With an election looming large I wanted to spend a little time to try and identify the key issues for Facilities Management as I see it coming out of this election.
1. The Environment
To quote Professor McPherson at the University of Arizona “If you think the economy is more important than the environment, try holding your breath while counting your money”
The challenge for any incoming government is to balance the pressing issues of climate change and the squeeze on natural resources with a still fragile economy. For Facility Managers ever tightening and more prescriptive legislation is likely to have a very keen effect, not just on operations but also on the budget.
Carbon savings and energy reduction should be very high on the agenda for Facility Managers regardless of the political agenda, it is the right thing to do and will save you money!
2. Zero Hours Contracts
The Facility Management supply chain has used zero hour contracts extensively in order to cope with fluctuating demands. Whilst I’m not here to argue the morality of zero hour contracts. The ability to offer service enhancements and respond to a crisis as a result of these has been useful to Facility Managers for a long time.
3. Public spending
The Government is the biggest purchaser of Facility Management services by some margin with the FM giants (for example Serco and G4S) responsible for the management of extensive Government assets. Pressures on public spending has a knock-on effect on not just these companies but also their own supply chain.
4. Europe
With the promised referendums on Europe (which the CBI disagree with) there is ongoing uncertainty on the UKs role with their biggest trade partner. For Facility Management this is likely to translate into possible adjustments in compliance legislation and may well affect TUPE.
5. Health and Safety
The coalition government has already made great strides to consolidate and simplify Health and Safety legislation into smaller bite-size chunks that still deliver the same levels of protection for the public. I would love to see any incoming government continue along this tack.
Whatever happens in the election, Facility Managers have a pivotal role to play in the workplace and by extension in society at large, after all, everything is politics!
If you would like any advice with on how to be more efficient and make your buildings work harder contact Rudi du Plessis, Head of FM at LCMB, [email protected]
