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The latest edition of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management’s (IWFM) annual market report points to encouraging developments in the workplace and facilities management (WFM) sector, despite historic concerns about the future of offices and workspace.
The report ‘Keep investing- the tide is turning’, which draws on a record number of survey responses and builds on recent progress to provide even more insights, has revealed that more organisations have increased the area of space managed in the last 12 months than have decreased it, and that the sector is investing in key areas to drive productivity and sustainability, notably carbon reduction, technology and skills. Sixty per cent of organisations indicated that they had increased investment in carbon reduction solutions in the last 12 months.
Taken together IWFM says these results make two important findings: the sector is investing in the right areas for the future, and the future is looking increasingly bright, with real confidence in the positive momentum of the sector and the value that it can add.
While many uncertainties and challenges remain for the sector, the research highlights the great opportunities that lie ahead for those seeking to optimise workplace strategy and invest in both their people and spaces.
A concerning finding from the 2024 research is of real inertia in WFM budgets, despite significant inflationary pressures. The percentage of organisations that increased budgets ticked up by just one percentage point in the last year from 39 per cent to 40 per cent, while 33 per cent of respondents reported a drop.
IWFM CEO Linda Hausmanis said: “Budget inertia is clearly a concern, but I am more concerned about the opportunity that organisations are missing in failing to realise the value that workplace and facilities managers bring and the significant benefits they can unlock. We need to push even harder with that message.
On the impact of mandated office returns, also highlighted in the report, Hausmanis added: “What is clear is that FM organisations can’t rely solely on increased numbers returning to offices for future growth but have to adapt strategies to include innovative support for those working on a hybrid and homeworking basis, especially if they are to retain top talent.”
