An end to one-size-fits-all building maintenance

Andre Bothma, Managing Director – Strategic Asset Management & Energy at Bellrock, says facilities managers stand to benefit enormously from moving beyond a homogenous approach to managing and maintaining modern buildings

When the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) launched the SFG20 building maintenance standard in 1990, it gave the FM industry something it had long needed: consistency.

For the first time, facilities managers had a clear baseline. They could procure services knowing that competing tenders were aligned, while engineering teams gained a structured methodology for maintaining assets and pricing their work.

Over the past 36 years, SFG20 has evolved into a comprehensive digital platform, with more than 2,000 maintenance schedules across asset types. It remains a cornerstone of best practice, not only in the UK but globally.

But buildings have changed, and so should both maintenance strategies and the people responsible for them.

Today’s assets, whether new or retrofitted, are far more intelligent. They generate vast amounts of operational data and, increasingly, can “tell their own story”. This creates an opportunity to move beyond the one-size-fits-all maintenance regimes that have dominated the industry since SFG20’s introduction.

Through Bellrock Symphony – and other predictive FM platforms on the market – it is possible to see that modern systems can self-diagnose, much like connected vehicles. So why send an engineer to investigate an issue when the data already points to the root cause? Instead, why not deploy that engineer with the right tools, parts, and insight to resolve it the first time? With the level of granular data we capture today we can benefit from deeper trend analysis on repeat failures, plus mean time between failures, and identify replace-versus-repair opportunities.

And more fundamentally, why apply identical maintenance schedules to inherently different environments (for example, a manufacturing facility in a polluted industrial setting versus a low-impact office on the edge of woodland) simply because they sit within the same portfolio?

From standardisation to intelligent orchestration

This is where a predictive FM platform demonstrates its value, because it brings together technology, data and intelligent people to analyse assets and buildings in a truly intuitive way. The platform enables continuous insight not just into how a building currently performs, but also how it should be operated tomorrow and into the future.

I’m not suggesting replacing SFG20 but, rather, that we build on its foundations, transforming static standards into dynamic, responsive strategies. Effectively “orchestrating” maintenance: aligning real-time asset conditions, usage patterns, environmental context and engineering expertise into a single, evolving plan.

The result is a more agile, more informed approach to asset management – one that listens to what each asset actually needs.

Empowering engineers with autonomy, informing decisions

At the heart of this shift is a rebalancing of control.

Instead of rigid adherence to predefined schedules, engineers are empowered with data-driven insight to make informed decisions based on real-world conditions reflecting how an asset is used, how often, and under what stresses.

Of course, adopting this model requires a mindset shift across the entire ecosystem, including clients, facilities managers, asset owners and supply chains. That’s why Bellrock has invested in its own training programme (Symphony Academy) to build understanding that this is not just about sensors or software, but about combining technology, expertise and culture.

The value: cost, energy and longevity

While change can bring short-term disruption, the long-term benefits are compelling.

Firstly, cost. A proactive, insight-led approach reduces unnecessary callouts, eliminates wasted time and improves planning efficiency. Engineers can triage with autonomy and confidence, in some cases remotely, align interventions with scheduled visits, and focus effort where it adds real value.

Secondly, energy performance. By continuously reviewing how assets operate, facilities managers can identify inefficiencies such as a plant working against itself or running outside optimal timeframes. Clients adopting this approach typically see around 20% energy savings. Across Bellrock’s Symphony program, this has translated into £1.2 million in combined energy and maintenance savings over the past 12 months.

Thirdly, asset longevity. Greater visibility means better forecasting. Maintenance becomes predictive rather than reactive, enabling more accurate CapEx planning and avoiding premature asset replacement.

Evolving the standard for a smarter, dynamic future

Change is never easy, and the principles behind SFG20 remain both relevant and valuable. But in a world of increasingly intelligent buildings, static approaches are no longer enough.

By applying established standards within an intelligent, data-led framework, we can give buildings a voice, transforming maintenance from a fixed schedule into a living, adaptive strategy.

And in doing so, bring facilities management firmly into the future.