FM must deliver better value to be perceived as strategic role

Clients and suppliers believe that the FM profession still has some way to go before it achieves the recognition given to other professions. According to Workplace Law’s second annual research study into leadership in facilities management (FM), 91 per cent of client organisations still feel that FM is seen as a supporting, rather than strategic, role – while the same number feel that FM will only achieve a higher ranking within an organisation’s hierarchy when it finds new ways to deliver value. FM suppliers strongly agree with the need to professionalise FM and attract more talent into the profession if FM is to continue as a separate discipline.

They believe that finding and keeping good people is still the key to success in FM, and a top people management issue that they face today. The report also found that clients need support in finding and keeping talented FM people, since FM is not their core business and is often undervalued as a profession.

A general perception that it is hard to quantify the value of FM services still exists – 64 per cent agreed with this statement, while a further 31 per cent agreed strongly with it. Over a third of client Boards still do not understand the contribution good FM can make to the success of their organisations. This understanding will only improve when clients and suppliers stop reporting against activity measures and instead translate value delivered into cost savings, improved reputation or goodwill, which resonate with the Board.

The research for this report was conducted during the first half of 2013, which included conducting a number of focus groups. A summary report of the initial findings was published in June, available to download for free and  since then, Workplace Law has compiled an in-depth report looking at the key activities within FM, including health and safety, HR and environmental performance. The full report, an exclusive and extensive breakdown and analysis of all the information received from the research, is now available to purchase.

The full report includes extensive findings from the survey, across the areas of leadership in FM, talent management, health and safety performance, and sustainable FM.