Let’s be crazy and imagine a new approach to facility management, or at least its evolution in the coming years.
At a time when we are just emerging from a serious health crisis with COVID-19, certain economic sectors must reinvent themselves to survive or better still to recover the fundamentals that have made them successful.
The field of facility management is oriented, almost by definition and apart from a few exceptions, towards daily execution and operational routines, which is essential for all companies of course.
Conversely, it would be interesting if the FM sector could offer other services or other forms of service in infrastructure and service management. What do we mean by this?
There is increasing talk of ‘full service’ and ‘total experience’ in many areas. Why shouldn’t FM companies be able to offer this to their customers? The following are some provocative examples that could be explored:
• Complete business logistics, from consumables management, to transport, to space rental.
• The provision of fully equipped premises (as some coworking specialists do) with “full service” contracts including reception, concierge services, catering, bursar’s office, etc.
• Taking charge of and managing furniture in the form of rental or leasing contracts.
• And so on.
To be able to offer these services, it would be necessary to change the business model. Most FM companies are currently volume- and not margin-oriented, with limited financial resources and capital.
Furthermore, it is rare to be excellent in all areas and this is what also hinders most players from embarking on these paths.
Moreover, such a paradigm shift would be possible if customers were willing to “let go” of their logistics, which is not a given. Many bosses underestimate logistics, but when it comes to outsourcing, they take it personally. Strange, isn’t it?
As with the world of work, it is likely that we will move towards completely hybrid models that are much more flexible than today. This could be an asset in the face of increasingly complex business challenges.
Good choice, good thoughts, and good reading.