Every new year I plan to do things better, get fitter (I am pretty fit for my age!), drink less coffee (no chance with that one) and check my phone less than 400 times a day (never, I am worse than my kids with their ‘socials’!) but have you thought of what you can do to improve your facilities operations? To make a real difference, just consider taking the following steps and see what a difference you can make: 1) ENGAGE with your team and key stakeholders to understand what really matters to them 2) CONSIDER the overall aims, objectives and values of your organisation and its stakeholders to reflect the degree to which the FM service is supporting them 3) COLLABORATE with your service providers to understand their views and give them the opportunity to both objectively demonstrate what they are doing well and articulate client barriers or challenges to success 4) IDENTIFY any variations between actual and required service standards and assess whether these differences are valid (i.e.

There is a lot of discussion about Artificial Intelligence with views ranging from revolution to threat. While its true impact is uncertain, AI is a powerful tool that brings benefits to property and FM, including: EFFICIENT DATA ANALYSIS AI-driven insights from diverse data sources can lead to improvements including: PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE: Less failure and longer asset life through data led maintenance SPACE OPTIMISATION: Space aligned to actual use as data shows what is needed and where ENERGY USE: Save 10–30% via AI-driven smart building systems USER RESPONSES AND FAULT TRIAGE AI-powered helpdesk chatbots can effectively handle FAQs, queries, and other requests. AI can objectively triage faults to prioritise responses and route them for action, review, or alternative resolution whilst removing bias. However, responses must be validated to avoid risk SCENARIO GENERATION AI can support scenario analysis and option development – key in areas like building assessment or asset replaceme

Benchmarking gives valuable comparative data across facilities which can drive efficiencies and inform strategic decisions. It must be implemented correctly to deliver value and allow the data generated to support informed decision-making rather than leading to costly errors The following steps are key to success: 1. DEFINE DATA STRATEGICALLY Measure critical data to focus time and resources. - FM: The key metric is typically cost per m² by service and secondary measures focus on workplace quality - Property: Key metrics include rental cost and space per workstation (not the very different space per person) 2. ENSURE COMPARABILITY Only compare facilities with similar profiles, e.g. offices have different cost and utilisation patterns to factories, data centres, and other facility types. You should: - Categorise by type; or - Exclude facilities that cannot be meaningfully benchmarked I normally only benchmark offices unless there is clear evidence to confirm comparability in other facil

White Paper - Resilient Facility Management Under Cost Volatility & Global Supply Chain Disruptions I am pleased to have co-authored the following document with Abhishek Lal of Beroe Inc If anyone wishes to discuss with me directly please get in touch

Earlier this week, I successfully delivered my 'Managing Risk in Facilities Management' training course in partnership with Quadrilect (www.quadrilect.com). I would like to thank all the attendees for their valuable contributions and positive feedback. This course is ideally suited for professionals seeking career advancement, IWFM accreditation, or enhanced risk management capabilities. This interactive course addressed critical areas essential for safeguarding you, your organisation, and its people, including the following: - Risk Management Key Principles - Developing a Risk Assessment - Business Continuity - Disaster Recovery These interactive sessions helped participants clarify their risks and priorities and understand their implications. All attendees left better prepared to face future challenges with greater confidence. If you're interested in minimising risk in FM or would like to learn more about my training courses and industry insights, please don't hesitate to get in touc

I was on a Durham to York train, and something caught my eye: every window blind is positioned at exactly the same height. Most passengers won't consciously notice it, yet the carriage feels neat, cared for, and somehow right. This detail costs nothing but creates an immediate impression that someone cares. SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BUILDINGS? FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER – People may not say why, but when details are right, they instinctively trust that everything else is too. We judge spaces quickly and instinctively. If something looks right, people assume it is right - until proven otherwise. Unfortunately, the reverse is equally true. DETAILS SIGNAL COMPETENCE – When someone notices little things like that blinds are aligned, they unconsciously conclude that important things are taken care of, systems must be compliant, building systems must be properly maintained, and safety must be taken seriously. These logic leaps happen instantly. SMALL THINGS SAY ‘YOU MATTER’ – If small detail