NEWS & ANALYSIS FMJ.CO.UK
ASSOCIATION NEWS
RICS LAUNCHES THE INTERNATIONAL
BUILDING OPERATION STANDARD
THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS
8 FEBRUARY 2022
This month sees
the launch of
a major new RICS
global initiative, the
International Building
Operation Standard,
a data led, people
centric framework
which identifies the
critical areas that
need to be measured in order to identify and
improve areas for building performance.
The occupation of commercial buildings has
changed radically over the past couple of decades.
Technology has wrought enormous change;
business models and consumer habits have been
transformed; environmental concerns have come
to the fore; attitudes to health and wellbeing are
evolving rapidly; expectations of the workplace are
far more sophisticated; and the role of real estate in
corporate planning is changing rapidly.
All of these changes mean that we have to
redefine real estate. It’s no longer a place we just go
to, nine-to-five; it’s no longer separate for the rest
of our lives; for many, it’s no longer a single place.
It’s no longer a passive investment opportunity,
and it’s no longer just a building project. It is no
longer ‘let and forget’.
We must change the way that we evaluate its
worth and its contribution to wider society. Put
another way, we need to redefine its relevance to
deliver:
Customer-centric real estate
People-centric real estate
Data-centric real estate
Responsible real estate
Real estate as a resource
The purpose of IBOS is to support organisations
that wish to measure the operational performance
of their property assets in a consistent and holistic
manner – irrespective of the type of property
or its location. IBOS cuts across asset types and
geographical boundaries.
Ež icient and ež ective asset performance is
contingent on accurate and timely data being
available. That data must look at multiple facets of
performance simultaneously, such as utilisation,
cost in use and environmental performance.
IBOS adds another dimension – the user
experience – and in doing so reaches beyond the
more traditional technical aspects of operational
performance that have become tried and tested
over many decades.
Introducing the user experience into the
framework for measuring the operational
performance of assets sets IBOS apart from all
other methodologies. By reflecting the needs
and perceptions of users in a simple but unique
approach to holistic property performance
assessment, RICS has developed a methodology
that is entirely new to the market.
Not only does IBOS introduce the occupier
dimension as a separate consideration when
assessing overall property performance, it
recognises that the technical performance of an
asset also až ects the experience of the user. For
example, consider how alternative approaches
to space utilisation, maintenance, cleaning or life
cycle replacement can impact directly or indirectly
on the ability of a workplace to ež ectively support
the needs of the occupier.
The five pillars of performance that form the
foundation of IBOS approach performance from
diž erent perspectives but with a single unifying
thread: the user experience.
The five pillars are: Compliance - Function - Cost -
Sustainability - Experience
RICS will shortly launch a free new self-assessment
tool available to any organisation that wishes to
follow the pillars and maturity levels set out in
IBOS.
IBOS is not intended to replace existing standards
that are well used, it is more akin to providing a
framework to demonstrate their role and context in
the wider measurement of building performance.
For more details on the standard and
how to support and
adopt it please
contact me at
pbagust@rics.org
Where America leads, the UK tends to follow,
and with ‘The Great Resignation’ making
waves across the Atlantic, businesses will
be wondering what their sta turnover will look like
in 12 months’ time.
A variety of factors will drive one in four of us to
leave our employers, but the timing suggests that the
pandemic was the catalyst. IWFM’s time-series research
- which tracked UK workers’ attitudes towards and
experiences of working during the pandemic – ož ers some insights.
In the latest phase of our research (December 2021), 21 per cent of UK workers
reported that their overall wellbeing had worsened over the past year due to
changed working practices. The figures for women (26 per cent), part-timers (27
per cent) and over 55s (31 per cent) underlined the problem.
Why? Again, there will be a variety of factors. What we do know is that some
organisations are failing to provide an adequate workplace experience for their
people.
Thirty three per cent of those we surveyed said their employers had not
equipped them to work from home productively. In an earlier phase of our
research (summer 2021), 50 per cent surveyed said they felt more needed to be
done to support hybrid working, while 48 per cent of UK workers believed they
were more productive working from home. Would that last figure be higher if
more workers had the right equipment available to them and a culture that
encouraged them to work where they do it best?
Our latest research also suggests that up to 83 per cent of full-time ož ice-based
workers will spend all or most of their time in the ož ice in future – o¢ en in a
mandated schedule, we are hearing.
The interests of some organisations and their people will be best served by
returning to the ož ice all or most of the time; there is no single answer for all.
Equally, I understand that this is a test and learn phase for many of us as we try
to find our feet mid-pandemic. However, there is also an evident disconnect
between employers and employees that can be explained by many organisations
reverting to type and not listening to their people. Disenfranchising our people is
a quick route to poor mental health, decreased productivity and resignations.
Our increasing understanding of the implications of diž erent work settings
should ring alarm bells for any businesses hoping to retain and attract top talent
in the future. Employers simply must invest to: a) adapt their workplace strategy
to reflect new working realities; b) support employee wellbeing.
You can find out more about workplace wellbeing and workplace optimisation
on our website.
In the coming months, we will publish the findings from IWFM’s 2022 Market
Outlook Survey which will help us to paint a clearer picture of the state of our
sector. Please visit IWFM.org.uk and search ‘outlook’ to
complete the Survey. It only takes around 10 minutes
and your input is crucial to us understanding the
factors až ecting the market.
Paul Bagust - Global Property
Standards Director, RICS
IWFM CEO, Linda Hausmanis
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