Background: Well managed workspaces are vital to the success of a company. It helps boost productivity and spread good cheer amongst employees. Wondering how that can be easily achieved? Well, the answer lies in integrated facility management, a system to optimise office space, simplify the management of day-to-day operations and manage facilities better and more cost effectively. An integrated facility service provider can manage all your service deliveries, training, administration, operational management, and strategic support to clients. Thereby, instead of having multiple external partners, all functions are integrated into a single provider making business smooth and efficient. In his previous article, Aval Sethi shared some tips to implement procurement transformation. In this article he explains the future of integrated facility management and how Facility Managers are creating awareness on the need to create a streamlined work environment.

The concept of facility management is trending in India. Facility Managers, also known as FMs are constantly stressing on the importance of creating a sustainable work environment. Facility management is a profession which focuses on the proper functioning of the work environment by integrating processes and technology, place, people, etc. It eventually helps to optimise the process, assets, and employees and work environment to achieve the objective and goals of organisations.

The aim of facility management system is to smoothen the operations and serve build-in experiences. Facility management professionals have great opportunities to add value to their company or the organisation through improved technology, strategic planning, and effective management.

Here are the future trends in the Indian facility management industry

• Sustainability: The main sustainable challenge for the coming century will be global warming. In order to be more energy efficient, people and organisations around the world would have to consider rebuilding their infrastructure and economies. The sustainable challenge faced by the society will have multiple facility management services in the coming time. These may include effective supply, building design, maintenance, and management.
• Technological developments: Technology is levelling up fast and increasing its domain and functions. Technological progress enhances productivity and leads to the development of new industries, more employability, income growth and the minimisation of poverty. Some of the changes expected will have a great impact on the IT industry including smart surveillance, smart machines and robots, security applications, NFC (near field communication sensors) and other models which enable automation. This will enable good quality products along with a reduction in prices for advanced technology and increased labour cost.
  
  

The Internet of Things (IoT), robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), smart building/workplace sensors and monitoring, and digitisation are dramatically changing where and how people work. But that’s not all; these technological advances are also changing the way we imagine, plan, develop, use, and manage facilities. For facility executives, the digital drive can be both daunting and inspiring.

Sensors can now detect everything from burned-out light bulbs to air turnover in a room. Employees can receive information about when they need to leave the office to arrive on time for an appointment, where to park, and how to report building issues through online systems that can instantly trigger a repair. Cloud-based management systems can collate building data across multiple facilities and equipment to flag and prioritise system responses and repairs. Ultimately, these new technologies can free you from some of the more mundane tasks and open the door to taking a more strategic role within your organisation.

Technological developments are minimising low-quality labour and creating a need for new demand for skill sets. New technology demands that people work in an intelligent way.

Robotic technology may also reflect. Facility Managers will be gathering data from the users as a feedback that will be used to adjust the environment and the entire facility management services accordingly.

By embracing new technologies and building new competencies, you and your team will be in a better position to advise your organisation on corporate real estate strategies and solutions that can improve the employee experience, enable new operating models, and advance the business.

• Economic growth: The Indian facility management industry will face great consequences with the rise of construction activities in the market. Different companies will rise up as competitors in the emerging market of construction, leading them to be innovative and delivering some great benefits to the clients.
• Globalisation: Globalisation makes us more aware of the local differences. Due to globalisation, multiple MNCs have started to adapt their products and market to the local places. Companies and organisations that are able to understand the emerging markets and different trends can have a good future ahead in the industry.
• The growth of knowledge in society: New ways of dealing with businesses have created a lot of data that needs to be gathered, stored and analysed. By 2020, it is estimated that the Indian facility management industry will effectively collect, store, analyse and functionalise a large amount of data to maximise profit and generate more value.
• Focus on health and wellbeing: Over the time, health has become an important issue and is increasing its focus. A healthy lifestyle always leads to enhancing human capabilities, both technologically and artificially. This will definitely create a major impact on the global facility management and service industry.
  
  

Trends specific to facility management industry

• Changing the way we work: Companies and organisations are implementing new practices and ways to incorporate identity, increase flexibility, speed, driving innovation, productivity and enhancing knowledge sharing practices.
•  Facility Managers increasingly make effective use of only management tools like facility reservation, leading to better facility management and a good building design. Thus, making the traditional workplace an alternative workplace too.
  
  

After a lot of research, surveys and reports it is predicted that Facility Managers will take over the responsibility for running buildings in a smooth way and also taking welfare of the working employee into consideration. It will embellish an environment that is desirable for the employees to work smoothly. Facility Managers are expected to understand core business values and reduce the facility costs by improving the revenue generation, productivity, efficiency and entire frame of the organisation.

Looking for more articles on business development? Check out our other articles:
Top 5 digital demand generation channels – Are you online yet?
The power of relevance in an evolving landscape
Branching out? Here's how to simplify the process

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