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The face of facilities management is constantly evolving as new technologies come onto the scene, business landscapes change and shifts in workplace expectations emerge. 

As Head of Business Engagement and Platforms at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, Damien Coburn has witnessed changes in the innovation expectations of clients first-hand—often centred around transparent cost management, identifying and achieving portfolio and operational sustainability goals, optimising complex workplace environments and creating engaging experiences. 

In addition, with new developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Damien explains that clients are increasingly looking for direction from facilities management partners to help propel their agendas forward, by leveraging data to inform strategies and “drive operations to more predictable and forecasted outcomes”. 

Whether this data is used to help boost workplace productivity levels or support sustainability goals, Damien says that effective data leveraging “enables the partnership to solve root cause issues whilst also identifying and proposing new target opportunities “. 

This is where ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ can play a crucial role, gathering information for clients at granular levels in the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ technology eco-system that can be used “to join the dots across the operation, identifying causal effects and predicting future performance. These are the insights that we can then act upon.”

Approaches to innovation 
Broadly speaking, innovation can be defined as new ideas, methods or products that can be used to move businesses or industries forward. Yet ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ’s Dr Phil Meinert, Head of CIDO Office and Digital Innovation, emphasises that innovation in facilities management is “not just about technology; it’s about the link between people and technology”. 

When breaking types of innovation down into categories, he points towards a crucial difference between ‘incremental’ and ‘transformational’, describing incremental innovation as “continuous improvements within existing ways of working”, and transformational innovation as “coming from the centre, with a visionary idea that is tested in a sandbox before being introduced to the broader company”. 

Whatever a particular form of innovation looks like, Damien says that gathering quality data is an effective starting point. “We need to take the guesswork out of our customer’s strategy by collating data points on their behalf, blending them and painting a picture never previously considered possible,” he says.

The use of data has allowed ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ to spot and solve problems, particularly around energy efficiency in client buildings, reducing expenditure, improving employee wellbeing and helping work towards sustainability targets. “Space utilisation and service delivery based on the knowledge or the anticipation of building occupancy is a huge lever in tackling environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns”, says Phil, “and data is a major enabler there”.

But it can do more than just that, according to Damien, who explains that the firm is supporting customers by providing the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Scope 3.1 carbon footprint reporting—emissions that are produced by companies indirectly responsible for others up and down the value chain. 

“What is the cost of our supply chain to the customer, and how can we assist them in reaching their sustainability goals and regulatory reporting obligations? When we look at sustainability, we look at our own decarbonisation targets first and then at the customers,” he says. 

Using data to spot and fix problems
Damien, who has worked at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ for more than a decade, explains that the tools and skills available to solve some of these challenges have transformed dramatically in recent years. “What data gives us now is the ability to understand the causal flows and effects of one service line on another,” he says, citing areas such as cleaning, food and office spaces. 

For example, building occupancy levels may not have been a top priority pre-pandemic but, post-COVID-19 and the resulting shift to hybrid working, “understanding the usage of the building in digital terms influences how much time we spend on operational activities such as cleaning and maintenance.

“It can optimise food procurement, waste management and refine the building operations and energy consumption to optimal levels,” Damien says. Being able to collate these data points on a global scale can help improve transparency and create a ‘single source of truth’ across the customer portfolio, enabling ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ to work with clients to generate benchmarks, identify outliers and anomalies—and prompt highly productive discussions in partnership collaboration meetings.

When looking at the use cases of technology and data innovations, the introduction of Mobility Mojo—a firm empowering organisations to create more accessible and inclusive environments—has helped ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ clients consider the accessibility of their customer’s buildings. Assessment scorecards provide “a catalyst for change” which can help “win the war for talent” when striving to demonstrate the alignment of employer-employee values through visible inclusivity enablement. 

From a technology perspective, digital techniques can help ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ capture real-time events in the built environment, ensuring that risks are mitigated before they become problematic.

“There are so many use cases for the positive application of AI”
The use of AI is also an important enabler in any innovation strategy—not just for clients but for the facilities management sector as a whole—offering huge potential to manage workplace improvements with maximum insight and efficiency. 

“ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ is continuously reviewing how AI can support the way we conduct our business,” says Damien. “We’re looking at the potential use of AI in every single part of our service delivery by reviewing our operating procedures and mapping out the daily activities of our placemakers. We are very interested in the possible productivity, efficiency and automation opportunities that can be gained through AI—from enhanced onboarding experiences for new talent, to more effective outcomes in each service delivery.

“We’re tasking all our service line owners to look at their business process and ask, ‘How could AI enhance my proposition?’” AI is also revitalising data accessibility and data literacy, ensuring that data interpretation is provided up and down the organisation in an easily digestible way. 

Continuous improvements
Creating a culture of continuous innovation and collaborating both internally and with facilities management companies is key to achieving these improvements. “When clients move from a supply chain relationship with their provider to an innovation-based partnership, new levels of attainment are possible—whether this is solving client problems or refining the service delivery,” explains Damien. “Continuous innovation gives assurance and comfort to clients that we have got their back; that ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ is looking after them both today and in future.”

But substantial improvements are simply not possible without organisational collaboration and a culture of openness, Phil adds. “Let people open themselves up, share ideas and acknowledge their ideas—otherwise how can you continuously improve yourself as a company?”

Damien agrees: “If you give people a voice, it’s amazing what ideas surface. It’s something that we do with our teams, and they willingly do for us. It’s a true benefit of having a vastly diverse and skilled workforce—you simply need to stop and listen.”