Defining the future value of FM

Discussion paper

 

As part of the Institute’s commitment to advancing the profession, these questions and others were posed to an FM Leaders panel. 

Although these themes have been consistently raised by the industry, it’s clear that there isn’t a magic solution or a ‘single truth’. The debate revealed that the perceived value of FM needs to be communicated in a language applicable to each particular audience, and that it’s important to discover why the FM voice is not being heard.  

It was noted that a real opportunity comes from addressing how FM can impact on productivity, profitability and the bottom line within a framework, and how to communicate the message from a centralised point. 

However, what also became clear was that changes to the built environment and proposed working practices are changing the very nature of FM. Opportunities lie in defining and showcasing the value of FM and how it can embrace these changes and become known as the driver of business innovation.  

The challenges may be facilitating new working practices that benefit the people, the business, the economy and society as a whole, but this is how the impact of FM can really be felt.