Property & Facilities Professional

Developing Trends

Facility management professionals are tuned into corporate social responsibility and sustainability, which have become increasingly important, requiring companies to focus on sensitivities and adapt to more eco-friendly practices. What was previously perceived in the industry to be a cost driver is now a demonstration of a business commitment to global citizenship and is brand critical.  

Workplace strategy and environment is key to enhancing employee engagement and retention. The focus of business is varied, with various businesses grappling to maintain the working-from-home policy or entice their workforce back into the office. I am seeing businesses investing in a dynamic workplace environment when focusing on encouraging the workforce back into the office with a collaboration of days, modular workspace, employee services, lifestyle amenities, and wellness in design.

I believe we will see a hybrid environment for years to come and the continued occupancy rate of commercial buildings will decline unless prescriptive policies or the government steps in. Either way, I am certain the workplace will see a significant evolution in the future.

Predicaments in the Industry

Resources, whether the program is insourced or outsourced, have been and still are a challenge for many businesses. With COVID-19, businesses have seen a constant change of required protocols concerning day-to-day routines, as employed by the government during the lockdown period of the pandemic. Whilst a section of the workforce was working from home, Facilities management professionals & their delivery teams were still obligated to meet the statutory and regulatory program requirements in incredibly challenging environments. The opportunity is for industry and government to work collaboratively in negating this risk in the event we see another pandemic. 

Finding and retaining skilled professionals who can adapt to the evolving needs of the business sector is a constant concern. As technology progresses, new skill sets are required to ensure a competent workforce.

"The dissection of mass data is providing trends and insights in a snippet of time; the evolution of this system is fascinating"

The easing of the immigration of skilled migrants will complement the current talent pool and will ensure resilience in the segment. 

Resilience in FM

Resilience in the facilities and maintenance supply chain sector is crucial. There is a range of challenges to overcome; businesses must navigate the ever-increasing complexity of globalization, trade barriers, and geopolitical risks making the segment more complex. In the multidiscipline field of facilities management, commercial relevance, compliance, and programs are the fundamentals of ensuring core business functions and people are supported in an environment that is conducive. 

Technology in the Industry

Artificial intelligence is both enhancing and creating new forms of analytics in facilities management. The dissection of mass data provides trends and insights in a snippet of time; the evolution of this system is fascinating. The system can provide many advantages in various business sectors and improvement milestones that used to be measured in decades are now yearly. I enjoy reading up on this technology and one of my favorite reads on this is from Our World in Data: The Brief History of Artificial Intelligence. 

I am working on a pilot program to enhance the delivery of physical security & CCTV platforms utilizing AI. The usage of algorithms and a defined set of parameters is something I believe can be developed and standardized as the technology has reached the desired capabilities.  

The adoption of renewable energy sources and smart grids within the utility sector is a trend that excites me. I am particularly interested in solar and with some recent developments of printable solar cells, this has the potential for a significant step change once the efficiency and reliability of these printable cells are improved.