Facilitate- November/December 2022

INFORMING WORKPLACE AND FACILITIES PROFESSIONALS

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FOUR TO THE FORE

POWER TO FM’S PEOPLE

AN ACQUIRING TASTE

The four-day working week is being trialled - will it take off ?

The sector’s role is critical in tackling the energy crisis

Outsourced FM sees a spate of takeovers in recent months

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022

IW FM IMPAC T AWARDS 2022 ● NEURODIVERSE DESIGN ● SURGE IN M&A AC T IVITY

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Badge of honour IWFM Impact Awards 2022: how this sector’s tailored service is woven into the very fabric of client performance

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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 / FACILITATE

CONTENTS FRONT DESK 06 Power play FM is a unique position to lead ead on energy efficiency initiatives ves

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08 Is a short week a long shot?

Assessing the prospects of a four-day work week

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10 Neurodivergent design A new standard calls for the built environment to accommodate neurodiverse users

KNOW HOW

13 News in Numbers

49 Prevent an own goal

Big stories from September and October boiled down to figures.

How technology can assess and mitigate risk in sports stadiums

15 Setting up for 2023

50 The Scope 3 challenge

Building safety and sustainability in FM during political instability

Now’s the time to get on top of your supply chain emissions

FEATURES

51 ESOS deadline looms

18 IWFM Impact Awards 2022: the themes emerging We look at three underlying issues highlighted through this year’s awards process: EDI’s role in organisational productivity; the widening interpretation of sustainability; and the criticality of change management.

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53 Breaking the bias Key takeaways from the annual IWFM Women in FM conference

56 The connected whole Systems thinking for mental health management

57 Fix or buy?

51 COVER: PETER CROWTHER ASSOCIATES

What you need to know to be ready for phase 3

33 IWFM Impact Awards 2022: the winners’ stories

Determining what to do with your technical equipment

The who, what and why of this year’s successful entries.

58 Know How Crammer

VIEW POINT 40 Perspectives Four FM professionals seek to influence your insight agenda

46 A bit about you Glimpse into the jobs of Louise Griffiths and James Coulson

Key takeaways from three of our online-only articles

SUPPLY SIDE 61 Bouygues Group finalises EQUANS acquisition We report on this and other stories in what’s proving a busy period for mergers and acquisitions

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FACILITATE / ONLINE

ONLINE

Facilitate, incorporating FM World, is the publication of IWFM, the professional body for workplace and facilities management. For information on membership, qualifications and training contact us:

OPINION

RESEARCH

Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Charringtons House, 1st Floor South, The Causeway, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 2ER, UK

Providing an enticing workplace

50% of bosses believe monitoring remote employees is a good idea

+44 (0)1279 712 620 • admin@iwfm.org.uk • www.iwfm.org.uk

Of 2,000 leaders surveyed by CIPD and HiBob, 55% believe in using at least one measure to monitor remote workers:

Redactive Publishing Ltd Fora, 9 Dallington Street London EC1V 0LN www.facilitatemagazine.com

Workplaces are blurring the line between business and pleasure, favouring collaboration and interaction, says Mindspace’s Ana Nekhamkin.

tinyurl.com/Fac22071 Fuel poverty and mould: a lesson for social housing

tinyurl.com/Fac22074

A dangerous result of fuel poverty and cold weather is an increase in condensation and the growth of mould, says Ambisense’s Simon Jones.

New BSI neurodiversity standard for the built environment

tinyurl.com/Fac22072 Best practice remains the same: keep recycling

PAS 6463 covers buildings and external spaces for public and commercial use, and independent or supported living accommodation.

Your plastic waste is not ending up in the seas off east Asia, despite what some would have you believe, says CIWM’s Lee Marshall.

tinyurl.com/Fac22076

tinyurl.com/Fac22073

New BCO research says workers in the post-pandemic office need between 10 and 12 square metres per person.

The government should enforce indoor air quality policies for safer, healthier buildings There are policies and regulations in place to enforce air quality standards but these are not often acted upon, unless in extreme cases. This needs to change, says Professor Catherine Noakes OBE of the University of Leeds.

tinyurl.com/Fac22075

What’s the sweet spot for workplace density?

tinyurl.com/Fac22077 Retrofit for climate change JLL research shows how retrofitting offices and industrial buildings can support Net Zero.

tinyurl.com/Fac22079

FACILITATE

YOUR AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE Facilitate – the magazine and online news content resource of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) – keeps IWFM members and others up-to-date on all workplace and facilities management issues, ensuring you are informed of the latest developments and

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thinking.

In 2019, Facilitate won Best Magazine (10-32,000 members) award at the Association Excellence Awards, judged by a body which assesses the media brands of trade bodies, membership organisations and associations. Also, our editor Martin Read took

the title of Editor of the Year at the 2020 MemCom Awards, as run by the association for membership communities.

We are further developing our award-winning product for you, so feel free to contact us with any thoughts and ideas.

Got a story? email editorial @ facilitatemagazine.com

EDITOR Martin Read 020 7880 7664 martin.read@facilitatemagazine.com DEPUTY EDITOR Bradford Keen 020 7880 7615 bradford.keen@facilitatemagazine.com NEWS EDITOR Herpreet Kaur Grewal 020 7880 8544 newsdesk@facilitatemagazine.com SUB-EDITOR Deborah Shrewsbury 020 7880 6223 deborah.shrewsbury@redactive.co.uk SENIOR DESIGNER Joe McAllister 020 7880 2747 joe.mcallister@redactive.co.uk PICTURE EDITOR Claire Echavarry 020 7324 2701 claire.echavarry@redactive.co.uk CONTENT ASSISTANT Prithvi Pandya 020 7880 6229 prithvi.pandya@redactive.co.uk SALES — DISPLAY, DIGITAL, EVENTS 020 7880 6206 display@facilitatemagazine.com SALES — RECRUITMENT 020 7880 6212 recruitment@facilitatemagazine.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Aysha Miah-Edwards 020 7880 6241 aysha.miah@redactive.co.uk PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Joanna Marsh 020 7880 8542 joanna.marsh@redactive.co.uk Subscriptions IWFM members with Facilitate subscription or delivery queries should call the IWFM’s membership department on +44 (0)1279 712650.

Facilitate is sent to all members of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management and is available on subscription to non-members. Annual subscription rates are UK £110, Europe £120 and rest of world £130.

To subscribe call 01580 883844 or email subs@redactive. co.uk – alternatively, you can subscribe online at www.facilitatemagazine.com/about-us/subscribe/ Editorial Advisory Board Simon Ball, market director, EQUANS Peter Brogan, head of research and insight, IWFM Rob Greenfield, health & safety director, Avison Young Ian Jones, director of facilities, ITV Dr Matthew Tucker, Reader in Workplace and Facilities Management, Liverpool Business School Kate Smith, head of workplace & portfolio strategy UK, CBRE Liz Kentish, managing director, Kentish and Co. Simone Fenton-Jarvis, workplace consultancy director, Relogix

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COMMENTS / LEADER

COMMENTS MA RT IN REA D

From the editor

W LINDA HAUSMANIS

ILLUSTRATIONS: SAM KERR

SHOUT ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS Thank you to everyone who joined us for a fantastic night at the IWFM Impact Awards ceremony last month. Guests looked resplendent as they arrived ‘dressed to impress’. We enjoyed great company and entertainment and, of course, the main event: celebrating the exemplars of our profession as the 17 winners took to the stage.

As our chair of judges Mark Griffiths noted on the night, after his dynamic first year in the role, the IWFM EDI project’s influence was evident throughout the evening, and the four winners recognised for their efforts in improving EDI underlined the importance of keeping the agenda front of mind. Small changes can make a big difference and I look forward to seeing what the EDI focus group and our head of policy Sofie Hooper have planned to drive change in our sector next year.

Above all, I am grateful to all of our amazing entrants for sharing their successes for consideration. During such demanding times, it’s not easy to acknowledge our achievements when the next task is waiting. But recognition is important, particularly for a profession like ours, which hasn’t always received its due.

You are business enablers, value creators, change-makers, and vital frontline deliverers – and you should shout about it! In helping us spotlight your success, you’re also helping to ensure that business leaders understand our profession’s tremendous impact and extraordinary potential to support and deliver positive outcomes, as we all take our next steps into a challenging landscape.

LINDA HAUSMANIS is CEO of the IWFM

e routinely extol the virtue of workplace and facilities management’s notorious breadth and depth. Notionally, this sector’s role in providing service X or overseeing project Y allows it a unique perspective on department Z that no one else gets to see.

Which is fine, but that breadth and depth has a consequence. FMs are too frequently forced to switch from one emergency project or task to another, meaning their time to input into corporate decisions – for which that unique department Z insight could be pivotal – can be fleeting. Organisations then rely instead on other departments or external specialists for what can be less perfect solutions based on nearly but not quite good enough data.

So let’s consider this as it relates to energy management, suddenly and necessarily the top topic on the corporate agenda. Few dispute that FM, as the eyes and ears on the ground, is – or most certainly should be – one of the biggest influencers of an organisation’s energy strategy.

Suppliers and tech specialists cry out for the kind of granular insight that the FM can provide. But many still bemoan the lack of that input.

Of course, complaining that FM’s voice is not heard as much as it should be concerning energy management is nothing new. Making the case that FM should be (and surely already is) a regulator and influencer of energy usage, and thus primary energy demand, is an argument decades old. Behavioural change as a phrase feels, for example, feels like it was first coined to address building users’ ambivalence and downright lack of interest in helping lower their employers’ energy bills.

Whatever the history, FM’s energy management role is one that Vladimir Putin has helped put firmly back in the spotlight. Of course, a fastidious FM is even now looking at the data and asking if it’s really necessary to keep burning such an energy-hungry spotlight, assessing whether more efficient spotlighting technology should be added to the budget, and working to assuage the murmured frustrations coming MARTIN READ is the editor out of the spotlighting department… of Facilitate magazine

Vladimir Putin has put FM’s energy management role firmly back in to the spotlight

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CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF EMERGING THEMES AND TRENDS

FRONT DESK 08

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Four-day week: Does a shorter working week remain a long shot?

New BSI standard developed to match built environment design with neurodiverse needs

News in Numbers: key stories boiled down into numerical form

What does 2023 hold for building safety and sustainability in FM?

ENERGY MANAGEM EN T

Energy and FM: ‘there’s a real need for us now’

by Martin Read

I

t’s no accident that the annual EMEX energy management conference and exhibition takes place in November.

There’s a natural rhythm to the energy management year, with the turning back of the clocks signalling a renewed focus on costs, efficiencies and procurement.

2022 is no different, ezcept in one major regard. The war in Ukraine has undoubtedly added fresh focus to the what, why, when and where of business energy management activity. Suddenly, aspirations towards decarbonisation and net zero have been joined at the strategy table by good oldfashioned energy efficiency; positive news for FM’s role in tackling it all.

Zero carbon electricity supplier Bryt Energy sponsored a recent IWFM roundtable event at which all aspects of energy supply, management and reduction were discussed.

Issues spanned the gamut of complications, including how landlords and tenants with differing policies around energy supply can resolve them in pursuit of greener goals.

And while the complexities of procurement choice took centre stage, with renewables and battery storage adding to an intricate web of options, so too did the issue of reducing demand in the first place.

Yes, an organisation could sign up to a series of power purchase agreements, abide by the offsets outlined in them and declare a positive net zero message to the world. But time and again, the discussion returned to this elemental position: the

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best energy saving practice and best carbon saving opportunities come from not using energy in the first place. And that can be as powerful a message to the world about your organisation as its net zero credentials. Which is where FM can shine.

introducing photovoltaic panels or localising energy supply – all of which are becoming either more affordable, more practical or both – there is a need to become serious about corporate energy demand reduction in the first place. The concern is that, in all the conversations about new and evolving energy technologies, conversations about frontline efficiency gains can get lost entirely.

To which end, said one participant (we’re not naming them in this piece – an IWFM white paper on the topic will do that in due course), “There’s a real need for us now. In many ways, we know what the answers are.

FM on the energy frontline There was agreement that the current international outlook, while daunting, represents a really exciting time for FM because it is on the energy usage frontline.

And that focus on the frontline is where any decarbonisation journey should start.

It follows that the FM message of myriad routine efficiency gains – fastidiously itemised and acted on – is as much a part of a strategic assessment of energy as its procurement and type. Before decisions on replacing natural gas with heat pumps,

A focus on energy efficiency is not just about saving energy; it’s not just about climate change; it’s really good for the economy and it’s good for energy security

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ANALYSIS / FRONT DESK

C A RB O N EMISSIONS

POWER STATS

40% 90% The International Energy Association’s estimate of how much energy efficiency can deliver towards the reduction in energy-related emissions by 2040

For outsourced service providers, the percentage of scope 1 emissions that can be linked to their mobile fleets

We’ve simply got to do the things we should do and then the decarbonisation follows.

Let’s not forget the value of efficiency.”

FMs, it was agreed, have a ‘massive role’ because of their frontline status, being best able to measure where energy is being used at source. No surprise, however, to find participants agreeing that FM’s still low corporate profile needs addressing if this crucial information is to be calculated.

Organisations need new ways of bringing in FM’s voice and ensuring FM’s knowledge has been passed on. Allied to this is a need for FMs to have the skills to assess and communicate this energy detail. Familiar refrains, and as one participant noted: “We have for years been talking about how FM is best placed to be the instigator of the behavioural change.”

Ultimately, the message should be that the way in which organisations structure their FM internally is key to

Smarter energy use helps reduce primary energy demand and accelerate the uptake of more efficient technologies and practices some of the most important energy usage considerations of our time, not least with organisations considering entirely new approaches to the size and functionality of their estate. In all of this, FM’s time is now.

From frontline to strategy FM’s connection into the strategy of an organisation is key. “To what extent is FM involved in contracts for the supply of FM service in the broadest possible context?” asked one participant. “Because only by managing and being able to see that behaviour change through can you then have a better longer-term vision as to what you’re going to need.”

Longer-term vision needs to be balanced with shorter-term obligations; for example, FM’s need to ensure uptime and see through planned obsolescence of equipment.

There are four principal areas in which FM should be takin a decisive role in energy discussions: 1 Collecting and analysing usage data, ensuring the numbers stack up; 2 Ensuring the building’s statutory compliance; 3 Influencing energy projects and being closely involved in the associated CapEx budgeting; and 4 Implementing energy efficiency measures.

What’s clear is this is not a prioritised list; if anything, energy efficiency measures rank first amongst these equals, with management of user behaviour – at the heart of FM – defining those efficiencies and feeding into the other three areas.

IWFM’s guidance based on the Bryt Energy roundtable event is due before the end of 2022. Facilitate will be taking the procurement and technology components of the guidance further once it has been released.

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FRONT DESK / ANALYSIS

PRODU C T I V I T Y

Four to the fore – does a shorter working week remain a long shot?

by Martin Read

I

t is something of a ‘luxury’ debate, and in the current swirling maelstrom of economic and cost-control criticalities, next to irrelevant for many. Nevertheless, mid-2022 saw debate on the concept of the four-day week take on further heat.

It follows a trial, which commenced in June, of 70 firms with around 3,300 employees across the UK testing four-day working weeks: one less working day without a pay decrease. It was amplified further by an announcement in September from South Cambridgeshire District Council that it, too, was to trial four-day weeks for desk-based staff from January – and further trials involving bin crews would follow if the initial office trial is successful.

Approximately 470 desk-based council staff will be able to take part across all pay grades.

The council will use its standard performance metrics to check on factors including how long it takes to process benefits claims, council house rent collections, and determine planning applications. Industrystandard health and wellbeing surveys will also be used to measure success.

The council’s initiative is in response to difficulties filling

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certain posts, with an aim to assess whether such a policy can increase the diversity of its workforce; for example, by having childcare costs spread over 20% less time. All told, it’s a fascinating experiment. But what about the private sector?

The flexibility paradox The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently weighed in with its own report, Four Day Week – Employer Perspectives of Moving to a Four-Day Week, which established that 34% of firms surveyed expected four-day weeks to be a reality by 2032. (Its analysis was based on a survey of 2,000 employers

and ONS Labour Force Survey data on people’s working hours). This despite only “a small minority of firms” having “moved towards the four-day week to date.

The never more than nebulous combination of ‘improved efficiencies’ and ‘adoption of technology’ would be the basis on which a shift to a four-day week without reducing pay would depend, said two thirds of the CIPD’s respondents.

Jonathan Boys, senior labour market economist at the CIPD, said the rationale behind the four-day week (“to give people more leisure time and improve their wellbeing

WORK LOA D MA N AG EMEN T

A COGNITIVE LOAD OF PROBLEMS ● Those corporate office businesses keen to consider a four-day week as part of their wellbeing credentials are also those whose

workforces. However, this concept is new to individuals and businesses alike. ● “The key hurdle to overcome if this is to be

more relaxed approach to working day

successful is the management of workloads.

discipline has made ‘locking’ work to four

If staff are cutting their hours by 20% but

instead of five days problematic.

their workload and delivery expectations

● Paul Modley, director of diversity, equity

remain the same, employers could face

& inclusion at workforce solutions firm

a scenario where people are struggling

AMS, said: “The flexibility of being able to

to meet expectations and failing to take

work four days a week will certainly help

breaks or working overtime during the new

create a better work-life balance for some

working week to gain an additional day off.”

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ANALYSIS / FRONT DESK

T H E PAY S L I P

TEST RUNS

1 in 3

Number of businesses expecting the four-day week to become a reality within 10 years (CIPD research)

70

IMAGE: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

Number of UK businesses experimenting with the ‘reduced hours, same pay’ concept in a trial commenced in June

while increasing productivity to compensate”) was positive, but added that the concept faces a challenge as the cost-of-living crisis bites.

Paradoxically, individuals “may very well look to increase their hours to boost their income. Greater flexibility in work has the potential to have an overall positive impact on working lives across many sectors. However, this kind of flexibility will be easier for some businesses than others.”

It’s too early to assess how the 70-firm trial is going, but Simon Ursell, managing director of environmental

consultancy Tyler Grange, one of the trial firms, told Facilitate that the pilot has thus far “been a very positive experience”, with the consultancy being in “a far stronger position” with clients “reaping the benefits too”.

However, Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO EMEA at workplace design consultancy Unispace, expressed caution.

“If there’s one crucial takeaway from the pandemic, it’s that taking a catch-all approach to working-style mandates isn’t always the best option. People from different demographics and home lives

will have different preferences.

If the right balance in working styles is to be achieved there needs to be flexibility, rather than broadly dictating requirements, for all.”

The major sticking point is the need to increase productivity by a whopping 25% to make up for the output lost from fewer days of work” J O N AT H A N B OY S , S EN I O R L A B O U R M A RK E T ECO N O M I S T, CIPD

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WO RK PLAC E DE SIGN

Standard addresses workplace needs of neurodivergent workers

by Martin Read

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“first-of-its-kind” standard written to ensure the design of the built environment meets the needs of the neurodiverse has been launched by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

Understanding and reacting to neurodivergence in the workplace has become a theme over recent years, it being a prominent element in the broader equity, diversity and inclusivity agenda.

The term ‘neurodiverse’ covers people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, and a range of other sensory and / or informationprocessing differences.

The newly launched BSI standard, PAS 6463, applies to buildings and external spaces for public and commercial use, as well as residential accommodation for independent or supported living.

“A significant number of people find elements of the built environment uncomfortable, distressing or a barrier to their use”, the BSI explained.

“For example, when interacting with the built environment, neurodivergent and neurodegenerative people can frequently experience ‘sensory overload’ – an overstimulation of the body’s senses leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed. This increased demand on an individual of the associated cognitive load can unsurprisingly lead to increased anxiety, fatigue and, in some cases, poor mental health.”

‘PAS 6463: Design for the mind – Neurodiversity and the built

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environment’ aims to assist building designers to mitigate and eliminate these impacts. The guidance is broad, taking in approaches to lighting, décor, acoustics, layout, wayfinding, familiarity, clarity, thermal comfort as well as odour.

It has also been made ‘open access’, meaning it will be freely available to everyone.

and those who experience neurodiverse conditions.

Jean Hewitt, a senior member of the inclusive design team at consultant engineering firm Buro Happold, was a technical author of the publicly available specification (PAS) upon which the guidance is based. She belives there is “a profound need to design for neurological difference”.

“Since my first involvement in this area in 2009, I have hoped for some progress for the many neurodivergent colleagues, friends, and family whose lives are unnecessarily blighted by places that don’t work for them.

“Some people have a formal diagnosis, but many do not. There

IMAGE: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

FRONT DESK / ANALYSIS

A broad scope BSI believes that PAS 6463:2022 is the only guidance of its type written with input from sector specialists

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ANALYSIS / FRONT DESK

“Everyone deserves to experience the built environment in a way that supports their general wellbeing and generates better health outcomes SCOT T S TEEDMAN , D IREC TOR- GENER AL , S TA N DA R D S AT B S I

are neurotypical people who are mildly but regularly affected on a day-to-day basis, perhaps triggering unsteadiness, migraines or experiencing extra daily stress through elements that are not intuitive or comfortable for them.

“This (the BSI PAS) is an opportunity to ask everyone involved in the built environment to carefully consider this normal neurological diversity of humans rather than just meeting basic regulatory demands. Places should be comfortable for everyone to visit and use without encountering emotional distress or difficulty.”

DOWNLOAD THE STANDARD PAS 6463:2022 Design for the mind – Neurodiversity and the built environment – Guide | How to create a sensory inclusive environment

Addressing stigmas The guidance has been written to help organisations meet legal and social obligations introduced over the past decade or so, including those under the Equality Act and the Autism Act. It is also written to help organisations meet dementiafriendly charters as well as Article 9 in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Keith Tiltman, who is a director at Business Moves Group, says: “Businesses have got better at creating spaces that are inclusive for people with physical disabilities, such as ensuring there is stepfree access. But very few consider

neurodiversity in their office design. There isn’t currently a lot of integration of mental health and wellbeing into the design of office space, but it’s on the rise.

However, while neurodiversity in office design is important, spaces shouldn’t be labelled for particular people. Invisible disabilities already carry a stigma with them and the last thing you want to do is having segregated spaces in the office.”

“We need to create spaces that will be used by all employees but also support those with particular needs. That’s how we’ll ensure our workplaces remain inclusive.”

N EUROD IV ERS I T Y

A LARGE AUDIENCE IN MIND

1 in 7 1 in 10

Number of people in the UK estimated to be neurodivergent in some form.

Number of UK organisations reporting in 2018 that the needs of the neurodiverse was included in their people management practices

30%

Percentage of the population ‘negatively impacted by elements that could easily be adjusted or eliminated during design, procurement and management without any cost implications’

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2,300+ specialists dedicated to keeping buildings safe, clean, protected, accessible and compliant.

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TOP STORIES / FRONT DESK

NEWS IN NUMBERS

79%

Percentage of Gen Z respondents that feels more active when working in the office, compared to older workers (66%.) Figures from global workplace firm Unispace.

⅓ Number of organisations that think a four-day week will become a reality in the UK for most workers within the next 10 years, according to a study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2,000 respondents).

43%

ILLUSTRATIONS: NOUN PROJECT

Percentage of organisations saying that their use of hybrid / remote working has greatly or somewhat increased, with almost a quarter expecting the figure to increase further over the coming 12 months.

60%

Percentage of workers unable to concentrate and/or delivering poor-quality work owing to loud workspaces, according to a poll of 2,000 office workers by an acoustics firm. Four in 10 said poor acoustics were impairing their concentration, a third that their mood was negatively affected, and a quarter that high noise levels led to stress.

£59,000,000,000

SCAN FOR THE FULL STORIES

Size of the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector suffering from “severe” staff shortages since a tightening of immigration rules last year. The British Cleaning Council has slammed the government’s attitude towards migrant workers as “ridiculous” and “divorced from reality”.

£400,000,000 Amount for which London-based private equity firm Buckthorn Partners says it has agreed to acquire Amey Group plc from the Spanish multinational Ferrovial. The acquiring partners want to “strengthen and grow the business and to access new opportunities, particularly in energy transition”.

7,000 Amount of tonnes of CO2 no longer being emitted each year from Greater Manchester’s public buildings, putting the city region 12 years ahead of its target of being carbon-neutral by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the national Net Zero 2050 target.

65% Percentage of 4,000 surveyed chartered surveyors from across the world that say occupier demand for green / sustainable buildings has risen over the past 12 months. For buildings that are not classed as green or sustainable, 48% of respondents noted a reduction in rents.

£10.90 The new Living Wage rate for the UK, a £1 increase. The figure is now £11.95 an hour in London, a 90p increase. The changes affect 400,000 people working for more than 11,000 real Living Wage Employers throughout the country, including many FM service providers.

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POLICY PIPELINE / FRONT DESK

IMAGE: ISTOCK

and change control regime, including when doing refurbishment, will also affect care homes and hospitals. Anyone wanting to go on a fire door replacement programme must brush up on the building control application process and the substitution rules coming down the line.

As for the golden thread, we pressed the government to mandate an information structure and data schema, and to outline a pathway towards a national built environment data vision for the next 15 years if the principle of interoperability is to deliver on the objective of supporting building risk management decisions for safety. Calling for such a mandate is one thing; now we need to collaborate across the sector to deliver on the existing solutions for all and to raise awareness of meeting information requirements.

PRO G RE SSING THE PROFESSION

Setting up for 2023

Back to the present

Looking at what’s next for building safety and sustainability in FM against a backdrop of political instability

O

ctober 2023 is set to be a crunch date for building safety across a range of buildings that our members manage. Although it may seem a long time off, it leaves less than a year to start meeting key requirements. This is especially so with information management requirements, the first of which will need to be delivered from early 2023. Accountable persons will need to start registering their buildings and submit certain building information from April 2023, and most new duty holder, competence and golden thread requirements will need to be met by October 2023.

KEY CONTACTS Sofie Hooper Head of Policy

With IWFM having submitted our consultation response on the new golden thread requirements in occupation and design and construction phases, the next few months will see us engage more actively again with policymakers on how the policies in the consultation will translate in the actual secondary legislation.

In addition to that engagement role, we’ll also need to ensure we keep members updated. All too often we hear that only residential is affected, but this is not the case. The new rules for occupation will also cover student accommodation, and the new and more rigorous building control

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FOCUS GROUP ● An updated public statement that builds our voice and support for colleagues will be issued for 2023.

BUILDING SAFETY ACT ● Secondary legislation expected for April 2023, with duties for accountable persons and competence

applicable from October 2023.

PAS 8673 ● PAS 8673 Built environment – Competence requirements for management of safety in residential buildings was published in July.

SCOPE 3 EMISSIONS GUIDANCE PROJECT

Moving back to 2022, by the time of publication we may know more about the new government’s economic direction.

The reversed ‘mini-budget’ didn’t inspire confidence in ‘green’ growth ambitions, and with COP27 taking place, the focus will be on the existential need to step up actions on climate change and net zero.

As government policy has seemingly deprioritised ‘green’ despite and because of the economic and energy crises, FMs will need to make good on their potential to deliver much-needed mitigation and even reversal of carbon impacts.

As an institute, there are several tools in the pipeline so our members can be supported in their unique role where they bring together the needs of landlords, end users, and the supply chain, and change their organisations’ impact in the climate stakes.

● Various SIGs are supporting SFMI’s project for standardised alignment of measuring scope 3 emissions to decarbonising FM services.

FIRE SAFETY (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2022 ● These regulations contain information requirements, including provision of a secure information box,

applicable from 23 January 2023.

NEC CONTRACTS ● NEC4 FMC practice notes on TUPE and asset data are due to be published soon.

GET INVOLVED ● Our policy work is informed by members’ priorities. Share your views at: policy@iwfm.org.uk

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Congratulations to our fantastic

WINNERS Workplace Experience: Office/ Corporate Environment

Wellbeing

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Change Management

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Excellence in Customer Experience

Product or Service Development

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Eric Wright Facilities Management’s Variation App

KAUST Facilities Management Business Intelligence Dashboards (KFM-BI)

Social Value

Best SME Led Innovation

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Social Impact Kickstarter Scheme, Pareto FM

Highly commended EHU Safe Learning Environment Following a Fire at Asmall Primary School and Nursery, Edge Hill University

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LooLights - Smart Occupancy Systems, WhiffAway Group

Technology SPONSORED BY: MATRIX BOOKING

Enhancing environmental control and energy reduction management in the heritage sector, The National Library of Scotland

Highly commended Facade Access Solution for The Scalpel, Integral Cradles and GIND UK

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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative SPONSORED BY: JONES FM

Increasing support for suppliers and promoting diversity, CBRE

People Development and Talent Retention SPONSORED BY: HAYS

NHS Property Services

Highly commended Facilities Service Delivery Team, Lancaster University

Newcomer of the Year SPONSORED BY: BAM FM

Anthony Atkinson, CBRE

Team of the Year SPONSORED BY: PREMIER TECHNICAL SERVICES GROUP

NHS Property Services Facilities Management Team

Sector Breakthrough SPONSORED BY: ISS UK

ED&I Social Impact Initiatives, Pareto FM

Collaboration

Outstanding Contribution to Workplace and Facilities Management SPONSORED BY: WASTE TO WONDER

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Enhancing environmental control and energy reduction management in the heritage sector, The National Library of Scotland

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS

PROUD TO PERFORM The sheer variety and scope of the people and projects recognised at the 2022 IWFM Impact Awards stands as testimony to this evolving sector’s extraordinary work for its clients – and should be cause for considerable pride amongst all involved. Martin Read and Bradford Keen report on the awards, and the themes emerging his year’s IWFM Impact Awards ceremony took place in a year that has seen equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) become the focus of many within the sector. It’s why the IWFM decided to relax the formal dress code, for the first time allowing guests to ‘dress to impress’ rather than adhere to black tie and ball gown orthodoxy. A small gesture perhaps, but a strong message from a sector more than aware that challenges lie ahead in attracting a new generation.

Celebrating frontline heroes was an important category choice, because it is from such individuals that the facilities managers of tomorrow emerge.

Indeed, EDI was a theme that coloured many of the night’s award-winning projects, with fast-growing facilities service provider Pareto FM having something of an Oscars experience, winning in three categories on the night.

The ceremony followed fast on the heels of all the pomp and ceremony associated with the passing of Her Majesty the Queen and the King’s subsequent accession.

Many have mentioned how facilities management did exactly what it has always done in the circumstances; quietly but very effectively adapt to circumstance,

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IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS / FEATURES

allowing others to turn up in all their fineries for the various ceremonies we saw in the days up to and including the Queen’s funeral.

Naturally, the practice of workplace and facilities management carried on regardless, as it always does. Indeed, FM professionals were critical to meeting the sudden demands of Operations London Bridge and Spring Tide, diligently working behind the scenes. Whatever was asked of it, the profession delivered. It always has and always does, however small or majestic the occasion.

Except, to our mind, there are surely times when FM should be able to show off its own honours. Hence this edition’s cover, and hence the embroidered badges you’ll find as you navigate this feature.

As well as equity, diversity and inclusivity, two other broad themes emerged when we analysed the winning entries: change management in all its varieties; and how workplace and facilities management is helping reduce the environmental burden.

Over the following nine pages we consider these three themes by talking with sector specialists, after which you’ll find a five page digest of who won what in which category on awards night, and why.

For the first time, guests were asked to ‘dress to impress’ – noting that black tie and ball gown were optional. The decision was , in part, tied to a growing focus on equity, diversity and inclusion in the sector, as cultural dress was encouraged. But it was also about relaxing traditional formalities in an evolving profession

Drinks, dinner and dancing capped off a heady night of victories, successes, upsets and, most importantly, celebration of this most unique and vibrant workplace and facilities management profession

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING

aybe you know it as diversity and inclusion (D&I); perhaps you refer to it as equality, diversity, inclusion (EDI) or even equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) – a smaller number – no doubt fans of Star Wars – may even add justice to the list (JEDI).

Regardless of name, the core belief is that workplaces need to be safe spaces where people feel they can belong and be their authentic selves. As evidenced in many of the submissions to the 2022 IWFM Impact Awards, the workplace and facilities management sector has ignited the fire to bring about this important change in their own organisations and to support their clients’ ED&I agendas.

“An inclusive workplace is one where there is genuine psychological safety at all levels, allowing people to feel heard and valued,” says Raj Jones, head of diversity, equity & inclusion at Sodexo UK & Ireland.

Such a workplace invites people to be their “authentic selves at work”, not feeling a need to hide part of their identity to fit in.

“Everyone at all levels has a need to feel they belong, and ED&I plays a key role in

Whether motivated by a sense of morality or by potentially boosting bottom line performance, equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) has become an imperative for which FM can be key

A PLACE TO BELONG 20

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IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING / FEATURES

WHY EQUITY AND NOT EQUALITY?

IMAGES: PETER CROWTHER ASSOCIATES, ISTOCK

IWFM’s EDI Focus Group refers to the continuing efforts the institute is taking to shape practices, strategy and policies and deliver meaningful change in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Each member of the group is a workplace

and facilities management professional with significant experience, insight and expertise relating to EDI policy and implementation.

But what does equity in this context mean? IWFM says: “Equity extends the concept of equality to

achieving this.”

Sharon Slinger, owner and director of the built environment D&I consultancy Constructing Rainbows Limited, believes the increased focus on ED&I in the facilities services sector is very much driven by clients.

“A lot of the clients in the public and private sector are now asking their FM providers to do more on D&I. A vast amount of research has come out revealing the business benefits of diversity and inclusion. So there are a lot of clients wanting to get on board with that.”

In other industries the shift is more consumer-driven, says Slinger, with the next generation of workers and consumers wanting to earn and spend money with organisations focused on social justice.

Top-down success Regardless of whether clients are driving this change in facilities services partners,

include the provision of varying levels of support based on individuals’ specific needs in order to achieve fairness of treatment and equal opportunity of access.

Achieving equality requires the application of policies which ensure equity.”

FM organisations need to champion it for themselves and their clients alike.

“Being inclusive starts at the top, and I believe our leadership team is truly open to listening and improving,” says Webster Sib, who is senior contract administrator at Kier Places and co-chair of Kier’s Racial Inclusion Network.

Sib meets monthly with Kier Places MD Mark Whittaker, who is also part of Kier’s Inclusion Network.

“Collectively, this is a continuous exchange of information and learning for us both. We then impart this knowledge, talk about lived experiences and perspectives to our colleagues which is key to supporting inclusivity for all,” adds Sib. Last year, Kier launched its own D&I roadmap “to deliver real change”, Sib explains. Real change means “true inclusion” which Sib defines as a workplace or workforce in which “everyone can have their

ASSOCIATED IWFM IMPACT AWARDS ● The Social Value award went to Pareto FM for its bold decision to employ young people through the government’s Kickstart scheme.

● Pareto FM MD Andrew Hulbert’s work with these and other EDI-focused projects won him the Outstanding Contribution award.

● Pareto again h S won iin the Sector Breakthrough category for its wider social impact initiatives.

● CBRE won in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative category for its campaign to increase diversity within its supply chain.

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING

voice heard, be listened to, and represented”. Kier has more than 700 engaged colleagues in the company’s employee networks.

At Sodexo has also placed a priority on ED&I initiatives. Jones tells of the company’s “various mechanisms and frameworks… including six employee networks and learning programmes based on listening and learning from the lived experiences of staff”. The result is the co-creation of an inclusive culture. Importantly, Jones points out, “ED&I should not exist in a vacuum. Every organisation that promotes the narrative of ED&I should be looking at their supply chains and entire ecosystem to achieve sustainable change”.

Procurement at EDI’s heart Jones points to challenges deeply entrenched in society; for example the huge imbalance in men to women in facilities management leadership roles. And then there’s the ability to influence organisations’ structures through the supply chain. ”This will not change overnight,” says Jones. “but we can take action to diversify the supply chain so we can have a bigger and wider impact,” says Jones. And indeed, at the IWFM Impact Awards CBRE Global Workplace Solutions won in the EDI initiative category for its championing of supply chain diversity, boosting support for suppliers from underrepresented communities. Jones talks of Sodexo making a similar global commitment “that £10 billion of our business value will benefit SMEs.” Sib, too, believes that ED&I is about organisations, clients and supply chain partners sharing best practice. “I don’t believe there is a wrong or a right way, but I do believe it’s important to align with businesses and a supply chain who share similar values, rather than those who might treat ED&I as a tick-box exercise.”

Kier, too, now has an action plan for inclusive procurement. “This means working with the Supply Chain Sustainability School and members at our supply chain to find ways to improve diversity and inclusion across our industry,” says Sib.

22

PRACTICAL AND MEANINGFUL ED&I Listen to colleagues and understand that D&I can’t be implemented without consulting the workforce. “We do a lot of work reaching out to our people and getting their input, whether that’s through our employee inclusion networks, through confidential listening groups, or regular surveys,” Sib explains. “It means we continue to listen, learn and implement meaningful action.”

address Black inclusion in Kier, and have signed up to the ‘If Not Now, When?’ campaign, to increase inclusion and equality for Black employees in the workplace, and we’ve just announced our commitment to 10 Black interns joining us as part of the 10,000 Black Interns programme. “All of these actions – big and small – are vital to creating a diverse, inclusive and thriving workplace.”

Be practical through impactful campaigns. Through Kier’s Expect Respect campaign, the company has provided training to all employees, educating them on inclusive language, Kier’s zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, and how to report anything they see or hear that makes them feel uncomfortable through an anonymous reporting line. “We’ve implemented five respect basics that sit alongside our SHE basics, so this becomes part of how we operate,” Sib explains.

“We’re also taking specific action to

Understand the data. Use data you have to align initiatives to your business needs, Slinger advises. Proper data analysis will enable organisations to: ● Align senior leaders and the rest of the organisation – do your people want what the leaders want? ● Know why you’re implementing ED&I initiatives – is it a business case, a moral case or both? ● Communicate your why – when you know why you’re doing something, it’s easier to convey the value of this to your people and motivate them to get on board.

Learning, sharing and recruiting Whether it’s better for organisations to be driven by moral or business imperatives to deliver meaningful ED&I is debatable, but Slinger says that focusing on the latter can often result in more resilient and lasting initiatives. When ED&I is part of a broader business strategy, related initiatives are harder to drop during challenging times.

“When Covid happened, you could really see the organisations that understood the importance of D&I,” Slinger argues. “They stepped it up because the situation was so awful for so many people, which meant the focus on people became even more important.”

Even those leading ED&I initiatives and policies at organisations who are

motivated by morality should sell it on the business case, Slinger says, because it’s easier to sell to a larger number of people.

Nevertheless, ED&I initiatives succeed when there is a coherent strategy in place linked to the overarching business strategy. Fail to get this right, and Slinger says: “You’re just going to do a series of initiatives and it’s not going to properly change the culture of the organisation.”

As for the future face of FM, several IWFM Impact Awards judges spoke of the naturally high level of influence this sector has in attracting diverse talent, recruiting for character and temperament over tickbox qualifications. Canny FMs are looking beyond the job description to focus on recruiting in a more inclusive way.

“A lot of the clients in the public and private sector are now asking their FM providers to do more on D&I”

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING

A WIDENING RESPONSIBILITY For more than a decade, FMs have tackled the monumental task of reducing their organisation’s environmental burden. This year’s IWFM Impact Awards recognise some great innovation in this space. But as the climate emergency becomes more urgent, what more needs to be done? t’s not a popular opinion, but recycling might be a waste of time.

“I know people won’t like that,” says sustainability consultant Georgia Elliott-Smith, “and it’s a very broad-brush statement because, of course, things like toxins, batteries and electrical waste absolutely should be sent to recycling.

“What I mean is the colour-coded recycling bins you see in offices and canteens. By the time a material becomes waste, the opportunity is lost. What you do with it once it becomes waste – it’s sort of good housekeeping to have recycling bins, but it’s very much an end-of-pipe solution.

What we really need is to stop buying materials that become waste; certainly stop buying materials that become problematic waste.”

A far more impactful approach, she contends, would be to spend more time considering how procurement can reduce the amount of material that will end up as waste coming to a facility in the first place.

“So, rather than sticking in a load of plastic recycling bins in the canteen, don’t buy plastic, don’t buy disposables,” ElliottSmith explains. “Don’t buy materials that come in plastic. Reduce the amount of

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stuff that you’re purchasing in the first place. Packaging waste – whether food, drinks, containers or other products – is by far the largest waste stream in most facilities.”

Part of the challenge when it comes to the colour-coded recycling, ElliottSmith explains, is educating the diverse communities of facilities users. “They all come from different areas of the country where the recycling rules are very different. It’s really hard to train thousands of people to know how to use the recycling bins at work appropriately – and most don’t. It doesn’t take much to contaminate a bin and then the whole lot just has to go to incineration.”

Elliott-Smith believes that this lack of perspective – looking at recycling rather than procurement – “hints at the larger problem, which is that organisations need to be strategic and really understand the meaning behind their activities compared with what is just window dressing and virtue signalling”.

Taking it further What is preferable is for organisations to implement strategic ESG. “What is genuinely our contribution to the big problems we’re facing? Modern slavery, climate change, waste? Those are the things we must prioritise and spend our

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IMAGES: PETER CROWTHER ASSOCIATES, ALAMY, ISTOCK

IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING / FEATURES

time, effort and resources – and educate our staff – to make a meaningful difference in that area,” Elliott-Smith says.

However, what is often the case is a “whack-a-mole” approach, hitting on “whatever trendy issue seems to be in people’s minds”.

Element4, at which Elliott-Smith is the managing director, has submitted several proposals to facilities service providers that have asked for support with green initiatives. “Our proposal to them is, ‘You’ve got to go about this in a much more strategic methodical way to understand what is meaningful for your organisation and work on that’. But it feels like they’re still stuck in this mentality of, ‘Oh, well just write us a green policy; help us do something that will look good in our brochures and make it cheap’.”

Nevertheless, Eliott-Smith says that she has worked with – or knows of – heads of in-house FM departments and facilities service providers who are making positive strides with their ESG agendas.

For example, awareness of the potential dangers to end users of the indoor environment such as air quality and toxins as well as chemicals is increasing.

A number of leading service providers are “really trying to improve the lives and opportunities of their on-the-ground workers”, she says. “They are talking about how they better communicate with workers, promote them and improve their lives.” This stands in stark contrast against many other companies that trail behind, hanging on to zero-hour contracts and other unfavourable labour practices.

Workplace and facilities

ASSOCIATED IWFM IMPACT AWARDS ● The Wellbeing award went to 14forty for its sustainable food offering. It’s seen a 58% growth in sales of plant-based menu options with 45% of its menu offering completely plant-based recipes

● The Technology award went to The National Library of Scotland for its work with partners on a software platform through which to cut its carbon footprint – a project it now seeks to push out to the wider academic sector

● Landmarc Support Services’ NetZero Carbon A Accommodation Programme won in the Positive Climate Action cate category for the first carbon-negative accommodation to be delivered across the UK Defence Training Estate

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management departments and providers have also shown their commitment to sustainability in catering provision. “A lot of places I visit, people are realising that single-use plastics are a bad thing. I see quite a lot of initiatives to remove singleuse plastic from portfolios, which is great.

It’s really great.”

The important point, she says, is not to blame organisations or departments as they are all battling against an economic set-up that makes change hard to achieve.

“We all know the profit margins are slim and getting slimmer, but I do think there’s an incredible opportunity for facilities management companies to steal a march on this approach and really take it seriously and start grabbing the issues and become an educator of their clients as well.”

They need to think about unique opportunities for a particular building rather than take a “cut-and-paste approach from all of their previous jobs”. Elliott-Smith says: “I would like to see some fresh thinking aligned to real sustainability priorities.”

Vague directives Part of the challenge for organisations that are trying to tackle sustainability issues is a lack of consistency in the messaging from the government. So says Richard Lupo, managing director at SHIFT Environment, chartered environmentalist and full member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). This is true, he

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says, for private residences, social housing or commercial buildings.

For owners and operators of commercial buildings, guidance from the Climate Change Committee remains pragmatically steadfast: switch from gas to electric heating. Except, the price of electricity has skyrocketed, rising higher than gas.

“Part of the reason it costs more is the levies on electricity,” Lupo explains.

“So, there’s cases of switching the levies off electric and putting it on to gas to encourage a financial objective and carbon incentive to move to a net zero future. This is already happening.”

Lupo says workplace and facilities managers have likely already seen an increase in tariffs for non-domestic gas.

“They’re not reducing the electricity tariffs, but they’re making it higher on gas.

You’ll see another price hike on gas over the next couple of years.” This information has already been published in the Heat

“I would like to see some fresh thinking aligned to real sustainability priorities”

and Buildings Strategy, so Lupo asserts: “It’s no secret.”

District Network Operators are also unable to deal with a surge in demand for electric heating. Lupo says that social housing associations are being asked to build their own substations and hand them over to the DNOs to operate.

“They’re basically using rent from vulnerable people to fund grid operators.”

The government has not been clear on EPC requirements either, Lupo laments.

New-builds, he says, require an EPC rating of B and not A, which is the most energy efficient. “Why not just change the regs?

It’s all doable. We’ve got 28 years until 2050 when we’re supposed to be net zero.

If you’re building new buildings over the next 28 years, you have a fair proportion of the non-domestic stock going to be EPC A. But there’s nothing in the regulations about building it to that level.”

The government is “hell-bent on growth”, Lupo says, and it’s asking how can Net Zero contribute to a 2.5% growth rate? “You should be asking the question the other way around. How can increasing growth contribute to Net Zero is more important.”

Growth, in terms of increase in GDP, considers whether we buy petrol for cars and gas for boilers, for example. A better option, Lupo says, is to exclude fossil fuel use in GDP calculations. Net zero aspirations can lead to growth anyway, with the focus on insulation for homes and buildings, solar panels, heat pumps, batteries, double glazing, good doors, and building energy management systems.

“There are costs to implement those. And once that cost is going into the economy that would boost your GDP.” And investors are increasingly looking to put their money in ESG initiatives.

“Attracting that investment relies on having net zero plans or low carbon emissions. If you haven’t got them, the UK is not going to attract investment and then there’s no money in the economy to boost the growth.

Reaching the Net Zero target of 2050 is “doable” says Lupo. “There are no technological barriers and there don’t seem to be any financial barriers either.

There are billions and billions and billions of private investments looking for something decent to invest in and to divest out of oil, basically. So, it just takes a bit of political will.”

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING

hen we look back at what we have learned over these past 30 months, top of the list must surely be how little control we have in this world and that, while planning is essential, it is ultimately our ability to adapt that will help us weather the unforeseen.

From the sector’s frontline heroes who supported healthcare and education during the pandemic, to the business leaders and HR teams that have had to adapt to a new way of living and working, workplace and facilities management professionals have shown that when the going gets tough, they adapt and deliver. This year’s awards winners have demonstrated management of change in a great variety of ways. How, then, should all those in an organisation be brought along when change confronts them?

For Jamie McDonald, customer experience director at VIVO Defence Services, it’s about making behaviour change a necessity. A client recently requested greater focus on promoting more customer-focused behaviours,

so McDonald and his team created the Customer Experience Passport, which comprises five mandatory learning models centred on behaviours staff should exhibit for customers.

Every employee from frontline cleaner to back-office support to the managing director has to pass the five modules.

“Regardless of your technical skill, how well you can clean, cook, maintain repair – if you can’t do it in a way that makes customers smile, you can’t be part of the family.” McDonald, who is also chair of the IWFM Customer Experience SIG, says the aim is not to lose any staff but instil in them the importance of this focus and help them with practical training to deliver great customer service.

Appraising the success of a change management programme requires careful consideration. Julie Lecoq, senior workplace strategist & change management specialist, EMEA, Unispace, says: “What’s classified as a ‘success’ is dependent on the initial objectives versus the final achieved outcomes, and this can vary drastically from programme to programme. What ‘good’ looks like will differ.”

Nevertheless, the best results tend

Adaptation to ever shifting requirements has been the hallmark of many IWFM Impact Award winning stories.

But while change is unavoidable, managing people through it is equal parts hard science and creative art

TURN AND FACE THE CHANGE 28

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almost always to occur when senior leadership buys into the programme and commits to its outcomes. “One programme we worked on for a global pharmaceutical company, for example, had a project sponsor who was highly visible and engaged throughout the process,” Leqoc explains. “She led town hall meetings and communications that ensured everyone was on board from the beginning.”

IMAGES: PETER CROWTHER ASSOCIATES, ISTOCK

Holy communication As often as we may have rolled our eyes when hearing the oft-mentioned phrase “there is no one-size-fits-all solution” – the truth is managing change and communicating that change is going to be unique for every business. Of course, there are generalisable best practice points such as ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and considered. But as Lecoq points out, communication succeeds when it is tailored to what the audience is most comfortable with.

“Everything from the tone of voice, communication channel and who the messaging comes from needs to resonate with staff,” Lecoq explains, “regardless of whether it’s being produced by an internal or external supplier.

“There also has to be a consideration as to how people consume communication.

Face to face can often be preferred due to the more human element of the interaction, but given that messages only really sink in when repeated, pushing communication on multiple channels is crucial.”

You will hear people say that communication is a two-way

ASSOCIATED IWFM IMPACT AWARDS ● The Change Management award went to Mitie in recognition of the impact of its Net Promoter Score (NPS) programme and the change projects introduced as a result

● Personal Development and Talent Retention: NHS Property Services was recognised for its work in undergoing a culture change to become a learning organisation

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THEMES EMERGING

process. McDonald says this is not always so in reality. “Often, when companies think they’re communicating, they’re just telling.” Effective communication is built on engagement, which requires parties to be involved in the design and roll-out of the change process. This, although it takes longer and is more complicated, is also “far more likely to stick”.

When people see change being implemented in a way that they have helped to define, McDonald says they will often become evangelists for the cause. “It’s really powerful, but you need the right emotional intelligence to make that happen.”

So how long is this all going to take to get right? “There’s no rule of thumb when it comes to changing management timescales,” Lecoq explains, “simply because the nature of any programme should be unique and bespoke. Indeed, if any previous project is simply copied and pasted into another, it won’t deliver true results and could possibly be detrimental to the overall project.

“What I would say in terms of timescales, is that running change management from the moment you know there will be transformation of any sort is critical. A programme should not be a means to fix problems, but rather prevent them. Change management needs to inform any transformation to frame solutions if it is to have a real impact.”

The sector tends to focus too much on tools, processes and systems, says McDonald. These are important, but tapping into what’s in people’s “hearts and

30

“If the right behaviours are there, then people can leap tall buildings” minds is far more powerful. Tthis is how the right behaviours can be encouraged.

“If the right behaviours are there, then people can leap tall buildings,” McDonald adds. “But often businesses don’t place much focus on the behaviours that are important; they just hope they’ll get there eventually.”

Talented finds Seeking employees with the right kind of behaviours has always been the focus of HR professionals and hiring teams. In such a competitive labour market currently, organisations are having to promote themselves as being employers of choice.

Part of that is adapting to fill their needs while balancing those of jobseekers.

“Hiring for attitude is key,” says Mel Taylor, group HR director at Churchill.

“With a positive attitude, there are no limits to how far someone is willing to develop and grow within our organisation.

A willing and positive colleague drives their own career forward and inspires those around them. The conversation for development is easier and skills gaps can be trained and developed. For those that don’t succeed, it is likely to be due to a poor attitude as opposed to skills.

“People work for people and an organisation that puts attitude first will attract talent. Of course, there are some considerations and challenges. It can take time to get new recruits up to speed, and also the unknown experience of handling pressure may also be a factor, particularly in a fast-paced environment, so a blend of established experience in a team is key for everyone.”

Elizabeth McGarrity, senior HR director in London at global immigration services firm Fragomen, says her focus is to hire for potential, which includes attitude but also

aptitude. In her field, recruitment is niche, so the talent pool is limited.

“We have to be quite creative about where we find talent and build our own talent,” McGarrity says, undoubtedly echoing a sentiment shared by many in the workplace and facilities management sector. Her advice is to be prepared to train on the ‘technical’ aspects of the job but try to determine the potential of the candidate – and part of that is hiring for attitude.

Organisations are having to present themselves in a way that is attractive to jobseekers. “That means an employer who can be trusted to deliver fair reward, development, and progression opportunities with both role and colleague evolution,” Taylor explains. “An employer that can be trusted to innovate and embrace technology and creativity and trusted to do the right thing for our local communities in which we operate and our planet.”

Both Taylor and McGarrity emphasise the importance of an organisation’s Employee Value Proposition. For Churchill – ‘We always do right: We are inclusive.

We are empowering. We are human’ – that means striving and supporting employees but “if we get things wrong, we look in the mirror and face these challenges to improve moving forward”, Taylor explains.

Our flexible futures Covid-19 has necessarily made Fragomen a more forward-thinking company, McGarrity contends. “The number one ask from all of our employees – it doesn’t matter what level – is flexibility. And we know this because we ask groups of employees from around the globe picked at random the same questions every time.”

But flexibility is not enough.

“We are definitely seeing a muchneeded shape change to our employee value proposition. What do we stand for? What is our purpose? What is our mission?” McGarrity says employees are increasingly asking for more clarity about Fragomen’s social value initiatives and how it is giving back to society. These initiatives need to be genuine, of course, but they also need to be communicated to employees and jobseekers, so the way organisations present their ethos is important, she adds. “People are saying, ‘I want to work for an organisation that actually makes me feel good’.”

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Most people would walk away, we’re not most people.

Meet Neil.

Whilst driving, Neil spotted a distressed woman frantically waving. The woman had been stranded for hours with a young child.

Despite many passers-by, no one had helped.

Neil turned around and stopped. He called for a recovery unit and made sure both she and her child were safe.

Complete water in, waste out solutions. www.metrorod.co.uk

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IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS / FEATURES

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR SPONSOR: BAM FM

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO WORKPLACE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

ANTHONY ATKINSON – LOOKING TO THE SECTOR’S FUTURE SPONSOR: WASTE TO WONDER

T

wenty-five-year-old Anthony Atkinson is a rare example of a young man who selected a career in property and FM when aged just 15, going on to complete a degree in real estate management at Oxford Brookes University. Today, Anthony works for CBRE on its Future Leaders programme, which is designed to fast-track candidates to senior leadership level in two years.

Technology and sustainability are the two areas in which Anthony has a particular interest. He has created a platform for personnel to log jobs, add key stakeholders, and see projects through to completion – and rewritten its graduate scheme to encourage collaboration and mentoring.

Anthony has also engaged in the Metaverse, the virtual environments that can be accessed in virtual reality.

“Virtual offices aren’t a new concept; corporations have been working virtually via Skype

since 2003,” Anthony explains.

“The next stage is from virtual 2D meetings to an entire office which the user moves around in and interacts with.”

Anthony has created just that, in two forms. First, a virtual office in the world’s most popular Metaverse, Decentraland, and second – interestingly from an FM point of view – a custom virtual VR office using the 3D development platform Unity.

15

age at which Anthony selected a career in property and facilities management

“Remote/ virtual working will drastically alter the FM sector”

ANDREW HULBERT – REDEFINING SERVICE EXPECTATIONS

O

ne way of determining an individual’s outstanding contribution to the sector might be to track their organisation’s record in industry awards schemes. Andrew Hulbert’s Pareto FM also won in this year’s IWFM Impact Awards’ Social Value and Sector Breakthrough categories – making his win for Outstanding Contribution entirely understandable.

Like Anthony, Andrew is an all-too-rare example of someone who chose FM straight out of education, joining as a graduate aged 21. He has since been on a pioneering journey.

It began in 2007, when he completed an internship at Rollright Facilities Ltd. Promoted to director aged 24, he then left to set up his own service

provider, the concept of Pareto FM being to disrupt the market, and focus on team members, customer service, modern technologies, and social value.

Today, Pareto turns over around £30 million with a staff of more than 200. It is one of the fastest-growing FM firms.

Along the way Andrew has become an IWFM Awards judge, held the role of both Deputy Chair and NonExec Director for IWFM, and become the youngest person to achieve IWFM Fellow grade.

He is proof of how hard work and dedication can lead to incredible success.

75%

growth rate of Pareto FM in only its eighth year

“Andrew’s passion to change what the world knows of FM is infectious”

FM’S RICH TAPESTRY

Over the following pages, this year’s IWFM Impact Awards demonstrate how the dynamism and innovation of workplace and FM can be sewn into organisational success.

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS

WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE: OFFICE / CORPORATE ENVIRONMENT

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SPONSOR: THOMSON FM

ERIC WRIGHT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT’S VARIATION APP SPONSOR: ACCRUENT

F

CREATING A WORLD-CLASS WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE – CBRE, ATKINS & FAITHFUL AND GOULD

A

tkins and the engineering project management consultancy Faithful & Gould created design-led offices offering inclusive spaces – welfare rooms, bicycle and shower facilities, sustainable furniture and facilities, collaboration spaces, quiet zones, meeting rooms and technology – in support of better ways of working.

At its heart is the sharing of corporate values in a behavioural and cultural framework that, while guiding the operational team, also works at a more strategic partnership level.

Together, Atkins and CBRE developed an internal FM

brand entitled ‘One Workplace’ through which their core values and those of service partners promote a one team ethos.

The result is a workplace experience attracting and retaining talent while creating a competitive advantage for Atkins.

95%

Scores for catering and cleaning services have stayed above this level for the past two years

“An amazing and motivating place to work”

or this category, Eric Wright Facilities Management created a ‘Variation App’ for Community Health Partnerships (CHP), one of its Local Improvement Finance Trust (LiFT) clients. LiFT is a form of private sector investment in public sector buildings. All changes must be recorded to comply with contract requirements; termed the ‘variation process’, and this process involves input from multiple stakeholders.

The challenge? Establishing a ‘single version of truth’ (SVoT). Stakeholders typically maintained their own

POSITIVE CLIMATE ACTION

SPONSOR: KIER PLACES

MITIE – INSPIRING CHANGE THROUGH NPS he introduction of a Net Promoter Score (NPS) programme at Mitie has had a profound impact on the way it delivers its services.

Recognising a need to better capture customer feedback and implement corresponding strategic change, incoming CEO Phil Bentley launched Mitie’s first comprehensive NPS survey in 2018.

Early surveying identified three issues: a disjointed business approach; fragmented client delivery; and confused ownership of service lines.

To address these, a new organisational model was introduced, with account leads becoming strategic account managers (SAMs) who ‘own’ key customer relationships.

Over the five years it’s been in place, the firm’s NPS scores

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have gone from -27 in 2017 to +51 in 2022.

SPONSOR: LANDSEC

10,000

HEADER: LANDMARC SUPPORT SERVICES, NET-ZERO CARBON ACCOMMODATION PROGRAMME (NETCAP)

53%

A

number of customer comments analysed in the programme percentage of Net Promoter Score surveys completed, above the industry average of circa 30%

“Using NPS as the basis for change management has transformed a Mitie supermarket chain account”

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variations processed through the app as time of award entry

“Alerts on the progress of a variation allow us to effectively manage tasks”

CHANGE MANAGEMENT T

spreadsheets to monitor the status of a particular change, causing friction and distrust between parties and affecting customers’ perception of service.

EWFM’s Variation App provides a clear audit trail of project status. Notifications are sent to stakeholders with assigned tasks, informing them of actions required.

Ultimately, it has made customers’ lives easier and improved levels of trust.

rmed forces personnel are benefiting from the first carbon-negative accommodation to be delivered across the UK Defence Training Estate (DTE) as part of the government’s Net-zero Carbon Accommodation Programme (NetCAP). This supports the Ministry of Defence’s Climate

Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach aim of a 30% reduction in built estate emissions by 2025.

To deliver this programme, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is working with FM supplier Landmarc Support Services and modular construction specialist Reds10 as an integrated project team.

The first building achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of -5 with further blocks achieving EPC ratings of -7,-9 and -10. A further 29 builds are to be delivered in 2022/2023.

2,000

bed spaces provided in the 45 carbon-efficient buildings built across five camps

“This investment in carbon-efficient accommodation will completely transform the training estate”

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IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS / FEATURES

SOCIAL VALUE SPONSOR: EMCOR UK

PARETO FM, KICKSTART SCHEME

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utsourced services provider Pareto FM recruited 30 young people (Pareto only employs 200) through the government’s Kickstart Scheme.

Kickstart helps young people aged 18 to 24 on Universal Credit to gain experience of real businesses in the hope of assisting them with future employment. Employers, who receive funding of employee costs for six months, are tasked with assisting recruits to preparing them for future

employment at scheme’s end.

Pareto deliberately hired a range of people with protected characteristics, a group diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity and neurodiversity.

(The mix was: 53% women, 4% Trans, 56% ethnic minorities, 10% neurodiverse, 100% aged 18-24 and 100% on Universal Credit.)

Overall, 30 people have gone into full employment through the scheme, with Pareto creating its own Kickstart Manager job role.

30

young people who have gone on to full employment having started out on the Pareto Kickstart scheme

WELLBEING SPONSOR: WASTE TO WONDER

PUTTING WELLBEING AT ITS HEART, 14FORTY

1

4forty has transformed its food offering, increasing its use of plant-based and plantforward recipes so clients can prompt employees to consider healthier nutrition choices.

Its Plantilicious plant-based menu launch in 2021 helped nudge consumers towards healthier choices through a combination of education, presentation and recipes.

To broaden the focus, 14forty implemented employee health and wellbeing initiatives with

one encouraging people to bring ‘their whole selves’ to work and policy changes to help people at different life stages (menopause, parenthood, adoption, caring). A research project with the University of Oxford saw 14forty develop labelling rating dishes from A to E depending on how good it is for the environment.

58% 200%

growth in sales of plant-based menu options (Jan-Dec 2021) increase in transactions containing a healthier dish from 2020 to 2021

“I have felt like a sponge with all the information I have taken in; I now have a solid grasp of hard and soft services”

“There’s no doubt it’s a big topic in the workplace restaurant and the new menu is popular with customers”

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVE

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT AND TALENT RETENTION

SPONSOR: JONES FM

CBRE GLOBAL WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS, CHAMPIONING SUPPLY CHAIN DIVERSITY FOR A MORE EQUITABLE WORLD

C

BRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) has boosted its support for UK suppliers from underrepresented communities.

CBRE GWS spends more than £1 billion a year on goods and services. In 2019 it began to transform its procurement practices through its Supplier Diversity Programme, led by its procurement team.

In 2021, CBRE GWS increased its spend with diverse suppliers by 325%, ranging from social

enterprises (£19.6 million), ethnic minority businesses (£1.3 million), women-owned business (£960,000) and veteran-owned (£95,000) and SMEs – £470 million.

£3bn

Amount CBRE intends to spend globally with diverse suppliers within five years (In the UK, it spent £22.1 million in 2021 and aims to increase this further to £45 million next year)

“The Supplier Diversity Programme is strengthening the relationships we have with our clients and communities”

SPONSOR: HAYS

NHS PROPERTY SERVICES HIRING FOR ATTITUDE, TRAINING FOR SKILLS

N

HS Property Services (NHSPS) helps the National Health Service get the most from its estate to deliver excellent patient care, providing training to more than 5,500 colleagues in corporate functions and operational frontline roles. The company has been undergoing a culture change to become a learning organisation. This entails among other components: ● Leadership moving from command/control to engage/ enable; ● Shifting focus from task to people to boost performance;

● Refreshed values and a leadership behaviours framework; ● Investment in infrastructure to make virtual learning accessible to all ● A blended leadership development programme for more than 1,100 managers.

NHSPS has become more inclusive, more able to tailor content, and can now see colleagues adopting growth mindsets.

70%

percentage of new appointments coming from internal applicants

“This programme has encouraged me to be positive about the organisation”

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FEATURES / IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS

PRODUCT OR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

SECTOR BREAKTHROUGH

SPONSOR: REXEL

SPONSOR: ISS UK

KAUST FACILITIES MANAGEMENT’S BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE DASHBOARDS

T

he Saudi Arabian King Abdullah University of Science and Technology – Facilities Management’s (KAUST FM’s) KFM-BI Dashboards provide transparency of FM data by better documenting and analysing end user behaviour, customer service, project management, health and safety and technical document control.

KFM-BI dashboards can be shared among FM teams and

clients to provide real-time information on the status of jobs, resources and work templates.

An IoT-powered platform integrates systems across 25 campus buildings, 60 community facilities and 3,000 residential units and nearly 800,000 I/O points from a central control room. All data is integrated into a building information model (BIM)..

10%

Energy consumption reduction compared against a 2015 benchmark by reviewing end user consumption via the dashboards and collaborating with clients to optimise energy usage

“The evolution became a success when colleagues and clients started to request access to our dashboards”

TECHNOLOGY

COLLABORATION

SPONSOR: MATRIX BOOKING

SPONSOR: WASTE TO WONDER

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND, ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL AND ENERGY REDUCTION MANAGEMENT IN THE HERITAGE BUILDINGS SECTOR

T

he National Library of Scotland (NLS)’s partnership with HeriotWatt University (HWU) and Craigalan Controls (CCL) has won in two of this year’s IWFM Impact Awards categories.

The design and operation of its “Library Environmental Energy Platform” (LEEP) platform won in the technology category, while the NLS/CCL/HWU partnership also won in the collaboration

category. In both cases, the goal of the project was the topical subject of energy control.

NLS’s collections are seen as of world-class importance comprising more than 30 million physical and digital items in multiple formats.

The estate consists of nine properties on six sites.

In pursuit of its mission “to

PARETO FM, PARETO ED&I SOCIAL IMPACT INITIATIVE

P

areto FM set up its #LoveWhatWeDo initiative to break through the barriers of ‘old school’ FM in pursuit of a more inclusive way of doing things. #LoveWhatWeDo is centred around a central fund spent solely on social value projects. Any Pareto team member can apply to receive money to run their own initiatives, with some of the more meaningful initiatives have come from the most junior members of Pareto’s teams.

#LoveWhatWeDo initiatives have ranged from LGBT+, BAME diversity, Women in FM, Young People in FM, Homelessness and charitable funding.

Results of the scheme include senior FMs trained to join the boards of charities as trustees; a ratio within the company of 1:20 for mental health first aiders; and positive PR support for LGBT+, Black Lives Matter, mental health, women in engineering, apprentices and neurodiversity.

£1

MILLION value of social value Pareto FM aims to have delivered by its 10th anniversary

“We wanted to embrace the more ‘controversial’ topics such as the lack of diversity within the FM sector”

preserve collections for the present and future generations of Scotland by providing a sustainable environment for book storage, use and display”, NLS sought to: reduce its carbon footprint; refurbish its library Building Services Systems; and enhance control and monitoring of Collections environments.

The LEEP uses IoT and Artificial Neural Network technology so that multiple users can monitor, analyse and manage real-time data. For its development, NLS provided the functional

output requirements, CCL the connectivity expertise to link sensors, actuators and meters, and HWU the academic minds to develop new software and algorithms.

NLS, CCL and HWU continue to collaborate on further developing the live-monitoring and performance forecasting that could provide carbon savings across the whole of the UK heritage sector.

59.24% 29.5%

reduction in GHG emissions reduction in energy consumption

“By working together and bringing together the heritage sector with industry and academia, we have been able to break down boundaries and overcome many gaps in the market and provide a test bed to enhance and improve on best practice”

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IWFM IMPACT AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS / FEATURES

BEST SME LED INNOVATION

FRONTLINE HEROES

SPONSOR: POLYTECK

SPONSOR:

WHIFFAWAY GROUP, LOOLIGHTS – SMART OCCUPANCY SYSTEMS

W

hiffAway’s LooLights is a cubicle occupancy system suitable for WCs, disabled washrooms and changing rooms. It comprises lighting units that light up as red to communicate occupied, green for vacant, or blue that the cubicle is for persons with reduced mobility. When an individual passes under the unit and into the cubicle, a sensor is triggered and the unit changes colour to indicate the cubicle’s status to others.

Each light unit acts as its own hotspot, using wireless mesh technology to collect occupancy data which is then transmitted to a cloud or on-premises server into a proprietary software ‘smart hub’ for analysis. FMs and others can manage performance either

TEAM OF THE YEAR SPONSOR: PREMIER TECHNICAL SERVICES GROUP

NHS PROPERTY SERVICES FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TEAM

G

overnment-owned NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has an FM team of more than 6,000 managing more than 3,000 buildings and 7,000 tenants.

For 2021/2022, the FM team’s goals were directly linked to the NHSPS’s wider goals. These included improving customer satisfaction to 8/10; supporting the delivery of 200 transformational customer projects; and ensuring 95% of SLAs were met. Ninety-five

in real-time or through historic reporting functions, triggering calls to action and producing exception reports.

WhiffAway Group was inspired by its clients in aviation, retail and hospitality spaces seeking more visual means of determining both washroom and cubicle occupancy.

89%

customer satisfaction levels over three months in 14 critical washroom areas at Heathrow Airport

“The use of data and bespoke alerts can help shape future washroom designs”

14FORTY

SODEXO COVID-19 TESTING CENTRES FRONTLINE TEAMS

S

odexo – the largest provider of Covid-19 testing centres and mobile testing units in the UK prior to the end of free testing – operated Covid-19 testing centres on behalf of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) with services ranging from testing centre management to asymptomatic on-site testing.

Many staff worked during the peaks of the Kent, Delta and Omicron Covid-19 variants in 2021, testing about 13.8 million people – more than a fifth of Great

Britain’s population.

Management of these sites required both dedication and innovation, with team members coming up with ideas about how to improve services. Other employees also raised money for vulnerable people.

88%

UKHSA survey’s average customer satisfaction rating across all its designated test sites in England, Wales and Scotland

“Team members displayed innovation, coming up with ideas about how to improve service on-site”

per cent completion of NHSPS leadership training was also targeted. All were achieved.

In pursuit of these and other operational aims, the firm introduced a people strategy targeted at ‘getting, growing and keeping great people’.

This has resulted in a shift in how NHSPS teams are led, decisions made, and team members developed. Training programmes have been introduced at all levels, with newly diversified communications channels aiming to create an inclusive culture among a nationally-spread workforce.

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projects supported by the FM team, ranging from refurbishments to fit-out READ THE FULL STORIES

“We now recruit for customer-centric attitude and train for skills”

Each of these IWFM Impact Award winner stories is more expansive online, including details on what each winner’s project accomplished and the best practice points arising. Scan the code to read them on the IWFM Awards site.

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THE BEST OF THE SECTOR’S DISCUS SION AND DEBATE

VIEW POINT 40-41

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42

46-47

Perspectives: Will Easton, Louisa Clarke, Sophie Schuller, Mark Whittaker

Jo Pigram reveals why it’s ‘Back to the future’ with IWFM’s London Region SIG

What about the IWFM Impact awards most impressed chair of judges Mark Griffiths?

Louise Griffiths and James Coulson offer us insights into their jobs

IMAGE: ISTOCK

Where are we now?

Landlords of commercial buildings who are using outdated business models are facing a triple whammy of threats to their profits: 1 Rising interest rates – the Bank of England raised the base rate to 2.25%, but there’s further to go – economists expect it to reach 5% in 2023, pushing mortgage rates above 7%, putting intense pressure on debtreliant buyers and possibly leading to higher rents for tenants; 2 Hybrid working – demand for highspec serviced offices that facilitate flexible, hybrid workstyles will remain robust in the long term. Landlords offering workspaces that cater for hot-desking and shorter leases, while providing attractive amenities, will benefit; and 3 Push for greener offices – the government may soften its requirements, but companies are making environmental considerations central to their business models, thanks to growing pressure from investors setting net-zero targets.

The situation is made more tenuous when these landlords are exposed to higher borrowing costs. Although those that have conservatively borrowed, hedging the interest or fixed interest will not be as exposed. It is therefore the agile landlords that are best placed to manage the changing nature of work.

N OW > N EX T > H OW

The triple whammy Rising interest rates, hybrid working and a push for greener offices present a triple whammy for landlords – especially when exposed to higher borrowing costs

Where do we need to get to next?

The importance of office quality, convenience and service is no surprise, particularly among employees who want workplaces that operate sustainably. Such sustainability-focused serviced offices are where the future lies. And it will be reliable, resilient landlords who can keep rents stable that are in demand.

How do we get there?

Meeting such standards will be hugely expensive for ill-prepared landlords, especially as borrowing costs rise. To reduce the risk of disruption, tenants should consider Service-Enhanced MultiOccupancy Buildings (SEMOB), which means operators can unlock greater energy efficiency by managing the heating and lighting for hundreds of workers from a single central system, thereby raising office quality and sustainability standards.

SEMOB buildings aim to provide a service alongside a space, and the possibilities are almost endless. Office spaces can include everything from gyms and shops to doctors’ surgeries, dentists, hair salons, hotel rooms and more. When considering energy efficiency, using a single operator prioritises convenience for businesses.

Through pooling the management of systems under one umbrella, the entire building can be optimised in relation to current demand, rather than separate systems operating NIKI FUCHS is in isolation to one chief executive another, which can at Office Space breed inefficiency. in Town (OSiT)

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VIEW POINT / PERSPECTIVES

WILL E ASTO N

LOUIS A CL A RK E

WHO IS WITH ME?

IT’S NOT ABOUT QUOTAS

WILL EASTON is UK facilities experience manager at Virgin Media 02

LOUISA CLARKE is managing director of operations at Churchill

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ain is ever-present – especially when people have to adjust to major shifts.

John Kotter wrote about this in his book, Leading Change back in 1996, but it’s still relevant to today’s argument of where people should work, and how often, or as we try to monetise it through hybrid working.

Three years of living with Covid-19 have happened so fast. It feels like yesterday that we were on our doorsteps banging our pots and pans. Yet, as the world rapidly moves on, many are obsessed with one debate: where we should work. A futile argument that engrosses participants as society moves swiftly past them.

The importance of water-cooler moments and/or finding work-life balance is still bounded about by lazy marketeers, clichéd commentators, and desperate CEOs. So what does it mean for workplace discipline? First, we need to understand that the majority of knowledge workers have gone through a period of ‘future shock’, which is very different from ‘culture shock’.

With the former, individuals can go back to what they know if they don’t like the alternative.

With the latter, there is no

40

going back (Toffler, Future Shock, 1970).

Changes to places, people and organisations mean that we must learn to cope and respond, understand the will of the people and avoid providing a box to parcel up a solution for a problem that does not exist.

We need to switch from worrying about where people are going to work to supporting the output of work.

We often bemoan the industry’s lack of forward momentum, innovation and fresh thinking. So let’s drop the ‘where and when’ argument and concentrate on what people want, and how society is changing.

Then we’ll be an industry fit for the future of work.

Who’s with me?

Let’s drop the ‘where and when’ argument and concentrate on what people want, and how society is changing

W

hen I was 11 I wanted to be an airline pilot. At 13, I joined the Air Training Corps, which gave me a sense of belonging, friendships, and discipline. I learned to work as part of a team and to be a leader for the future.

After leaving school, I joined the RAF in 1996 as a movement controller – coordinating the movement of people and cargo around the world.

It was a male-dominated trade at the time but it spurred me on to show I could do the job as well as anyone else.

In those days, being anything other than heterosexual wasn’t acceptable, which meant that many couldn’t be their true selves.

And women were often seen as incapable of carrying out certain roles. Their presence was openly criticised by some.

None of the service support systems considered the requirements of women, especially those with childcare needs. It was this that led to my departure from the job – a job that I loved.

I joined Churchill in 2011. I worked my way up from contracts manager to being the first female

regional operations director and now I am managing director of operations.

I knew if I was to succeed I’d need to build a great team and push hard for success.

I could do this because the company supported me. I succeeded and, increasingly, other women are doing so too.

Women were often seen as incapable of carrying out certain roles The statistics are positive: there are two million more women in the current workforce than in 2010 and 37.7% of FTSE 100 directors are women.

The workforce is changing, and that’s exciting. But real change is not about meeting quotas, it’s about attracting people from diverse backgrounds to join our industry and thrive.

This column was adapted from Clarke’s presentation at the recent WIFM Conference (see p53-55 for more).

FAC I L I TAT E N OV EM B ER- D ECEM B ER 202 2

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PERSPECTIVES / VIEW POINT

Visit www.facilitatemagazine.com for more regularly posted opinion columns. Topical, inspirational, angry or amusing – we consider all relevant comment. Get in touch at editorial@facilitatemagazine.com

SO PH IE SCHULLER

MA RK W H IT TA K ER

ARE WE CREATING AN ARISTOCRACY?

CPD IS NOT ENOUGH MARK WHITTAKER, CIWFM, general manager at Thomson FM Limited and IWFM Chair

SOPHIE SCHULLER is partner, occupier strategy and workplace at Cushman & Wakefield, Netherlands

M

uch of the ‘future of work’ narrative is based on employees’ new-found agency in the way we work.

Research shows that there is a correlation between working from home and noting an improvement in health and wellbeing.

Cushman & Wakefield’s recent XSF global survey found that when hybrid work is implemented, employees are 1.4 times more engaged and enjoy the workplace experience 1.9 times better than those without flexibility.

However, can we really say that we have made the shift to a more hybrid working arrangement?

The true test of hybrid working’s longevity will be when the recession hits, bringing economic hardships and inevitable corporate pressure to “return” to the workplace as “job-protection measures” begin.

If we still collectively choose flexibility, balance and increased freedoms against these pressures, then we can say the paradigm of work has

really changed.

Even if these changes endure, who will benefit?

Most economies are not made up of people who can afford the gamble. A recent University of York study projected that 66% of the UK’s population may experience fuel poverty by January 2023. The Food Foundation reported that 12.8% of UK households were skipping meals as they cannot afford food.

For the vast majority, the inconvenience of returning to the office five days a week is a far rosier prospect than losing a job and not paying the energy or grocery bills. And a significant percentage of minimum wage employees work in industries, such as facilities services, hospitality, and care – where working from home is not an option.

It begs the questions: are we creating a working aristocracy? Is it at odds with our ESG goals of equality, equity, and inclusion? And how do we ensure everyone benefits – not just those who can afford it the most?

The inconvenience of returning to the office five days a week is a far rosier prospect than losing a job

P

ay and benefits were once the preferred means of retaining talent, but an unhappy marriage of the skills and cost-of-living crises is seeing companies try other tactics.

The cost-of-living crisis, with its painful symptom of over 10% inflation, is seeing inflation-linked pay rises taken off the table, while the skills shortage is making talent retention a priority. Companies are turning to professional development to reduce staff turnover rates, investing in their people’s CPD and providing attractive career pathways.

It’s a natural tactic for the workplace and facilities management sector, which has CPD at its core; it’s a necessity in such a critical profession, which often involves staying up to date with a changing compliance and legislative landscape.

But CPD and career advancement will not be enough to prevent heads being turned by other employers or professions.

For example, people often prioritise feeling valued and enjoying working for their manager(s). These factors should never be overlooked, especially when the pressures caused by the current crises will expose a workplace’s true culture beyond impactful words and empowering phrases.

Talent retention, however, is the plaster on the skills shortage wound.

We need a medium to longterm strategy that attracts new talent by working with schools to increase young people’s exposure to careers in workplace and facilities management, the type of work we do, and how it positively impacts issues they care about, such as the sustainability agenda, the future of work, and so on.

Talent retention is the plaster on the skills shortage wound. We need a longterm strategy that attracts new talent IWFM’s Career of Choice programme with Class of Your Own is a great vehicle for achieving this and I hope that soon our profession will be able to lift its gaze from the present challenges and keep one eye on the future by getting involved and inspiring young people to make workplace and facilities management their ‘Career of Choice’.

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VIEW POINT / WINNING WAYS

Get in touch at editorial@facilitatemagazine.com or reach us @Facilitate_Mag

VOL UN T EER V IEW P OI N T WINNI9 NG WAYS

An assessment of this year’s Impact Awards process ● When I took on the role of chair of judges last year, I was keen to see how we could evolve the IWFM Impact Awards even further; to add even more value to them for all IWFM members; and to bring out the full impact that workplace and facilities management has on people’s everyday experiences, on business and in society.

This year we focused on three main pillars that I feel underpin the awards and our sector as a whole: ● Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity How the awards reflect and support diversity and inclusion in our industry; ● SMEs: How the role of small enterprises is recognised in the criteria for all categories; ● Carbon reduction: How the challenge of achieving net zero, a challenge that will be with us for many years to come, is

sufficiently represented.

These pillars are reflected in the breadth and diversity of this year’s entrants, with our colleagues at Facilitate having focused on two of them in their post-awards feature coverage in this edition. All these issues will continue to be front of mind into the future, remaining a cornerstone of the awards in the future.

The creativity, ingenuity, and talent we saw in the awards submissions stand testament to the extraordinary capacity of the individuals and organisations we are lucky to have working across our sector. And as chair of judges, I have personally been surrounded by creativity, ingenuity, and talent in the excellent team of lead judges, mentors, subject matter experts and others who have made the process of judging these Awards a delight to manage.I feel privileged to have taken on this role.

Of course, best practice in our sector never stands still and we move now to the 2023 awards process where we are already assessing potential new categories as we seek to ensure that the awards cover all emerging trends. See you in 2023.

MARK GRIFFITHS, head of judges at the IWFM Impact Awards

42

BACK TO THE FUTURE JO PIGR AM, deputy chair of the IWFM London Region Committee

O

ur renowned London Region Annual Conference returns this year but be prepared for something totally new!

The talented Ian Ellison, host of podcast Workplace Geeks, is chairing the event and it promises to be a fast-paced, high-energy and interactive day with a few surprises too.

The theme is looking back at the industry to shape the future.

From FM’s original role in the early 70s of managing and maintaining buildings, through to the founding of IWFM (then BIFM) in the early 90s, right up to our current day profession – we ask: has our once little-known industry finally found a seat at the table and made a real contribution to organisational performance and the workplace environment?

In collaboration with our special interest groups (SIGs), we will examine what the industry was 30 years ago – expect a few surprising revelations – to see how services and the workplace have developed into what they are today, and what the future may hold.

The conference is an amazing opportunity for members to brainstorm

the future with a fully inclusive hackathon hosted by award-winning author Perry Timms, who is also the founder and chief energy officer of PTHR. Network with peers and speak to exhibitors and presenters. We are lucky to have longstanding London Region partners Principle Cleaning Services, BPR Group and Mayflower Washrooms Services sponsor our conference.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the future on 15 November at 15 Hatfields – London’s most sustainable events venue.

The full agenda will be announced soon but you can secure your spot by buying a ticket today.

Visit tinyurl.com/ Fac1112-LRC and if you have any questions or require further information, please contact ChrisRowe@ larch.co.uk or joanne. pigram@fil.com

Your future is whatever you make it.

So, make it a good one

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Stay on track of your professional development Workplace and facilities management is ever-changing; it can be difficult to keep up. Stay on top of your profession with our Academy short courses.

Our courses cover a range of areas including; • Overview of facilities management • Workplace essentials, behaviour and strategy • Leadership and management • Procurement and contract management • Property and building services management • Strategy and innovation • Business continuity and compliance • Quality management and customer service • Core business skills.

Delivery methods In house Face-to-face Online Members of IWFM are entitled to a discount

Contact us today E academy@iwfm.org.uk T +44 (0) 1279 712 631 iwfm.org.uk/professional-development

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CALLS TO ACTION / VIEW POINT

D I A RY Events, activities and publications for your attention future of the workplace. tinyurl.com/Fac22078

KEY EVENT

IWFM EVENTS

15 NOV E MBER

IWFM London Region Conference: back to the future Looking back at FM's years of promise in the early 1990s to see how far the profession has come and what it needs to do to increase its relevance. tinyurl.com/Fac1112-LRC

INDUSTRY-WIDE 18 - 19 NOV E M BER – LONDON

International Conference on Workplace Health and Wellbeing Leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars exchange experiences and research results on all aspects of workplace health and wellbeing. tinyurl.com/Fac22062 21 NOV E M B E R – LONDON

Racial and Cultural Equality in the Workplace Conference The event features leading private and public sector organisations across the UK. Join the conversation, and progress racial equality at the executive level and beyond within your organisation. tinyurl.com/Fac22063 22 NOV E M B ER – LONDON

WORKTECH: Explore the future of work and workplace Innovative ideas and inspiration for the workplace community to enhance creativity and move thinking forward. tinyurl.com/Fac22064 23 - 24 NOV E MBER – LONDON

EMEX Conference Learn about best practice behind successful net zero strategies tinyurl.com/Fac22038 29 NOV E M BER – NORWICH

Alternative Work Futures For individuals and businesses interested in exploring alternative work futures, working towards a more connected, kind and caring economy. tinyurl.com/Fac22066

15 -16 N OV EMBER – BI RMI N G H A M

UHEI Birmingham 2022 IWFM partners with education and healthcare sectors to bring together Estate Directors of the NHS & Universities to share best practice and key insights. tinyurl.com/Fac22061

7-8 F EBRUA RY

Operational space planning - 2 days Design and use your space effectively to improve the customer experience. tinyurl.com/Fac22018 14 -16 F EBRUA RY

Introduction to FM - 3 days Everything you need to know about workplace and facilities management as a new career. tinyurl.com/Fac22028

23-24 JANUA RY 2023 – LON D ON

24 N OV EMBER – JERS EY

20 -2 1 F EBRUA RY

FM Forum Meet senior facilities professionals and industry solution providers for an event packed with business meetings, interactive seminars and valuable networking opportunities. tinyurl.com/Fac22067

Innovative Offices: An evening at the brand new C5 Alliance Hub with IWFM Channel Islands Region C5 Alliance’s FM Kester Nash tells the organisation's story of providing office space that is fit for the present and future. tinyurl.com/Fac22060

Managing building services - 2 days Reduce risk and better manage your building services. tinyurl.com/Fac22023

7 FEBRUARY 2023 – LON D ON

NHS Estates 2023: Effectively Transforming the Healthcare Estate Best practice case studies covering estate sustainability, partnership working, preventative maintenance and flexible solutions. tinyurl.com/Fac22069

IWFM’s webinar series covers a variety of topics with expert guests.

Listings may be subject to change.

Visit tinyurl.com/IWFM-webinars

21 FEBRUARY 2023 – LON D ON

23 N OV EMBER– 12 P M

Workplace Futures ‘Technology in the workplace: beyond the information age’ explores a future where machines are smarter than people and creativity is a creator of value. tinyurl.com/Fac22043

‘The future of office design’ with MillerKnoll

14-16 MARCH 2023 – LON D ON

The Cleaning Show Connects manufacturers and suppliers of cleaning and hygiene products with the decision-makers sourcing new solutions. tinyurl.com/Fac22068 25-27 APRIL 2023 – BI RMI N G H A M

IWFM WEBINAR SERIES

2 2-23 F EBRUA RY

FM strategy - 2 days Evaluate and improve your business strategy's impact. tinyurl.com/Fac22015 1-2 MA RCH

FM strategic sourcing: ISO 41012 - 2 days Learn how strategic sourcing can reduce costs, improve quality and deliver better outcomes. tinyurl.com/Fac22025 8 -9 MA RCH

‘The Digital Twin Journey Series: Part three’ with Microsoft

IOSH managing safely - 3 days Practical guidance to ensure your team's working safely. tinyurl.com/Fac22032

7 D ECEMBER – 12 P M

14 -16 MA RCH

‘Renewable energy’ with Bryt Energy

Contract management: commercial models - 2 days Got a failing contract? Learn how to put it back on track. tinyurl.com/Fac22020

3 0 N OV EMBER – 12 P M

IWFM LIVE VIRTUAL TRAINING 18 -19 JA N UA RY

IWFM ONLINE TRAINING

The Workplace Event Sharp focus on employee experience and workplace performance. tinyurl.com/Fac22041

Contract management: commercial models - 2 days Got a failing contract? Learn how to put it back on track. tinyurl.com/Fac22020

ON L IN E

16-18 MAY 2023 – LON D ON

1-3 F EBRUA RY

ON L IN E

Facilities Show Fuelling the FM supply chain to shape a smarter, faster, more agile, sustainable and human

Effective FM professional - 3 days Find out how to create and sustain effective operations. tinyurl.com/Fac22014

Effective FM professional Find out how to create and sustain effective operations. tinyurl.com/Fac22014

Introduction to FM Everything you need to know to embark on a new career. tinyurl.com/Fac22028

FACI L I TAT EM AG A ZI N E .CO M

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VIEW POINT / A BIT ABOUT YOU

What do you do? Senior workplace manager at DeepMind, focusing on soft services.

What attracted you to FM, and how did you get into the industry? Like many, I fell into the FM industry, but I’m so glad I did. I started as a receptionist but my curiosity and need to be busy led me to organising the day- to-day office maintenance and when I was considering what was next, my manager at the time suggested I become their FM. 20 years later and I am so grateful to her for the opportunity she provided.

How long have you been in your current role? Only five months.

Do you see yourself predominantly as a task or a people manager? It depends on the day. A well-supported and well-led team makes a big impact and is integral in providing a great service, but there will always be lots to do outside that part of the role. It’s incredibly satisfying to see people grow.

been involved in a fit-out there before so it was hard work but seeing how happy my colleagues were when they saw the new space was incredibly rewarding.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? The way it is seen by those who don’t understand the value it brings.

Any interesting tales to tell? I’ll never forget the day I learned that 3-phase power existed. We had a partial power cut and everyone was looking for me to deal with it, but I was stuck in the lift!

Thankfully, I had chocolate and a mobile phone signal so ended up coordinating from there – but it’s a memory that always makes me smile.

If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be… Organising something, somewhere! Preferably in the sunshine with great people. To be honest, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Would you describe your role as predominantly operational or strategic? It’s

Which “FM/Workplace myth” would you most like to put an end to? That what we do is easy. Some individual tasks may be simple, but the bigger picture of what happens to run a great workplace is complex. We need to understand the needs of the business and work to enable our colleagues to be able to be at their best.

That’s not a simple thing to do.

What advice would you give to a young facilities/workplace manager starting out? Take any opportunity to learn something new and always be open to other people’s ideas and experience. Ask questions and keep going until it makes sense.

I have learned so much over the years from contractors and have been lucky to work with great colleagues who have taught me a lot. There will always be a new way of doing something, a change in technology or legislation, so to be your best you need to keep embracing change and learning.

What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office? Some of the strangest days have been whenever an office has been closing. The things people leave behind!

Early bird or night owl? Depends on what is going on that day; if it’s an early start I do need my coffee.

shifting to be more strategic, but to do that well it’s important to understand the details of the day-to-day operations and how/why things are how they are.

What FM job in the world would you love more than anything? I’m enjoying

How many people are there in your workplace team? Internally, it’s a small

the one I have right now, but I have always thought it would be great to run one of the iconic buildings across the globe. Maybe one day; we shall see how it goes.

team, but with our vendor partners, there is a large group working hard to provide the best environment possible.

And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? Anywhere with a high

My top perk at work is… We work in an

number of spiders or pests, so nowhere in a jungle!

amazing environment with lots of amenities but the people make each day a good one.

What has been your biggest career challenge to date? Managing workplaces during the Covid pandemic was challenging for everyone. One of the most satisfying moments was delivering a fit-out in Madrid. We had a tight timetable, I didn’t speak the language and hadn’t

46

Your life outside FM mostly involves…

BEH I N D T H E JOB

Louise Griffiths

Spending time with friends and family. I have two years left of my part-time degree, so I’m looking forward to finishing it and starting my next challenge.

LOUISE GRIFFITHS is senior workplace manager at DeepMind in London

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A BIT ABOUT YOU / VIEW POINT

Would you describe your role as predominantly operational or strategic? It’s more operational. You can put all the planning in for long-term goals, but we need to be more on top of the day-to-day running of the office. I rely a lot on my team to ensure we achieve our short-term targets.

How many people are there in your FM team, and to whom does the FM team ultimately report? We have seven BEHIND THE JOB

James Coulson

didn’t choose FM, FM chose me! I was working as a mesh printing assistant when my brother recommended me for the role of a facilities assistant at a pension company he was working for.

And here I am 16 years later!

How long have you been in your current role? I have been at my current company for three years, but in my current role as workplace manager for almost a year.

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK / ISTOCK

Do you see yourself predominantly as a task or a people manager? I think a bit of both. As much as I love managing my team and the office, I do enjoy getting involved with the day-to-day tasks if it ensures we complete everything that is required to deliver the service expected.

Tottenham Hotspur FC. I’m not very good at football, but we can all dream!

Which “FM/Workplace myth” would you most like to put an end to? We don’t just unblock toilets!

My top perk at work is… Access to the

What advice would you give to a young facilities/workplace manager starting out? One thing at a time. Don’t overwhelm

What has been your biggest career challenge to date? I think

What attracted you to FM, and how did you get into the industry? I

If I wasn’t in facilities management, I’d probably be… Playing up front for

members of the workplace team across all offices. Our head of workplace reports to the director of employee experience.

sweets cupboard! No, the social events are really fun. Open up the beer fridge and have freshly cooked food. On a couple of occasions, we’ve had live music in the office. A great opportunity to unwind and connect with colleagues.

What do you do? We have five offices across Europe and I am the workplace manager based in London for an office of 550 employees across three floors.

trip around the UK and he saved me from my dilemma. He told me his name and what he did.

It wasn’t until I Googled him after that I found out he is Charles Darwin’s great-greatgrandson. I wish I’d taken a selfie!

I speak for everyone in FM when I say Covid-19. I did worry if we’d ever open up the office again or if there was a future for FM with the new working-from-home way of working. Evidently, there was no need to worry in the end.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? Definitely people’s perception of what we do. Workplace management is a vital tool to running an organisation and there is so much we do that people don’t realise.

JAMES COULSON is workplace manager at Trainline, an international digital rail and coach technology platform in London

Any interesting tales to tell? Once when I was cycling to work, I got a puncture and didn’t have a kit on me. A guy came past who happened to be on a cycling

yourself with unmanageable tasks. It’s OK to say no! Invest your time in your people.

If you can successfully manage your team, your worklife is going to be a lot easier.

What was the weirdest day you’ve had in the office? The weirdest day I’ve had was when I had a python around my neck in the middle of the office on zoo day.

Early bird or night owl? Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise – Benjamin Franklin.

What FM job in the world would you love more than anything? Facilities manager in a music venue. There’d be no better way to end your working day than with live music every night.

And where would FM be an absolute nightmare? Probably the Burj Khalifa. I have a terrible fear of heights.

Your life outside FM mostly involves… I love practising The Wim Hof Method of a breathing exercise and cold exposure. I truly believe when Wim Hof says, “a cold shower a day keeps the doctor away”. I love spending time with my fiancée watching films and box sets. She also sometimes drags me to escape rooms too!

FACI L I TAT EM AG A ZI N E .CO M

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Controller for building automation The powerful ILC 2050 BI controller is specially designed for automation tasks in buildings. In particular, these include controlling and monitoring the building infrastructure and the energy management.

The integrated Niagara Framework® enables IIoT-based automation through standardisation of various data types. This makes it easy to connect with various sensors and actuators regardless of the manufacturer and communication protocol.

More information: https://phoe.co/ILC2050BI-uk

FMW.NovDec22.048.indd 2

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THE L ATEST LE ARNING AND BEST PR ACTICE

K N OW H OW 50

51

53

56

Get on top of Scope 3 carbon emissions for greater impact on your sustainability goals

The deadline for ESOS phase 3 is looming. Do you know what it takes to be compliant?

Key learnings and takeaways from this year’s IWFM Women in FM conference

How organisations can use systems thinking to support employees’ mental health

risks are dealt with before fans are in the stadium, preventing them from sitting on a forgotten cracked stadium seat.

Keep track of paperwork and processes with an automated system. Adherence to compliance policies is required to pass all checks. The system guarantees that everything and everyone working at the stadium works compliantly.

S

tadium management, day-to-day repairs, compliance checks – operational teams have a lot to handle. Add to this the tens of thousands of fans on match day and increased risk of facilities being broken during the excitement, and it’s plain to see that FM failures could create a high-risk environment for fans, players and team managers.

Effective communication, then, is essential to managing tasks across large sites, sharing information and keeping track of processes such as: ● Has the broken seat in block A been fixed? ● Are the floodlights working? ● When does the fertiliser supplier contract end?

When a stadium’s floodlights fail, for example, the club is liable for a fine unless it can prove it has taken action to tackle the issue. A good management system can track all the communication and processes from start to finish, providing clubs with evidence to show the issue will be resolved.

IMAGE: ISTOCK

Taking care of H&S Fans’ health and safety is paramount, so all policies and procedures need to be up to date, and management must keep abreast of ongoing tasks.

An automated system eliminates human error stemming from a breakdown in verbal communication by prioritising continuing and reactive tasks to make sure all actions are carried out effectively. It also ensures

Pitch perfect

Pitch-related duties – such as whether it has been treated – are essential. The fertiliser supplier going under, or the Media management contract ending can be easily Live interviews don’t always missed when relying on run according to plan and memory or a spreadsheet. negative media coverage arising An automated management from a player or manager saying system sends scheduled something they shouldn’t in reminders to take care of tasks an interview requires swift such as contract renewals or damage control. changes, providing An automated risk time for procurement. manager system logs The system every person who has manages assets spoken to the press such as mowers by and monitors their providing reminders social media channels of when they need to so the club can track JOSH be serviced, ensuring down the story’s MITCHELL they are working to origins and mitigate is head of maintain the pitch. the fallout. sales at Sypro

Accidents and emergencies Defibrillators and emergency equipment need to be working properly. Failure to maintain the apparatus could lead to severe consequences. Alongside this, many clubs use dated methods of logging and investigating accidents and incidents, so they’re unable to create a full report and run analytics against different parts of the ground and apply control measures to mitigate future incidents.

The system needs to be: ● User-friendly; ● Easy to access; and ● Enabled to set reminders to complete important tasks.

Embrace technology and implement a risk manager system that relies not on word of mouth or spreadsheets but automated, actionable and centralised data to prevent a club from scoring an own goal.

MANAGE MEN T SYST EMS

Prevent an own goal Room for error in stadium management is huge, but an automated risk management system can help, says Josh Mitchell

FACI L I TAT EM AG A ZI N E .CO M

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KNOW HOW / EXPLAINER

programmes. The best suppliers will lead on Scope 3, offering support to their clients.

Four key strategy considerations 1. Measurement: Be proactive in adopting systems and processes to measure your own emissions that will, in turn, create Scope 3 emissions for your clients.

2. Reduction: Work directly with clients to put plans in place to reduce these emissions. Progress against C A RB O N RE DUC TION these plans should regularly be measured and challenges addressed collaboratively.

3. Offset: Any offset schemes should be targeted in areas that Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are under an organisation’s direct matter to you and your clients, control. Scope 3 emissions, however, are more complex to capture. driving the greatest social value and impact. An example Here, Steve Wallbanks outlines a plan for addressing them that we’ve adopted at Atalian Servest is working with our rapidly, few SMEs will have coffee producers to not only How you approach this will cope 3 emissions are prioritised carbon reduction drive our own carbon emission depend on the type and source indirect or value chain in the same way that larger reductions, but also improve of your Scope 3 emissions. emissions – created companies have. their quality of life and address However, most will want to by others in support of an In addition to setting other sustainability issues. focus on a three-step process: organisation’s activities. expectations, some 1. Focus on the largest 4. Beyond Scope 3: The They largely stem from organisations will need to suppliers first: Make sure primary focus should be on supply chain partners, but actively support their SME your suppliers can measure reducing your emissions that include emissions created supplier base in measuring and report their emissions contribute to your clients’ by colleagues commuting and reducing emissions. This and be crystal clear about Scope 3. But take this a step to work. might mean providing them reduction or offset targets. further to help them reduce with access to measurement Agree to targets, then report their own direct emissions.

Work with supply partners tools to begin. Furthermore, in regularly on the progress.

Atalian Servest’s CarbonEyes To control Scope 3 emissions, the likely event that offsetting 2. Build carbon emission initiative helps our clients you’ll need to decide which is required, you might want to assessments into the spot and report carbon wastage of the 15 Scope 3 categories consider providing them access procurement process: on their own premises, be you want to measure and set to any offsetting schemes you Include carbon as a key it a dripping tap, lights left the organisation clear targets have set up for yourself. determinant of supplier on, or waste not being for each. You may want to selection, using a twin-track correctly recycled. address all of these or simply approach of selecting lowThere are many a subset. The UK government, A supplier’s carbon suppliers and gaining ways to work with for example, asks large perspective clear commitments from new your suppliers and suppliers to measure five of While driving down suppliers on the measurement customers to reduce the categories when setting your own Scope 3 and reduction of carbon emissions throughout net zero targets. Until you emissions, don’t emissions over time. the value chain. understand the scale of your forget your clients will 3. Address and support Working together emissions you can do little want you to support STEVE WALLBANKS the rest of your supply is critical to drive to set targets and measure them to reduce theirs is chief chain: Addressing Scope 3 real and sustainable progress. Organisations will and they will all be operating with smaller suppliers can reductions in direct be unable to measure Scope 3 adopting similar officer of hard be a challenge. Although and indirect carbon emissions without the help measures for their services at the landscape is changing emissions. of their suppliers. own carbon reduction Atalian Servest

The Scope 3 challenge

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he government’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), which aims to boost the energy efficiency of UK businesses, runs in four-year phases. We’re currently in phase 3, and the countdown to compliance has begun.

ESOS is mandatory for larger UK companies with: ● More than 250 employees in the UK; or ● A turnover exceeding £44.1 million and a balance sheet exceeding £37.9 million.

Qualifying businesses must track and report energy use across their buildings, processes, and transport. They’re also encouraged to find cost-effective ways to cut consumption.

If you took part in the two previous ESOS phases, it’s likely that you will need to participate in phase 3.

ESOS assessment: a six-stage journey 1. Calculate your business’s total energy consumption across your premises, industrial processes, and fleet.

Energy is defined as combustible fuels, heat, renewable energy, electricity, and transport fuel.

Your assessment should cover a representative sample of your operations and sites, and results should be presented in a common unit, such as pounds sterling or kilowatt-hours.

2. Identify and audit areas of significant energy consumption – pinpoint which assets and activities account for at least 90% of your overall energy usage. Up to 10% of your energy consumption can be classed as ‘de minimis’ and omitted from your calculations.

Audit your highest consumption areas against minimum government requirements.

Any energy audits conducted between December 2019 and December 2023 count towards ESOS compliance.

3. Create an ESOS compliance plan using your audit results to map out practical energysaving, energy-efficiency and waste-minimisation opportunities – and detail their estimated cost benefits.

A sustainability consultant can

produce a comprehensive ESOS compliance plan, including innovative and achievable solutions – from installing EV charge points to embracing renewable energy and alternative fuels.

4. Appoint a lead assessor to review your report, oversee your energy audits and sign off your final ESOS assessment.

DAN ELLIS is head of sustainability at environmental risk reduction experts Adler and Allan

EN ERGY MA N AG EMEN T

ESOS phase 3 deadline looms 5 December marks the deadline for 2023 ESOS phase 3. Dan Eliis tells you what you need to know

Choose a professionally registered employee or an external specialist who can better guarantee compliance.

5. Submit your assessment to the Environment Agency notifying them of your compliance.

6. Keep accurate compliance records: Maintain records of how you complied with ESOS in an evidence pack in a format of your choice.

Non-compliance penalties Failure to notify the Environment Agency, for example, can lead to: ● An initial penalty of up to £5,000; ● A daily fine of up to £500 for each working day of non-compliance; and ● Fees of up to £50,000 for making a false or misleading statement.

When to begin the ESOS assessment As soon as possible. The deadline for ESOS submissions is 5 December 2023.

In previous phases, organisations that delayed their audit faced a shortage of lead assessors and a race to secure the right expertise.

Early action means early benefits, including measurable cost savings, energy efficiencies and the confidence of total compliance.

Changes in phase 3 The ‘de minimis’ threshold for ESOS Phase 3 has been reduced from 10% to 5%? You now need to ensure that 95% of your total energy consumption is covered by an appropriate ESOS energy audit.

The Environment Agency has indicated that businesses will not be allowed to replicate historical ESOS energy audits for ESOS Phase 3. They expect different and progressive energy audits rather than ‘tick-box’ compliance activity.

Bear in mind that proposed changes to Phase 4 of ESOS will require you to link energy and carbon and have a decarbonisation plan alongside your energy audit.

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EXPLAINER / KNOW HOW

Humans are stubborn and crave stability, making change difficult and requires: ● A compelling story; ● Reinforcement mechanisms; ● Skills for change; and ● Role modelling.

How to take action,

by Lucy Jeynes

B WO M E N IN FM CONFERENCE 202 2

Bias reporting A round-up of key takeaways from the IWFM’s Women in FM conference in Birmingham, where ‘breaking the bias’ was the event’s theme

with others to prepare them for change; and ● To be free from ego so that they can get it right rather than be right - instead of seeking to justify their position, which often leads to a focus on stability and not change.

The influence model Becoming a change agent, by culture change expert Fiona Morden

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hat’s the biggest gap in the world? That between knowing and doing. So says culture change expert Fiona Morden.

Why? Because change is uncomfortable. Humans are stubborn and crave stability, making change difficult.

That’s why we can see our own biases and those in our workplaces and still struggle to make change.

Not speaking up in a situation we knew was wrong

is an example of this gap between knowing and doing.

So – how do we become change agents to break the bias? Such an individual needs: ● Courage in thoughts and deeds; ● To be purpose-led by values and being connected; ● The mindset that positive change can happen; ● To accept ownership and accountability; ● To focus on where and how improvements can be made; ● To be curious about the way things can be; ● To be compelling in the vision and story they share

It’s useful for diagnosing where you are currently

ack in the early days of FM, networking events were dominated by men and despite an interest from women to have their own SIG, their application was not immediately accepted.

Nevertheless, they persisted and now WIFM SIG is one of the best attended and most vibrant groups with a full committee, great speakers and excellent content, says Jeynes.

Why is it so successful?

Because its objectives are clear, it is inclusive, and the events are enjoyable. “One of the things we have always done is keep it fresh and interesting with high-quality speakers that

Fiona Morden gives guidance on becoming a change agent

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KNOW HOW / EXPLAINER

stimulate your brain.”

However, Jeynes says, gender parity remains some way off for now. So just as the motto of the suffragettes said – ‘Deeds, not words’ – allies of women’s empowerment and progression must act in a way that supports women, not simply use a narrative that says as much. So what can men and women personally do to support other women in a more diverse and inclusive professional environment?

Volunteer with IWFM – support your profession by joining a committee. You should be someone who is committed and reliable, the kind of person who gets things done. This isn’t about having something to look good on your CV. Shape change together – by being a role model to other women, by prioritising equity, diversity and inclusion, and by bridging the gap between knowing and doing – acting rather than observing.

You could connect with a Kickstarter, invite someone for a work experience placement or hire an apprentice.

Aculey below) but you can find your own way.

Listen to people when they share their authentic experiences – whether it’s domestic abuse or an issue in the workplace, we need to listen, heard and validate their experience.

Uncluttering the cupboard, by Pamela Aculey, author and entrepreneur

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orn to Ghanian parents and growing up in the predominantly white area of Tamworth, Pamela Aculey recalls an early lesson from her father: “As a black girl, you have to work twice as hard to get to where you want to be in life; you have to work so much harder than your white friends to just be equal.” So she did.

Aculey, a creative and artist at heart, first became an investment banker because

Lucy Jeynes says the WIFM SIG is a consistently engaging group

she thought that was what she had to do to be a success. The nice car, big bank account and social status didn’t resonate.

She felt lost and alienated in an industry dominated by

white men.

“I faced a lot of ‘isms’ when I went to the bank: racism, sexism, ageism. We’re told to have a stiff upper lip, be confident and not to worry

Back yourself and be bold – but work on resilience too because the path is not easy.

Take action and live your values – that might not mean becoming an author of inclusive books (see Pamela

As a black girl, you have to work twice as hard to get to where you want to be in life 54

Pamela Aculey is the author of the Just Like Me series of children’s books

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EXPLAINER / KNOW HOW

about the naysayers. But the reality is we are humans, not robots, and we feel things.”

Add to this the high pressure of the job and Aculey’s mental health suffered, leaving her depressed, anxious and housebound for three months.

Eventually she started walking. One day she happened upon an exercise class full of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities, ages and abilities.

A gentle and kind instructor invited her to sit in on the class and to start attending future sessions. “A few months later, I qualified as a fitness instructor,” she reveals.

Her mental health was improving but not where she needed it to be. It was her cluttered kitchen cupboard that taught her a valuable analogous lesson: You can’t keep stuffing crap in here. You have to clean it out, step by step. The approach worked.

Women in FM SIG chair Nikki Lathbury welcomes delegates in Birmongham

example, setting up a cover story to help the woman escape the violence.

Validating and supporting disclosures – never diminish the experience by saying something like, “My husband is like that.” Countering with your own experience could be a barrier to them talking about their own issues.

Read about how Pamela Aculey’s neurodivergent son led her to becoming an author of the Just Like Me picture book series at tinyurl.com/ Fac1112-Aculey Anna Fawcett says domestic abuse is a serious, gendered crime

Dealing with domestic abuse, by Anna Fawcett, fundraising manager at Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid

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e see domestic abuse as being a gendered crime,” says Fawcett. It is driven by the desire for power and control.

Despite the pervasiveness and destructiveness of domestic abuse, it was only relatively recently that it was included in the Serious Crime Act (in 2015), with police until recently considering domestic abuse as a ‘domestic matter’, Fawcett explains. To add further

complexity to the situation, abuse has spread online too, so physical proximity is not the only determining factor behind domestic abuse.

So what does this mean for the workplace? Fawcett says organisations need to start with having a domestic abuse

policy in place. In it, there should be clear procedures for: Managing safety – work can be a place of support, but not always - so employers should find ways to help women get out of an abusive relationship.

This might involve, for

Tackling misogyny – be on the lookout for micro-aggressions.

Providing training to meet development needs – without formal training in how to support those suffering under domestic abuse, the wrong things might be said or suboptimal approaches taken.

For example, saying, ‘we’re going to fix it’ when often all that person wants is to be heard is the wrong action to take. Additionally, give support in private by asking how you can help rather than overtly offering support in public.

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SYSTE M S THINK ING

What is ‘systems thinking’?

An effective means of managing mental health in the workplace, says Jonathan Gawthrop

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here has been a huge rise in mental health problems, with 1.6 million waiting for specialised care and eight million who cannot get on a waiting list.

The Prince’s Trust Class of Covid research shows that more than one third of 16 – 25-year-olds feel their life is spiralling out of control. These people are the next generation of our workforce.

Many companies have supported their employees’ mental health, from offering enhanced benefits to creating safe spaces to talk about issues. As a long-time advocate of supporting mental health in the workplace, it has been great to witness. But the support needs to be strategic and thoughtful. This is where systems thinking must be used.

What is systems thinking?

It’s a way of exploring and developing effective action by looking at the connected whole rather than separate parts.

In his book Systems Thinking, Systems Practice, Peter Checkland defines a system as consisting of any number of elements which when together become the whole.

In isolation, each component is described as having independent properties that are different from the whole; for example, the flavour of water has the flavour of water and

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may be to support the mental not the flavour of oxygen health of all employees. This can or hydrogen. be mapped onto a loop diagram, Systems thinking was where influences are linked championed by biologists and between each other and the core social scientists who viewed goal, with arrows indicating living systems as irreducible JONATHAN whether two influences are the relationship-dependent wholes GAWTHROP is executive same or in opposition.

– and not a collection of parts. director of The intention is to visibly Systems thinking is outwardwellbeing, represent the influences linked to looking and reviews how elements sustainability, the goal and, through this process, interact with one another and & assurance at identify the boundary and the create causal relationships.

EMCOR UK levers for change that operate It goes against the more around and within the system respectively. entrenched cause-and-effect logic. Such Establishing boundaries will always be thinking has typically been applied to exclusionary but a necessity; boundaries are expedite decision-making and action. This drawn to ensure the system does not expand reductive view (that all complex phenomena exponentially and our considerations are can be understood and rationalised by infinite as a result. Establishing levers reducing them to their smallest component ensure the cause and effect of the decisionparts) is inward-looking and unsuitable for making will be fully understood. addressing complex challenges.

In this example, influences added to the map may include: Supporting mental health ● Access to medical support; In their book Nudge, Thaler and Sunstein ● Existing workplace programmes; suggest there are three characteristics in our ● Interpersonal relationships; human system: ● Workload; and 1 Bounded rationality; ● Finances.

2 Self-control; and It’s critical that each business has a 3 Social influences. strategic plan, which will include time spent These three elements are intrinsic to a creating and developing a map. The result health and safety strategy because it is all will be greater understanding among senior about people, our employees, and their leaders of the various influences at play that interrelationships with their environment. can impact mental health in the workplace.

By employing systems thinking, From this, they will be better positioned to employers can map out all parts of a system offer support and create the conditions for and the influences each variable has. For their employees to flourish. example, the core objective of a programme

IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES

The connected whole

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lthough the pandemic and rising energy costs have prompted more businesses to evaluate running costs, it’s fair to say the refurb trend has been growing for many years, and facilities management firms play a crucial part in delivering that.

The current pressure to reduce costs means facilities managers must look for ways to lessen the financial pressure on their clients and alleviate some of the costs that come with running their facility.

One of the ways of doing that is by refurbishing existing technical equipment – such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems – to avoid having to invest in new equipment.

When to buy new?

Of course, in some cases, buying new equipment is the best course of action. If a piece of machinery or equipment is faulty, damaged, or becomes a health and safety risk then buying new becomes the only option.

But there are many instances where refurbishment by someone with the right technical expertise is effective and should be considered.

Just because it’s old shouldn’t mean it’s destined for the bin.

Identifying faults and issues and resolving them before equipment is beyond repair can be beneficial financially. On the other hand, reactive maintenance carried out when a warning light comes on or a component of the machine fails will be costly. Being proactive with equipment maintenance can save up to 40% in costs compared with working reactively, research shows.

Four refurbishing benefits 1. Cost: The average lifespan of a typical HVAC system is 15 to 20 years.

An unmaintained HVAC system carries a risk of becoming inefficient after a few years. But one that is welltreated and regularly maintained is likely to last the entire lifespan.

2. No removal: If we look at air con ASSET M A N AG EMEN T

Fix or buy How do you know when it’s time to refurbish technical equipment, or to buy it new? asks Clive Mackinnon

as an example, refurbishment means companies can keep the external casing and replace the internal items with new energy-efficient upgrades when required. Buying new means the old unit needs decommissioning.

This needs to be carried out by a qualified, and experienced professional to make sure the units are safely powered down and dismantled. They also need to be removed without damaging any of the building’s fixings such as the ceiling, where it is fitted.

3. Energy saving: By installing the latest technology it can boost the energy efficiency of equipment.

This benefits the environment and reduces the carbon emissions of each system, which can lead to savings without compromising performance.

4. Government incentives: The push across the globe for businesses to be more environmentally conscious and show a commitment to green initiatives means by showing you are making energy efficiencies you could be entitled to incentives such as utility rebates or tax discounts.

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

Power of prevention One of the key advantages of having a dedicated facilities team on site is that they can implement a consistent, proactive maintenance programme for HVAC and other systems. Managing and checking equipment regularly will ensure that the equipment is always running as resourcefully as possible, which can pay dividends in terms of energy efficiency, time-saving and costs.

The facilities team can tune in to your building’s machinery and equipment and analyse and understand the data it produces, enabling them to: ● Spot inefficiencies; ● Prevent breakdowns; and ● Address any concerns early on, which can extend equipment life by several years.

CLIVE MACKINNON is director at ABM Technical Solutions

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1 Key takeaways:

SUPPORTING SAD EMPLOYEES The winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can leave employees feeling very low in winter months, says Scarlet Lewitt, consultant for Healthscreen UK

● Maximise daylight hours – increase access to natural light and outdoor spaces.

Encourage walks during lunch breaks. ● Embrace flexible working options – let employees choose where they work from so they can cut out commutes in dark mornings and evenings. ● Provide employee assistance programmes (EAP) to support Read the employees to take full article charge of their at tinyurl.com/ mental and physical Fac1112-SAD wellbeing.

Read the full article at tinyurl.com/Fac1112-Alarm

choice of isolator and a poorly designed product. A common mistake in both cases is placing plant equipment on cheap, stiff mats or pads when springs or higher deflection elastomeric supports are necessary.

The springs cost a few hundred pounds; the

mats a few quid. ● Consult CIBSE B4 guidance, noting issues such as misaligned isolators, ensuring vibration isolation is installed with no bridging material across flexible mountings; and that vibration isolators, installed to maintain vertical alignment of springs and other components, are loaded to give equal deflections.

Read the full article at tinyurl.com/ Fac1112-vibrate

IMAGES: ISTOCK

Acoustic set-ups can help to reduce noisy vibrations in building equipment, says Adam Fox, director at vibration control specialist Mason UK

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● Of almost 1,000 alarm-call outs in 2021, only 19% were for genuine reasons – water leaks, vandalism, confirmed fires, attempted and actual burglary, insecure premises and trespassers. ● Maintain security systems – regular maintenance and repairs, and timely upgrades will ensure the alarm system is working optimally. ● Cleanliness is important – a lack of cleanliness can be a frequent trigger for false alarms. For example, spider webs can sometimes set them off.

The Know How learning continues at facilitatemagazine.com.

Here is a summary of the key takeaways from a selection of our onlineonly articles

GET RID OF BAD VIBRATIONS

Key takeaways:

We’ve all heard the tale of the boy who cried wolf. Don’t let your false alarms do the same, says Nathan Hughes Key takeaways:

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● Vibration caused by mechanical elements in essential equipment such as water pumps can be carried round a building via ducts, pipework or parts of the building structure. ● The most common vibration issues causing noise are incorrect

FALSE ALARMS

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The perfect place to find facilities management vacancies. www.iwfmjobs.com is the official job board for The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management.

Find your next role today.

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Gain a competitive career advantage By completing one of our internationally recognised, regulated qualifications in workplace and facilities management, you can progress on our professional development pathway and build the career you want.

Delivery method Recognised Centres Levels 2-7 or online through IWFM Direct Levels 2,3 and 4 Speak to us today about how to choose the qualification level and size that suits you.

Contact us today E qualifications@iwfm.org.uk T +44(0)1279 712 651 iwfm.org.uk/professional -development

Are you ready to step up?

Are you due an IWFM membership upgrade? More importantly, are you selling yourself short?

Your grade reflects your career; it demonstrates to employers, colleagues and recruiters your knowledge and experience, and the impact you can make in an organisation. These factors affect your marketability and career trajectory.

If your career has progressed beyond your membership grade, you could be holding yourself back.

If you feel you are ready to step up, please send your CV to !*# #!)!*0@iwfm.org.uk Contact us today E !*# #!)!*0@iwfm.org.uk T +44(0)1279 712 650 iwfm.org.uk

FMW.NovDec22.060.indd 2

For more information, log into your IWFM account and click on the ‘Membership’ tab.

26/10/2022 16:55

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BAM brings forward its net zero asipiration across Scope 1,2 and 3 emissions to 2026

Biffa board recommends that its shareholders accept the £1.3bn bid proposed by ECP

Mace’s profits before taxation in 2021 are more than twice that of 2020.

Find out more Visit facilitatemagazine.com for daily outsourcing news

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ACQ U I S I T I O N

Bouygues Group finalises EQUANS acquisition

IMTECH SET TO ACQUIRE SPIE UK

by Facilitate team

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IMAGE: ALAMY

onstruction company Bouygues has completed its acquisition of technical and FM services provider EQUANS. The final purchase price for the EQUANS shares was €6.1 billion (circa £5.3 billion).

The UK Competition & Markets Authority deal cleared in late September.

French-owned Bouygues said the move was a key milestone in its development and that the transaction makes a “world leader” in the multitechnical services market at the heart of the environmental, industrial and digital transitions currently needed, particularly solutions to

optimise energy consumption.

The company added that it expected its new business segment, comprised of EQUANS and Bouygues’ Energies & Services division, to generate around €17 billion (c. £14.8 billion) in sales. All told it now employs around 97,000 people in more than 20 countries. The increased capacity will, says Bouygues, help in the design and roll out of innovative and sustainable products and services.

The group said that ‘the strong geographical and technical match’ between the newly merged organisations offered “opportunities for all Bouygues group employees who share a common culture and strong values”.

The group expects that the transaction will lift Bouygues group’s total sales from €38 billion (c. £33 billion) to nearly €51 billion (£44.4 billion) and the headcount to about 200,000 in 80 countries.

Martin Bouygues, board chairman, said: “Our businesses have in common that they are services businesses with a local footprint, run by dedicated and self-reliant teams of entrepreneurs and employees.

I welcome the 75,000 EQUANS employees joining our group.”

Olivier Roussat, CEO of the Bouygues group, added: “EQUANS joining the Bouygues group offers a tremendous opportunity to create a global leader with strong local roots that can play a key role in meeting the challenges of the environmental, industrial and digital transitions, helping deliver more sustainable and energy-efficient growth, and supporting our customers as they switch to a low-carbon model. We have everything in place to make this acquisition a success for all of the group’s stakeholders, especially its employees, customers and shareholders.”

As we went to press, Facilitate learned that technical services engineering group Imtech is preparing to acquire SPIE UK, subject to regulatory approvals.

Imtech, jointly owned by Dalkia and EDF Energy, provides engineering services and decarbonisation solutions for clients across sectors ranging from healthcare, defence and technology.

It operates across the UK in four areas of hard FM – M&E, technical FM, energy services, and control systems.

In a statement, Imtech said that the move ‘supports Dalkia’s 2026 strategy to extend its UK operations, and would support EDF’s pledge to help more UK organisations reach a low-carbon future’.

It would also ‘supplement’ its offering with services in industrial instrumentation, clean rooms, and life safety solutions and support its 2026 strategy to expand into sectors such as education, industry and infrastructure.

The announcement is the latest in a long line of 2022 merger and acquisition stories.

In 2021, SPIE UK saw a turnover of £200 million.

Its workforce will add 1,800 staff to Imtech.

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ST R AT EGY

Cloudfm takes on industry ‘greenwash’ with new ESG lead

BAM VOWS TO SPEED UP ITS ROUTE TO NET ZERO BY 2026

by Facilitate team

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loudfm has appointed Katrina Christopoulos as its head of ESG to spearhead its carbon reduction alongside wider social and governance strategies. Christopoulos, an associate of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) and a chartered energy engineer, will work with clients and suppliers to accelerate change in these social policy areas.

Christopoulos’s previous roles include leading sustainability at Bloomberg at its London base and taking global responsibility as ISS’s head of energy and sustainability.

Cloudfm has developed patent-pending technology using IoT, machine learning and AI to monitor buildings and mechanical assets within those buildings.

The firm states that Mindsett Smart Box (Prism) takes energy monitoring and insight “to a new level”, including multidimensional harmonics to report energy consumption and predict failure well in advance.

Trials in the hospitality industry and

IN BRIEF Wates group’s carbon goal gains SBTi nod Wates Group says its near-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction target has been approved by the

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Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), committing the firm to cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030.

Wates pledged to adhere to the nowapproved near-term science-based target at the end of 2021.

The business has

NHS have shown that such technology, when combined with behavioural science, cuts energy use by at least 20%, creating substantial financial savings and a significant carbon reduction.

Jeff Dewing, CEO of Cloudfm, said: “Katrina brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Cloudfm and will help to accelerate our strategic goals in championing ESG internally and for our customers. She has led internationally respected carbon reduction programmes and has the vision we need to lead the industry.”

Christopoulos added: “Having spent time at Cloudfm, I can see that this company wants to cut through the greenwash and go beyond their own business, to really make tangible progress across ESG. It has a truly innovative approach and technology that will change how companies advance their energy management and carbon reduction strategies. It’s great to join the business, and I look forward to working with a team of passionate people.”

also committed to becoming net zero by 2045 and will be submitting this target to the SBTi to be validated as a next step.

J S Wright appoints new MD Birmingham-based mechanical and electrical building

services contractor J S Wright has appointed Peter Grierson as its new managing director.

He will take control of the dayto-day running of J S Wright and its FM sister company, Wright Maintenance, following Phil Leech’s promotion to

BAM’s UK & Ireland businesses have pledged to become net zero in their direct operations by 2026.

The construction and facilities management provider states that it will not be counting electricity from green energy tariffs towards its net zero emissions, which it claims places the group “at the forefront of the UK and Ireland’s construction sector’s major contractors”.

This commitment builds on Royal BAM Group’s target to cut its direct emissions by 80% by 2026 from 2015 levels. The company said it is not relying heavily on carbon offsets, which it believes “can disguise” more substantial progress in how a company is acting.

The pledge includes not only direct Scope 1 and 2 emissions (associated with fuels and energy use), but also wider Scope 3 emissions.

BAM’s Scope 3 emissions include water use, staff travel, emissions arising from using hotels, emissions from thirdparty fuel and energy use and all well-to-tank emissions associated with Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The company says it has firm influence over all these sources. Any remaining emissions from 2026 will be offset using nature-based solutions such as reforestation or carbon-capture technologies.

chairman. Grierson, who has 30-plus years of experience in selling building products to the construction industry, will work closely with a team including contracts director Matt Coy and design and estimating director David Cook.

Mears takes on repairs for South Cambridgeshire Council Social housing provider Mears has been retained by South Cambridgeshire District Council as its repairs and maintenance contractor to carry

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Biffa board accepts £1.3bn sale to ECP

APLEONA BUYS CTS TO BOLSTER UK MARKET POSITION

by Facilitate team

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aste management company Biffa has confirmed that its board has recommended that shareholders accept a £1.3 billion bid for the firm by global investment fund ECP. Biffa’s directors, advised by Rothschild & Co, urged shareholders in late September to accept the 410p-a-share offer from ECPcontrolled Bears Bidco – below a tentative bid of 445p a share submitted in June.

The acquisition is currently expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of this year or Q1 of 2023.

The group, which has 10,000 employees and carries out the industrial and commercial waste collection in 95 UK postcodes, operates across the waste management process, including surplus redistribution, recycling, treatment, energy generation, collection and disposal.

In a statement, Biffa said that ECP has been investing in “energy transition, environmental infrastructure, and sustainability-focused businesses” for about 20 years.

ECP said that Biffa accords with its investment criteria because of its position in sustainable waste management in the UK, “underpinned by a strong national brand and extensive service coverage led by an excellent management team and backed by powerful barriers to entry”.

out renewed and extended services at 5,200 council homes.

The contract sees Mears undertake all responsive repairs, including boilers, for council tenants.

Works will contribute to the council’s decarbonisation of its housing stock by 2050.

Avrenim forms strategic partnership with Resolve Avrenim and consultant Resolve Energy have joined forces to support businesses to achieve their net zero goals.

Avrenim, which specialises in FM,

It added: “ECP also places significant value on the strength of Biffa’s relationships with its broad stakeholder base, its long-term track record, and its central role in supporting energy transition and the circular economy.”

ECP says it will “support Biffa as it continues to deliver on its strategic objectives whilst enabling Biffa to respond to the structural shift in its industry over the medium to long term. ECP will provide Biffa with the financial backing required to accelerate its growth which will help Biffa deliver its long-term potential.”

Ken Lever, Biffa’s chairman, said: “the successful pursuit of our growth strategy has seen Biffa expand its leadership position in its industrial and commercial waste collection business and oversee a significant investment programme across UK green economy infrastructure.”

consultancy and design, and project delivery, will offer Resolve’s customers a range of low-carbon and renewable technologies to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Resolve has set up a specialist Net Zero division to work closely with Avrenim to guarantee

that clients are given the best advice towards sustainability.

Buckthorn Partners acquires Amey for £400m London-based private equity firm Buckthorn Partners says it has struck an agreement to acquire

Apleona has acquired Combined Technical Solutions Limited (CTS), a multi-technical FM services provider with bases in London and Manchester. The financial details of the sale have not been disclosed.

CTS, founded in 1999, has more than 180 employees and specialises in mechanical and electrical capabilities for a diverse professional services customer base. It provides M&E services to corporate buildings in London and Manchester with a portfolio including financial and law firms.

Apleona UK says that the acquisition will enhance its technical self-delivery capability, strengthening its footprint in the UK FM marketplace.

Jochen Keysberg, Apleona’s CEO, said: “After Siemens SGS in Austria and FM Solutions in Poland, the successful majority acquisition of CTS in the UK within a few months represents another attractive bolton acquisition that will be important for our overall growth. These acquisitions will help us continue to support the Apleona Group’s dynamic development.”

Bryan McLaggan, a director of CTS, added: “This acquisition offers both companies potential to explore new opportunities in all the sectors we serve. Apleona UK’s investment, combined with their strong track record, will bolster our core offering and further define our footprint in the workplace and facilities industry.”

Amey Group plc for £400 million from Spanish multinational Ferrovial.

Amey, a supplier of critical services to the UK government and public sector, has over 100 years of experience in design and infrastructure management, maintenance,

and upgrade, with core expertise in consulting and transport and built infrastructure management.

Completion of the deal remains subject to regulatory authorisation but is expected to take place before the end of the year.

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SUPPLY SIDE / BUSINESS NEWS

FINA NCIA L RE SULT S

Mace unveils record profits for 2021

by Facilitate team

F IN A N CIA L RES ULT S

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he international consultancy, construction and FM group Mace has reported its largest ever profit despite the economic challenges posed by the global pandemic. The group’s statement for 2021, published on 28 September, presented its 31st year running of profitability, showing profit before taxation of £38.3 million - which compares to £16.7 million in 2020. Over the year, the group achieved an overall turnover of £1.9 billion in 2021, up from £1.7 billion in 2020.

At the start of 2021, Mace introduced a new strategy underpinned by three priorities and new targets for 2026. During the

IN BRIEF Entegra buys Beacon to boost hospitality procurement Sodexo subsidiary Entegra has acquired Beacon Purchasing to unite two of the UK’s leading purchasing

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groups to create a stronger offering for hospitality firms wishing to upgrade procurement processes.

Entegra provides purchasing, operational support, digital tools, and corporate social responsibility. The move is expected to

plan’s first year the business made several significant strides towards its goals – cutting carbon emissions by 11.6%, reducing the mean gender pay gap by more than 10%, and investing 2.5% (£48 million) of revenue in research and development.

Mace’s Consult business, which spans three divisions – property and corporate real estate, infrastructure, and international markets – achieved record growth, reaching £366 million (a 7.1% increase on 2020) and raising its headcount to 3,866. Despite project durations being extended because of Covid-19, Mace’s Construct business also saw large growth with revenue recorded at £1.5 billion (2020: £1.2 billion), accounting for 76% of the group’s turnover.

For the second year, Mace also published its environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) Report. This showed that the company had been net neutral carbon for the second year in a row, having lowered its emissions by 11.6% and offset more than 12,000 tonnes of carbon with gold-standard offset schemes around the world.

Mark Reynolds, chairman and group CEO, said: “2021 was another challenging year for the construction industry, with the ongoing disruption of Covid-19. However, our 2026 Business strategy proved exceptional in supporting growth across our sectors, services and geographies.”

blend the division’s services with Yorkbased Beacon Purchasing’s 20 years of experience in supporting hotels, care, and leisure facilities with services ranging from building maintenance and catering equipment, to design, professional services,

and utilities.

Wates starts green tech education programme Wates Group is piloting an education programme to give young people handson experience of how green technology at home can support

SODEXO REPORTS RISE IN PROFITS AND REVENUES The facilities service provider has seen +21.2% growth in revenues and +16.9% organic growth in its FY results for the fiscal year 2022. The results show an underlying operating profit of 1,059 million euros, up +83.3%, and an underlying operating profit margin of +170 basis points.

Employee retention is also at an all-time high, with an increase in development opportunities.

Sophie Bellon, Sodexo’s chairwoman and CEO, said: “All our activities delivered a strong recovery in fiscal 2022. Growth in benefits & rewards services accelerated and on-site services margins improved, despite the inflationary backdrop.

Net new business was strong, and retention was at an all-time high.

Our balance sheet has also been strengthened significantly.”

The group expects revenues and margins for fiscal 2023 to return to fiscal 2019 levels, with organic revenue growth expected to be between +8 and +10% driven by, amongst other things, a further recovery in corporate services and sports & leisure, positive net new business momentum and inflationary pricing at 4% to 5%.

the move to net zero.

The construction and property services company is partnering with Rewise Learning to create a ‘House of the Future’ kit to be used in technology lessons to support the government’s sustainability and climate change

strategy for education. This will be augmented by an online hub offering resources and lesson plans, and a series of workshops.

Enva acquires Irish farm plastics recycler Enva has completed the acquisition of

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BUSINESS NEWS / SUPPLY SIDE

A PPO INTM E NTS

ST R AT EGY

KINGDOM APPOINTMENTS PURSUE GROWTH STRATEGY

WeMaintain moves to add B Corp certification

Cleaning and soft services firm Kingdom Cleaning has reported a series of structural changes that follow as a result of its acquisition of Colvin Cleaning Group in July, its takeover of Facilicom UK in 2021, and its expansion into new locations and market sectors, resulting in 10 new clients across the manufacturing, life sciences, education, financial and professional services industries, over recenrt months.

Kingdom has added to its executive team with the appointment of Colin Henry as solutions development director, Louise Fishwick as bid manager and Shaun Wall as operations director.

The firm has also announced a raft of internal promotions: Karolina Rigby has become an account lead, Adrienne Asztalos has taken on the role of operations manager, Fatima Gomes is now day manager, Ana Toidze has stepped up as business support manager, and Isobel Terrington has seen her second business promotion since joining as an apprentice in 2020.

Peter Buff, Kingdom’s managing director, said: “The past 12 months have seen significant growth for Kingdom Cleaning, which has reinforced our leading position within the cleaning and hygiene sector. The new client wins and contract extensions are absolutely testament to the hard work and dedication of our talented team.”

Ireland’s largest farm film plastic recycler, ADN Materials Limited, for an undisclosed amount.

ADN, based in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, processes contaminated farm film plastic, recycling it into light-density polyethylene (LDPE)

pellets for reuse in the manufacturing of farm film plastic wrapping sheet and exterior plastic furniture.

The move will help Enva leverage the market for recycled polyethylene polymers, which is being driven by legislation,

by Facilitate team

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ift and escalator servicing firm WeMaintain has received B Corp status in recognition of its high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

The company, founded in 2017 by Benoit Dupont, Jade Francine, and Tristan Foureur (pictured), is based in London, Paris and Singapore. It facilitates cost-efficient and environmentally conscious building maintenance for lifts, escalators, automatic doors, escalators, and fire and safety equipment by supporting engineers with proprietary technology such as IoT sensors, a client platform and a field application, and by increasing the efficiency and transparency for building managers.

WeMaintain’s B Corp certification follows the company’s decision to set up a separate working group for its ESG initiatives.

Founders, investors, staff and stakeholders meet twice a year in order to foster company-wide ESG communications.

Certification is awarded by B Lab, a global non-profit group, and addresses the firm’s standards in five areas: governance, workers, community, environment and

consumer demand and manufacturers embracing the circular economy.

Bidvest Noonan appoints new director of operations Jenny Jones is its new director of operations in its Facilities Solutions division.

The unit provides

cleaning and support services across the UK for a portfolio of clients including businesses in the pharmaceutical, food, automotive, leisure, retail, and corporate spheres.

Jones was previously group operations director at Carlisle Support

customers. WeMaintain’s B Corp score was 82.9 – the median score for most businesses completing the assessment is currently 50.9.

Decarbonisation targets Tom Harmsworth, WeMaintain’s UK MD, said: “Only 5,000 companies worldwide including 800 in the UK have received this certification. It’s a recognition of our commitment to fair practice and sustainability as we continue to expand.

“Fairness, justice and a sustainable future are becoming globally felt and conscious concerns; it is vital we agree on standards now for ESG policy that can transcend individual industries and move us forward as a society. We are pleased to have a small role through our B Corp accreditation.”

The UK building industry will soon be subject to a stringent Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, a cross-industry partnership with the aim of establishing shared asset performance standards. This will cover new and existing buildings and enable building owners claiming net zero to prove their adherence to science-based decarbonisation targets.

Services, and head of retail at Servest UK. Q3 launches Simply Cleared Berkshire-based Q3 Services has launched Simply Cleared, a division providing waste clearance services to the public. The FM firm is an established

commercial waste management service provider but has set up Simply Cleared to address the problem faced by households when trying to dispose of waste items that cannot be processed through the normal refuse and recycling collection services.

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BACK PAGE / NOTED AND QUOTED

EPHFMER A “Effective immediately, let’s put ‘lunch and learns’ in the bin. In fact for 2023, let’s not see any ‘lunch and learns’ offered by anyone. Can anyone here honestly say they enjoy learning during their lunch? Lunch should be your one hour to step away from your desk, eat your food, chat with colleagues, mentally reset, and then hopefully feel ready to go again in the afternoon.”

S I MON E F EN TON -JA RV I S , D I REC TOR OF CUSTOMER WORK P L ACE S OL UT ION S AT RELOG I X , S AYS TO L ET EMP LOY EES EAT T H EIR L UN CH IN P EACE.

“CAN I ASK YOU, ON BEHALF OF THE NATION, IF YOU COULD RUN THE COUNTRY FOR A BIT PLEASE?”

M E NO PAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE SPECIALIST JULIE D E NNIS SAYS THOSE GOING THROUGH M E NO PAUSE NE E D HELP FROM EMPLOYERS.

“Let's be clear, Efficiency does not give you Productivity. When I hear the Government talking about efficiency it has to be about cost cutting. We should be talking about effectiveness and efficiency which is productivity. I call it getting your PEE right. Productivity= Effectiveness+Efficiency.”

CHRIS M AC K E NZ IE-GRIEVE, CHIEF AGITATOR AT V ISIBLE CO NSTRU C TION PARTNERS, FLE SH E S O UT H IS PEE PLAN.

“Overwork and too many hours remain common, as does insufficient control over one's job and various forms of economic insecurity ranging from layoffs to scheduling uncertainty. The health consequences – including excess costs and mortality and morbidity – remain too high and exact too high a toll on both employees and their employers.”

JEFFREY PFEFFER , PROFESSOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR IN THE GR ADUATE SCHOOL OF BU SINESS AT STANFORD U NIVERSITY, POINTS OUT A WORRYING AND PERSISTENT WORKPLACE TREND.

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“Mature conscious leaders are keenly aware that the #behaviours of #inclusiveleaders are synonymous with the behaviours of effective #leaders that are proud to promote the high performance and cohesion that delivers #growth and impact.”

IW F M I M PAC T AWA R DS H OST ZOE LYO N S A PPE A L S TO T H E A S S E M B L E D WORKPL AC E A N D FACI L I T I E S M A N AG E R S IN THE LIGHT OF MAJOR P OL I T IC A L F I R E WO R KS TA K I N G PL AC E AT T H E T IME OF T H E C E R E M O N Y

L EA D ERS H I P D EV ELOP MEN T CON S ULTA N T T I M CA RR P OIN T S OUT T H E N ECES S IT Y OF BEIN G A L EA D ER W H O FAVOURS IN CL US I V I T Y.

“It can be a challenge when someone leaves the business, is away for two years and comes back two levels higher. The message people then hear is: 'So the only way to progress is to leave and come back, what about those of us that are loyal and have been working hard since they left?' How do we accommodate both?

Is it about purpose, value, culture?”

ANDREW PHIPPS, HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EMEA AT CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD, OPINES ON PROGRESS

“Here are a couple of suggestions: ‘Thank you! I thought someone would have something to say on that and there you are!’ ‘Audience interaction already! I must be hitting the spot.’ Keep it lighthearted.”

COACH R ACH EL MAUN D ER OF F ERS T I P S TO D EA L W I T H A H ECK L ER D URIN G YOUR WORK P RES EN TAT I ON .

“Being an ally [to your Black colleagues] is not about looking good or making yourself feel better. Effective allyship should focus on systemic change, sponsorship and sustained action.

What hat it should nott focus on is yourself.”

IMAGES: ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES

“LACK OF SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE WORKPLACE COMPOUNDS THE IMPACT OF MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS AND IS DIRECTLY LEADING TO PEOPLE CUTTING BACK THEIR HOURS OR LEAVING THE WORKPLACE COMPLETELY.”

W EL BEI N G L L BEIN N S ULTA NT CON ULTAN T L EE CH A MB M B E RS RS OF F ERS ADV A DV IC ICE NG AN ON BEI BEIN Y IN E A L LY IN TH HE RK P L ACE WORK AC E .

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