditional office environment in the future, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The findings based on the accountancy giant’s survey of 10,000 workers and 500 HR professionals globally found that one in five people say they want to work in a ‘virtual’ place where they can log on from any location or use collaborative work spaces.

The research found that a quarter of UK workers believe that traditional employment won’t be around in the future.

People’s desire to break free from the traditional office environment suggests that the way of working in the future could change dramatically and organisations need to prepare for www.fm-world.co.uk

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this shift, according to the report.

Those surveyed believe that they will have their own brands and sell their skills to those who need them.

The report says one potential consequence is that organisations will fragment into looser networks of autonomous, often specialised operations.

Technology will be increasingly used to bring people together, often on a task-by-task basis.

Workers’ lack of interest in working in an office reflects the growing desire among many of them to have more flexibility and varied challenges by working freelance or as a contractor for a number of organisations.

The report shows that many HR professionals are already preparing for this shift towards more portfolio careers, as they predict that at least 20 per cent of their workforce will be made up of contractors or temporary workers by 2022.

Nearly a third of HR professionals are building their talent strategies around the rise of the portfolio career, hiring a diverse mix of people on an affordable, ad hoc basis.

Jon Andrews, UK HR consulting leader at PwC, said: “People feel strongly that they no longer want to work within the constraints of the typical office environment and advances in technology mean that workers no longer have to be shackled to their desks.”

He added: “Many organisations will embrace these changes in employee working preferences and use them to their own advantage.

We could easily see the rise of organisations that have a core team that embodies the philosophy and values of the company, but the rest of the workforce is not fixed and comes in and out on a project-byproject basis. These companies will make extensive use of technology to co-ordinate a largely external workforce and support their relationships with third parties.”

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ANALYSIS

Mutual-style FM outsourcing is gaining traction GRAEME DAVIES newsdesk@fm-world.co.uk

The government has reiterated its desire to see more public sector outsourcing contracts go to employees through the formation of more ‘mutuals’ primed to take on public sector contracts, often on a not-for-profit basis.

This continues a thread that has run through government policy since the coalition came to power in 2010 with a pledge to take

ever more work off the public books and into the private sector.

At that point the government had ambitious aims to shift a million public sector workers into mutual-style operations to take on contracts on behalf of their former employers. The total, with 80 mutuals currently operating government contracts, remains a long way short of this target, but Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude has indicated that up to 100 more

mutuals could be created in the next few years. It is easy to see why this momentum is likely to be achieved, with the government outstripping the private sector in terms of outsourcing contracts by a factor of almost two to one.

Over 2012-2014, public sector outsourcing contracts totalled £51 billion, against £30 billion for the private sector, with most growth seen in the mid-market £15 million-£30 million bracket.

For the government the benefits are twofold – it can shift more liabilities off the public balance sheet and, from a PR perspective, it is not simply shifting jobs and taxpayers’ spending into the hands of profit-focused corporates. When it comes to sensitive areas such as the NHS in particular, shifting jobs to mutuals is an easier sell than allowing private companies to profit. And a recent government-commissioned

Contract wins

NEW BUSINESS housekeeping services on board the ship, the Belford Dolphin.

UK public and regulated services provider Amey, with its joint venture partner Carillion, has won three contracts with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), with a minimum value of £955.3 million. The contracts form the final part of the DIO’s Next Generation Estate Contracts programme to maintain and upgrade defence infrastructure across the UK. The contracts have a combined value of up to £4.5 billion,

Student accommodation expert Unite has entered a partnership with technology company Philips to fit energy-efficient lighting in its estate over the next two years. Light-emitting diode lighting will be installed in 120 properties used by 41,000 students in 23 UK towns and cities as a part of the £21 million investment.

Compass Group’s ESS Support Services Worldwide has won a threeyear contract worth £10.5 million to provide hotel and catering services to Dolphin Drilling Ltd. Aberdeenbased ESS has worked with Dolphin Drilling since 2007, delivering food and

Property management consultant GVA is to manage Ansty Park in Coventry.

The company will provide a full range of property management and FM services to the technology park, which is four miles from the city centre in 100 acres of landscaped parkland.

10 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

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Property maintenance and refurbishment outfit Novus Property Solutions has expanded its work with property management, development and regeneration company Places for People in a four-year partnership worth £20 million. Novus will refurbish Places for People’s properties across southern England, bringing 5,000 homes up to the technical standard for public housing.

Vinci Mouchel is expected to secure a five-year contract valued between £35 miilion-£45 million to manage Lincolnshire County Council’s property services. The contract should help the council save more than £2 million. Vinci Mouchel is a joint venture between Vinci Facilities and Mouchel Ltd. Charlton Athletic FC has chosen Axis Cleaning and Support Services to clean the club’s grounds and stadium for the 2014-15 football season. The partnership starts with a pre-season clean of the Valley Stadium in South London. Axis will prepare the stadium for match days, cleaning seating areas, access points and all external concourses.

report into the work of mutuals in the health service praised their impact and the patient outcomes from areas where mutuals are in charge.

But what are the implications for companies in the FM sector that are keen to compete for such work too? It is not as grim as one would think. Already in some cases private sector companies have supported and partnered with groups of staff to bid for contracts. Such an approach can be seen at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Cambridgeshire, where Circle Healthcare took over the running of the hospital but the staff remained as NHS employees seconded to Circle – the argument being that Circle offers the staff management control of the hospital. Other examples include the Department for Work & Pensions’ pensions management business MYCSP, a mutual group that was backed by private company Equiniti with a 40 per cent stake in the business.

Employees own 25 per cent of the business and were recently paid a £2,600 profit share bonus.

The idea is also likely to find favour with the Labour Party.

Mass renationalisation isn’t an option, given the nation’s economic problems. But creating more competition and smaller contracts that can be won by more modest organisations rather than the sector’s major players is something Labour has indicated it is keen to pursue should it win power in May. But this needn’t preclude the larger players getting their slice of the pie. They will still be required for the large-scale contracts and deals already done in the mutual sector, where private funding is often required to even get into a position to bid for contracts.

Graeme Davies writes for Investors Chronicle

www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 14:25

Carillion and Balfour Beatty abandon merger talks Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has announced the termination of discussions with support services company, Carillion regarding a possible merger.

Both companies released a joint statement last month saying they were in “tentative discussions” about a merger.

But in a statement released on 31 July, Balfour Beatty, said: “The termination of discussions follows Carillion’s wholly unexpected decision to only progress the possible merger in the event that Parsons Brinckerhoff remained part of the potential combined entity.

“This change is contrary to the basis upon which the Balfour Beatty Board agreed to engage in preliminary discussions. It is also contrary to the joint announcement released on 24 July 2014, which confirmed that the sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff would be unaffected by the

BUSINESS BRIEFS Stoke names scheme JV

Balfour Beatty has vowed to continue with its business plan, which includes the sale of consultant Parsons Brinkerhoff

merger discussions and also a presentation to Balfour Beatty’s Board by Carillion on 28 July 2014.

“This change in the proposed terms is not acceptable to the board of Balfour Beatty.”

Balfour Beatty says it will proceed with its own business plan, including the competitive sale process of Parsons Brinckerhoff, which is currently underway. It will also continue to “actively progress its search for a Group CEO”, it stated.

In a statement released in response to Balfour Beatty’s announcement, Carillion said it was “surprised” by Balfour Beatty’s reaction, and that “the board of Carillion continues to believe in the powerful strategic rationale of a combination and the capability of such a combination to create very significant shareholder value.”

According to the Carillion statement, the company’s board will now “give further consideration to its position”.

ALAMY

Interserve drops its legal challenge to MoD Interserve’s legal challenge to the contract made to Carillion and Amey last week has been dropped.

Last month the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) estates division, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) awarded contracts worth up to £2.8 billion to the joint venture between Carillion and Amey.

The contracts form the final part of the DIO’s Next Generation Estate Contracts programme to maintain and upgrade defence infrastructure, and takes the joint venture’s contract wins to five – including the two contracts www.fm-world.co.uk

10_11_BusinessNews.indd 11

Interserve says its dispute with the DIO has been “resolved amicably”

awarded in May. The contracts have a combined value of up to £4.5 billion and will see the Amey joint venture delivering services right across the UK. However, in June the DIO

suspended the announcement of the contracts due to be awarded because of a challenge from Interserve, which was one of the tenderers. At the time a DIO spokeswoman said the award had been “formally challenged by one of the tenderers. As a consequence, the contract award has been suspended”.

But now that the CarillionAmey JV has been awarded the job, an Interserve spokesman said the matter did not get to court and that “the legal challenge was resolved amicably between both parties [namely Interserve and the DIO]”.

A consortium has been appointed to build 390 extra care apartments in the biggest scheme of its kind to be developed in Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has named Sapphire – made up of construction, housing, facilities management, and property development and architect professionals – to build the apartments over three years.

The three shareholders within the consortium are Kajima Partnerships (50 per cent), Eric Wright Group (25 per cent) and Manchester and District Housing Association, part of Your Housing Group (MDHA) (25 per cent).

CBRE in financial boost Commercial and property services firm CBRE’s acquisition of a UK FM firm has contributed to an increase in its revenue in Europe, Middle East & Africa, says its second-quarter results for 2013.

EMEA revenue rose 89 per cent “with significant increases in property sales and occupier outsourcing, coupled with strong contributions from UK-based Norland Managed Services Ltd”, according to the firm’s results.

CBRE bought Norland in late December 2013.

Peyton & Byrne quits Brighton Caterer Peyton & Byrne will cease to deliver catering and hospitality functions for Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival and Royal Pavilion and Museums over the next few months.

The contract caterer said in a statement that it felt “the project does not fit with their London core activities”. Peyton & Byrne won a seven-year contract with the Imperial War Museum in London in November 2013.

FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 11

07/08/2014 14:25

FM BUSINESS IN FOCUS

THE ISSUE: Service providers’ moves to seek growth through private sector work THE INTERVIEWEE: Kim Challis, managing director of G4S

Accent on the private sector Kim Challis, managing director of G4S facilities management, has explained how she sees her company expanding its portfolio through a commitment to growth in the private sector.

“We’re very strong in the public sector,” she told FM World, “and a large proportion of our business is in the public sector – education, health, the traditional PFI market and we have a few central government contracts as well.

“Now we are looking at entering the private sector from a facilities management perspective.”

The company’s intention to invest more in the private sector was the reason behind its name change from G4S Integrated Services to G4S Facilities Management (UK) Ltd. [see: www.fm-world.co.uk/ news/business-news/g4srenames-fm-business-andappoints-new-md].

Expanding services The move to take on more private sector work will see the company expanding its range of services.

“We’ve been going through our business plan cycle. It’s not all ratified yet, but it’s been through a number of review processes where we have looked at challenges and inputs,” Challis 12 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

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explained.

“Everything is on course for us to launch our three-year business focus plan in September and that [will focus] in two big areas.

Firstly, says Challis, the company will increase and strengthen its capabilities… “so that we are well established in the hard and soft FM services business in cleaning, catering, support services, national customer services and hard FM. It’s about strengthening those [areas] so we can go for bigger contracts and national contracts.”

Matching capabilities Secondly, once the company has consolidated these plans, it will seek to make a more prepared move into the private sector.

At present, G4S’s private sector business represents just 25 per cent of the whole. The company’s public sector contracts make up the remainder.

“We know the market,” says Challis. “The FM addressable market… public and private… is [worth] around 20-odd billion

pounds. It’s a massive growth area in the next three to five years.”

The aim, says Challis, is to continue to grow in the public sector while acceleratinh G4S’s growth in the commercial sector.

“We’re looking at where we focus in terms of the commercial sector when it comes to growth opportunities. We are taking the private sector and breaking it down into the sub-sectors we want to work on.”

Such sub-sectors include utilities, high-tech manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. According to Challis, “there are a number of things that make a sector a priority.

“Number one is, do our capabilities match that specific sector’s? Do we have all of the capabilities to deliver to that sector? We also asked whether that sector resonated with the G4S brand… does it have an element of security about it?”

Challis is keen to point out that G4S Facilities Management’s move into the private sector will not in any way preclude it from carrying on its investment in its public

“Everything is on course for us to launch our three-year business focus plan in September”

sector business, in areas such as health and education where it is already very active.

The G4S private sector focus comes as research suggests future growth in FM will increasingly be led by private sector clients.

According to Mark Waddy, director of MTW Research, an independent publisher of market research and databases for the UK Construction & Building Products industry, “demand growth for FM services from the private sector is likely to outstrip public sector growth in the near term”.

This, says Waddy, is particularly so in terms of central and local government expenditure “with health and education really only ‘holding station’ at best in terms of market share”, he states.

This is also backed up by recent remarks by Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, about how he expected private investment levels to rise at a faster rate in the near term with expenditure growth in the private sector set to outstrip public sector growth by some margin in the medium term (three to five years).

Strategic planning G4S’s private sector initiatives will be filled out when it completes the business plan to which Challis referred, a plan that is set to be put into action next month.

Waddy said: “Obviously G4S needs to look several years ahead in terms of strategic planning and they (like us) have clearly identified the key growth sectors as being in the private sectors of leisure, financial and technology/ communications sectors.

“These sectors are likely to experience significantly greater growth opportunities than much of the public sector, despite ongoing levels of investment in areas such as education, health and the new PF2 scheme, which are only really likely to underpin the FM market in terms of modest value growth.” www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 14:25

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09/07/2014 09:59 FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 13

04/08/2014 17:10

FM OPINION THE DIARY COLUMN ROGER AMOS

“IT IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT WE DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF COMMON SENSE, COOL HEADS AND GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TEAMS INVOLVED”

NHS Trust

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

EXECU TIN G OPER AT I O N S UN S H I N E

e as proactive as possible in preparing B for the worst. Sounds obvious, but these things have a habit of revealing themselves only when tested to their full extent Last week we had our annual business continuity exercise – ‘Exercise Sunshine’. Our colleagues in the civil protection team organised this and, by pure coincidence, had come up with a brief about hot weather.

Along with colleagues from information and communications technology (ICT), we debated the ‘what if’ scenarios for each stage that started with a warning that the next day would be the hottest day of the year and

ended with the National Grid overheating and the whole area losing power on the Sunday for 8-9 hours.

One of the observations I made was this is as much about managing expectation as it is about responding to a situation like this. If this really happened the business would undoubtedly be severely disrupted, but at least by doing this we started to get a sensible thought process going about prioritising the

FM NHS Trust Consultant

services as well as a more robust process for linking FM with ICT. So much ICT-related kit would be at risk: computers, phones, remote working, door access and website communications with our customers.

I’ve written before about the dependencies between FM and ICT and this is another example. As every business is so dependent on ICT, they in turn are dependent on FM to provide continuous, clean power and a robust air-cooling system in server rooms. FM needs to communicate this as quickly as it can, but ICT also needs to proactively agree which parts of its infrastructure can be turned off, and in what order so as to

reduce the load and the heat as much as is possible.

Of course a business continuity exercise can be from a wide variety of scenarios – riots, floods, terrorist attack, fire – and the FM service is highly likely to be involved. While it is important to work on processes to respond in such events it is also important to make sure we don’t lose sight of common sense, cool heads and good communication between the teams involved.

The final point is to ensure that backup generators are regularly serviced to support critical systems in the event of a major power failure.

BEST OF THE WEB Views and comments from across the web How do you reduce power consumption throughout a building? (FM Group) Wes Morrison: Start by working on the demand side by focusing on how much energy you are consuming.

Mark Davies: The best savings come from installing variable speed drives on HVAC equipment, especially fans. Sub-metering should also be a priority, so you can see where the actual consumption is 14 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

14_Opinion.indd 14

taking place.

Richard Quigley: Is your AC equipment running through the night when it doesn’t need to? I had to set up a schedule for a building that had its AC running 24 hours 7 days a week. About an hour’s worth of gathering information regarding occupancy, and we managed to reduce consumption by 30 per cent over the year.

Key compliance tasks – how do you prioritise

them? (BIFM group) David Batten: I’d recommend starting with the HSE website, as they provide guides for organisations of various sizes and complexities and specific legislation.

Graham Bell: I would start at whatever could land me up in court and work back from there!

Nathan Mansfield: When I take on a new FM role, the first thing I look at is life safety (are my fire detection systems maintained and fault-free,

are my fire suppression systems maintained and operational?)

Then, I move on to the statutory requirements for maintenance (e.g. lifts, escalators, water systems, HVAC systems, statutory inspections, etc) and also statutory record-keeping.

Once these are all in place I then address the social and environmental issues and best practice items.

What sets a good FM apart from ‘the rest’?

(BIFM Group)

Brendan Carson: I would expect a ‘good’ FM to be proactive. Personally walking the floors of his/ her properties on a regular basis, providing leadership to the wider team.

Paul Blaylock: I think a good FM needs an astute strategic awareness of what the occupiers and landlords interests are.

Paul Edwards: For an FM to stand apart from the rest he has the ability to adapt to change whilst still applying the operational strategies. www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 16:07

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

BEST OF THE

FMWORLD BLOGS The random collision of people and places Barry Flack, changinghr.com In a blinding moment of utter selflessness, I’ve committed the rest of my professional life to building bridges – the ones riding on the back of a slow-burning realisation in society that the next shift for work is the promotion of collaboration as a key differentiator. If I take myself out of the habitual visualising of a future movement – collaborative HR working men and women aggregating insight like there is no tomorrow – the starting point today is not for the faint-hearted.

Despite LinkedIn influencers telling us how we should act before change arrives, the fact of the matter is that we don’t, and for many of our organisations, only big tipping points will force us into the change.

We face a world of work that has been hardwired in such a manner for decades that silos have become an institutionalised art form. Down into the descending ecosystem leaves room only at the bottom for both HR and typically Facilities to battle for last spot. But a group from both professions have decided to kickstart a movement designed to see off silos and the begin an era of true social collaboration.

The Beyond the Workplace initiative is about building bridges between people and workplaces. A recognisable need exists now to help our organisations get to grips with how we think about the workplace and cope with the starting point for changing our hardwired systems. I’m very honoured to be part of this fledgling initiative as its shaped by the crowd that drives it. Those motivated enough are being asked to become a fellow traveller. Read my ‘call to action’ and the article in full at http:// changinghr.com/2014/07/22/the-random-collision-of-people-and-places/ Read the article in full at www.tinyurl.com/o8w8yyw

FIVE MINUTES WITH NAME: James Gilding JOB TITLE: Managing director, Mitie Total Document Management

The current market for digital mailroom services has already begun its journey from trolley-based delivery to aspects of electronic information management. Some more progressive customers are developing fullfeatured digital mailrooms. Key drivers include the requirement for traceability and compliance, enhanced customer service, the flexibility to meet agile workforce needs and improved data quality.

Many businesses are creating digital surrogates of analogue records. These can be used for a variety of purposes; from providing online access to information held on paper and reducing damage to vital records, to saving office space and allowing information to be accessed seamlessly with electronic records.

Taking to the streets Chris Kane, Smart Spaces & Places Beyond the Workplace took its first major step in July with over 50 people meeting in Trafalgar Square to experience Street Wisdom, kick-starting the Big Conversation.

It was a different experience that enabled members of the people and place tribes to get to know one another and build our understanding of how we fit into the ecosystem of work. It was easy to organise and produced some useful insights. The Big Conversation struck me as a great tool to help promote Beyond the Workplace and bring a diverse group of people together. The idea behind Street Wisdom is to suggest that the environment and people are full of wisdom that we largely overlook.

By engaging with our surroundings, new and alternative solutions can be yielded.

None of the participants knew what to expect, this added to the sense of mystery and surprise inherent in the process. We were apprehensive as to how many people would turn up. Using social media, the numbers grew steadily; we were overwhelmed by the response! Those that joined us came away with the feeling that they had participated in something really different. They were guided through the Street Wisdom process by facilitators for the first part of the event, followed by sharing our experiences. The feedback was better than we hoped and conversation continued after the official ending time. This is not a one-off event; a Street Wisdom takes place in Sheffield in September and we aiming to roll it out to other parts of the UK soon.

It proved to be a more than auspicious beginning to Beyond the Workplace’s Big Conversation. See the article in full at http://smartspacesandplaces.com/taking-tothe-streets/ Read the article in full at www.tinyurl.com/lmnquxg

www.fm-world.co.uk

15_Opinion.indd 15

Interestingly, destruction services are a growing area of service business. Not simply shredding, but also destruction of hard disks, tapes, etc. Privacy concerns and resultant regulations are likely to drive this area.

Converting hard copy to a digital format introduces a number of risks associated with the storage and destruction of the originals.

Data encryption, physical security of the processing location and UK-based data centres are the key requirements needed to limit this risk. Organisations tend to look at either providing dedicated devices subjected to corporate security policies, fully ‘encapsulated’ apps and on-device encryption.

There will always be a requirement to provide mailroom services – albeit with a focus on critical business items rather than general mail. While hard copy mail volumes in the UK continue to decline, we are experiencing increases in parcels and personal items. More and more mailrooms are being asked to focus on courier deliveries and the management of incoming personal items.

FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 15

07/08/2014 16:41

FM CASE STUDY

BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

MARTIN READ

TOWN HALL OF PLENTY ALAMY

Brent’s Civic Centre has replaced the 14 individual buildings that previously provided the council’s services.

But that’s just the start of it, as Martin Read reports

16 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

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www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 17:14

BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

ARCHITECTS: HOPKINS ARCHITECTS CONSTRUCTION: SKANSKA SERVICE PROVIDERS: EUROPA (CLEANING, CATERING, SECURITY, ELECTRICAL WORKS AND REPAIRS, M&E, CAR PARK MANAGEMENT, EVENT MANAGEMENT) SECURE BICYCLE PARKING SPACES: 250 STAFF: 2,000 WEEKLY PUBLIC VISITORS: 3,000 (APPROX.) SIZE: 40,000 SQ M

W

hen I visit the London Borough of Brent’s extraordinary new civic centre, I’m told that a delegation from the neighbouring borough of Harrow is at that very moment also touring the building.

And you can certainly see what’s piqued their interest.

The building, just entering its second year of operation, allows other councils to consider a dramatically different way of providing services to residents.

It stands as an entirely new template for the integration of public servants and the public they serve, and is surely unique in terms of scale.

Fourteen buildings previously used to provide Brent’s services to residents have closed, their activities subsumed into this one substantial addition to the North London skyline. For me, walking through the doors is like walking in to an airport terminal.

In its sheer scale and variety of functions, Brent Civic Centre is certainly unusual – and effective in some surprising ways.

For a kick-off, it certainly doesn’t look anything like your typical civic centre. Indeed, a cursory glance at the centre’s exterior is unlikely to help the uninitiated divine a single principal activity - save for the words ‘Wembley Library’ to the right of the main entrance.

As well as all of the council’s office requirements, the civic centre has a cylindrical protrusion known as ‘the Drum’ – the new home of Brent’s Council chambers, but also more routinely used as a conference centre and events hall. It’s just one of many aspects of the facility designed with multiple purposes in mind.

Wembley’s goal Brent Civic Centre is just a few hundred feet north of Wembley www.fm-world.co.uk

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FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 17

07/08/2014 17:22

FM CASE STUDY

BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

MARTIN READ

ALAMY/ PROSPECTS IMAGING

The public space at the bottom of the atrium (below) often hosts musical recital for passing visitors

Stadium, and the council’s office workers get a bird’s-eye view of people attending and departing from stadium events (on my visit, rows of tents denote the beginning of the queue for that night’s performance by rapper Eminem.)

Right now, the building stands starkly against the skyline alongside Wembley Stadium, but in time the further development of the Wembley Park estate in which it sits will see the civic centre positioned alonghside more commercial and residential developments. Previous visitors to the area who arrive for the first time in two years will marvel at the transformation across the estate, let alone the building itself. A road to the west of Wembley Stadium seems alive with foot traffic as local residents mix with stadium and Wembley Arena ticket holders and those on site to visit the recently opened London Designer Outlet stores.

2,000 staff are now housed in Brent Civic Centre’s office space, (although not all at once, thanks to flexible working) while the building is home to all of Brent’s

18 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

16-20 Brent.indd 18

Caption in here please to go in here please to go in here thanks in here to go in here thanks in here

civic, public and administrative functions. The idea was ‘to bring the council and all of its works onto a level with the residents that the council seeks to serve’ – in which case it’s certainly working. You can get married here, throw a party, launch a product, watch a band, visit the library, deal with your council tax, register a birth, have a coffee at Starbucks, apply for citizenship, dine out – or indeed any combination of those and other activities.

The contemporary nature of the design includes a striking atrium with a huge

staircase that rises from a ‘public amphitheatre’ up to the council’s offices. Visitors can sit in the space between the stairs, looking down to the ground floor where they can often enjoy music recitals and other events.

If the intent was to drive use of the restaurants and other concessions, it has worked. Brent residents, who might previously have visited the old high street buildings on their own to sort out their individual council service problems, are beginning to make a day of it. Rather than come in, solve their issues, and then leave, they’re now arriving with entire

families in tow to make use of the library, restaurants, coffee shops and other concessions.

The traditional model of local council service delivery has been decisively binned. And what’s more there are plenty more opportunities for local businesses to rent elements of the facility – the individual meeting rooms around the drum, for example.

The architects knew that they were designing something that would be used in different ways to the buildings it has replaced but, nevertheless, Brent Civic Centre’s FM team is still adapting to the often surprising variety www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 17:14

BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

Left: The atrium roof is made from Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) - a semi-opaque material that allows natural daylight in.

Right: The atrium, as seen from ground level

of new uses. The building has already proved popular, with film crews for both television and (unspecified) Hollywood blockbusters having already filmed here.

It all adds to the event management activities overseen

by James Slann - account manager for the incumbent FM service provider Europa, Gordon Ludlow - the council’s FM service manager, and Nirmala Kerai – its operations manager.

Estimates of visitor numbers were calculated on the volumes at the individual buildings, “but here they just to come to look around”, says Slann. Visitor numbers to the building are much higher than was thought; 1,500 people a week were planned for, but the actual figure has proved closer to 3,000.

“We get people who come in just to take pictures”, adds Slann.

“Where previously a customer may have gone to a council building, queued up, conducted their business and left, here they can get something to eat, go to the library or do both; it’s a much nicer experience. So what’s happening is that they’re staying www.fm-world.co.uk

16-20 Brent.indd 19

after conducting their business – and they’re also bringing their families with them!”

Says Kerai: “This was always envisaged as a community centre for the whole borough to use, and from that perspective it’s actually worked wonders.”

“We’ve never had anything on this scale,” she adds. “We had the town hall and a community hall that we hired out for weddings and events, but everything here’s on a much grander scale than anything we had previously.”

The other buildings are now closed and in the process of being sold on. Brent expects the civic centre to reduce its expenditure on property services by around £2.5 million a year.

Fish for compliments The centre has been awarded BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating, the first building of its kind to do so. The building has a 300 kW Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) liquid biofuel engine. It can run on eleven different waste fuels - and in this instance, fish oil. Fish oil?

Slann explains: “It’s a secondgeneration waste product, which

“We’ve never had anything on this scale. We had the town hall and a community hall that we hired out for weddings and events, but everything here’s on a much grander scale than anything we had previously”

means it doesn’t have any other use other than to be dumped.

The CCHP plant we run rescues it from being dumped and uses it to create energy. It’s pretty spectacular.”

The system, which includes a 240 kW absorption chiller and has been designed to work without thermal storage, is designed to handle around 10 percent of the building’s requirements.

“The plant has all the efficiency of a standard CHP plant,” says Ludlow, “but with the added bonus of having this waste product to fuel it. The CO2 value for a litre of fish oil is just fractions of what it is for standard biofuel.”

This is amongst the reasons behind the architects’ bold claim that the centre is “the most sustainable local authority building to be completed in the UK”. Rainwater harvesting and green roofs add to the building’s green credentials.

The building has also won the RIBA national and regional awards. Discussing its award, RIBA noted, “the adjacencies (between civic, public and administrative functions) diminish the differences between departmental and professional boundaries”.

Flagship shape The FM function within Brent is part of the council’s property and projects team. (As a borough, Brent looks after more than 100 properties, from commercial and residential to offices.)

James Slann joined the team in December 2012 when the building first opened and the Bilfinger Europa contract – a five-year TFM deal – began. For Bilfinger Europa, the contract is unique and seen by the service provider as very much a flagship account.

The initial design of the centre FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 19

07/08/2014 17:14

FM CASE STUDY

BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

MARTIN READ

Brent’s council staff have adapted to agile working conditions introduced with the opening of the civic centre

– one that that had been under discussion for 10 years – had two fewer floors until the scale and number of office workers transferring from other buildings was realised.

Operations manager Nirmala Kerai is the link between Brent’s past and its high-tech present, having worked alongside the team preparing the council’s workers for their new life next to Wembley Stadium.

“The team that led on this project conducted a lot of consultation forums, invited workers to look at the furniture we were specifying. That team also went out to the satellite offices see what was there, what they were actually delivering, and how that could be accommodated into this building.

There was a lot of work scanning in files. As you can see, we no longer have tall storage cabinets here, just low level units. Staff were each given 0.7 metres of space for their storage. We knew were really reducing storage levels down, and there was a big exercise to prepare everyone for the move to flexible working.”

Up in the offices, the nowfamiliar elements of flexible working are all present and correct. Each member of staff is issued with a mobile instead of a landline (in this case Apple iPhones) while users can log into their PCs within their work groups or from home. The office space has been deliberately designed to accommodate fewer people than actually work for the council, while team members from departments that might not previously had the opportunity to discuss issues with colleagues from others sited across the borough now have ample space within the offices and in the public realm to sit down and discuss their joint objectives.

“It’s totally unique,” says Ludlow. “In terms of looking after 20 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

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“I take real pride in what we’ve achieved and what this building is now doing in keeping my council tax down. I think it has helped us all have a feeling of being part of the Brent team” the building there is nothing I’ve seen quite like it.”

Cleaning is the service that has seen the most change between initial specification and actual operational requirement. Slann says: “We’ve a morning clean from 5.30 until 08.30 with 26 people on that clean, then we have two day cleaners on all day until 5.00pm, then we have another group of nine who do another three hours.” At weekends the pattern is repeated, but without the big morning cleans. “It works well,” he says.

But it’s with the events and catering activities that Brent and Europa have had to adapt the most. One of the catering units, originally designed to serve alcohol, has been adapted to become another food outlet; this ‘theme bar’ serves office workers and visitors with ‘quick bite’ menu, allowing the main restaurant to provide a hot food menu separately. “Catering here has become very flexible,” says Slann,” and we have plans to do a lot more.”

The FM service has had to

be most flexible in adapting to accommodate the events.

“I think we’ve all been taken by surprise,” says Slann. “I don’t think any of us envisaged we’d be hosting Hollywood blockbusters.”

“The variety of events here is unique,” adds Ludlow.

“And it started early on when we were asked by UEFA to provide catering for VIPs at the Champions League final.”

You may think that the stadium across Engineers Way was better placed to handle UEFA’s demands, but it turns out that the siting of the civic centre affords users of the stadium a first-class alternative for VIP activities. For UEFA, the building was used for the three days leading up to the match as well as on the day of the match itself.

Subsequent activities in support of Wembley Stadium events have included hosting the NFL, while major product launches have also been held on site. Truly, there’s considerable benefit in the centre being part of a rapidly growing network of

businesses and buildings across the park. Where once stood just car parks and the Sunday Wembley Market, the park development has recently seen the opening of a Hilton Hotel, a major fashion brands outlet and five-a-side centre.

“There’s been a boost in civic pride,” says Ludlow, “and a more positive attitude towards Brent since we moved here”.

The whole area continues to develop, with a general ‘buzz’ during the day that simply didn’t exist previously. The prospect of serendipitous connections between businesses is high.

The area around the civic centre and the stadium was once little more than industrial units and car parks. Now, the area is being promoted as “a new lifestyle destination” with the huge Wembley arch at its centre. As well as commercial and entertainment venues, new residential blocks are also rising.

So - this is civic centre life, but not as we once knew it. It brings to mind other innovative mixes of council and public activity such as The Hive in Worcester, which also brings together council services and a library.

Slann routinely meets with the FMs of the other buildings on the Wembley , while Kerai and Ludlow had just returned from meeting other Wembley Park officials to discuss events and developments across the park.

The final word goes to Nirwana Kerai, who’s been involved before, during and after the civic centre project.

“I’m a resident of this borough and I take real pride in what we’ve achieved and what this building is now doing in keeping my council tax down. There are plenty of workers here who are also residents of the borough, and I think this building has helped us all have a feeling of being part of the Brent team.” FM www.fm-world.co.uk

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04/08/2014 17:12

SHIFT MANAGEMENT

PHILIP ANTONIOU

SHIFT UP A GEAR

S

hift management – literally the recording and maintenance of shift rotas and work tasks – is a considerable concern for facilities management companies. But it is not always a straightforward process because it involves the correct rotation of specialised personnel, good reporting systems, and as much automation as possible to save on manpower.

A good shift management system will use careful logging and reporting to ensure that each shift has done its rounds and duties and handed over any unfinished jobs to the next shift. Reporting in this way is a client requirement on most FM contracts as it provides essential information to managers – and, more importantly, ensures that all jobs are correctly closed.

Shift management software can help you to make optimal use of your FM teams by automating even the most complicated tasks, balancing your staff’s strengths with your clients’ needs and your company’s service objectives, says Philip Antoniou

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But managing a shift well means more than simply making an end-of-shift report. Larger FM contracts will use teams with specialist members in a shift, each one having his own role. For example, there may be a dedicated air conditioning engineer or electrician. Each of these specialist team members needs to add his observations and comments to the shift report. This makes the report a team effort – each shift member making a contribution towards it, with ultimate responsibility for completion residing with the shift leader. The shift leader is normally the person who obtains and compiles all this information into one coherent report.

Paper chase Yet the reality of operating a paper-based system in a live environment is that it often becomes an unreliable and tedious process. Practically, a report such as this will usually take a long time to complete.

To save time, most teams ask each member to write his own sections, but assimilating these into a single, final report results in the team leader having to copy and paste a lot of text, making edits at the same time. At the end of a 12-hour night shift this paper system often fails, owing to its complexity. Furthermore,

ILLUSTRATION: LUKE BROOKES

FM FEATURE

www.fm-world.co.uk

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07/08/2014 15:32

FM FEATURE

SHIFT MANAGEMENT

PHILIP ANTONIOU

“The reality of operating a paper-based system in a live environment is that it often becomes an unreliable and tedious process”

by the time a report is completed, in many cases it will already have become irrelevant – superseded by the next shift’s solutions and issues. It builds a system that is constantly 12 hours behind the actual live processes.

Reconciling the edits And as each team member who contributes a section to the report will have a different style and focus, the shift leader may not be able to reconcile these during edits. These reports, therefore, tend to have messy results. It is also likely in many cases that the team leader will not have the necessary knowledge across all areas to make substantial edits without changing the meaning originally intended by the specialist employees. There is a strong likelihood of human error creeping into these types of paper-based reporting systems.

And the complications don’t stop there. So far, what we’ve discussed are the relatively simple problems; they become more complex the deeper we dig.

On their rounds a team will observe issues that it cannot fix during its shift – problems with equipment, safety issues, overdue equipment services, faults with the building and so on. Such issues take a long time to fix – remedial actions may be needed, spare parts, or authorisation from a client to pay for the repairs. These newly opened and continuing issues cannot be fixed in a single shift, but must be passed to the following shift, which also needs to be fully aware of them so that work can continue until the issues can be closed.

A software-based shift log management system will manage all of these far better than a paper system. When reporting, each shift member submits his part of the report to the shift 24 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

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log system. The system tracks report entries to ensure that each member has completed his section of the report, and once he has, the shift leader is notified.

The shift leader can then look at what each team member has written, make any edits needed, subject to his knowledge in that area, and submit the report. This creates a far more efficient, automated, computerbased system. Best of all, team members can complete reports at the same time and the shift leader doesn’t need to copy any text, saving significant hours of work.

At the same time, team members can also enter into the system newly opened issues that could not be resolved during their shift, as well as progress that was made with continuing issues, creating a list of unresolved problems in the system with real-time updates.

All the unresolved issues can be automatically listed in the report but, more importantly, they will also automatically be carried over to the next shift to appear in that

report as well. In fact, they stay in each subsequent report until a shift team manages to resolve an issue and crosses it off. At this point, it is reported once as completed, before being removed from reports altogether. In this way no issue is forgotten and each shift automatically knows which issues are still ‘live’.

From a managerial perspective, clients often want visibility to see that shifts are being carried out properly. A custom shift log management system does this perfectly. The finalised shift reports can be automatically sent to clients as a PDF document.

This is a very valuable feature, as the reports are prompt and up to date, helping to assure clients that shifts are being completed efficiently and effectively, maintaining both schedule and productivity. With a shift management system, managers can even run ad hoc reports to see how quickly issues are being addressed and to monitor performance.

Meanwhile, the system itself can automatically pick up on www.fm-world.co.uk

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SHIFT MANAGEMENT

“The most reliable method for constructing a good shift management system is to build a custom software solution from the ground up’ problems such as delayed reports or issues that are not being corrected fast enough and alert management – or the shift leader – of their presence.

A niche industry So why it is that so many businesses have failed to achieve or implement an automated system such as this? There are several reasons.

First, in terms of software development, FM is still quite a niche industry so that, although the solution is relatively uncomplicated, only a few companies have attempted to build a system dedicated to the job. Some financial management companies have simply tried to customise a standard database or other existing system to fit the job, but shift management is a unique task, requiring specific system functionality.

As a result, these customised database systems handle the job they are attempting to do relatively poorly. So until more software development players come on the market and increase www.fm-world.co.uk

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the competition, the most reliable method for constructing a good shift management system is to build a custom software solution from the ground up. This way, the system is tailor-made for its environment, fulfilling all the specifications a client requires, no matter how specialised.

Furthermore, a fully customised and automated system such as this will be easier to use for the shift members. The decision has been taken to make life easier by installing a fully computerised shift management system – it is worth investing in one which is tailored not only to the needs of the business, but to those of employees as well.

To give an example, in the UK, Ad Finem built a shift log management system for Optimum Group Services which was initially implemented at a wellknown Docklands data centre.

Managers at the data centre found that the biggest benefits of the system were accuracy of data and continuity; open issues were carried over to new shifts, meaning critical information was never lost. The system moved away from the previous and more time consuming system based on Microsoft Word and Excel files, which required manual entry and sending.

The initial reason that the data centre concerned was keen for Optimum to move to a digital system with automated reports, was to give the data centre realtime visibility over Optimum’s work. The shift log fulfilled this requirement and its success has encouraged the data centre to fund further system development, using the same system expanded to cover a wider range of facilities management activities at the data centre.

There are pitfalls to be avoided when considering embarking on a switch to a software shift management system. But when

executed correctly, these systems can be a great boon to any business. Shifts and issues are handled properly, while reports are compiled quickly and effectively. Report delivery is made more efficient than in paper-based systems, arriving while the details are still relevant to the next shift ahead. Members of management can also create reports on demand, tracking the finding and solution of problems in real time. Unresolved issues are instantly handed over from one shift to the next, so nothing gets forgotten or lost and all teams are kept updated on progress.

Finally, the automation of shift management means that systems become easier and faster to use, saving businesses money and time. Combined, these features mean that the pay-off for these automated shift management systems is immediate, continuous and sizeable. FM Philip Antoniou is managing director of Ad Finem,

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07/08/2014 15:33

FM FEATURE

BRITISH OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT

DAVID ARMINAS

PLAYING

ABOVE PAR It wasn’t only victor Rory McIlroy who had to make the perfect pitch at the British Open last month. Sodexo’s FM players start sharpening up their game at the course a year before the first tee-off, as David Arminas reports

GETTY/JOSHUA TUCKER

T

he crowds of admiring spectators have long gone from the fairways of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club that hosted this year’s British Open Championship in mid-July. The winner, by two strokes, was Rory McIlroy, who hoisted the traditional Claret Jug in celebration on the final day of play – a Sunday.

There were probably some hangovers on the Monday, but it was business as usual for Michael Wells, director of championship strategy at the R&A. As the business offshoot of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, it has responsibility for organising the Open and is the client for all contractors working for the event (See Client box). It will be well into August before Wells – who has worked on 15 Open tournaments – and his team finally pack up and move on.

“We’re here a good five weeks after the final stroke of play, but the day after the end of the Open is quite emotional for us,” says

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Wells, who took over as director two years ago. “You work so hard for so long and for one week it takes over your entire life, and then it’s all over.”

The 143rd Open Championship was the 12th Open to be hosted by the Royal Liverpool at Hoylake, and on the shoreline of the River Dee estuary. The first one at Royal Liverpool was in 1897 and the previous one was in 2006, for which the clubhouse

Current world number one Rory McIlroy wins his first British Open championship title on 20 July

underwent a £2 million refurbishment.

A links course, developed in Scotland, is the oldest style of golf course. It is located on coastal sand dunes areas and is characterised by narrow fairways among fescue grasses with few, if any, trees and hills.

Planning for an Open starts soon after the R&A awards the event to a golf club. That can be several years in advance, sometimes as many as five or six.

Apart from working with contractors, Wells and his team have to notify and work with local landowners because of increased traffic near their properties. Parking has to be arranged, police work has to be co-ordinated, local authorities have to be notified and meetings with the local accommodation sector have to be set up.

But the real work at the course starts a year before the first stroke. That’s when most the 60 to 70 contractors and suppliers, many which are local, are engaged for everything, from catering and security to waste collection.

The Open may be the oldest golf tournament in the world, but it hasn’t shied away from the latest technology to keep its thousands of guests close to the action, says Wells.

Gone are the days of spectators wondering what’s happened when they hear crowds one or two fairways over roaring with approval. Apart from the large on-course TV screens showing live ESPN and BBC coverage, this year’s Open was the most wireless ever, with free WiFi coverage throughout the course.

Fans could pick up live scoring through the official Open Championship app for Apple and Android devices.

Widespread availability of WiFi has had an unexpected effect on catering, says Jeremy www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 16:08

THE OPEN

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FM FEATURE

BRITISH OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT

Dicks, managing director for sports, leisure & travel at Sodexo UK & Ireland.

Having taken on the hospitality contract with its takeover of Gardner Merchant in 1995, since 2008 Sodexo has done all sales and marketing for the Open’s hospitality, while the R&A does all the event marketing and selling of Open tickets. Sodexo also runs all the big bars and food courts dotted around tented areas. The main hospitality tent was the length of hole 16, where guests could watch golfers take their second shot on the 16th fairway.

The Champions Club, a large tented venue beside the hospitality area, was new this year, where the level of hospitality was available to a larger paying general market.

There were no reservations, but also no shortage of tables, standup bars and a lounging area with comfortable settees in front of a widescreen HD TV. You walk in with other Champions Club members and sit down at a table with a bucket of chilled beer and wine, and just help yourself.

“With wireless provision, apps, and many large-screen TVs, people are picking their teeoff times more carefully,” says Dicks, who has seen two Opens.

“Not everybody wants to get to a hospitality suite for a 12.30 formal lunch. So Sodexo has to be more flexible with the timing of meals but also has to maintain quality.”

JOSHUA TUCKER

Mouths to feed Sodexo also catered for the R&A at the organisation’s several marquees. These included one exclusively for R&A members, one for the players and their family members and one for Open officials and R&A guests, such as visiting officials from golf organisations including the US Professional Golf Associations.

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DAVID ARMINAS

THE CLIENT

THE ROYAL AND ANCIENT The Royal and Ancient, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, was one of the governing authorities of the game until 2004, when it transferred its role to a newly formed group of companies, collectively known as The R&A. The R&A organises The Open Championship and a number of other amateur and junior events, some of which are sanctioned by other golfing bodies. The R&A also administers the Rules of Golf with the consent of 152 organisations from the amateur and professional game, and on behalf of more than 30 million golfers in 138 countries throughout Europe, Africa, AsiaPacific and the Americas.

For the United States and Mexico, the US Golf Association is the governing body with which The R&A has jointly issued the Rules of Golf since 1952.

There was also catering for up to 700 accredited media people.

“Even though it was a cashless environment, the idea to use a cashless card to order meals was to ensure that the right people ate in the right place,” says Wells. “This meant that Sodexo could better plan the number of expected orders for food and drink at each of the eating venues.”

Sodexo also provided a tented area and catering for members of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club and a tent for major ‘patrons’ including HSBC, Rolex, Mercedes and UBS, which had their own suites. “We worked with them to design the suites and cater for whomever they chose to invite, including some of the players

they sponsor,” says Dicks.

Many of Sodexo’s 600 to 700 on-site staff came from Sodexorun sites across the country such as Ascot Racecourse and Everton Football Club. “But we often go to a local agency that we have worked with to employ hostesses,” says Dicks.

Dicks has seen a change over the past decade in what hospitality clients demand, partly driven by the downturn in the economy. “Formal dining has given way to slightly more casual dining,” he says. “Before, there were likely three price points.

Now you need four, five or seven different prices because people want more choice.”

Getting the logistics right is one of the biggest challenges

for catering contracts at events where there is no set infrastructure.

In many catering contracts things like power, drainage, water and sewage are taken for granted.

Here, all those have to be sorted out first, says Alex Beaumont, who has worked at an Open for each of his nine years at Sodexo.

For the past two years he has been head of Sodexo Prestige’s events business and the on-site go-to man for problem solving.

“I start work about quarterto-four in the morning, when I see in all the deliveries. It’s still dark and suddenly, far away near a green, are the headlights of the grass cutters’ machines.

They move in formation around a green, cutting the grass to get the www.fm-world.co.uk

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THE OPEN

Sodexo caters for a full range of fans with formal luncheons to more casual outlets

stripes exactly right.

“I’ll wrap up at half-past nine, or 10 o’clock at night. It’ll take two or three weeks to set everything up, but only three or four days to take it all down and move it out,” says Beaumont.

At the sharp end of overall catering including hospitality was Ben Dutson, the 29-year-old executive head chef of Sodexo Prestige Events. “It’s my fifth year of doing the Open,” says Dutson, who in June won an Acorn Award – given to the 30 most promising people in the hospitality industry under 30. He also picked up the Banqueting & Event Chef Award at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards.

“The Open is one of the biggest – if not the biggest – annual event for us,” he says. “All major events are challenging in their own way. For the Open, it’s the sheer logistics and working with suppliers to get the volume we need. For example, I order up to 4,000 baby carrots, but they all have to be exactly the same.

Likewise for fruit and the filet steak. Suppliers have to be in and gone between 4 and 6am, dropping off up 70 pallets of food. By 6am, 10 of us have done two hours’ graft already.

“The hospitality offer has grown into more specific offerings and restaurants are www.fm-world.co.uk

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being branded with their own identity, such as with the Champions Club.”

All events want to keep their carbon footprint down and support local businesses, he says.

“We do a lot of work with local butchers, bakers and farmers. I’ve also produced a document for us and the R&A that lists local suppliers and how far they are away from a golf course.”

The Open has to show its green credentials, too. As the client, Wells relies on suppliers to show their own credentials up front when looking for contracts. He points to waste disposal and recycling as a major issue, from paper plates and plastic cups right down to the tent carpets.

About 200 tonnes of waste is removed during the event, and 20 tonnes of that is carpet from the venues. But 85 per cent of the carpets are recycled, he says.

Wells says his job has many pressures, but one is overriding – everything has to be done on time and everyone has to be at their station come that first day. “People start queuing up at 6.30am on that Thursday and TV will be live, whether you’re ready for it or not.” FM THE MAJORS

FOUR! The Open Championship is the oldest of the four major championships in the now-global world of professional golf. The others, all held in the US, are: ● The Masters Tournament in April; ● The US Open in June, and ● The PGA Championship in August The Open Championship is administered by the R&A, an organisation of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

The Open is always played on a links course at one of 10 locations in the UK.

TEN FACTS ABOUT THE OPEN AT ROYAL LIVERPOOL: 117 years since Hoylake first staged the Open Championship;

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/

The previous Open at Hoylake was in 2006 – Tiger Woods triumphed;

7,000-seat horseshoe grandstand at the final 18th hole; upwards of 200,000 visitors estimated to have spent more than £30 million locally;

The course is set within the breeding ground of the rare natterjack toad; There’s wireless coverage throughout the course;

It has live television on large outdoor screens; £8 million in prize money, with the winner pocketing £975,000; 200 tonnes of waste have to be removed; and Portakabin supplies about 300 toilet units.

TEN FACTS ABOUT THE CATERING OPERATION: Sodexo has up to 880 staff on site daily;

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/

Number of chefs on site – 130 daily; Day starts at 3.45am with food deliveries; All deliveries are completed by 6am; 4,000 baby carrots ordered (same size); 120,000 pints are consumed by 200,000 fans;

On-site tanker lorry holds 35,000 pints; Sodexo has been catering at Open tournaments since it acquired Gardner Merchant in 1995; More than 6,500 covers enjoyed official on-course hospitality over the four days – an 11 per cent increase on covers compared with 2013; and

10/

Sodexo staff are on site setting up 15 days before the competition starts.

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07/08/2014 16:09

TRUST DIVIDEND

MARTIN READ

FM’S TRUST DIVIDEND

Recently published BIFM research suggests that a client’s confidence in its facilities service department, and the FM service providers it works with, can generate an invaluable ‘feel-good’ factor. Martin Read reports

IKON

S

enior personnel who feel good about their organisation’s FM performance do so in part because they believe they have better FM service relationships than other organisations in their field, according to the BIFM research report, FM And The Trust Dividend, published in July.

The report talks of a ‘feelgood’ factor deriving from the tight integration with, and analysis of, operational performance data.

The aim of this research was to identify the attitudes of client organisations towards their FM departments and service suppliers, looking at how such attitudes are influenced by the type and quality of data they work with. Results suggest that this flow of data from supplier to client, and its routine analysis, develops trust between the client and its own FM department, which leads to greater trust in the performance of any outsourced FM service supplier as well.

The wheels are oiled by the availability of real-time data, accessed and analysed regularly, to allow for early detection of impending operational pressure

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points that require consideration from client and supplier.

The confidence expressed by senior personnel in this report about how their facilities services are run corroborates what many within the sector have routinely espoused: that a commitment to establish and routinely measure FM’s value – what it brings to operational performance and productivity – leads to more trusting partnerships and improved service quality.

those surveyed for this report indicated that FM in their organisation was valued ‘to a great extent’. An overwhelming majority cited the valuing of the function as either ‘fair’ or ‘slight’, and close to one in 10 said FM wasn’t valued at all.

When asked about the extent of senior management support for their initiatives, a fifth of the respondents said they did not feel supported at all, and another third felt supported in such initiatives only to ‘a slight extent’.

Those organisations that claim their FM processes to be better than average also reported more support from senior management – though curiously, board-level respondents were more likely to believe they are good at supporting their FM staff than the staff believed to be the case.

And indeed, the gap between the importance of the FM service as seen by the client, and its successful operation, was widest when judged by members of the board (20 per cent of the survey

Value For all the rhetoric surrounding its measurement, the ‘value’ of FM remains an elusive and muchdebated commodity. Yet as much as this value needs to be determined in the client/supplier relationship, the way in which it is perceived by an organisation’s own employees is as much an indicator of that organisation’s awareness of the value of FM as its dialogue with outsourced service providers.

Just 15 per cent of

ILLUSTRATION: LUKE BROOKES

FM FEATURE

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TRUST DIVIDEND

sample). The priorities for FM departments analysed in this research suggests that, in general, issues related to service delivery and statutory compliance are understandably missioncritical while the reputation of the business, both internally and externally, was of far less importance (corporate social responsibility ranked particularly low down on the agenda).

But although achieving planned cost savings was more important to this report’s boardlevel respondents, so too was enhancement of the business’s reputation – two priorities that will be seen by some as pulling in opposite directions.

(The gap between the importance of the FM service and its perceived success was widest in three areas – quality, visibility and control, and account management.)

It is striking that senior personnel in organisations claiming to be better than average in their FM performance were also significantly more confident about meeting their compliance obligations – further evidence that client organisations can benefit from the ’trust dividend’ developed through developing good FM

“A commitment to establish and routinely measure FM’s value... leads to more trusting partnerships” policy. In this survey, board-level respondents were markedly less confident about their compliance obligations being met.

Innovation FM And The Trust Dividend highlights the problem caused by the perception of innovation in FM service provision varying as much from client to client as it does from service provider to service provider; there’s a lack of consistency on both sides that makes measuring performance and the impact of innovation in service delivery even harder.

It says: “It is in conversations about these issues that the potential for conflict or miscommunication between client and service provider is most likely to take seed.”

So perhaps it should not be surprising that more than half of the senior personnel surveyed – when asked to what extent they felt their current FM suppliers delivered innovation and best

value – ranked their service providers as six or less (out of 10).

In terms of FM cost drivers, respondents ranked more immediate cost drivers – for example, whether they felt they were paying prevailing market rates and the timely completion of tasks – far ahead of innovation.

Indeed, best value was least likely to be achieved in account management and innovation.

Again, there is evidence of a demonstrable ‘trust dividend’.

Organisations claiming to have FM departments that perform better than average also believed that their FM suppliers delivered better value. Board-level respondents, perhaps more distant from day-to-day service delivery, were less confident about their suppliers’ delivery of innovation and best value.

Researchers found no clear policy for encouraging innovation, or indeed defining it. Could it be established within the structure of commercial and/

or contractual review meetings?

One-to-one relationships with account managers? Competitive pressure? Or through challenging performance against key performance indicators? All these methods are used, but none more significantly than the others. With no standard measure emerging there is scope for miscommunication.

Conclusions Given the costs involved and the mission-critical risks that must be managed, the survey emphasises how vital it is that organisations ensure that they have the data needed to make decisions about the FM department.

This research also shows a correlation between the amount and quality of performance data made available to clients from service providers and the trust those clients subsequently put in their FM departments and service providers’ ability to perform.

It’s a theme we’ll return to in a feature in September. FM The report: Researchers spoke to 151 senior people (board level or direct reports) from organisations spanning sectors as diverse as retail and FMCG, transport, telecoms and financial services. The report, sponsored by cloudFM, can be downloaded here: http://www.bifm. org.uk/bifm/news/7214

FM NEEDS LEADERSHIP TO NURTURE INDUSTRY AND PROMOTE GROWTH Leadership and Management skills are the biggest factors in the success of businesses. JTL, through its Centre of Excellence in Birmingham and across other locations, is providing Leadership and Managment programmes from Levels 2 to 5, all accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).

The next programme of delivery starts in Autumn.

To find out more and register your interest, contact @j l i i Kim O’Leary by emailing businessdevelopmentadminteam@jtltraining.com

www.jtltraining.com

FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 31

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C

Selected forthcoming features in FM World:

25 September issue: Building management systems 9 October issue: Health & safety systems 23 October issue: Remote monitoring 6 November issue: Ventilation and air conditioning

Call us to advertise in our special feature issues and reach the largest targeted FM audience of over 24,000 readers. Contact Norbert Camenzuli on 020 7880 7551 For a full 2014 features list visit:

www.fm-world.co.uk/about-us

Features are subject to change - please contact the editor for further details. FM World welcomes contributions and ideas for articles.

Send a short synopsis to Martin Read at martin.read@fm-world.co.uk.

Please note that we reserve the right to edit copy submitted for publication in the magazine.

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31/10/11 12:17:19

04/08/2014 17:14

FM MONITOR MARKET INTELLIGENCE

INSIGHT ECONOMY

The figures on this page have been compiled from several sources and are intended as a guide to trends. FM World declines any responsibility for the use of this information.

THE RISE OF CONTACTLESS PAYMENT METHODS IN THE UK

Source: HM Treasury (hmrc.gov.uk)

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

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

23%

52%

FEWER COINS ISSUED SINCE 2008

BY 2020

50%

OF PAYMENTS IN UK MADE IN CASH IN 2013

Consumer Price Index (CPI): The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 1.9% in the year to June 2014, up from 1.5% in May. The largest contributions to the rise in the rate came from the clothing, foodstuffs and non-alcoholic drinks, and air transport sectors.. There were no large downward contributions to the change in the CPI 12-month rate between May and June 2014.

Source: (www.ons.gov.uk)

EMPLOYMENT

National Minimum Wage NOTE: The following rates came into effect on 1 October 2013: Category of worker

Hourly rate from 1 Oct 2013

Aged 21 and above

£6.31

Aged 18 to 20 inclusive

£5.03

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

£2.65

OF CONSUMERS NEVER CARRY CASH SOURCE: THE AUTOMATIC VENDING ASSOCIATION

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

UK CONSTRUCTION MARKET

OUTPUT IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY – MAY 2014

UK EVENT EQUIPMENT HIRE MARKET 2011-2015 BY VALUE (£M)

Construction industry output dropped by 1.1 per cent in May after increasing by 1.2 per cent in April.

The largest contribution to the fall in new work was in INCREASE IN ALL NEW the private commercial and HOUSING public ‘other work’ sectors.

New work in public housing and private industrial work increased but, owing to the small size of these work types, this did little to offset the falls elsewhere.

But compared with May 2013, output in the construction industry was up by 3.5 per cent. All new work and repair and maintenance increased by 3.7 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively. Housing work provided the largest contribution to the increase in all new work compared with May last year; both public and private housing saw substantial increases of 29.3 per cent and 16.8 per cent respectively. This resulted in all new housing increasing by 19.4 per cent.

19.4%

SOURCE: OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

www.fm-world.co.uk

33 insight.indd 33

OF TRANSACTION VOLUME WILL COME FROM CONTACTLESS PAYMENT SYSTEMS

54%

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

800 700 600 £M

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

500 400 300 200

2011

2012

2013 EST

2014 FCST

2015 FCST

Last year’s good weather benefited the commercial event hire sector to the tune of £560 million.

Hires for such events includes products for staging, portable buildings, audiovisual, power, interiors, traffic and crowd control, security and signage.

The market did not suffer in the economic downturn to the same extent as other sectors, though corporate events saw a fall. The market returned to growth in 2011 for the Royal Wedding and 2012 saw a boost from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Post-Olympic readjustment saw the market size fall slightly to around £550m-570m in 2013.

SOURCE: AMA RESEARCH

FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 33

07/08/2014 14:26

FM MONITOR RICHARD NORMAN

COMMENT

Richard Norman, chairman of the Building and Engineering Services Association

IN DOOR AIR

oor air quality can seriously damage your business health, warns Richard Norman, of the Building and Engineering Services Association’s ventilation hygiene sector

P

In April the threat of air pollution was blown into the public consciousness by a wind from the Sahara that gathered up industrial pollution from Europe and mixed it with local pollution.

Pollution alerts were given alongside weather forecasts, highlighting health warnings for those with lung and heart conditions, asthma sufferers and the elderly. Now it has all quite literally blown over.

But the irony is that the indoor air quality in workplaces may be far worse than what was experienced back in April.

We may be able to cope with a few days of outdoor pollution, but office workers can’t escape ‘bad air’ that will impact on their health and productivity, day in day out, perhaps for years.

To ensure that air is clean, ductwork must be cleaned thoroughly in its entirety, with grilles and filters regularly checked and air quality monitored. And it is essential that a qualified company do monitoring and cleaning to the required industry standards.

The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations require building owners and managers to ensure that enclosed workplaces are ventilated with fresh and purified air and that, where this is provided by a mechanical ductwork system, it is regularly maintained, inspected and cleaned and that a record is kept to support this compliance.

34 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

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According to the B&ES Guide To Good Practice TR/19 – Cleanliness Of Ventilation Systems, the limits of dirt and contamination above which cleaning is recommended are: for supply/recirculation systems – 60μm [micrometres]; extract systems – 180μm; kitchen grease extract systems – 200μm as a mean across the system, or 500μm in any single measurement.

The finger test The Health & Safety Executive’s HSG 202, General Ventilation In The Workplace Guidance For Employers says: “As a general rule, if you run your finger along the opening of a duct and it collects dust then it probably needs cleaning”.

The first step is monitoring. Air quality testing can involve testing filtration effectiveness, surface and airborne microbial sampling, measurements of temperature, relative humidity, CO and CO2 and airborne particulate, ozone, or formaldehyde sampling.

Findings should then be benchmarked against HSE standards. The resulting data will enable building management to meet its duty to provide COSHH and General Risk Assessments as required under Health & Safety legislation.

If ductwork cleaning is required, the updated (second edition) Building And Engineering Services Association Guide

To Good Practice – Internal Cleanliness Of Ventilation Systems (TR/19) provides guidance on air quality and ventilation ducting pre-clean testing methods.

The British and European Standard BS EN 15780 introduces a new preferred vacuum test (PVT) in its test guidance notes, designed to measure the total amount of dust deposited in a duct. The UK industry, through TR/19, has historically used deposit thickness testing (DTT) to give a similar measurement of total dust accumulation when evaluating duct cleanliness before cleaning, and the vacuum test (VT) to validate cleanliness after duct cleaning.

Until now, neither document provided a comparison of PVT values (measured in grams) and DTT (measured in microns).

TR/19 second edition now includes a reference table that does this so that practitioners using the DTT method can easily check that they are compliant with the requirements of BS EN 15780 when determining if a system needs to be cleaned, without the need to wait for laboratory analysis of the test filters (DTT giving an instant on-site test result). For post-clean validation, both BS EN 15780 and the new TR/19 specify the PVT as the only test method.

And BS EN 15780 defines buildings by classifications – ‘cleanliness quality classes’, which set different benchmarks for the amount of soiling in a duct, based on the type and use of that building or area. TR/19 includes a table showing typical applications of cleanliness quality.

Particles in the air we breathe vary greatly. The greatest health hazard from particles comes from

those less than 10 microns (10 μm or 10 micrometres) across, as we can easily inhale them. Studies in the US and Europe show a correlation between levels of airborne particles and the number of people who die each year.

Poor indoor air quality is believed to have an aggravating influence on allergic symptoms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, airborne respiratory infections, and cardiovascular disease. Building dampness and mould has been associated with a 30-50 per cent increase in a variety of respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes.

Breath of fresh air Poor air quality can affect employee concentration, low energy levels and wellbeing, and may lead to an increase in sick days. Research has shown that the size of the effect of poor air quality on most aspects of office work performance appears to be as high as 6-9 per cent.

Derek J Clements-Croome, Professor of Construction Engineering at Reading university, says: “It is a much higher cost to employ people than it is to maintain and operate a building, so spending money on improving the work environment is the most cost-effective way of improving productivity. Premises costs for maintenance, energy, cleaning and administration are only about 5 per cent of staff costs.”

Absenteeism costs the UK economy £12 billion every year.

Much of this absence will be caused or exacerbated by poor indoor air quality. Fighting pollution from the inside will improve not only the health and performance of your employees, but your business too. FM www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 15:34

FM MONITOR STEVE ALLEN

TECHNICAL

Steve Allen, managing director and energy consultant at Cavendish Engineers

R ETHIN KIN G EN ERGY EFFI CI EN CY IN THE WOR KP L ACE

s gas prices increase, air source heat pumps should be on FMs’ shopping lists.

Steve Allen, of energy efficiency engineering consultant Cavendish Engineers, tells us why UK businesses should ditch the old boiler

A

Stories about fracking and gas reserves have filled the press in recent months. According to government statistics, the UK’s natural gas reserves have been in decline since 1994.

Our proved and probable reserves are now estimated at 461 billion cubic metres (bcm), which is a reduction of 32 bcm compared with last year. So, although we may look to fracking and purchasing gas from Russia in the short term, shortage of gas is likely to become a reality.

Furthermore, is gas a sustainable option for future generations?

Why are we still using it?

Gas is still a preferred option for most organisations in the UK because of its carbon dioxide (CO2) ratio and its price. The C02 ratio on gas is 0.189 kg per kilowatt compared with electricity’s 0.484 kg per kilowatt. But as the price of gas has increased by 37 per cent over just three years*, and with the greening of the grid, building managers and FMs will soon be persuaded to look at ways to run their buildings on electricity rather than gas.

Air source heat pumps have been available on the market for more than 10 years. As the technology has been developed, its efficiency has increased and the price has fallen. Initially, many clients’ concerns centred on the high capital expenditure; www.fm-world.co.uk

35 Technical.indd 35

this is no longer the case.

European manufacturers have had to develop better technology to meet the emission regulations, addressing both combustion and the high cost of energy taxes in mainland Europe.

I spoke on this technology at a recent conference, and some interesting points were raised.

In the UK, designers and clients are risk-averse when it comes to new technology like air source heat pumps (ASHP), ground source heat pumps (GSHP) and photovoltaics (PV). My Italian colleagues will tell you that air source heat pumps, as well as energy reduction technology as a whole, are more widely used in Europe and are the technology of choice. Here, while we may moan, we have one of the best climates in Europe to obtain the best results from an air source heat pump as well as PV.

Plant and equipment In London, 90 per cent of commercial buildings are more than 15 years old. Plant and equipment installed typically includes four gas boilers and

packaged chillers on the roof.

Again, typically, these are oversized for the building, include boilers that have dry cycling, step control and are inappropriately set up. The adjacent ageing packaged chiller – with an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of about 2.4 – is also oversized and all this is probably fed from a transformer giving 415V. Remove all this and place one four-pipe air source heat pump in the space vacated by the chiller and, sized correctly, energy saving of more than 40 per cent will come right out of the box. It means less kit, it’s automatic with a lower operating expense – and you have an empty boiler house.

Considerations ● An evaluation of the primary and secondary circuits, and comparison to first principles will reveal any overcapacity. ● Consider lowering flow and return temperatures. ● You should also consider how much of the year you could operate with 50C flow (binned temperatures). ● Consider the hydraulics of the circuit and how the pump rates can be reduced to match. ● Size the ASHP based on the heat required and when it is needed and NOT peak heat loss. ● Along the way, review control strategies. Are they demanddriven and smart or just time clocks? ● Consider the age of existing

“A culture change will benefit all concerned in the property industry and is a no-brainer when you are considering plant replacement”

plant and existing efficiency, compared with new. ● Consider what can be upgraded/reused to enhance, i.e. variable gas burners. ● Develop a plan of replacement and enhancement, based on seasonal logic. ● Consider by whom and how the maintenance strategies will be implemented (less but smart).

This approach usually shows the benefits to tenants and building owners who appreciate the added greening to the project. Modern methods of maintenance and remote monitoring deliver reliability and energy monitoring linked to smart controls. This ensures that demand-led strategies optimise energy input on an hourly basis.

Using out-of-the-box technology to breathe life into older buildings will result in a better thermal environment for the occupants at lower cost and with less impact on the environment.

A culture change will benefit all concerned in the property industry and is a no-brainer when you are considering plant replacement programmes.

It is large property owners who will lead the way in shaping sustainable policies. While we are pleased to be supporting them in their programmes, other companies need to follow and we are aware that most are concerned with the complexities of such projects.

The future involves tapping into specialist resources and consultants to drive forward energy efficiencies. FM *The Guardian – 19 November 2013 FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 35

07/08/2014 15:34

FM MONITOR CHRIS MACDONALD

HOW TO...

Chris MacDonald, managing director at Propertyserve UK

RU N N IN G A SU CCESS FUL H EL P DES K

he helpdesk is the public face and the private hub for many of a business’s operations and a vital support for the building’s FM. Here, Chris MacDonald explains how it should operate

T

1⁄

FMs and helpdesks

There is no denying that the role of the FM has changed significantly over the past 10 years. Owing to the litigious nature of property management, the FM’s administrative tasks have massively increased, creating added pressure and making it even more difficult for them to carry out their core job functions.

Risk assessments, method statements, vetting and verification of insurances have all become part of the day-to-day role. There is also a real drive from property management organisations for management data, and real-time reporting – all understandable in today’s ‘claim culture’ society.

In a recent survey we conducted with Clarity Surveys, we uncovered that 26 per cent of FMs said that time was one of the biggest challenges they faced.

Property management organisations are recognising the concerns and it is becoming widely acknowledged across the industry that a helpdesk is now a necessity to support the FMs in their role.

The aim is to help them in servicing both their property portfolios and their tenants in an efficient manner.

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36 HOW to.indd 36

Helpful helpdesks offer consistent and professional service, freeing up time. They provide a centralised hub of information – logging jobs, following up with contractors and creating an audit trail. They should provide the backbone of the overall service provided.

2⁄

What a helpdesk shouldn’t be

We would never advocate that helpdesk representatives should make decisions relating to contractors going on site, or advise tenants on how to manage issues. They are not there to carry out the FM’s job, but more to act as a conduit or first port of call for the tenant, and to enhance the overall management of the property.

Do not confuse a helpdesk with a call centre; the latter is designed to provide a call answering service and not to act as an extension of the overall FM service. A helpdesk needs to understand the needs and limitations of the contractors being employed on site, in order to find the right solution and offer the FM the information to make the most informed judgement possible in a tricky situation.

3⁄

In-house or outsource?

Some property management businesses choose to take on the set-up and development of an in-house helpdesk solution. The helpdesk has to be managed, and this can be difficult where a portfolio fluctuates in size.

Often you will hear of a business that has outgrown its helpdesk. Where a company plans to expand, it needs to have the forethought and planning in place to take the helpdesk with it.

But that’s not always so easy when your focus is on growing revenues.

Most property management organisations have opted to outsource their helpdesk solution.

Clearly, this highlights a huge leap of faith. They are, in effect, leaving the first port of call for tenants in the hands of a third party.

It isn’t unusual to hear about a company holding off on employing the services of a third party – for the reasons just mentioned – however, when it does choose to proceed, it often doesn’t take the time and effort to find the best partner for its particular business.

4⁄

Common pitfalls

Often companies will not arm the helpdesk with the level of detail for it to become ‘useful’.

It is imperative for the helpdesk to keep on top of the property details – continually updating information, and staying on top of updates and changes. It is vital to maintain an open protocol with the client to ensure that future errors do not occur.

5⁄

Setting up the best helpdesk

(in-house or outsourced) ● Know what you want from the helpdesk, and what level of involvement you want from it. ● Take time to understand and appreciate the pitfalls of getting the wrong helpdesk involved, both from an outsourcing perspective and when recruiting and developing a new in-house team. ● Ensure that the appointment or set-up goes through a proper tendering process. ● Get the right people on board.

Helpdesk operations are people operations; without the right people you won’t achieve the right service. ● Empower operators to make decisions and own their role – stay away from scripts. Although data capture is vital, giving operators the tools to extract information while retaining a personal touch achieves better results and enhanced buy-in. ● Encourage face-to-face engagement between the helpdesk and client FMs – people want to deal with people, build the relationship and build the trust. ● Make sure the operator doesn’t just ‘sit on the phone’ all day – get them out to see sites and understand about the central plant, risers and what constitutes a typical landlord’s demise.

They are far more likely to understand a property’s requirements if they have been there, met the management team and seen the areas where issues typically arise. ● Ensure that the helpdesk acts as an extension of the (already professional) service provided. FM www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 16:10

FM MONITOR KEVIN BRIDGES

HOW TO...

Kevin Bridges, partner, Pinsent Masons LLP

DEALIN G W ITH R EGUL ATO R S

very business can expect to have contact with a regulatory agency of some sort. Kevin Bridges explains what to do when an inspector calls

E

Nothing in this article should come as a surprise, but it is worth reflecting for a moment on the different types of interaction that your business can have with the regulator, what they are attempting to achieve and how you can participate to best protect the organisation.

Ultimately, it all comes down to proper planning, preparation and having the confidence to assert control over the situation as far as you are able.

When we say regulators, to whom do we refer?

Well, it depends on the nature of your business, but they are numerous and varied and include the likes of the police, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency (EA) and fire authorities.

Inspectors or officers of regulatory bodies are people, after all, and as such adopt varied approaches on how they interact with you.

Crucially, and above all else, you should remain professional, as your attitude, tone and demeanour – and that of your staff – could significantly influence the outcome.

I often hear from clients that “we have a very good relationship with inspector ABC” and they set off on a course of conduct commensurate with that relationship.

That’s all well and good and to be encouraged on the whole, but www.fm-world.co.uk

37 HOW to.indd 37

inspectors wear different hats, and so must you.

What then are the different kinds of interaction you can have with a regulator? These are also wide and varied but can usefully be distilled into three broad categories – ‘collegiate’, ‘inspections’ and ‘enforcement’.

The inspector’s agenda will be different for each category of interaction, as must your approach be.

As you move from one category to another, the inspector will be thinking more and more about potential non-compliances and criminal proceedings.

The corollary is that you must also think increasingly about how best to protect the organisation (and perhaps yourself as well) depending on which type of interaction you are facing.

1⁄

How do you do this?

First of all, gain a working knowledge of the regulator’s statutory powers so as to understand the absolute boundaries of the visit.

These powers vary from regulator to regulator, are typically enshrined in legislation and are frequently very wide in scope, albeit with some limits placed on them.

In addition, you should understand what rights and responsibilities you have under the relevant legislation.

2⁄

What are the potential pitfalls?

The most obvious one is adopting too informal an approach to the visit by confusing the category e.g. collegiate, inspections or enforcement.

Another pitfall involves making inadvertent admissions of liability in interviews and oral communications with the inspector (whether notebook conversation, witness interviews or interviews under caution) or in documents such as emails or internal incident reports.

3⁄

Manage your visit with the regulators

Think about what the possible consequences might be and be ready to adapt depending on the nature of the visit. Although it is important to co-operate with the regulator, have the confidence to influence and take control of the situation. This is more important as you move through the different categories. Co-operation does not mean capitulation.

Think about ‘Before’, ‘During’ and ‘After’ the visit and remember to adapt your approach to suit the nature of the visit.

4⁄

Before: be well-trained and briefed

Brief local site managers on their rights and obligations so that they know what to do if an inspector calls. Test that training periodically.

Have in place a tried-and-tested documented incident response protocol including asserting legal privilege over internal investigations in appropriate circumstances.

5⁄

During: be pro-active

Ask politely for the inspector’s written authority e.g. warrant card, on arrival. Escalate the visit internally to those that need to know. Provide the inspector with a comprehensive site induction. Shadow him throughout the visit, taking factual notes of everything seen and said. Establish the provenance of documents before they are handed over for inspection and make sure they aren’t privileged.

Give only what is asked for and put any non-compliance right immediately, if possible.

6⁄

After: debrief

Speak to those involved in the meeting to establish and review what was said/taken away.

Think about what follow-up might be necessary internally such as remedial action, or with the regulator. Make sure that all unanswered questions or missing documents are provided in a timely and organised way.

7⁄

What you should do to be prepared

1. Have in place an Incident Response Protocol for responding to incidents and investigations by the enforcing authority, covering the creation and disclosure of documents and interviews.

2. Train your staff on your procedures for dealing with regulators to give them the confidence to handle those interactions in a professional and efficient way.

3. Practice and test those procedures regularly to check understanding and to instil greater confidence to avoid pitfalls. FM FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 37

07/08/2014 16:10

BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

AGM

BIFM AGM The BIFM Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 10 July in London. It was opened by new chairman Julie Kortens. The AGM then took place – with all resolutions being passed. Gareth Tancred, CEO, then gave an overview of BIFM achievements and an insight into how the forthcoming new BIFM website and CRM would connect and benefit members. Julie then gave an insight into her priorities and aspirations for BIFM and the profession during her tenure as chairman.

The AGM signalled the tenure of the new deputy chair, Ian Townsend, alongside new board members Ashleigh Brown and Steve Roots. The BIFM board now comprises: ● Julie Kortens – chairman ● Ian Townsend – deputy chairman ● Emma Bailey – Members’ Council representative ● Samantha Bowman – Special Interest Group representative ● Graham Briscoe – Audit Committee chairman ● Ashleigh Brown - Members’ Council representative ● Ismena Clout – immediate past chairman ● Mark Morgan – BIFM CFO and company secretary ● Ashley Rogers – chair of Members’ Council, non-voting board member ● Steve Roots – Regional representative ● James Sutton – BIFM COO ● Gareth Tancred - BIFM CEO ● Keith Waterman – Governance Committee Chairman The terms of two board members have now ended: BIFM would like to thank Liz Kentish, out-going deputy chairman, and Steve Gladwin, non-executive director, for their time and dedication in their board roles 38 | 14 AUGUST 2014 | FM WORLD

38-40 BIFM news.indd 38

Voting at the BIFM AGM

over the past two years.

Minutes of the AGM are available at www.bifm.org. uk/agm2014. Thank you to all members who participated at the AGM, either through the online voting or by attending in person.

BIFM QUALIFICATIONS

Interserve awards Level 3 Interserve, the international construction and support services company, was the first facilities management and support services employer in the UK to become a BIFM Recognised Centre, and now it has awarded its first Level 3 qualification.

Glenn Bayliss, community and leisure facilities manager at Hadley Learning Community, achieved his BIFM level three certificate in Facilities Management Practice. This qualification aims to develop learners’ ability to identify and use relevant understanding, methods and skills to complete tasks and address problems that have a measure of complexity.

It includes taking responsibility for initiating and completing tasks and procedures as well as exercising autonomy and judgement.

As a BIFM Recognised Centre, Interserve is ensuring that facilities are managed by skilled and knowledgeable professionals who are providing best value and efficiency.

Delivering the qualifications in-house enables individuals to progress within the facilities management industry while ensuring that the qualifications and assessment reflect the current workplace.

Helen Jeffery, national skills manager at Interserve, said: “We are proud to be a BIFM Recognised Centre as it enables our employees to develop their careers with us while achieving internationally recognised qualifications. We congratulate Glenn on achieving this qualification and look forward to supporting more employees along the same journey.” i Learn more about BIFM qualifications at www.bifm.org.uk/ qualifications

KNOWLEDGE

Safety guide GSH has sponsored the production of a BIFM guidance document specifically aimed at FMs. The guidance has been co-written by Robert Greenfield from GSH and Michael JW

Morgan from Safety Action Services. They are also the chair and deputy chairman of the BIFM Health & Safety SIG. The guide provides a simple step-by-step approach to the management of health and safety of contractors that is not covered by the existing guidance on the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007.

However, the principles can also be applied by the FM for the selection and management of any contractor working on site. There is also a visual overview of the steps with a process flowchart at appendix 1 on page 20.

It is timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Section 3 of the act, which specifically requires employers to ensure the health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable, of not only their own employees but also that of others on site. i The guide is free for BIFM members and available from www.bifm.org.uk/knowledge.

IRELAND REGION, NORTHERN BRANCH

Home of Ulster Rugby The BIFM Ireland region, Northern Branch, recently visited the new Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

Some £14.7 million of funding was secured in November 2012 for an extensive stadium modernisation plan. Manager David Boyd showed members around with representatives from M&E consultant Harvey’s. David explained that the three new stands were built in a phased approach without interrupting the core business.

The M&E contract was £3.2 million. All the main BMS functions can be centrally controlled, including air handling, boilers, heat recovery system and www.fm-world.co.uk

07/08/2014 14:26

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

adjusting the timing of zones to any settings.

Each of the four new stands has its own independent rainwater harvesting symphonic system, collecting up to 45,000 litres of water. This can be distributed around an underground network to the water system, which faces high demands during matches.

The stands have 90 disabled chair points with accommodation for minders; hearing loops for the visually impaired are provided for special commentary on match nights.

Hot water is provided by decentralised boiler houses, gas boilers are LTHW and DHW generation boilers. Automated roller shutters provide natural ventilation in areas where large volumes of people are concentrated. i See all BIFM events at www.bifm.org.uk/events

SOUTH WEST REGION

Nick Fox is new chair Nick Fox, facilities manager at Vinci Facilities, has been appointed chair of the South West region committee.

Since joining the committee, Nick has contributed enormously to the success of the region and was recently named ’Volunteer of the Year’ at the BIFM Recognition Awards.

Former chair Gareth Andrews said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as chair of the region and am delighted to have played a small part in promoting BIFM membership benefits in the South West region. I am also very proud of the standard of CPD that has and will continue to be delivered for members, most of which was in place when I took over from Beth Goodyear.

“But probably most www.fm-world.co.uk

38-40 BIFM news.indd 39

BIFM COMMENT

Julie Kortens is chairman of BIFM

A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

t is several weeks now since I spoke at our Annual General Meeting – my first ‘official’ engagement as the new chairman of BIFM. Aside from a chance to offer my thoughts on where we want to take the institute, which you will have seen in a previous article (FM World, After a Passion, 17 July 2014), it was a real opportunity to take stock on what has been a really good year for BIFM. The team was able to showcase the work undertaken throughout 2013, which has put us in a great position for the future. And we were even treated to some snippets of 2014 and beyond – the feedback on which has been resoundingly positive.

Many of you will have heard me say that we’re on the cusp of something truly special at BIFM and the presentations that day only served to strengthen my opinion.

I think that this swell of positivity isn’t just contained within the institute; I feel that as a profession we’re seeing a much more positive outlook.

We’ve known for some time now how important FM is, but I sense that others are beginning to share that opinion. Take our work with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), for instance, where we have seen a fantastic response from senior HR professionals since we announced that the two institutes were going to be working together.

We’re also working closely with a number of other professional bodies who too see FM as having a central part in responding to some of the challenges they are facing.

This can only serve to move FM up the leadership agenda, and that is good news.

But we must ensure that we take our chance. There are many great examples of FM professionals who have made a real difference in their organisation. It is important that we follow their lead and seize this opportunity. We need to be bold as well as ensuring that we are speaking a common language.

Plain speaking about how we are going to support objectives is vital.

This work also has a huge impact on the future of those coming into the industry.

Facilities management is a really diverse and inclusive profession and the more visible we make FM within an organisation, the more opportunities we create for the FM leaders of tomorrow.

The current surge in positivity is a significant milestone in the evolution of FM and we all have an opportunity to play our part and influence its future direction.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during my two-year term and flying the flag for FM. It is a great profession and I am proud to be your chairman.

I

“FM IS A REALLY DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE PROFESSION AND THE MORE VISIBLE WE MAKE FM WITHIN AN ORGANISATION, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES WE CREATE FOR THE FM LEADERS OF TOMORROW”

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BIFM NEWS BIFM.ORG.UK

importantly, I have enjoyed meeting and working with BIFM members across the region at CPD and networking events and will continue to do this as a member of the committee.”

The BIFM South West region is a two-time winner of the BIFM Recognition Awards ‘Region of the Year’.

HOME COUNTIES REGION

Hilton resigns After 20 years of volunteering for BIFM, Clive Hilton has taken the decision to resign his position with the Home Counties region.

Jane Wiggins, a long-standing committee member, said: “Clive has played an instrumental part in the development of opportunities for members of BIFM from the very early days of the institute. Leading the Home Counties region for many years, Clive’s philosophy has always been to create opportunities, to keep processes simple and straightforward and to have fun… A tradition that future chairs of the Home Counties region have continued.

“In addition to serving the Home Counties region, Clive is a founding member of the Catering and Hospitality SIG. He continues to be active as a judge in the BIFM Awards and a mentor to BIFM members and student members. He has served BIFM as a volunteer for many years and we would like to take this opportunity to thank him and to say he will definitely be missed by the Home Counties committee.”

SCOTLAND REGION

Annual ball The 2015 BIFM Scotland Region Annual Gala Ball and Awards take place at the Marriott Hotel, Glasgow, on 25 April 2015.

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black-tie event, which is back by popular demand, will again be the social highlight of the year for the FM sector in Scotland, offering the opportunity to network with in excess of 250 guests, entertain important business contacts or reward staff.

The night will begin with a champagne reception, followed by a four-course meal and entertainment including live music, disco and fundraising activities.

Tickets cost £80+VAT per person and are available now through www.regonline.com/ bifmscotlandregiongal aballawards2015 Sponsoring the ball and awards will improve your brand awareness, help generate customer preference and foster brand loyalty. It will also offer the chance to align your brand with an event that is helping to advance the profession in Scotland. You will benefit from pre and post-event publicity and the opportunity to display your organisation as a market leader. There are a number of sponsorship packages including headline, programme, champagne reception and raffle sponsor. i Please contact Tony McKee at tony.mckee@hcsuk.org or 07974 191567 to discuss these opportunities further.

EVENTS

Golf finals The 14th National Golf Finals take place on 18 September at the Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Golf Resort, Manchester.

Golfers from all over the UK will compete to find the top region.

Sponsor opportunities are still available for this prestige event. i Contact Vince Parker for details vince@c22.co.uk—020 7220 8900.

Thanks to sponsors HSS Hire, and Catch 22 for organising.

BIFM TRAINING GET YOUR ESSENTIAL ‘IOSH RISK ASSESSMENT IN PRACTICE’ CERTIFICATE FROM BIFM TRAINING

risk assessment is an important step in protecting your workers and your business, and involves a careful examination of the work environment so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. It is a legal requirement under UK law, so it is essential that you have somebody on site who is trained to carry out the procedure. Besides avoiding the threat of expensive litigation, managing risk will also help you to reduce sickness and absenteeism and costs such as health care, insurance premiums and compensation claims.

We are seeing an increased number of enquiries from FM professionals looking for a focused risk assessment training course, so we have realigned our long-established and highly popular ‘Health & Safety Regulations, Responsibilities and Risk Assessments’ programme to incorporate more of the technical side of risk assessments. Not only will you gain the skills and knowledge needed to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment in your workplace, you will also receive an industry-recognised certificate from IOSH (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health)*.

We have an excellent trainer for this programme, Christine Critchley, who also presents BIFM Training’s ‘IOSH Managing Safely Refresher’, ‘IOSH Safety for Senior Executives’, ‘Selecting & Controlling Contractors on Site’ and ‘Understanding the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations’. Christine will show you how to evaluate and manage risks in your workplace, in line with working practices and procedures as required by the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

A

● Understand the main legal requirements; ● Understand hazards, risks & basic principals; ● Carry out, record and review straightforward

risk assessments in your workplace and identify when specific or more complex assessments are required; and ● Understand the principles of prevention and identify suitable measures to remove or control significant risks. i Next available dates to attend IOSH Risk Assessment in Practice include 16-17 September or 11-12 November 2014 in Central London. Please email info@bifm-training.co.uk or call 020 7404 4440 *Please note that this course is not a substitute for the nationally recognised ‘IOSH Managing Safely’ certificate, which introduces the practical controls that you will need to enable best practice health & safety management for your organisation (next runs 21-24 October in London).

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FM DIARY INDUSTRY EVENTS 17-19 September | Ecobuild Southeast Asia Supported by BIFM, hosted by the Malaysia Construction Industry Development Board.

Venue: PTWC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Contact: marina.stewart@ubm.com or visit www.ecobuildsea.com 18 September | National Golf Finals 2014 The highlight of the BIFM’s sporting calendar. Golfers from all over the UK will compete to find the top region. Sponsor opportunities are still available for this prestige event.

Venue: Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Golf Resort, Walkden Rd, Manchester M28 2QT Contact: vince@c22.co.uk or 020 7220 8900 13 October | BIFM Awards 2014 The BIFM’s annual awards ceremony, bringing together the leaders in the sector with the winners to celebrate excellence in FM, giving national recognition to the leaders in the profession.

Finalists to be announced in August.

Venue: Grosvenor House Hotel, London Contact: Visit www.bifm.org.uk/ awards2014 – to book tickets or tables for the event, contact the BIFM Awards team on 01279 712 640 or email awards@bifm.org.uk 19-20 November | Energy Management Exhibition Supported by BIFM. Exploring the latest measures to reduce energy use, regulations and grants, Low Energy Companies and Energy Performance Contracts.

Venue: ExCeL, London.

Contact: Jason Franks at 0208 505 7073 or visit www.emexlondon.com 27 November | The Building Services Summit 2014 Building services equipment is responsible for over 80 per cent of energy consumption in commercial buildings. The Building Controls Industry Association has joined forces with the Building & Engineering Services Association to announce the 10-80-10 – Building Services Summit. Speakers include Deborah Rowland, head of property asset management, UK Ministry of Justice, James Pitcher, head of energy and environment, Tesco, and Michael Dick, head of buildings, City www.fm-world.co.uk 41 | 8 MAY 2014 | FM WORLD

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

of London.

Venue: Barbican, London.

Contact: buildingservicessummit.co.uk

announced in the near future.

Venue: Titanic Building, Belfast Contact: Email Stephen Welch at stephen.welch@niassembly.gov.uk

Contact: Email Mick Anderson at michael.anderson@esh.uk.com

LONDON REGION

30 October | All about FM! 2014 conference The Scotland region’s annual conference, including talks from Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism, Simon Toseland, head of health and safety at Workpalce Law, David Walker of Aegon UK and John McGurk, head of CIPD Scotland, as well as BIFM CEO Gareth Tancred and BIFM chairman Julie Kortens.

Venue: Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Contact: Email Michael Kenny at mkenny@fesfm.co.uk

SCOTLAND REGION

CHANNEL ISLANDS BRANCH 19 September | Quarterly training day – sustainability Combined with the sustainability special interest group. Sponsored by the Little Green Energy Company. A range of speakers presenting on sustainability in FM, energy saving and storage and waste management.

Venue: The Royal Yacht Hotel, St Helier, Jersey Contact: Email Naomi Fry at naomi.fry@investec.ci.com, call 01481 706474 or book tickets at www.tinyurl.com/jerseysustqtd 13 November | Breakfast seminar – space management and acoustics Full details to follow.

Venue: Harry Bound Room, Les Cotils, Guernsey Contact: Email Naomi Fry at naomi.fry@investec.ci.com or call 01481 706474 EAST REGION 12 September | Barbecue and charity event £5 entry, donated to Children with Cancer.

Venue: Thremhall Park Business Centre, Start Hill, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM22 7WE Contact: Email Roy Parrish at roy.parrish@ranne.co.uk IRELAND REGION 26 September | Visit to Victoria Square A visit to the Victoria Square shopping centre in Belfast. Centre manager Sam Clarke, architect and M&E contractor to host.

Contact: Dan Uprichard at danuprichard@ymail.com 24 October | A behind-the-scenes visit to the Nomadic This is the boat that ferried passengers to the Titanic for its illfated maiden voyage. The Nomadic has been restored and is berthed in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast Contact: Dan Uprichard at danuprichard@ymail.com 14 November | Ireland conference Hosted by Jim Fitzpatrick, former BBC Northern Ireland business editor. Presentations to be

20 August | London region and Rising FMs annual quiz crawl Meet other FM professionals in an informal setting. General knowledge quizzes across a number of pubs in London.

Venue: TBA Contact: Email Patrick McCrae at patrick@worksinprint.com or call 020 3137 2101 NORTH REGION 4 September | Building better buildings An interactive debate on the good, the bad and the ugly of architectural design. Have you managed a building which fits in any of these criteria?

Venue: Hallmark Cards, Bingley Road, Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire Contact: Email Sue Gott at sgott2@hallmark.com or visit www.tinyurl.com/lrjrfy4 11 September | Social media strategies and workplace management Includes talks from Iain Murray, director, Principle Cleaning, Alan Bainbridge, director of FM at BBC, and Andrew Mawson, MD, Advanced Workplace Associates.

Venue: BBC Media City, Dock House, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester. M50 2EQ Contact: Email Mark Whittaker at mark.a.whittaker@integral.co.uk

SOUTH REGION 24 September | Procurement – Fleet management A presentation on how to best manage the car or commercial fleet within an organisation.

Venue: Fasset Langstone Technology Park, Langstone Road, Havant PO9 1SA Contact: Email Ian Fielder at ian.r.fielder@gmail.com SOUTH WEST REGION 19 September | Quarterly training day – sustainability Full details to be announced soon.

Venue: Hilton Bristol Hotel, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4JF Contact: Email Beth Goodyear at beth.goodyear@fmhsconsulting. co.uk or call 07901 858875 SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

16 September | North region careers fair Understand the potential careers path, training and education within the FM industry.

Venue: Sheffield Hallam University Contact: Email Sue Gott at sgott2@hallmark.com 14 October | Sheffield University Technical College (UTC) tour More information to follow.

Venue: Sheffield University Technical College Contact: Email Bob Rabagliati at bailiff@trinity-estates.org.uk 6 November | Developing supply chains More information to follow.

Venue: Newcastle College

9 September | Women in FM – Women on the board More details to follow shortly.

Venue: To be confirmed Contact: Email Jackie Furey at wifm@bifm.org.uk 21 October | Women in FM – Generation Z Young person panel and debate about the future of the workplace.

More details to follow shortly.

12 November | Women in FM – Annual conference More details to follow shortly.

12 November | Cross cultural differences in FM More details to follow shortly.

FM WORLD | 14 AUGUST 2014 | 41 www.fm-world.co.uk

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

FM innovations ▼ Sunday Times names OCS in top 100

▲ New generation of gutter cleaners A new generation of high-reach gutter cleaning equipment has been launched after five years of development by Spacevac Technologies Ltd. Operated from ground level, the new system has four major features. It removes operational guesswork as it comes with a close circuit TV camera on the cleaning head; it reaches higher than any other product – 4 storeys (14 metres); has greater suction power – will safely remove an engineering brick from a gutter; and its carbon fibre tubes make it much lighter than any other. It is 40 per cent quicker and a significantly more effective cleaner than any other product.

Unlike traditional high-reach gutter cleaners, the Spacevac is extremely lightweight and can be assembled on the ground by one person – owing to heavy tubes others have to be assembled in the vertical position by two operators.

W: www.space-vac.co.uk

International total facilities management provider OCS has appeared once again in The Sunday Times Top Track 100 list for the UK’s top 100 private companies with the biggest sales, rising in the rankings this year to 71st place.

OCS has appeared on the list of companies that play a key role in the UK economy each year since the league table began in 2002, and this year has significantly increased its ranking.

Chris Cracknell, CEO of OCS Group International, commented: “This success is testament to the quality of our people, and the resilience and adaptability of our business. Our commitment to sustainable business has helped us continue to make significant contribution to jobs and growth as the global economy begins to emerge from recession.”

W: www.ocs.co.uk

▲ Vacherin shapes bodies and minds London caterer Vacherin has taken healthy eating in the workplace to the next level with ‘Health Matters’.

The campaign empowers customers with knowledge and clear choices to take control of their eating habits and make long-term positive changes to improve body and mind health. The series of monthly promotions tackles healthy eating issues significant to customers’ lifestyles and work environments.

Summer Bodies increases metabolism and Food & Mood helps concentration through appropriate nutrition.

Vacherin’s nutritionist Gary Baverstock offers clear dietary advice for each topic, linking it to dishes within the company’s award-winning Nutritious & Delicious healthy eating range and singling out the ‘superfoods’ and their nutritional powers. Specialist dietary information and lifestyle advice is available, along with samplings and offers on the latest healthy eating products. W: www.vacherin.com

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

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

▲ Jangro training expands

▲ De-Ice supports gritting protests

Jangro, the UK’s largest network of independent janitorial supply companies with 41 member companies across the UK, is once again leading the way in products and compliance within the industry.

This is not only with its range of 4,000 products, but its popular eLearning suite of training modules called Jangro LMS (Learning Management Solution).

Last year Jangro produced eight modules, which included COSHH, Health and Safety, Colour Coding and Infection Control, Carpet Care, Kitchen Hygiene and Floor Care, ‘Introduction to Equipment’ and Washrooms. Throughout the Jangro LMS modules there are handy reference guides and downloads that include COSHH, Risk assessments and Product Usage Guides and other area specific information.

T: 0845 458 5223 E: enquiries@jangrohq.net W: www.jangro.net

De-Ice, one of the UK’s longest-established and leading winter gritting and snow clearance specialists, recently fed back on news of gritting cuts in Sheffield. During the July heatwave, protests increased over plans to reduce the number of Sheffield roads gritted in the winter.

Mark Lopez, managing director of De-ice, said: “I support the ‘Keep Bradfield Gritted’ campaign. Whilst I appreciate the need for government funding cuts, I do not believe this should impact winter maintenance programmes. Given the increasing severity of winters in the UK, councils should have an increased focus on winter gritting and risk management procedures.

“There is a need for a joined-up approach between the public and private sectors – for roads to also be passable and safe. Only then will we keep Britain moving.”

W: www.de-ice.co.uk

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FM PEOPLE MOVERS & SHAKERS

BEHIND

DATA

THE JOB

ANITA ADAMS

TOPIC TRENDS

NAME: Anita Adams JOB TITLE: Senior facilities manager ORGANISATION: EPAM FM JOB DESCRIPTION Head of facilities of EPAM FM, supporting the managing agent of a commercial property portfolio

with language barriers, made it difficult to achieve.

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

Dealing with the “too hots” and “too colds”.

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

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

Ensuring compliance with legislation

9

10 ANITA ADAMS

AVERAGE

That anyone can enter the profession and have the job title of FM without having all the required skills, experience or qualifications.

What attracted you to the job?

It was a new position in a very exciting business.

EPAM asset manage properties owned by a number of private clients and they had agreed to move away from outsourced FM and take it back in-house so I have a fantastic opportunity with EPAM FM to return to some old-school principles working with passionate service partners to deliver six-star FM.

Any interesting tales to tell?

My top perk at work is…

If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be…

Having a workstation on the top floor of a fabulous building in Mayfair with the most amazing views. Oh, and the people I am working with – they are all just great.

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

Being asked to immediately remove a significant number of orange helium balloons at the ICI HQ that had been released in the atrium of a nine-storey building after a function the night before and were offending members of the main ICI board as they hovered outside their windows.

WHAT SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG FACILITIES MANAGER STARTING OUT? Get totally stuck in and question everything. FM is a vast subject and the only way to learn is on the ground! It will be an amazing journey – enjoy every second!

I trained as a bilingual PA from where I transitioned into office management and then FM with Whitbread and then ICI at their Global HQ where I had the most incredible mentor and learnt how to deliver FM to platinum standards. I absolutely love the variety.

What’s been your career high point to date?

Being appointed to the operational board as property services director in 2006 for a national serviced office provider responsible for 72 business centres across the UK. Responsible for TFM (including purchasing, health & safety and FM) working with some very challenging budgets and project managing all fit-outs of new business centres.

Introducing/ working with new forms of IT

5 10

I always wanted to be Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect to so I guess a high-flying detective. I spent six years in the Territorial Army, where I achieved the rank of corporal in the Royal Logistics Corp. I learned many skills that are relevant to FM.

Working on energy-efficiency initiatives

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

Adapting to flexible working

That the “fairies” don’t deliver FM. It takes an incredibly resilient, self-sufficient and proactive type of person to deliver full FM services effectively.

7 8

5

1

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

It has hit a bit of an identity crisis where FMs have tried to buy FM from one-stop shops for ease, but have actually created a mediocre culture where the result is disappointment for the clients. The smaller, passionate, quality service providers are still out there, waiting for the mighty to fall. There is enough work out there for them all.

Maintaining service levels while cutting costs

8

8

And how will it change in the next five years?

What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

As corporate security manager, developing and implementing a disaster recovery plan for a reinsurance division of GE across Europe. It was business-critical but had little support from the various European business leaders which, coupled www.fm-world.co.uk

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I hope to see an end to the super-sized and often faceless FM providers, reverting to more personal specialist relationships that are in it for the long term.

Do your friends understand what facilities management is?

Adapting FM to changing corporate circumstances

8

7

Some do and some don’t; I’m too busy to explain it.

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Appointments

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

JOBS

PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE

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

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FM opportunities Senior Project Manager London • £50,000 - £55,000 + car Our client an established FM Service Provider is recruiting for a Senior Project Manager to join a high-profile banking contract in Canary Wharf. You will be responsible for leading a team of project managers to deliver projects across the bank’s portfolio of buildings. You will come from an engineering background and be responsible for H&S and CDM on relevant projects. In addition, you will build the pipeline of work to hit targets and manage all relevant financials. This job also involves some UK travel and offers a competitive remuneration.

Ref: 272021

Assistant Building Manager London • £28,000 - £34,000 We represent a best-in-class Managing Agent that is experiencing an extended period of growth. This highly regarded company has a newly created position in an iconic building in central London. Reporting to the Building Manager, you will call on your previous experience of stakeholder management of maintenance or trade staff to help deliver hard and soft services on site. The successful candidate will have come from another property company in a similar capacity and will present as polished and diligent with an eye for detail.

Ref: 271821

Offices globally www.cobaltrecruitment.com Please apply for any of the above roles by emailing apply@cobaltrecruitment.com or call 0207 478 2500 to speak with Claudio Rojas or David Bremner quoting the relevant reference number.

The power of people

Compliance Manager The role Your knowledge of health and safety will be important in helping Southwark manage its estate and faciliƟes. Health, safety and sustainability are key issues for Southwark in relaƟon to its buildings and faciliƟes. ReporƟng to the Corporate FaciliƟes Technical Manager, you’ll ensure our operaƟonal estate maintains compliance with all relevant building-related policies and legislaƟon. This will see you develop, implement, communicate and monitor compliance, as well as promote good pracƟce throughout the council. You’ll also maintain a library of statutory health and safety compliance data.

The requirements We’re looking for someone with a broad knowledge of health and safety legislaƟon in relaƟon to property and faciliƟes management. You’re likely to have membership of IOSH (or be acƟvely working towards it), along with substanƟal experience of health and safety or compliance in a large organisaƟon.

An ability to analyse and present complex data and reports to a variety of audiences is essenƟal. With strong interpersonal and inŇuencing skills, you’ll have a good understanding of the principles of customer care and performance management.

Recruitment Ɵmetable Ref SC00743 Salary Range £37,329 - £43,584 Apply by visiƟng www.southwark.gov.uk Closing date: 20 August 2014.

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FINAL WORD

NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF FM

NO 2

RISE OF THE MACHINES

DAYS

THE SAME ACHE IN THE ACRONYMS The profusion of TLAs and FLAs (that’s three-letter acronyms and four-letter acronyms) used to describe FM software are giving FM professionals headaches, says a survey.

A poll carried out in July by FM software expert Service Works Group shows that at least a third of FMs believe that the plethora of different terms – CAFM, CMMS, IWMS, MMS et al – all refer to the same type of product.

This is understandable. After all, they aren’t as sexy as, say, laser, Nato or Tardis, which trip off the tongue – and everyone instantly knows what they stand for, don’t they? Also, most of them sound like childhood diseases requiring a three-in-one inoculation.

Perhaps understandably, CAFM (Computer-Aided Facility Management) was the most recognised FLA among British FMs, with more than half of those questioned saying they know and use the term . But IWMS – integrated workplace management system - scored just 8 per cent, CMMS – computerised maintenance management system - 9 per cent, FMIS – Financial Management Information System 4 per cent and MMS – Maintenance Management Software – a perhaps surprisingly tiny 1 per cent.

Given the value of the systems behind the acronyms, that's a surprisingly low set of percentages.

Back in June, FM World reported on the coming demise of the FM industry. Soothsayer Chris Kane, CEO of BBC Commercial Projects, gave humans about another 10 years before, as he told the Workplace Strategy Summit in Reading, “things like robotics take over”.

Well, his Terminator vision of FM’s future was prescient – because G4S enrolled a new recruit in its UK business that very month. Bob the Robot, from the University of Birmingham, joined the workforce as a trainee security officer on a three-week trial.

It was the first time an autonomous robot had been deployed in a working office to do a real job.

Bob had to patrol the offices, checking doors were closed and that desks were clear.

Bob is part of the £7.2 million STRANDS project by which robots are learning how to act independently in real-world environments. Using cameras and scanners, he creates a map of the vicinity, identifying furniture and other objects that he must negotiate on the move, as well as detecting humans through activity recognition.

Project leader Dr Nick Hawes, from the uni’s School of Computer Science, said: “We wanted to build an autonomous intelligent robot that can be put into a real world scenario like a place of work.”

Bob won’t slope off early to the football or waste time mooning over the blonde in accounts. But he does have to report periodically to his docking station to recharge his batteries.

ETHICS ARE FOR THE BIRDS

are more alert early in the day are more likely to cheat and behave unethically at night.

Prof Sunita Sah, a research fellow at Harvard, says the findings have implications for workplaces relying on ethical decisions. It raises questions about the structure of the working day, particularly shift work.

The team examined the behaviour of 200 people.

Subjects took part in problem-solving tests and games – unaware their honesty was being measured by how they self-reported their results. It found a significant link between people being more likely to be honest when it suited their chronotype. The “larks” were more ethical in the morning and the “owls” were more likely to be honest at night. The level of dishonesty was seen to be heightened when people were outside of their preferred time of day.

The study says: “In the morning, evening people are more unethical than morning people.”

But the findings also challenge suggestions that night owls are more likely to be badly behaved.

"They cast doubt on the stereotype that evening people are somehow dissolute," the report concludes.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” they used to say. But early birds may be catching more than the worm.

People whose body clocks are set thus may also have a more subconscious motive. New research suggests that they will be less moral at night.

The Morality Of Larks And Owls, by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Washington University, Georgetown and Harvard, examines the relationship between ethical decision-making and people's ‘chronotype’, which governs when people are most likely to want to sleep or be more energetic.

The psychologists discovered that early-rising “larks” and late “owls” had different levels of honesty depending on the time of day. People who

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OUT 11 SEPTEMBER

FEATURE: SECURING LOW ENERGY COMPANY STATUS /// FM CAREER DEVELOPMENT: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST /// FEATURE: DRONES AS BUILDING MAINTENANCE TOOLS /// LEGAL UPDATE: NEW ALLERGEN REGULATIONS /// TRAINING UPDATE /// ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS

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Tracking

Uniquely numbered labels Highly durable and suitable for many types of surface Use as part of an asset tracking system A range of tamper evident, void and barcode tracking labels to choose from

Ideal for managing the asset tracking needs of the organisation Robust barcode scanners and hand-held computers to update asset data remotely Easy to use software interface, install and scan Conforms to the government’s control of asset guidelines

or contact

www.selectamark.co.uk +44 (0)1689 860757 Selectamark is a registered trademark of:

* Selectamark visible marking is a Secured by Design accredited product

Selectamark CROPS.indd p48_FMW140814.indd 2 2

Selectamark Security Systems plc, 1 Locks Court, 429 Crofton Road, Locksbottom, Kent, BR6 8NL. UK. DA0106/1

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