< Previous COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com20 June 2021 will update their skillsets via its COE. The technicians will gain expertise and the entirely new skills the firm is developing in-house to fully utilise emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). “This ongoing development will enable Emrill to support a key aim of Dubai 2040 Master Plan, which is to improve the efficiency of resource utilisation. By applying and harnessing new technologies, including AI and machine learning, we will increase efficiencies through automation and the mechanisation of tasks. These efficiencies will be passed on to our clients to further add value to our partnerships. We will continue to upskill our technicians to make better use of emerging technology, enabling us to develop a leaner but more effective and efficient team,” Harrison says. BOOSTING THE FM MARKET When it comes to FM market growing as a direct result of this master plan, Harrison says: “Analysts predict Dubai’s population will surge in the next 20 years. If Dubai is to grow while still scoring highly for livability on indices of international cities, it will be critical for the FM sector to support the plan. This will no doubt lead to the sector’s substantial growth in the coming decades. However, this evolved market will only be accessible to those FM companies that have adopted new technologies and sustainable methodologies that align with the Dubai 2040 Master Plan’s goals and objectives. Framing the future: The Dubai Frame in Zabeel Park, Dubai.COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comJune 2021 21 “To succeed, FM service providers will need to seamlessly combine the development and upskilling of people with the proper application of emerging technologies. Only then will they be in a position to offer the world-class services required to achieve the emirate’s ambitious sustainable growth targets.” The waste management sector will most definitely get a boost from this plan. “There is no doubt that the waste management sector will expand rapidly because of the 2040 plan, due to the integral role it plays in achieving the long-term vision which is already growing, and ever expanding,” Grainger says. “The industry and the community is steadily becoming more aware of the importance of waste management in society. On average, zero waste strategies create 10 times as many traditional jobs in waste strategies. The need for skilled resources in collection, sorting, and treating, will create an opportunity for many more jobs and the need for manpower in the industry.” Martin however believes that the FM market size growth depends on the motivation and innovation shown by the FM companies. He concludes: “FM companies must go out and grab this opportunity. The authorities must also buy into this thinking and mindset. The potential [for growth] is exponential and off the scale. There are a lot of opportunities for participation.” FM COMPANIES MUST GO OUT AND GRAB THIS [DUBAI 2040 URBAN MASTER PLAN] OPPORTUNITY. THE AUTHORITIES MUST ALSO BUY INTO THIS THINKING AND MINDSET. TONY MARTIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AL BONIAN FM Tony Martin, chief executive offi cer, Al Bonian FM. SURVEY 22 June 2021www.fm-middleeast.com New report highlights impact of Covid on the future of offi ce parking. Excerpts from the survey The State of Employee Parking 2021 FUTURE OF OFFICE PARKINGSURVEY June 2021 23www.fm-middleeast.com A s companies grapple with how to manage their office space post-Covid, over a quarter of businesses are actively in the process of reducing their employee car parks according to a new survey The State of Employee Parking 2021. The study from parking management software firm ParkOffice.io polled 105 corporate leaders who manage employee parking across 15 countries. Of businesses surveyed 7.3% are aiming for a large reduction in employee parking. While 19.5% of employers are looking to implement small reductions. Interestingly it’s not all one way traffic, many companies are expecting parking demand to spike when employees return to the office with 15.9% of companies looking to increase their parking allocation. Other interesting takeaways from the research include: • 30% of companies believe that employee parking will be considerably harder to manage when employees return to the office due to increased flexibility. • 47% of employers identify employee parking as a problematic issue for their business. It is particularly challenging for companies with over 1,000 employees. • 57.5% of businesses are more conscious of the negative impact of employee parking on the environment than they were 5 years ago. Speaking about the research ParkOffice.io’s Daithí de Buitléir remarked: “Covid has been a real watershed moment for employee parking. Employees don’t want to return to the commuter chaos which used to dominate their lives. For lifestyle, cost and environmental reasons, we are going to see companies aggressively downsize their parking lots over the next few years” He added: “According to the 2016 Census in the USA, 76%of workers drove to work alone. Obviously, these figures were dramatically reduced overnight with the onset of COVID-19. However, large questions remain as vaccinated communities begin to return to offices. Mainly, how can employers create new cultures around commuting to ensure congestion and air pollution don't become apart of everyday life again? Efforts to change commuting behaviours have largely focused on encouraging and in centivising employees to travel to work in other ways. There has been a reluctance to discuss the elephant in the room, employee parking.” As per the survey, in spite of much progress being made in the area of commuter transportation over the last decade. Employee parking is still proving to be a problem child for almost half of businesses. Interestingly the digital divide is starting to emerge here as a cause of parking problems. Of respondents who had implemented a parking management software, only 25%reported still experiencing any Bedaia Building, Office 305 P.O.Box 487034, Al Barsha 1, Dubai Tel: +971-43958535 Email: info@virtual-it.ae Web: www.virtual-it.ae An Integrated CAFM Solution Minimize FM Administration and Costs Maximize productivity Expected Benefits: · Enterprise Asset Management · Orchestrate FM operations · Materials and Consumables Management · Maximize resource utilization · SLA Alerts and Notifications · Effectively CM and PM plan and schedule · Contract and Budget Management · Self service Help Desk and Call Center · Comply to international quality standards · Communication platform with stakeholders · FM Mobile solutions · Find Deficiencies through failure analysis · GIS, BIM, AutoCAD, BMS and ERP integration · Extend life expectancy of your assets and customer satisfaction SURVEY 24 June 2021www.fm-middleeast.com parking issues. Meanwhile, companies who were managing parking manually over-indexed as having parking problems with 52% of businesses reporting issues. Interestingly large employers tended to have the most problems with employee parking. 62% of all business with over 1,000 employees reported having parking problems. This dropped to a mere 41% among companies with less than 50 employees. Assigned parking designation proved to be the most troublesome parking management policy for companies.52% of businesses with this model reported problems. This was followed by 48% of employers who reported issues with a first-come, first-served model. With 42% of companies with mixed policy reporting issues. Finding places for employees to park is the primary concern for business. 41% of those surveyed reported a lack of parking spaces at the office as their biggest parking problem. Interestingly, 32% reported an inability to source additional offsite space at their primary challenge, which means almost three- quarters of all parking issues are space related. A lack of space is being felt most keenly by large scale employers. 89% of business with over 1,000+ employees reported space related issues. Perhaps worryingly, environmental concerns didn't seem to be at the forefront for most businesses. A mere 5% of respondents mentioned reducing the negative impact of employee car usage on the environment as their primary parking management focus. Budget doesn't seem to be an issue when it comes to parking management. With only11.6% of employers hinting that money was an issue when it comes to solving parking problems. Perhaps unsurprisingly, companies with less than 50 employees heavily over-indexed in this segment. With 20% of smaller employers reporting budget as being a big issue. The administrative burden of employee parking was noted as the primary issue for 10% of employers. Covid-19 has proved a sea-change moment for many companies in their approach to parking. In fact, 43.7% will be making some changes off the back of Covid. Perhaps unsurprisingly, parking space reduction seems to be the order of the day for many employers. With many businesses forecasting that employees will never work five days a week in the office again, it makes sense that they would be looking to decrease their footprint. 20% of employers are looking to make small reductions. With a further 7.5% looking to make large reductions.45.4% of companies looking to make reductions have in excess of 250 staff, which appears to be an early indicator that larger employers are concerned that their real-estate footprint is no longer fit for purpose. Companies with less than 100 employees are more likely to be looking to increase parking capacity. 61.5% of companies looking to boost parking space count are in this category. This may point to SMEs feeling the work from home pinch a little stronger than their larger counterparts and hence a desire to get back to the office faster and safer. One stand out figure is 54.9% who see no change coming down the tracks. It will be interesting to see does business as normal resume for the majority of the market as they expect. One thing everyone seems certain about is that the world of work will never be the same again. While people won't continue to work from home from here to eternity. Most experts agree that flexible working will be the way of the future. This will see employees work from home a few days a week and from the office for the remainder. This is going to make it a lot harder to manage space in all aspects of real estate. Unless a company has the cash to burn they will be looking to adjust their footprint to suit the needs of their new reality. Many companies are going to introduce a host of hot-desking and car park sharing software to ensure they are maximising the use of space. What is interesting is it appears a lot of companies don't appear too worried about this challenge. Finding places for employees to park is the primary concern for business. 41% of those surveyed reported a lack of parking spaces at the offi ce as their biggest parking problem.SURVEY June 2021 25www.fm-middleeast.com Only 30% reported being worried that flexible working is going to make employee parking harder to manage. Maybe the digital revolution which has occurred during Covid has made the prospect of sourcing and implementing solutions a little less daunting. Or perhaps companies haven't got around to thinking about what their car park looks like in a post-Covid world. It will be interesting to see how this evolves moving forward. As mentioned earlier the negative environmental impact of employee parking is only a major driver of change for 5.4% of employers. This paints a relatively bleak picture for the future of responsible commuting. The good news is that attitudes are changing. When asked if they were more concerned about the negative environmental impact of employee parking than 5 years ago, 57.5% of respondents answered in the affirmative. Interestingly larger employers are considerably more concerned about the environmental impact. 80.4% of businesses with over 100 employees reported a growing sense of environmental consciousness. Better news again is the attitudes of the largest employers. 96.4% of companies with 1,000+ employees reported an increased level of environmental concern. Some countries are a lot more advanced when it comes to legislation and supports to encourage businesses to diversify commuter methods. Take the USA for example. They are slightly over-indexing with 60% of businesses more concerned about the environment. This is probably due in no small part to the legislative approach of many leading US cities which encourage transport quotas for employers. In contrast, mainland EU countries who would have less sophistication in their legislative frameworks in relation to commuting would under-index with only 55.5% of companies growing more concerned about the environmental factors associated with employee parking. ParkOffice.io is the world’s only parking software focused on eliminating employee parking. They are working with many of the world’s leading employers including Sanofi, Indeed and L’Oreal to create sustainable commuter cultures. Creating living experiences. Inspire Life. SAUDI FIRM 26 June 2021www.fm-middleeast.com How Initial Saudi Group is leading the way for FM in Saudi Arabia? I nitial Saudi Group (ISG) is an important part of the KSA business landscape and has been delivering a range of support services to organisations in the Kingdom for more than 35 years. In recent years the group’s FM business has grown significantly and is now regarded as one of the region’s leading providers of integrated facility management (IFM) solutions, working in 33 cities across the Kingdom and with some of the most iconic brands and projects in the region. ISG’s rise to the top of the IFM tree has been fairly rapid. It won its first IFM contract with King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in 2016, with a team of some 80 technicians delivering hard and soft FM services, as well as customer care and landscaping, to LEADING THE WAY parts of this highly prestigious project. Since then it has focused on proactively growing the FM business and now delivers over 30 total IFM contracts and deploys more than 3,200 operational and technical staff. The FM business’s recent financial performance has also been very impressive. In 2020 its revenue grew by 40% with profit growth of 100%, and in 2021 it is projected to perform similarly with revenue growing by 45% and profits by 90%. Future year-on-year revenue forecasts for the FM business are just as bullish at around 50%. According to ISG’s chief executive officer John Nolan, the key to the group’s overall longevity has been its ability to keep evolving in step with the needs of the market, constantly embracing and adapting to change. However, he attributes the particular success of the FM business to a combination of three crucial ingredients: investment in technology solutions; continuous innovation; and the right people. Technology plays an increasingly important role in the way FM services are delivered and ISG has committed to a policy of long term ongoing investment in technology systems, equipment and capabilities. “Gone are the days when you solved problems by ploughing more hours, more resources and more effort into them,” says Mohammed Mousa, chief operating officer for FM at ISG. “Today it is all about finding smarter, greener and more efficient solutions, and these invariably involve the use of technology, so it is very important to have the level SAUDI FIRM SAUDI FIRM June 2021 27www.fm-middleeast.com of investment that allows us to do this.” However, he also believes that technology alone is not always the answer. Mousa says: “Innovation and technology are intrinsically linked, which is why you need smart people and smart technology working together.” ISG’s FM operational teams regard themselves as relatively early adapters of technology in an FM community which still lags behind some of the more sophisticated international markets. IoT applications are used across most of their FM projects, both for remote sensing and monitoring as well as for automation, while ISG technicians are all equipped with PDAs linked to the company CAFM system. Machines and automated equipment are also in widespread use for delivering soft services. These include a range of state-of-the-art cleaning machines that are far more efficient, environmentally friendly, and considerably less labour intensive than traditional delivery methods. One of the major FM technology investments has been the design and development of a bespoke CAFM system that is now implemented across most of their FM contracts. Developed to international best practice standards, Mousa is convinced the system gives ISG a distinct edge over many of their competitors. He says: “As a world class CAFM system, it not only provides the essential day-to-day tools that our FM teams need, it also helps both us and the client to get a deeper understanding of their buildings and facilities and how they operate.” Importantly, as ISG owns the system, their technical teams can make improvements based on user experience across multiple sites, with multiple clients and multiple FM teams. “This means we are able to continuously improve and develop the system with inputs from a range of different user perspectives,” says Mousa. ISG’s approach of putting greater reliance on technology solutions and innovation has definitely been a key factor in their success and Mousa believes they are now deservedly one of the leaders in the Kingdom’s burgeoning IFM marketplace. He adds: “At a basic level, we are better able than most to monitor and measure the way we deliver our services and ultimately find ways to keep improving them. At a more strategic level we have the tools to look holistically at projects with our clients and explore totally new ways of working together.” The drive for continuous improvement and greater efficiency has also meant that the FM business has managed to achieve its substantial operational and economic growth without the correspondingly large increase in headcount. However, with over 3,200 operational staff, it is obvious that people are an important part of the FM success story. ISG has a strong commitment to staff welfare and wellbeing. This has been of particular importance during the last year with the company introducing a number of key initiatives to ensure practical advice and support are freely available to all employees in the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. As Nolan is keen to point out, although technology and innovation have made significant contributions to the success of the FM business, he is in no doubt that its people will always play an important role. He says: “As an industry, facility management will keep evolving and becoming more sophisticated, but ultimately it will always rely on the quality and professionalism of its operational teams.” There have been many highlights for ISG over the last 38 years but Nolan believes people should not spend too much time looking back. He concludes: “It is what happens now and in the future that concerns me the most. I want our biggest successes to be ahead of us.” John Nolan, chief executive offi cer at ISG. AS AN INDUSTRY, FACILITY MANAGEMENT WILL KEEP EVOLVING AND BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED, BUT ULTIMATELY IT WILL ALWAYS RELY ON THE QUALITY AND PROFESSIONALISM OF ITS OPERATIONAL TEAMS. WASTE MANAGEMENT 28 June 2021www.fm-middleeast.com I t is no secret that the built environment is one of the biggest contributors to climate change and a large part of this impact is caused during the lifespan of a building. Efficient resource and waste management has been on the climate action agenda for quite some time, but its integration within the circular economy is a more recent phenomenon. The clear connection between waste generation and climate change means that society can no longer ignore its role in creating this environmental crisis. While it is positive to see more and more industries paying attention to the waste they produce, we still have a long road ahead. Naturally, a key actor with the biggest potential to change the face of waste management is the facilities management sector. In a fully circular economy, resources are kept in use for as long as possible to maximise the value extracted from them, and to turn them into new products and materials at the end of their service life, as opposed to a traditional linear economy which follows the take-make- PROF DR TADHG O’DONOVAN, HEAD OF THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES, HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY DUBAI, WRITES ABOUT CLOSING THE RESOURCE LOOP WITH EFFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT dispose approach. An important aspect of the circular economy begins with considering the entire lifecycle of the product, focusing especially on the design stage. To effectively “circulate” the products, they must be designed in a way that makes them more durable, easy to dismantle, and suitable for recycling, while minimising the energy embodied in the process. Resource efficiency in the built environment requires the contribution of facilities managers, especially large FM companies that handle multi-million dollar contracts on behalf of their clients. In addition to handling utilities, repair and maintenance, safety and hygiene; facilities managers bear the crucial responsibility of waste management within the client’s premises, particularly in terms of reusing and recycling. Waste avoidance policies, incorporating recycling/reusing practices and reducing the amount of material brought into a facility can improve waste management and contribute towards a circular economy. Taking the long-term route i.e. investing in durable, reusable products instead of cheaper disposable ones requires the strategic vision and support of both facilities managers and their clients. Beyond sustainability, facilities managers can achieve significant cost savings by reusing materials and equipment, be it office furniture or laboratory technology, rather than buying brand new products. The advantages of circularity are cost savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and less waste. To build a circular economy, we need to discover new ways of designing, constructing, retrofitting, maintaining and operating buildings. Facilities management can a crucial role to play in influencing other stakeholders, and in paving the way forward for sustainable facilities and communities in a circular economy. • Starting early and collaborating with key stakeholders Inputs from facilities managers is key at the design phase so that architects and engineers can ensure that the building can be adapted and upgraded smoothly post-occupancy, and to make internal infrastructure such as wiring and ventilation more accessible. EFFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT WASTE MANAGEMENT June 2021 29www.fm-middleeast.com By using advanced technologies such as building information modelling (BIM), facilities managers can add more valuable input while collaborating with stakeholders. BIM helps strategic FM specialists take more informed decisions through the whole lifecycle of the facility, especially with regards to improving energy efficiency, reducing operating costs and lowering environmental impact. Where possible, green features should be incorporated into the design by leveraging the potential of solar energy through building orientation, for instance, which can lower energy demand significantly. BIM is also useful for facilities managers looking to identify performance and use patterns and the costs of maintenance and retrofits. • Implementing long term solutions in the operational phase Ensuring circularity in resource flows requires efficient energy and waste reduction programmes; monitoring and continuous improvement of resource and energy use; and closing systemic loops. As efficient resource planning and waste management lies at the centre of a circular economy, facilities management can make a huge impact in helping close the resource loop. As such, facilities managers should design initiatives that can be viewed within an overarching, holistic waste management strategy and implemented throughout the lifecycle of a facility. The infrastructure supporting on-site sorting and re-processing waste is one of the most efficient ways to ensure that a facility is recycling the maximum amount of waste. IoT-enabled smart bins that sort and compress the recyclables automatically are a great example of innovative waste management. Implementing solutions for treating and recycling water within a building, such as a grey water re-use system that sees tap water reused to flush toilets is another example of technology-enabled waste management. Mounting solar panels on the roof, enabling smart building solutions for lighting, cooling and ventilation, and choosing to invest in products designed for durability and re-usability – all become crucial for accomplishing long- term sustainability goals. • Inspiring and influencing change in behaviour Because change is difficult, facilities managers should be primed to face barriers such as resistance to change from occupants. A strong communications strategy and policy directives are sometimes essential to inspire occupants and turn them into champions of sustainability. A great accelerator for change and to encourage user “buy-in” therefore are awareness campaigns that encourage occupants about waste collection, disposal, and recycling. Facilities managers can circumvent the occupants’ reluctance — or even resistance to green considerations by implementing creative solutions and approaches. Obstacles whether real or perceived do not have to be dealbreakers. FINAL THOUGHTS Regardless of the building type, size, location, or budget, incorporating sustainability in any project is possible. While environmentally friendly strategies have already been incorporated into a wide range of projects in the region, including office buildings, universities, hospitals, airports, and museums; there is scope to do more. No matter what the constraints are, deploying effective waste management can began with incremental steps. Ambitious budgets and bold statements are not a prerequisite. Starting small, making gradual progress is key to making real impact in the long-term. Prof Dr Tadhg O’Donovan, head of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Dubai. www.khansahebfm.ae HEALTHCARE | DEFENCE | EDUCATION | RETAIL | BUSINESS & INDUSTRY | RESIDENTIAL | GOVERNMENT Disinfection Services Integrated Facilities Services Energy Management MEP Maintenance Waste Management Cleaning Pest Control Landscaping Specialist Maintenance Reception & ConciergeNext >