FMJ.CO.UK FM SURVEY FOCUS
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 37
Essential
Health and safety 69.86%
Cleaning 57.68%
Meeting compliance objectives 56.81%
Building maintenance management 42.90%
Workplace planning. (e.g. preparing the
workplace for reoccupation) 42.61%
Workplace relocation management (e.g.
reorganisation of building estate to support
36.52%
social distancing)
Strategic planning and project management 31.01%
Security 29.57%
Workplace support management (whether for
home, field or o ice-based workers) 28.41%
Looking into new technology/ IOT 21.16%
Sustainablity management (i.e. energy
management/recycling) 18.84%
Procurement 17.68%
Capitalworks/lifecycle management 16.81%
Catering 10.72%
The importance of maintaining compliance was shown by the
fact that all of the panel have kept maintenance regimes active,
with one advantage being that because much of the space is
unoccupied, it’s easier to go in and carry out essential works
within working hours.
Health and safety remains a key priority for nearly 70 per
cent of respondents, but how meeting compliance is balanced
with health and safety considerations is an issue for our panel.
“Even if we’ve only got a few people on each floor we still want
maintenance suppliers to follow the regulations. It did take some
firm conversations to say ‘just because there are fewer people in the
o ice doesn’t mean maintenance sta don’t skip health and safety
checks’, as there was a mindset that if
there’s only a few people in the building
they’d just come in and do this work
without adhering to the safety rules.”
Behind issues such as cleaning (57
per cent) and workplace planning
(43 per cent), sustainability came in
relatively low - being a major priority
for just 18 per cent of respondents,
something our panellists described as
very short sighted. It was suggested
though, that respondents may not be considering the wider
definition of sustainability. It is not reserved for recycling and energy
management but encompasses factors such as business continuity
and wellbeing, and the wider impact on organisations. It was agreed
that FMs continue to be at the forefront of all these issues, which is
why our panel believe it’s vital that sustainability isn’t overlooked
due to the COVID emergency.
A related issue regarding sustainability was that concerns about
lowering the risk of infection was leading some organisations to put
recyclable waste into general waste, while double bagging it to lower
the risk of infection. Said one member of the panel: “We’re having a
lot of discussions on how we get that balance back in lowering the
risk of transmission while also achieving our sustainability targets.
We need to talk to the waste and recycling industry and ask, ‘what
are the solutions that deliver the best of both?’”
Another hitherto overlooked implication of lockdown is that with
so many members of sta being home based, organisations are not
assessing home consumption when measuring energy use. This, said
a panellist: “Is going to throw out our figures because 2020 will equal
low energy consumption for us, as our premises are open but
there’s less energy being used. For many organisations there may
be a level of complacency as they won’t have to do anything to hit
their targets.” This unique set of circumstances may bring easy
wins now but could cause the sector some real challenges down
the line.
How much of your budget has been a ected by the
adaptation to working from home?
Budget remains the same 52.17%
Budget has been reduced 28.99%
Budget has been increased 11.88%
Other 6.96%
According to the results, while over half had seen their budget
remain the same, a significant proportion (30 per cent) saw
their budgets reduced. The panel disagreed with this thinking.
They argue that FMs needed support when building an
environment for home workers because this is an extension
of the business and there should be extra incentives in place
to meet home workers’ expectations. And within commercial
buildings, though savings have been made in areas such as
catering, the additional costs of infection control and social
distancing as well as increasing the level of air flow and
ventilation has brought additional costs.
Looking ahead to next year, the panel agreed that FM
budgets may be determined by real estate strategies, and while
budgets for FM may remain high to maintain cleaning and
security services, in the longer run, organisations may look
to rationalise their CRE footprints. “When we get a good idea