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Global FM market to reach $60 billion by 2022
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A report from Market Research Future predicts that the global FM market will grow at a rate of more than 13% between 2016 to 2022, to reach total revenue of $60 billion.

The forecast encompasses Real Estate, Education, Government, Retail and Healthcare and includes Project Management, Inventory Management and Operations Management among its services.

Market Research Future says the major growth drive in FM is changing working culture in organisations, which in turn is demanding more efficient facility management services.

Other factors include the burgeoning cloud technology market, a growing trend towards outsourcing FM operations, increasing commercial real estate properties and a growing focus on buildings asset & space management.

Global Facility Management Market

The report also listed what it considers to be the major FM players globally:

IBM Corporation (US)
Oracle Corporation (US)
SAP SE (Germany)
EMCOR group, Inc. (US)
Aramark Corporation (US)
FM System, Inc. (US)
CA Technologies, Inc. (US)
Accruent, LLC (US)
Interserve Plc. (UK)
Trimble, Inc. (US)

More information on the report can be found here.

‘Modern’ safety and health challenges studied in new book…
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A new book based on research funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has investigated the changing context of health and safety policy and
‘modern’ concerns emerging in the OSH sector.

The chartered body commissioned studies over a five-year period by teams from: the
Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Cranfield University, Loughborough University, and the universities of Reading, Portsmouth and Nottingham to create Health and Safety in a Changing World (2017, Routledge).

Shelley Frost, executive director of Policy at IOSH and co-editor of the book alongside professor Robert Dingwall, said: “OSH is steeped in a colourful history, shaped by public perception and hugely dynamic.  This book explores those facets and provides a perspective on how the OSH professional can respond to the changing needs and expectations of the world of work.

“There are real opportunities explored on how those driving forward OSH agendas can position themselves to influence and shape the future.”

Considered to be one of the most ambitious research projects undertaken about the ways people are protected from injury and ill health in the workplace, were published in October 2016 and can be found here.

To find out more about the book, click here

Energy efficiency ‘gains ground’ despite lower energy prices…
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A new report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) – which focuses on worldwide government commitments on saving energy and reducing carbon emissions under the recently ratified Paris agreement – has demonstrated the progress made by energy efficiency policies over the last 12 months; particularly in emerging economies such as China.

The IEA’s Energy Efficiency Market Report 2016 found overall energy intensity (the amount of energy used per unit of GDP) improved by 1.8 per cent last year – indicating that the global economy needed less energy to grow. The improvement exceeded the 1.5 per cent gain of 2014, and was triple the average rate seen over the past decade.

IEA’s executive director, Dr. Fatih Birol said: “Energy efficiency is the one energy resource that all countries possess in abundance. I welcome the improvement in global energy efficiency, particularly at a time of lower energy prices. This is a sign that many governments push the energy efficiency policies, and it works.”

The report demonstrates the central role of government policy in driving energy efficiency, and indicates how policies must be strengthened and expanded to boost the potential gains from energy efficiency.

 

Read the report’s findings here

 

Forum Insight: The essential client meeting checklist…
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A well prepared face-to-face client meeting can create a significant impact on the quality of existing and new business relationships; as well as vastly increasing the value of a company in the long term.

Conducting client meetings is also a viable solution to sustaining business longevity which, is primarily determined by the loyalty and commitment of its customer base. Therefore, by following our essential checklist, a strong focus on hosting productive client meetings could turn out to be the one of best investments you will ever make in your business…

  1. Do your homework

It’s worthwhile to spend some time researching your clients’ business: their strengths, weaknesses, competitors and challenges. Gathering as much information as possible before your meeting will give you the much-needed confidence to hold a strong conversation and proactively suggest appropriate solutions.

  1. Plan your meeting

Particularly at a Forum or Summit, it’s likely you will only have around 20 minutes to make a bold first impression, so don’t waste it! Make sure to rehearse answers to any potential questions you feel the client may ask, and you’ll then be ready to overcome any obstacle.

  1. Focus solely on the client

Your last meeting went really well, and the client has given you a brief. Put that meeting to one side – you already have a date set for the next contact. Don’t neglect the client sitting in front of you; their potential contract could be bigger than the last and it crucial to keep this focus. If the clients purchasing requirement is good enough for them to travel to the Forum, then the sales opportunity is good enough for you to give them your undivided attention.

  1. Watch your body language

Get it wrong and it will be a deal breaker. Be immaculately dressed; firmly shake hands and pay attention to how you sit or stand. Strategically plan your coffee breaks; don’t leave your stand five minutes before your next meeting – they may be five minutes early! Inevitably, first impressions always count, so talk to them like you mean it. Be enthusiastic about the things you are talking about; listen to what they say and ask as many questions as you can.

UEA: Investment in energy storage ‘vital’…
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Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has suggested that government subsidies should be used to encourage investment in energy storage systems if renewable power is to be fully integrated into the sector.

The research, led by Dr Konstantinos Chalvatzis and Dr Dimitris Zafirakis of the university’s Norwich Business School and published in the Applied Energy journal; found that the buy cheap, sell expensive approach alone cannot provide adequate revenue to justify investment. However, the study did declare that if the decarbonisation of electricity is to be achieved by increasing renewables, investment in storage has to be encouraged.

Dr Chalvatzis, a senior lecturer in business and climate change, said: “We need sufficient storage and more investment in storage systems in order for renewable energy to reach its full potential. Subsidies would encourage investment, which in turn would enable further integration of renewables into the energy sector. The fact that for some days countries such as Germany and Portugal are running their entire electricity network exclusively on renewable energy shows how far we have come to rely on it as a power source and this will continue to increase.”

With this said, the research claims that investment in energy storage has been limited until now, largely due to the high capital costs of most systems. Therefore, it is suggested that the main focus should be on multiple grid services and associated welfare effects, such as reduced consumer energy costs and increased energy security that energy storage technologies can provide.

You can access the research here