Jack Wynn, Author at Facilities Management Forum | Forum Events Ltd - Page 5 of 11
Posts By :

Jack Wynn

Guest Blog, Colin Kenton: Stimulating the economy by simplifying FM delivery…
By:

The method and merit of Facilities Management (FM) delivery – be it in-house, total, bundled or single stream – has been debated for many years. Getting the correct delivery model for a specific contract has never been more important, especially so with market volatility arising from events such as Brexit. Uncertain times mean the correct service structure and management is essential to securing and meeting targets set out when the contract was tendered. In truth, these models are valid within certain circumstances, and it can never be a case of ‘one size fits all’. Public sector contracts in particular require an absolute assurance of delivery; the scrutiny which large central government departments face means that nothing other than exceptional service for the best possible value is acceptable. The requirement to improve productivity and efficiency is a key motivation not only in the public sector, but with FM in general. Additionally, the need to extract as much value as possible is crucial. This market development has seen a reduction in team resources and has consequently created challenges with delivery capability for both in-house and outsourced offerings.

With SME’s being championed by the government and encouraged to bid for large public sector contracts, the need for smaller businesses that are able to deliver is paramount. The demand to meet service expectations while simultaneously keeping costs to a minimum can be burdensome for smaller businesses, and the overall quality of their service can suffer if it is not managed correctly. The workload that a public sector contract generates can put disproportionate strain on the supplier’s resources and potentially be self-defeating. It is right that SME’s should be encouraged to win major contracts with central government departments; this competition is undoubtedly good for stimulating the economy and safeguarding future prosperity. However, if the contract creates serious issues for the entire business, then this needs to be addressed in a strategic way that helps an SME deliver on expectations while also safeguarding their resources so they are not stretched too thin.

In my experience at KBR, the best method for alleviating this problem is to use an integrated service delivery model (ISDM) that provides the client with a stand-alone matrix of processes, resources, skills and knowledge to manage the execution of its services. This particular model means that the service is capable of meeting the specific needs of each client. From the beginning of an agreement, the sourcing strategy is devised and the supply chain is mobilised while day-to-day management is continually monitored. The bespoke nature of this model means that an integrator can deal with issues – anticipated or unforeseen – while still ensuring that FM services are delivered throughout the contract term as agreed. The single integrated system also ensures that monitoring is non-intrusive and the data accrued is simple to interpret and utilise.

The ability to monitor FM and property performance data means trends can be established and delivery can be modified accordingly. This is a great opportunity for SME’s as the model allows for continual improvement while not physically interfering in the actual execution of FM services from the client itself. The SME can fulfill its contract while benefitting from the influence that an IDSM brings, thus alleviating the potential service stress of a major public-sector contract. If there is a particular issue, it will be identified and discussed with the provider who then makes changes as appropriate – essentially the process of troubleshooting and optimisation is simplified for all parties and the job gets done. Conversely, this model also allows for an integrator to deliver everything independently, if desired. A key benefit of ISDM is its flexibility and applicability.

This model has enjoyed demonstrable success. In 2013, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) went through the biggest transformation of its estate to date. KBR were employed to develop an integrator model which oversaw a total restructuring of its facilities management with the aim of saving £5 million pounds a year. Three years on, the MPS is now seeing £10 million a year in savings, service satisfaction has improved, and the number of SME’s working alongside the MPS has increased by 40 per cent. Integrator payment arrangements are also typically made on a fee basis, so no amount is taken from the original contract agreement itself. The SME is therefore never short-changed in the process; it is a mutually beneficial collaboration. Having an integrator involved is not a prerequisite to an SME’s success in major public contract negotiations, but the assured service they can bring for all parties will certainly make any prospective bid more desirable. Food for thought for those aspiring to supply in the public arena.

 

As managing director for Facilities Management Services, Colin holds strategic responsibility for the direction and growth of the FM Services business across the UK for KBR. His remit includes Business Development and acquisition: securing contracts, and negotiating at executive level with major clients in both the public and private sectors.

Industry Spotlight – Guardian Water Treatment: Clean water equals energy saved…
By:

Water is essential to any building, needed for sanitation, drinking and HVAC system operation. When we think ‘clean’ water it is usually in terms of the first two purposes. Apart from human health, however, water hygiene is also essential for HVAC operation, ensuring systems run efficiently, preventing downtime and minimising energy wastage. How this water is cleaned can have an impact on energy consumption too. Steven Booth, associate director for Guardian Water Treatment, explains this relationship…

Facilities managers responsible for water hygiene may primarily think of this task in terms of keeping building occupants safe, preventing Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. These pathogens also pose a risk to water system function; however, with Pseudomonas in particular causing fouling which can lead to clogging, corrosion, inefficiencies and breakdowns. Where energy saving is in your remit, ensuring water used for HVAC equipment is clean should be a priority.

Steps to water hygiene

The first step in this process begins before the FM gets involved, when a building and/or its water systems are constructed. Correct water system design is essential, such as avoiding dead legs in the pipework, which can become breeding grounds for bacteria. At this point, in-built water treatment options are often chosen, with supposedly ‘fit and forget’ solutions a problem we see time and time again.

One common example is magnetic water conditioning, favoured due to its low energy and low maintenance credentials. Lime-scale formation is not controlled throughout the entire water system as effectively as with traditional salt-based water softeners, however, creating maintenance issues.

Once in-situ, water systems need fit for purpose maintenance and treatment, based on actual usage, rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Water monitoring will allow FMs to create a bespoke water treatment plan, catch small problems before they become big ones and identify the root causes of any issues to stop poor water hygiene in its tracks, rather than just throwing in more chemicals. In general, overdosing should be avoided, it puts operatives at risk from overexposure to nasty substances and in-itself can cause corrosion. Bromine, for example, commonly used in cooling towers, can degrade pipes. By reducing chemical usage, expenditure will be reduced too.

Further money and energy can be saved by exploring non-chemical water treatment options. Photocatalytic water purifiers greatly reduce bacterial levels without the use of biocides. And, as water is continually treated, maintenance requirements are also dramatically cut, as water systems do not need to be so regularly flushed out and dosing is reduced considerably, saving money across the board.

Our own non-chemical water treatment solution, Wallenius AOT, simply needs a light changing a couple of times a year. AOT can be used to treat water in closed-circuit systems where Pseudomonas is a particular problem, as well as on the incoming mains and for specific applications, such as spas and swimming pools.

Getting water treatment right could save FMs money, time and energy, allowing HVAC equipment to run more efficiently, while reducing an over-reliance on chemicals and the maintenance requirement that goes alongside dosing. What’s important is that the approach is integrated, managed and fit for a specific building, rather than a knee jerk reaction to a problem.

 

Guardian Water Treatment provides a range of water hygiene services. Its non-chemical alternative to water treatment, Wallenius Advanced Oxidation Technology (AOT) is a safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effective option for controlling bacterial growth, minimising environmental impact by reducing chemical usage. For more information, visit: www.gwtltd.co.uk.

Forum Insight: Business-proof your company and personal social media…
By:

Of course, garnering a substantial social media following is important to all industry professionals and companies as a whole; however, a select few are still not implementing the basics to optimising their social presence. More than likely, your profiles will be the first thing new users look at to find out more information, and often dictate how your business, and you as an individual, appear in search results. 

Here, we breakdown the essential elements to maximising the potential of your social accounts, and why this is important for generating new business and creating a lasting impression…

  1. A clear job title: How many times have you searched for someone’s profile, only to find the individual considers themselves to be a sales manager, commercial development director, project coordinator, and all of the above? May sound simple, but you’ll be surprised by the number of job titles people list as their current employment; therefore, to make life easier for all parties involved, just stick to one! Short, concise descriptions of your role within a company instead of laying out extensive, essay-style paragraphs will also help users and clients to stay engaged.
     
  2. Keep updating your accounts: Posting daily, or even multiple times a day, is crucial to sustaining a loyal following as well as how others will perceive both your company and your role. Granted – it’s tough work keeping on top of an average of four social accounts, nevertheless, as multiple marketing industry reports suggest, consistent use of social media can boost a company’s site SEO and allows instant communication with your clients. To share out the workload, why not create a weekly schedule where every member of your marketing team is responsible for a particular day of the week. 
     
  3. Select a professional image: I’m sure you’ve all heard this before, but your choice of profile image for both a personal and business account greatly impacts a client’s perception of you; and, with my recent experience of following up with leads after a networking event, some are still choosing to ignore this basic component. Don’t just leave it as a generic grey box; and definitely don’t upload a picture of you and your friends on a night out along the Magaluf strip – for a business, a logo image will allow clients to instantly find you among the other accounts with a similar name. For personal, stick with a simple yet professional, smiley and welcoming headshot.  
     
  4. Include ALL direct contact information: Don’t forget to include information on how people can get in touch with you. Include your preferred contact methods, such as phone, Skype, email, website,  The inclusion of both a professional and personal blog presents itself as a way of existing and potential clients to learn more about you. 
  1. Recommendations: If a social platform provides the opportunity (particularly LinkedIn) it’s a good idea to take full advantage of their ‘Recommendations’ feature. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask a bunch of your loyal clients and even some colleagues to write short recommendation paragraphs for you – but expect to give a little guidance on what they need to write, and be open to doing the same for them. 

Top 5 global FM suppliers revealed by Technavio…
By:

Basing its findings on key factors such as ROI, sustainability, customer satisfaction, floor occupancy rate, pareto analysis and consistent performance measurement framework, a new report deriving from the global technology research and advisory company, Technavio, has affirmed the top 5 performing global facilities management suppliers up until the year 2020.

The report acknowledges that the FM market is dominated by large ‘global players’ as a majority of supplier companies are getting involved with mergers and acquisitions to achieve maximum international reach; in addition to enhancing their service capabilities. Therefore, it has been suggested that organisations prefer to outsource their FM services and the suppliers are developing environmental management plans to adhere to the industry’s regional and global regulations.

In order, the top 5 global FM suppliers are:

  1. Sodexo: Provides facility management and food services across different industries worldwide. The company serves more than 75 million people every day. It provides more than 234 services for the benefit of clients’ employees. In March 2016, Sodexo was awarded a 10-year contract by Rio Tinto to deliver facility management services for its operations in Australia. 
  2. Compass Group: A global leader in food services and FM support services. K-12 (part of the Compass Group) serves more than two million students every day in the US alone. Approximately, one-third of the top business schools in Europe are served by the company, and the Compass Service Framework was designed by the company to enhance their service capabilities and provide high-quality service to customers. 
  3. Aramark: Currently maintains approximately 1 billion square feet of facilities across multiple industries worldwide. It owns over one million square feet of meeting space globally. The company manages over 45 unique world-class residential and day centers across the US and Canada. In April 2016, Aramark won Citi’s Sustainable Partner Award in recognition of the high-value services provided to the Citi Group. 
  4. ISS A/S: Generates three million work orders on an annual basis. Annually, the company serves 13,809,467 square metres of office and industrial space globally. It caters to a large and diversified portfolio of B2B customers across industry sectors. The company performs 30 billion square meter of cleaning activities globally.
  1. CBRE: One of the largest FM service providers across the globe with a total workforce of 25,000 EFMs and 13,000+ engineering professionals. It caters to a client base of 25.8 million occupants and tenants in the global commercial real estate market. The company employs 300+ HSSE professionals, 40+ OSHA, and 501 trainers for health and safety as well as environmental management.

 

To request a sample report, click here

Mitie introduces thermal imaging drone…
By:

The facilities management company, Mitie, has announced the launch of the first thermal imaging drone to be used in the industry – corresponding with the growing popularity of implementing technology in FM operations.

The thermal imaging technology is the next stage of development for Mitie’s pest control drone service, which was announced earlier this year. The drone, named Inspire 1, will enable Mitie to deliver a wide range of services, from pest control to property and waste management. The thermal imaging applications for the Inspire 1 also include:

  • Concealed bird nesting in roof crevices. 
  • Building damage inspections and maintenance, in areas that aren’t readily visible. 
  • Wildlife management – thermal imaging for animal population control. 
  • Safety at landfill sites – the drone can find hot spots that pose a fire risk. 

    Roofing surveillance to detect excess humidity and water cooling on flat roofs. 

  • Thermal mapping – look at any heat leakage over the whole building to identify potential savings via improved insulation.

Regional director for Mitie’s pest control and drone operations, Gareth Davies, said: “The thermal imaging technology enables us to develop the precision of our existing drone fleet. The Inspire 1 will enable us to offer customers and increasingly comprehensive, safe and flexible service and is a great example of Mitie’s technological innovation in the FM sector.”

With the ability to reach 400ft, previously inaccessible places are reachable from the ground and without the need for specialist equipment. The small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) are operated by licensed Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) members, enhancing safety and reducing the cost of surveying at height.

IOSH’s new CEO determined to enhance global profile…
By:

The new CEO of safety and health’s leading professional body, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has declared that she will work with all members to build partnerships and further raise the organisation’s global profile as part of a new five-year strategy.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Bev Messinger, who commenced her post on October 3 following her departure from water regulator, Ofwat, will work  with Trustees, staff and senior members on delivering IOSH’s ‘2017-2022 plan’.

Messinger said: “I was attracted to the role at IOSH as I believe I can make a difference to people’s lives. I would like to build on the strong history and credibility of IOSH and take it to the next level. Our Presidential team and wider membership do a great job in raising the profile of IOSH on the international stage. I intend to support them on this, building strategic partnerships and alliances which can enhance the drive to make workplaces across the globe safe and healthy.”

Taking over from organisation’s interim chief executive, Cyril Barratt, Messinger also intends to ensure that members continue to be provided with a ‘responsive customer service’, and that the Institution continues to be ‘modern and agile’.

IOSH currently has more than 45,000 members working across industry sectors in 120 countries.

 

To find out more about IOSH’s work, click here

London’s high office space costs leading occupants to move South East…

 800 450 Jack Wynn
By:
0

According to the Annual Occupiers Survey 2016 conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the next five years will see South East-bound office occupiers expanding their portfolios at a faster pace compared to those in the capital.

Produced in association with Savills and EY, the survey found that 20 per cent of UK property decision-makers expect to increase the amount of office space they own or rent in the South East; in comparison to decreasing (seven per cent). In addition, a net balance of 13 per cent more respondents in the South East expect to increase rather than decrease their property portfolio – equating to almost double the seven per cent in London.

RICS director of UK commercial property professional group, Paul Bagust, said of the results: “Among those who expect to expand (41 per cent), more than half cited quality of facilities (57 per cent) as the key driver for selecting their office space. Proximity to transport links and amenities is the next most important (39 per cent), with a third (35 per cent) citing technology and digital connectivity.”

He continued: “The figures indicate those taking on more property are doing so to find better quality spaces, which are better managed, and are equipped to deliver greater value to business – helping with recruitment and contributing to the bottom line. Occupiers are undoubtedly getting smarter about understanding the value good, well-managed premises can deliver.”

Elsewhere, when asked about the importance of location and the quality of workplace premises impacting employee performance and satisfaction, the top five factors recorded in the survey are: pay and benefits (64 per cent); company culture and reputation (62 per cent); proximity to transport links and amenities (49 per cent); flexibility of working arrangements (43 per cent); and quality of premises and facilities (34 per cent).

Industry Spotlight: Take full advantage of Salisbury Energy’s cost-effective solutions…
By:

Salisbury Energy offers support in reducing occupancy costs. We generate savings through the update of building infrastructure. We design, procure, install and deliver a bespoke energy solution.

For example, changing from fluorescent to LED lighting can save you up to 51.3% against your current energy spend. In addition, we can carry out a whole asset base review. We provide a holistic solution including: site surveys; sourcing a wide range of equipment through our procurement process; detailed cost and savings analysis; installation and project management; service oriented maintenance, and we can also fully finance our energy management solutions.

Find out more about Salisbury Energy here

Forums vs Expos – how to maximise your precious time out of the office…
By:

With a majority of ‘expert’ advice on Expos being somewhat outdated or, like with many businesses, asserting too much emphasis on easy routes rather than methods that actually work, it’s no wonder people get frustrated and disconcerted when they are looking to effectively network and source new connections without it lessening quality time spent in the office.

Amplified by the dominant presence of social media quick fixes such as: setting up a LinkedIn profile; increasing your Twitter presence; scheduling a large number of email marketing campaigns; and collecting as many business cards as possible at industry events – are key solution in helping you to be astute in intelligently selecting what methods best suit you and your way of working.

Expos can also have a somewhat ‘lazy’ association to it: people picture the huge halls and countless stands as a way of picking up leads and justifying their time out of the office, but realistically a large percentage of exhibitors won’t be of necessary relevance, or the person you need to speak to has decided not to attend at the last minute.

So set aside any previous experiences you may have with networking and Expos, and garner some quality connections by attending one of our Forum Events. Our formula ensures that buyers can increase their knowledge of how, why and where to invest without hanging around waiting for the wrong supplier; as well as ensuring that all suppliers are provided with qualified leads and valuable business is made as a result.

Events relevant to you may include the Facilities Management Forum taking place on January 30-31, 2017. Contact the team today…

Scotland leads the UK in energy and climate change…
By:

New analysis compiled by the government’s climate watchdog, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has discovered that Scotland is leading the UK when it comes to lowering emissions; detailing that its annual greenhouse gas reduction target was met in 2014 and gross emissions fell by 8.6 per cent during that period – compared to a reduction of 7.3 per cent recorded for the UK as a whole.

The ‘Reducing emissions in Scotland – 2016 progress report’ also acknowledges that emissions in Scotland have decreased by almost 40 per cent over the past 30 years – in comparison to 33 per cent for the UK – and CCC members also revealed that Scotland has shown great enthusiasm in introducing renewable electricity generation, as well as implementing a ‘well developed’ energy efficiency policy and making ‘excellent progress’ with community energy schemes.

Chair of the CCC, Lord Deben, said in a statement: “Scotland continues to lead the UK both in performance and ambition when it comes to tackling climate change. Emissions are reducing and the latest targets have been hit.”

Despite the positive action, the CCC has also warned that more work needs to be done following warnings from the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee that the UK will more than likely miss an EU-set target that is legally binding to achieve 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. 

 

Read the full analysis here