FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
For the first time, the Government has established a Facilities Management Strategy. The coordinated, cross-government vision for facilities management is part of the Government’s Property Strategy to reshape the public estate, and aims to set the strategic approach and standards which will govern what good looks like and the quality of service which should be aspired to.
The vision, values and goals articulated in the strategy have been developed collaboratively, bringing together expertise from government and the wider facilities management and property industries. The purpose of the Strategy is to contribute to the commitments set out in the Government Property Strategy, aligning with key missions relating to a better and greener estate, the transformation of services and delivering professional excellence.
The facilities management sector contributes more than £65 billion to the UK economy. Of this, around £13 billion comes directly from public sector procurement. This means the UK Government directs almost 20 per cent of the total market, bringing a significant opportunity to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of its workplaces, and public sector facilities, to ensure a vision for facilities management is achieved.
Due to long-term under investment along with inconsistent and varied approaches to the management of the government estate, the condition has over a number of years deteriorated to the point where functionality was becoming affected. For these reasons, the Government Property Function is reviewing FM provision across the whole (office and operational) Government estate to improve the quality and consistency of FM services.
This new strategy addresses how FM will support the ongoing transformation and increased digitalisation of public services, and developing new ways of working for public servants. The workplace can bring a positive impact on productivity, and the condition of the estate can improve recruitment and retention of talented people. A whole life asset management approach to maintenance can build value, reduce liabilities, and ensure longevity of the estate.
Commented Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary (Cabinet Office):
“There is a direct link between the quality of workplaces and the services provided from them. Improving facilities management will support better services for our citizens. This strategy sets out how we will get there.
“I am delighted to support the Government Property Facilities Management Strategy 2022-2030.”
For more information click here:
According to Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, worldwide parcel volume is likely to double in the next five years, with the UK showing the highest increase in carrier revenue of all 13 countries in the Index.
Alongside a huge uptake in the volume of parcel volume and spend, post pandemic, the adoption of hybrid working patterns means that FMs need to find ways to enable staff to book / host collaborative meetings in available workspaces and to find desk, office and parking spaces by utilising automation and data capture to enable site governance.
Yet a recent survey by FMJ in partnership with Pitney Bowes found that 20 per cent of recipients are still using manual paper-based visitor systems, which doesn’t fit with their top priority – to maintain a safe and operational environment.
This overwhelming reliance on paper-based systems is causing many respondents bottlenecks, resulting in a lack of efficiently in logging and tracking packages and people coming into the organisation.
In this webinar, Gary Abbott Director of Business Development and Stuart Bushaway, Head of Dealers Operations and FM Relationships at Pitney Bowes will outline the main findings of the two surveys and what this could mean for FMs. This will be followed by a discussion, chaired by FMJ Editor Sara Bean comprising Wayne Young – Facilities Manager, Just Eat Takeaway.com & Simi Gandhi-Whitaker, Strategic Technology Director, Connected Workspace, Mitie.
Register for the webinar here.
