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

improvement in FM demands innovation that challenges convention, benefiting both the organisation and its people. This post outlines an effective approach

As a consultant, there are many tasks that come with the role but updating my CV ranks among my least favourite. Yet it's such an important sales document it simply has to be done. And here's the thing: it's never just one CV. You need multiple versions, each serving a different purpose. The Long CV showcases all my key experience and successes, demonstrating both what I've accomplished and what I'm capable of. The constant worry? Have I included so much detail that readers lose interest halfway through and forget how brilliant I am? The Summary CV distils everything into a single, powerful page. But I'm always second-guessing myself: have I omitted that crucial piece of experience that would land me that fascinating role I'm eyeing? (For me, interesting work trumps day rates every time.) Or worse, have I left out something that could help win a project that benefits not just me, but an entire team? The Pen Portrait condenses my entire professional identity into just a paragraph or two

Alongside my consulting expertise, I'm also a qualified executive coach—but perhaps not for the reasons you might expect. While I do offer coaching services when I believe I'm the right fit for the role, my primary motivation for obtaining this qualification was to enhance the complementary skills it brings to my consulting practice, allowing me to deliver even greater value to my clients. The synergy between these disciplines runs deeper than many realise. Both coaching and consulting share fundamental requirements that are critical to achieving successful outcomes: 1. Building Strong Relationships Whether working with key stakeholders in consulting or establishing rapport with a coaching client, the foundation remains the same: trust, clear boundaries, and open, honest communication must be established from the outset. These elements are essential for success in either field 2. Uncovering the True Objectives Both areas require cutting through initial assumptions to identify what clie