I N F O R M I N G FA C I L I T I E S M A N A G E M E N T P R O F E S S I O N A L S
fm-world.co.uk / November 2016
TA ST E R E D I T I O N
HEART OF THE MATTER Facilities management’s lead role, as evidenced at the 2016 BIFM Awards
F M WO R LD
NOVEMBER 2016
CONTENTS COM M UNI TY
2 2 PE R SPE C TIV E S The four most interesting and insightful opinions on FM this month 24 THINK TA NK The connection between cognitive performance and consumption?
3 5 D RY BE FOR E YOU B U Y ? The possibility of hand drying as a revenue stream from Savortex
26 NOV E M BE R @ BIF M The people and projects currently informing BIFM activity
ANA LYS I S
7 LI FTI NG TH E NE IGHBOURHOOD The British Council of Offices reports on the social value of office buildings
3 6 POWE R E D GAT E SA F E T Y How to comply with the safety code on using powered gates
27 A BIT A BOU T YOU Bernard McPhail on playing for Integral UK’s ‘Golden Team’
8 O P EN-P LAN OPE N TO QUE STION An open-plan office can work if data on the space and its staff is used shrewdly
KNOW LE DGE
3 2 C A LL S TO AC T ION The events, surveys and discussions that deserve your attention
3 7 SWITC H OR NO SWI TC H ? The water market deregulates in April. What should your firm do?
10 JAI L B RE AK THROUGH Better design and operation of prisons could reduce strife for staff and inmates
3 8 C A R E E R D E V E LOPME N T Power points on presenting projects and initiatives to potential clients
12 TH E P OLYMATH FM FMs in retail will soon be managing complex systems generating big data
3 9 E X PLA INE R – E - C IGA R E T T E S What you should know about the use of e-cigarettes in the workplace
13 NEWS MAK E RS The stories proving most popular with FM World’s online visitors this month
42 C RYSTA L C LE A R What’s next for PV solar panels as a renewable energy option?
FM World’s in-depth analysis section 46 FM’S FIRST LADIES Meet the new BIFM leader and manager of the year, Katy Dowding and Suzanne Beck respectively. They have quite different roles, but plenty in common when it comes to how they see the FM profession developing.
52 IMPAC T AS S E S S ME N T An evaluation of this year’s BIFM awardwinners in the impact categories shows how facilities management is increasingly seen to be at the heart of successful organisations.
60 WONDER WOMEN Four women made up the finalists for the Newcomer of the Year award. We catch up with winner Pleun van Deurssen and the other finalists to find out more about the people set to take the profession forward.
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60 HIGH TECH SOLUTION As this year’s award winners and finalists clearly demonstrate, N OVE M B E R ’ S TO P I C innovation in FM THE 2016 services is being BIFM AWARDS driven by mobile technology and the devolvingWof Wdata W. B I F M .O RG .U K / F M WJ O I N down to individuals.
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F RO NT D E S K A N A LY S I S
DRAFT O BJE C TI VE S
be implemented in the UK. These changes, they say, could reduce overall life cycle costs, see prisoners rehabilitated and cut reoffending rates in England and Wales – some of the highest in Europe. Figures show that just under half of all adult prisoners are likely to reoffend within a year of release – costing the taxpayer £13 billion a year.
Let there be light
Professor Keith Humphreys of the University of Stanford and one of the report’s contributors, told FM World that prison managers and FMs of these buildings “can be quite influential in setting clear rules, ensuring that staff and inmates are aware of them, and creating a system in which the consequences of rule-breaking are clear, fair and promptly administered”. One of the recommendations includes managing light – an area facilities managers often regulate – in a way that reduces stress and depression. The report says sunlight is “frequently a scarce commodity in prisons and artificial lighting is often either unnecessarily harsh or too dim to carry out tasks”. Because of light’s role in regulating circadian rhythms, people need both good light during daytime hours and good darkness at night in order to sleep well. The study points out that prisons lack both, and this can lead to insomnia. In some cases, this can result in higher rates of irritability, aggression, depression and even self-inflicted death. The report was produced by property and construction consultancy Gleeds, and features contributions from a number of academics, including Professor Humphreys and Professor Yvonne Jewkes from the University of Brighton, with the support of management consultancy PwC.
Building in changes to prisoner behaviour Using design to reduce anger, frustration and violence
Pervasive levels of noise in most prisons can have profound effects. Damage to, or loss of hearing may be a serious and undertreated problem. There is little research on the psychological effects of noise in prisons, but findings in other settings show that noise can: Damage mental and physical health; Affect the amount and quality of sleep;
Increase levels of annoyance, frustration and aggressive behaviour; Reduce pro-social behaviour and meaningful interactions with others;
Interfere with concentration and patience during focused activity (e.g. education); and
Result in higher levels of medication being prescribed for health concerns. Therefore, avoiding auditory overload should be a key concern for prison architects. This will benefit both prison staff (including teachers, physicians and therapists) and prisoners alike.
A new prison model
A fundamental consideration is how prison sites are laid out. The report recommends a ‘campus model’ (or doughnut configuration), which instead of single prison blocks, incorporates different blocks with various levels of security and replicates features of a normal environment. It allows for a ‘step up, step down’ approach towards preparing for the outside world. This will help prisoners to improve their behaviour and creates a more flexible environment. With careful management, the campus model can support a safe environment for prisoners, staff and visitors. fm-world.co.uk
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Site and design considerations
appropriate to the risk posed by the prisoners;
Facilities should be built to provide a minimum basic standard of living – access to daylight, sanitation, nutrition, physical exercise, and health care. The design of a new prison should consider: Allowing the segregation of prisoners according to sex, age, criminal record, offence and current behaviour;
Providing spaces for work, educational, recreational and creative activities; Deterring and preventing prisoners from escape by providing a level of security
Typical life-cycle costs for prisions and jail
5% 21% 74%
CCTV systems and fire detection and control systems; Potential for expansion;
Incorporating a ‘no-man zone’ or ‘buffer zone’ to reduce the potential for contraband being thrown into the grounds;
The location and proximity of rooms and spaces (e.g. a staff room should be central and kitchens and workshops should be near the delivery entrance); Ease of access for the emergency services;
Lots of open, external space so prisoners can walk between buildings (from housing to school, work, meals, family visits, therapy);
Landscaping to include green spaces, trees and plants; Indoor spaces that provide ample natural light; Excellent sightlines within buildings and around the estate;
Ample and secure access for prison vehicles;
TO ACCESS THE FULL Convenient access to the site for staff, visitors and VERSION OF FM WORLDvolunteers; MAGAZINE, Pleasant and supportive work JOIN BIFM environment for staff; and
Staffing costs Parking andO visitors. W W W. B I F M .O RG .Ufor K /staff F M WJ IN Other ongoing costs Initial costs
November 2016
S U P P LY S I D E
BUSINESS NEWS
Weeks to view A month of expansion Week commencing 12 September Babcock International has added Australian airline Qantas to its roster of clients to whom its offers asset management services. A five-year deal with an optional two-year extension will see Babcock help Qantas manage its ground support equipment in 60 locations across Australia. Babcock already services similar contracts in London, Amsterdam, Rome and Rio de Janeiro. Such global expansion may help to mitigate any potential weakness in UK markets in the coming months.
Week commencing 19 September
Interserve’s diversified portfolio of operations is coming into its own as it announced two contracts worth a combined £92 million. First, it won an £11 million contract with the Environment Agency in the UK, which built on its two years supplying FM services across 100 sites. At the other end of the scale, it also won an £81 million contract through its Khansaheb construction joint venture in the Middle East to expand the City Centre Ajman mall in the United Arab Emirates.
Week commencing 26 September The National Health Service’s ProCure 22 revealed the six successful bidders for work on a framework that could deliver up to £5 billion worth of contracts over the next five years. The work is mainly replacing, renewing or refurbishing NHS capital assets, but could also lead to follow-on FM contracts as the NHS wrestles with budgetary constraints to more efficiently manage its estate. Named bidders were Kier, Interserve, BAM Construction, Graham Construction, Galliford Try and a joint venture between Vinci and Sir Robert McAlpine.
Week commencing 3 October
The Conservatives held the first party conference under new Prime Minister Theresa May, but gave away little in terms of policy plans. Chancellor Philip Hammond hinted that the Autumn Statement could see an uptick in infrastructure spending while the tone adopted by May over Brexit negotiations suggested that Brexiteers may pursue a ‘hard’ Brexit. This sent the pound into a tailspin and UK equity markets racing to new highs as investors sought exposure to firms that do big business in overseas currencies. This will only benefit FM operators with global reach, though.
Q&A
A PICK ’N’ MIX FOOD SERVICE INTERVIEWEE: Sam Hurst, managing director, Grazing Catering ISSUE: The changing face of catering
What is so unique about this service model?
It’s a flexible solution that allows clients to pick and choose the catering services they need, when they need them, and only pay for what they need – without the commitment and burden of a traditional catering contract. We have a young and dynamic team which can provide services ranging from full service in-house workplace restaurants to regular or ad hoc breakfast and lunch deliveries, prepared off-site at our 5,000-square feet kitchens.
How does it fit the changing needs of catering in the workplace and what niche is it exploiting in the market?
Office rents in London are only ever going in one direction and that’s why our off-site production model can ensure that clients can get the same quality food in their workplace as they would with a traditional in-house caterer, without devoting space to kitchens. It also responds to the variety available to consumers by providing a flexible ordering model; it gives clients options to eat what they want, when they want, and not forcing them to have a fixed single operator for ‘X’ many years. Johnny Dunford, senior director at BNP Paribas Real Estate, has said he wouldn’t be surprised to see this kind of delivery system coming to people’s desk, meaning in-house canteens will be much reduced. I agree. The high street is no longer the single biggest threat to traditional business caterers; technology is now an even bigger threat. With the likes of Deliveroo moving into the corporate sector and offering an array of choices
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delivered to people’s desks in 30 minutes, along with countless other platforms and technologies shaking up the market – this is a game-changer for the B&I sector. Given the productivity benefits we see from the communal environment, I don’t believe that we will literally only see desktop eating; it will be more even more important to get teams together during mealtimes to aid engagement and productivity. The difference will be the flexibility of how food is be delivered, served and prepared.
“IT GIVES CLIENTS OPTIONS TO EAT WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT, [RATHER THAN] FORCING THEM TO HAVE A FIXED SINGLE OPERATOR” How does not being tied into contracts benefit you?
Caterers need to adopt more adaptable models. The traditional model will never die, but the business climate is moving at pace and fewer clients want to commit to long-term deals.
TO ACCESS THE FULL VERSION OF FM Our clients love it. They can flex their WORLD MAGAZINE, service to meet their ever-changing business needs and, as their catering JOIN BIFM What has been the response from customers/clients so far?
partner,Wwe them toKfit Wwork W. B I with F M .O RG .U / Faround M WJ O I N their business.
V I E W P O I NT
P ER S P EC T I V E S - B I F M AWA R D S 2016
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Driving competency from the ground up
It’s important to develop people
ANDY KELLY was lead judge for the Impact on Customer Experience category
JANE SANSOME was Lead Judge for the Impact on Organisational Performance category
’ve been judging for the BIFM Awards ever since I was fortunate enough to be voted Facilities Manager of the Year in 2007. Over the years I have supported many of the award categories, which has given me a really good insight into the way our sector is continually evolving and developing to strive to deliver customer excellence in the operational theatre. This year I was struck by the potential of data, and its timely delivery, to put FM in the operational spotlight – all through Carillion’s customer experience centre. When a helpdesk service is transformed into one where all manner of operational needs can be met through a single information delivery platform, you can see how the true value of FM can be realised by clients. But it’s also about driving competency from the ground up. They’d stripped the service requirement back to really understand the fundamentals of what was required. It’s not just about having people at the end of phone; it’s about training people to understand all of the potential touchpoints when a customer calls. In the winning submission, this is
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that absorbs much nugatory management effort in trying to ascertain the contract intent! So well done to Kentish & Co for their Highly Commended award, along with their partners Johnson & Johnson and Sodexo. The Organisational Performance category is not about FM performance, it’s about how FM can have an impact on the performance of the overall business that the FM team is supporting. The winners, National Grid Smart Workspace, working with 14forty, clearly evidenced that their collaborative working had delivered an inspirational working environment that, in turn, led to an 8 per cent improvement in employee performance, a 5 per cent increase in productive time and a 5 per cent increase in collaborative activity. The critical success factor was clear metrics against which the impact could be assessed. This was incredibly powerful. People development and collaborative working: it’s all focused on achieving results about the FM provider and for the overall business that the client FM representative they are both there to serve. coming together to create The way in which this an insightful, coordinated, programme was developed committed and enthusiastic and delivered would hugely team that continues to deliver benefit other organisations, long-lasting impact particularly where there a B I F Ma .O W WisW. RG .U K / F M WJ O Ion N organisational performance. complex contract structure he key truth about FM revealed to me through this year’s process surrounds the role that people development experts can play in bringing two organisations together to create and develop a collaborative working partnership. It takes courage and commitment, but the Kentish & Co entry clearly demonstrated how it can lead to transformational change and the basis for a new era of collaborative working in which the FM provider and FM client representative don’t spend their working days arguing over the rights and wrongs of the contract because they are jointly
work being undertaken by those delivering the service themselves, with call-takers given greater autonomy to customise the service as the customer requires. As an
“HERE THEY CAN ALL MULTI-TASK; THEY GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER’S CONTRACTS” operative, you’re much more than just a person dealing with data. Here they multitask, getting to know each other’s contracts and feeding back on what might work from one contract to the next. That’s real empowerment at the coalface, and we may see service providers employing more extrovert individuals so that they can engage with customer contacts across the spectrum. My key takeaway from this year’s process? That it’s all too easy to develop strategy across the boardroom table, when actually it’s through your frontline troops – the people already delivering great customer service – that your best service development decisions can be made.
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“THE CATEGORY… IS NOT ABOUT FM PERFORMANCE – IT’S MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT!”
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V I E W P O I NT
NOVEMBER@BIFM
BIFM Health & Safety SIG specialist volunteers have presented at various events this year, including at the British Medical Association in London for the Independent Schools Bursars Association’s Health & Safety Conference. B IFM HE ALT H & SA FETY SIG
Health & Safety SIG gets ready for transition to ISO 45001 Group activities
In past year we have provided speakers for the BIFM Channel Islands Branch event and Facilities Management Ireland. We have also represented the BIFM at the Independent Schools Bursars Association Health & Safety Conference, which was held at the British Medical Association in London. In addition the SIG has directly supported BIFM members by providing a service answering ad hoc questions covering a range of safety-related topics.
Hot topics for 2017
We foresee exciting times ahead with the publication of ISO 45001 – the new standard for occupational health and safety, which will replace the existing OHSAS 18001. Although the standard has been delayed because of some national standards bodies failing to give their approval, the required two-third of votes in favour were recently acquired, and as a result the standard is now at draft international standard stage with the final international standard expected in February 2017. Being an international standard, it has been designed to integrate with existing standards such as ISO 9001 for Quality and 14001 Environmental Management. We believe the standard will have considerable impact through the reduction of workplace injuries globally. There are a number of additional requirements in the standard over and above the current OHSAS 18001, such as Understanding your
Organisation, Hierarchy of Controls, Change Management, Consideration of Outsourcing, Procurement and Contractor Management.
‘New challenges for FM companies – local service style of delivery’
The SIG took an active part at the recent BIFM Members Council Planning Afternoon and it was agreed that we would provide legislative input at catering and hospitality events planned for 2017. There does seem to be a trend for organisations to revert back to in-house delivery of a number of non-core activities such as catering to provide them with more control and a much more personal, localtype service. In practice, though, this is rarely achieved owing to the requirements for understanding the complex procedures and legislation involved in management of a catering environment. The challenge faced by the large total FM providers is to provide a global service, but with a truly local service style of delivery! Brexit is also a hot topic and there seems to be the misapprehension that our UK legislation will be repealed post-Brexit! Not true, as even without membership of the EU well over 90 per cent of our legislation would still be in situ. Although the structure of how our legislation is made will change, the requirements for a safer healthy workplace will remain. CONTACTS: Chairman: Robert Greenfield
Deputy chairman: Michael Morgan
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Changes in BIFM Training Delivery and new Academy launch The current training partnership between BIFM and Quadrilect Ltd will end in September 2017 when BIFM will launch a new training scheme. BIFM will establish the BIFM Academy and offer their own BIFM courses. Quadrilect also plans to develop and grow their own courses for the future and build an online resource for FMs. Current BIFM Training learners studying for a BIFM qualification with Quadrilect will be pleased to know that this will not impact their studies, as Quadrilect will remain a BIFM recognised centre and continue to deliver BIFM qualifications, just without the BIFM Training brand. The BIFM Academy’s core goal is to become the central hub for disseminating continuing professional development (CPD) content and training to FM professionals through a mixture of face-toface and online training. To this purpose, the courses will be aligned with the industryrecognised FM Professional Standards and will integrate with the BIFM CPD provision. The Academy is also looking to strengthen the already extensive BIFM qualifications programme to support FM professionals around the world bolster W W W.and BIFM .O RGBIFM’s .U K / F existing M WJ O I N training services.
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K N OW H OW EXPL AINER
PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY / GETTY
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n 1989, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) published a research paper, Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement. The report, by BC Wolverton, Willard L Douglas and Keith Bounds, researched methods of cleaning the air in space stations. NASA said: “If man is to move into closed environments, on Earth or in space, he must take along nature’s life support system.” The paper is now 27 years old, but it references building performance issues that are still relevant today: “During the late 1970s, when the energy crunch was being felt at both the gas pump and in heating and cooling costs, buildings were being designed to maximise energy efficiency to alleviate spiralling energy costs.” The authors noted that building design changes implemented that improved energy efficiency at the time included “super-insulation and reduced fresh air exchange”, but occupants of these more efficient sites complained of health problems, including itchy eyes and skin rashes. The research determined that “the airtight sealing of buildings” and the materials used to make office equipment, furnishings and synthetic building materials affected workers’ health. NASA had identified indoor air problems within sealed space habitats in 1974. Wolverton et al explained that these factors all contribute to “sick building syndrome”, a term first used by the World Health Organisation in 1986 when it found that
nearly 70 per cent of office workers in a recent poll said that poor air quality in their buildings is having a negative impact on day-to-day productivity
ENVIRONMENT
AIR FILTERING INDOOR PLANTS Why do some plants improve air quality better than others? A NASA paper from 1989 is still relevant today
“almost 30 per cent of all new or remodelled buildings had varying degrees of indoor air pollution”. And the problem has not gone away; a YouGov survey published in August 2016 says nearly 70 per cent of office workers feel poor air quality in their buildings has a negative impact on day-to-day productivity. A study by researchers at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and SUNY Upstate Medical University published in October 2016 shows that working in green-certified buildings is associated with fewer sick building symptoms and higher sleep quality scores, as well as better cognition.
of plants have air-filtering qualities that help to eliminate toxic chemicals from the local atmosphere. Wolverton has published further papers and books on this subject, including Plants And Soil Microorganisms: Removal Of Formaldehyde, Xylene, And Ammonia From The Indoor Environment in the Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (1993) and How to Grow Fresh Air (1996). In the NASA paper the authors tested the air filtering qualities of several indoor plants against toxic chemicals found in home and working environments, including: Benzene – a solvent present in gasoline, inks, oils, paints, plastics and rubber. It is also used to make detergents and pharmaceuticals. Short-term exposure to benzene can result in irritation to eyes and skin, drowsiness, headaches. Trichloroethylene – used in the dry cleaning industry, PLEASE NOTE! in printing inks, paints Several of these plants are known and adhesives. Short-term to be toxic to cats, exposure to it can result in dogs and other pets. It’s worth considering dizziness and nausea. if you read this Formaldehyde – found and then think of introducing these in “virtually all indoor W Wplants W. B into I F Myour .O RG .U K / F M WJ O I N home. environments”, including
The NASA study
The NASA study pointed to a number of steps to reduce indoor air pollution, including reducing off-gassing from building materials and furnishings before installation. But it also pointed to “the use of plants and their associated soil microorganisms”. While all plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the environment, the report found that a number
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November 2016
K N OW H OW
TECHNICAL EXPL AINER
PEROVSKITE SOLAR TECHNOLOGY: WHAT IS IT?
that may shade the panels should be removed. There are automated and manual brush systems to help with cleaning.
Oxford Photovoltaics (Oxford PV) was founded in 2010 after a breakthrough in solar technology using perovskite-based solar material. What is this, and why is it so exciting?
CC: We developed a coating that goes on top of the traditional silicon solar cell and boosts the efficiency by up to 25 per cent by using more of the solar spectrum. Once the coating has been applied to the silicon cell, it is assembled into a standard 60 (or 72) cell module and looks and operates like a regular PV panel. There is also an emerging market known as Building Integrated PV, where the solar panels can be integrated into buildings directly. In future, the building glass could also incorporate solar cells. The Oxford PV perovskite technology can be adapted to produce transparent PV layers on building glass that produce electricity. One day virtually all our energy will be supplied by PV or other renewable sources.
P V SO LAR PANE L S
CRYSTAL CLEAR Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are well established as a renewable energy option. But what’s next? FM World spoke to Dr Chris Case, chief technology officer at Oxford Photovoltaics, a spin-off of Oxford University, about the possibilities
When did PV technology first come onto the market? Dr Chris Case (CC): The first commercial silicon solar cells were invented in 1954 at Bell Labs in the US. The first products were called ‘solar batteries’ and used to power telephone systems in remote areas. For the next 20 years, PV panel applications were limited to applications
such as satellites. It was the oil crisis in the 1970s that triggered the beginning of the modern PV era. Over 40 years, PV installations have grown exponentially and now about 2 per cent of energy worldwide is supplied by PV panels.
How do they work?
CC: PV or photovoltaic solar panels are traditionally assembled with glass front sheets to protect the solar cells. A typical panel contains 60 solar cells, and has an approximate overall dimension of 65 x 39 inches and can weigh up to 40 pounds. The solar cells are typically made from silicon that has been purified from sand, and operate by converting photons from the sun into electrons that can be used for electrical applications.
tinyurl.com/FMW1116-OxfordPV
tinyurl.com/FMW1116-OxDepPhysics
Perovskite solar cells are most commonly made using a hybrid of lead or tin halide-based material and a crystal structure. This type of cell tends to be far cheaper to manufacture in comparison with more traditional silicon solar cells. The efficiencies of solar cells using this material have risen from around 4 per cent in 2010 to 22.1 per cent in 2016, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Oxford PV believes this will improve the aesthetics, performance and cost of both current solar panels and BIPV systems. Essentially, the coating can be printed directly onto office windows, which Oxford PV says would cost a fraction more than the cost of the windows or façade. Developing perovskite thin-film solar cells has delivered a route to boosting the efficiency of current commercial cells; using a highefficiency coating in a multi-junction or ‘tandem’ cell architecture.
And the maintenance of these is straightforward?
CC: PV panels have no moving parts and have a long life with typical warranties of 25 years. The cells themselves never wear out, although the power degrades over time. For optimum performance, the panels should be cleaned regularly and any obstacles
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ENABLING PRODUC TIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR PEOPLE AND BUSINESS
IMPACT STUDIES The growing influence of FM within organisations FUTURE SHOCK The dynamic new generation of award-winning FMs MIND THE APP The increasing effect of IT on defining FM’s true value
Winning formula In this 2016 BIFM Awards special, Manager of the Year Suzanne Beck and Leader of the Year Katy Dowding discuss their success, their roles – and FM’s future
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FAC I LITATE
B I F M AWA R D S 2016
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN ENOCH
“PEOPLE ONLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT GOES WRONG – BUT THERE’S SO MUCH WE DO THAT REALLY PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES” turnover. Dowding has clearly been an effective leader as well as an advocate for diversity issues. Seen as a woman breaking through a traditionally male-dominated sector to reach a senior level, Dowding also runs Skanska’s facilities services leadership team, increasing the number of women involved to more than 50 per cent. She’s also set up a diversity and inclusion working group with the aim of ensuring that Skanska is “recognised as a leader in diversity and inclusion in all home markets”. More broadly, Dowding is a regular at BIFM’s Women in FM events. And it doesn’t stop there. Dowding is also a member of Skanska’s Senior Women Advisory Group’ (SWAG), a group of women in senior positions at Skanska that meets to provide input to Skanska’s global executive team on matters related to an inclusive culture. Judges cited Dowding’s “exciting and contagious” passion for the industry”. As for Suzanne Beck, the first BIFM Manager of the Year manages Carillion’s account with Barts Health Trust, the largest NHS Trust in the UK serving a population of 2.5 million in East London and beyond. Beck manages teams across five sites – Mile End Hospital, The Royal London Hospital, Newham University Hospital, St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Whipps Cross University Hospital. Both women meet at FM World’s offices exactly a week after the awards ceremony. Beck explains how she’d only just come back from her honeymoon on the night of the
ceremony. “I’d gone straight into work on the Monday not expecting to win – so talk about the icing and cherry on the cake!” As for Dowding: “After all the celebrations I completely lost my voice by Wednesday – but I’ve had a deluge of congratulations, which is lovely.” It turns out that Dowding and Beck already knew each other by name, from when Skanska was deliveing hard FM services at the time Beck was providing soft FM services at Barts in 2005. What, I wonder, do they have in common today? For example, do they both accept that clients
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are becoming more expectant of what FM can deliver? “I think yes,” says Beck, “especially with regard to renewables and the sustainability and health and safety agendas. And in my sector, it’s facilities driving those things forward. I guess the challenge in a client-provider relationship is when people only ever want to talk about the failures. Too often, people only want to talk about what goes wrong, but actually there’s so much we do that really pushes the boundaries.” Dowding cites the rise of social media W W W. B I F M .O RG .U K / F M WJ O I N and review sites such as TripAdvisor in
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FAC I LITATE
B I F M AWA R D S 2016
“THE ORIGINAL SMART WORKSPACE SITE AT WARWICK IS NOW FREQUENTLY VISITED BY BOSSES FROM FTSE 100 FIRMS SEEKING TO APPLY ITS LESSONS TO THEIR OWN BUSINESSES” accommodated 1,850 people; now its capacity is 3,000. Dedicated workstations are a thing of the past, staff use any nearby desk when in the office. Collaborative workspace has been introduced to reduce pressure on meeting rooms, despite 140 new meeting rooms being created in Warwick by the new SWS design standards. These are essential spaces as the number of visitors, mainly consultants and clients working with National Grid on projects, has increased to more than 400 a day in Warwick alone.
IMPACT ON l a n o i t a anis
Org e c n a m r o f Per fm-world.co.uk
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Additional provision has been made in 10 business lounges and 80 touchdown spaces for visitors working individually. SWS has since been rolled out to other head office sites, including Osprey House in Derbyshire, which houses 400 National Grid and partner employees. National Grid was recognised as a regional British Council for Offices ‘Fit Out of Workplace Award’ in 2013. It has now been rolled out to the company’s ‘big fleet’ buildings and today more than 6,000 people work in the SWS way.A schedule of FM services supports the development of workspace strategies, managing the customer experience and SWS facilities, using derived usage data and intelligent analysis to maximise the investment in SWS and Visibility of events and conferencing utilisation has management. 14forty made a positive difference to teams have a customer the overall liaison role, ensuring management of the estate and users can function well in the customer the work space provided. experience
Innovations initiated by FM can have a TO ACCESS THE FULL significant effect on the performance of VERSION OF FM the organisations they serve, the difficulty WORLD MAGAZINE, typically being in quantifying that impact. JOINSmart BIFM No such trouble for National Grid’s W W W. B I F M .O RG Work Space project with 14forty .U K / F M WJ O I N
November 2016
PHOTOGRAPHY: NATIONAL GRID
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ational Grid property team’s Smart Work Space (SWS) scheme, supported by facilities service provider 14forty, was selected by judges in the organisational performance category for its “huge impact” and the evidence it offered of “increased collaborative activity, improvements in productive time and overall business performance”. National Grid operates the UK’s highvoltage electricity transmission network and the high pressure gas transmission system, as well as half of the regional gas distribution network. Its estate comprises 1,460 UK sites covering the whole of the UK, from Scotland to England’s south coast. The estate comprises electricity substations, gas compressor stations, major office locations and depots, vacant land and vacant property. A workforce of 10,000 people is based at its main offices and depot sites around the UK, and there are 7,000 remote workers within the main fleet. Operating such a sprawling estate conflicted with the requirements of an increasingly diverse and agile workforce. The corporate property team structure had to reflect these different needs and devise a strategy to meet the needs of internal customers and service users and reflected a strategic change in supply chain management to focus on creating long-term strategic partnerships. Over time, several initiatives were launched, but SWS has had the biggest impact on improving workplace productivity, driving down costs and supporting the company’s sustainability agenda. The SWS scheme was introduced at National Grid House in Warwick. Before its deployment, the building
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