Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects?

Transcription

1 Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? Panel discussion Facilities Show Birmingham NEC 15 th May 2013

2 Contents Introduction... 2 The discussion... 3 About the panel... 9 Glossary Publisher Published by the British Institute of Facilities Management BIFM October 2013 If you have any questions, please membership@bifm.org.uk Disclaimer The discussion contained within this document reflects the views of those in attendance at the FM leaders forum event and do not necessarily reflect the views of the British Institute of Facilities Management. Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 1

3 Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? Introduction With the design and construction end of the supply chain looking towards facilities management (FM) and occupiers for earlier engagement in the building process, as well as closing the feedback loop as part of the post occupancy handover, it seems fair to question whether there will be a time when facilities managers (FMs) and occupiers will drive future building projects? The transcript from the panel discussion aims to provide an insight into this vast area. It highlights key themes and discussion points that are being considered by BIFM for the benefit of the FM industry. Summary of key discussion points: Richard Saxon s report BIM for Growth highlighted the significance of the built environment classified as, property, construction and facilities management all working together. It clearly showed that together they contribute 15% of the UK GDP. It also demonstrates how BIM technology can underpin a new collaborative way of working within the built environment, breaking down years of tradition and protocol. This is also driving the change for earlier engagement of FM in the construction process. However, many FMs come from a myriad of different industries; either from the soft services side such as hospitality, or hard services which are more focussed on building services engineering. Therefore, the background of an individual FM is likely to influence their ability to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to the construction process. It is thought that not all FMs currently have all the skills that are required to do this. To be truly successful there is a need to link operational costs back to capital costs and to communicate this to the client during the construction stage. To help overcome this there is a there is a need for the industry to provide briefings and education for FMs. Specifically FMs need to demonstrate operationally, how their input affects the construction and design side Although BIM and soft landings provide plenty of opportunities for FMs to engage with other professionals from across the built environment this also creates challenges as well. Not do only FMs need to understand other parts of that life cycle and parts of the process involved, but vice versa as well: other people need to understand facilities management too. By adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, and a collaborative project team, we can make sure building projects of the future aid and not constrain the occupants within them. Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 2

4 Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? The discussion The following panel discussion took place in the main theatre at the Facilities Show at the Birmingham NEC on the 15 th May Gareth Tancred: Today we re debating: Is FM the catalyst for future building projects?. You are all aware of the many initiatives already in place, such as government soft landings and Building Information Modelling, and these are opportunities for facilities management to feedback into the construction supply chain. Is it possible, therefore, for FMs to influence this process and to make buildings more fit for purpose so they aid the occupants rather than constrain them, which is very often what FMs find when they inherit a building. Could this ultimately lead toward a continuous cycle of improvement in the design process? And, in the longer term, will there be a shift in influence? Today, FM requirements are being taken into account at a much earlier stage in the design process and, in the future, could they drive future projects and, if so, are FMs ready for this step change? To introduce us to some of the issues we will discuss, I would like to ask Richard Saxon, BIM Ambassador to talk us through some of the issues of BIM and how it can stimulate growth. Richard Saxon: Just to set the scene as to why FM is now moving from tail-end Charlie to the front of the bus; this is the cover of a report I just completed for the Department of Business, Growth in BIM, which you can download free from the CIC website under Publications It starts off by saying that our industry is much bigger than has ever been described. The business of looking after the built environment encompasses three sectors that massively overlap: construction, facilities management and property. However, we all know that half of the 120billion a year that is spent on construction is actually FM because it s working with existing buildings to repair, maintain and improve them. An awful lot of property management is that too. The whole thing adds up to about 15% of GDP now and that s at a low ebb. It s a huge sector, and it s so big the government can t visualise it; it s one of those elephants in the room! Half of the 120billion a year that is spent on construction is actually FM because it s working with existing buildings to repair, maintain and improve them. The life cycle of estates as described in the new PAS 1192; the emerging British Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 3

5 standard on how to run projects. The difference between the old way in which we used to draw a project and the way we draw it now, is that it s a circle (although it s drawn as a box) and appears round. This is the conventional way of briefing though to construction and handover, at the start of OPEX, but actually all this maintenance and use, and the assessment of the performance of a building goes back to how do you want to do it next time. What have you learned? What works, what doesn t work? This then helps you start the next project. It s that change that means tail end Charlie becomes front end Charlie, actually influencing what is done in order to get the building to deliver performance. Finally, I ll show you a diagram of the eight stages. The new RIBA plan of work ( comes out at the end of this month, and it will show you these eight stages arranged in a circle. So that s genuinely a circle and it makes it a lot more sense. This is the in-use stage and this basically feeds through to what do we do next, what we have learned, and what works and what doesn t work. All these names on the screen are people who are involved in the creation and operation of the built environment, and every one of them is going to have what they do changed by the arrival of BIM and soft landings, which have now been linked together by the government. It s a very multi-disciplined environment and a FM has to know about all areas if he or she is going to offer intelligent advice on what to do next time. Gareth: Thank you very much Richard, that is a great introduction. So let s start the debate then, and maybe I could throw the first question in. If buildings are to be defined by performance outputs, do Facilities Managers currently have the skills set to be able to define these at the scoping stage and if not what can be done about that? Martin: I think the answer is no, and what we do about that is critical. At the moment, the government is mandating BIM. It s making a lot of very important home truths come out, and one of these is that, as Richard has just said, that FMs wear a myriad of hats. Now, that s fine operationally but when it becomes strategic in terms of construction projects do FMs have any of the right skills sets required? I'm very open to hear about what those solutions should be. James: There s a lot of tools, documents and guidance out there, and the internet is great for everyone to update what they think, and how things should be run etc. Documents like the soft landings framework, for example, which FMs can start to engage with. Gareth: Emma, in the past you ve mentioned about some of the guidance and briefing that we can bring on from that initial soft landings guide. Is there enough out there yet? Emma: No, from my point of view I don t think all FMs have that capability at the moment. That s not to say they couldn t in the future, but my fear is that with the introduction of soft landings, FMs will be stuck in an environment with architects and constructors and not really understand what they are supposed to be contributing. So, there is a need for the industry to provide some briefings and education, to say to the FMs this is what you should be doing, this is what you should be looking for and not get too detailed; talking about what colour the walls and carpet should be. It should be how, operationally, their input is affecting the construction and design side. Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 4

6 Gareth: Let s just explore that a little bit further then, do you think at the moment FMs realise that they have the ability to give feedback, and do they have the skills to ask the right questions in the design and construction process already? Emma: Many FMs come from a myriad of different industries; it could be hospitality or engineering, it could be quantity surveying. Some will have that knowledge and skills set, and know the questions they should be asking, while others will only focus on soft services, or some will only focus on hard services. It s about educating people on what they should be doing and what they should be looking for. An FM has to look after the fabric: the soft services, the hard services, and has a myriad of areas to look at and therefore implement. It s educating the architects and the construction teams and the project managers about what facilities management actually means. James: I think the other problem in terms of the FM team engaging with the design team is that the feedback is often subjective or anecdotal. Sometimes FMs are keen to have an input but their input is based on personal experiences that are very hard to transform into a design. It s important to understand the differences between being prescriptive and descriptive. Gareth: When we look at other professions, we often see a person going into that profession as starting off as something that is very specific, like a GP, and then they branch out into a particular specialism, but FM seems to be very different. Would someone like to comment on that? Emma: I agree, 100 per cent. While GPs all have the same training and then they go on to specialise in different areas, it s the opposite way around for the FM industry. There are a lot of people coming from different backgrounds and different training schemes, which are all of a sudden tunnelled into facilities management and, as such, there needs to be more support and education. I have worked with PMs and quantity surveyors that don t really understand what FM is, so it s educating the architects and the construction teams and the project managers about what facilities management actually means. Gareth: Is there a difference between the private and public sectors? Richard: There certainly is; the sectors are all very different. It s the public sector that has set the ball rolling on soft landings for example. CAPEX and OPEX are different things; different people work on them and there s no connection. I think our biggest challenge, and it s still a challenge in the public sector too, is to link operational costs back to capital costs so you can say, it s worth this extra investment to save this operating cost, or increase the performance to the occupier to enable it to operate with fewer staff, for example, and deliver a better product. At the moment you can t have that discussion, the treasury understands it in theory but not in practice. Gareth: That s a very interesting argument, and clearly you have thrown up one of the potential barriers. One of the other barriers could be that while FMs may be ready to Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 5

7 engage in this debate, maybe other people aren t ready to listen. How do FMs make architects and designers listen at that early stage? Martin: Isn t the problem that someone has got to manage the model? We are talking about a world of information modelling that s going to last for the operational life of a building. At the moment, we are being asked to feedback into the construction and design stage with what, we have agreed, is a set of subjective measures. Shouldn t we be focusing on how we put some kind of template together for such a model, both for the public and private sector? Richard: Yes, I think it would be an extremely good idea for the FM community to come up with its idea of what the future model looks like. Right now, the government is trying to put together a strategy for the construction industry in 2025, which is going to be discussed at the Government Summit. I'm not really sure where there s an FM component in that model of the future, and there really should be because we can t go on in these three separate circles very effectively. Gareth: James, maybe we could ask you: how do you think the FMs help input into the BIM model? James: The soft landings framework talks about a golden thread of information that goes from design, construction and into operation, but the problem with BIM information generally is the collation of data and swamping it s now far easier to put data in than delete it. What we need, right at the beginning, is clear parameters of what information is actually desirable and useful for the better operation of the building and it s only once we start putting key performance indicators in making sure everyone reports with a level of accountability that a coherent message will come through. Gareth: Thank you. Much of the initial work on soft landings and its integration with BIM is only just starting to be tested. What do you think the reality will be for people trying to work with it at an operational level? What are some of the experiences we are seeing at the moment? James: Soft landings is a framework that has adopted good practice; it has been around for a long time and people have been performing that service for a long time. What s new is that it has become a framework for people to adopt, a sort of badge to show they are adopting those policies and processes. Where BIM comes in, is with this golden thread. BIM has been around for 20 years so it s not new on the market and has been used as a 3D visualisation tool. It has been used by designers to inform people about what the design will look like, but it hasn t actually been used coherently on a consistent basis for FM purposes, and its really that, which is starting to come through. It s really only starting to be tested in the BIM format and there are many different approaches. Emma: Soft landings is nothing but positive, but I think certain firms will take it on board a lot better than others. For the last four or five years, I ve been working with the construction industry, and certain construction companies have always involved an FM from the start, not just with regards to the whole life costings side, but actually implementing them into master planning and the design stage. But there are organisations that will take it on board 100 per cent, and there will be organisations that will just see it as a tickoff because it s mandatory and it has to happen. My only concern for soft landings Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 6

8 is that the FM that s going to be running the site could, potentially, be put in a situation that could be quite stressful at the beginning. People will ask, what do you think, how should this building be run, how do you think this building should operate?. Some FMs will have the capability and general knowledge to implement and discuss, but others I fear will be stressed about the fact whatever they put into that design is going to affect the building moving forward. I think there needs to be, from our point of view, a way of protecting those FMs that don t have the necessary capabilities or understanding, and give them as much guidance and support as we can so they can feel comfortable feeding back to architects, to construction and to the end users. FM firms need to draw in people from the design professions and the management professions more than they have done. Martin: Just to add that some of this requires delivering some very bad news to people who don t want to hear it, and that is a new thing for a lot of FMs. FMs often have to deal with the reality of what s going on around them, and that can mean being strong with a whole variety of construction partners about what s required to make what looks like a fantastic building really work for its operational stage. That s a new thing and requires FMs to be far more technically savvy. Emma: This has to do with the project manager, and especially with regards to soft landings and BIM. Whoever is leading that project has to make sure that everybody is contributing into the project in general. Richard: Yes, Emma, you mentioned that there are many different people in FM but I think you have to recognise that it is a multi-discipline subject in itself, and if you are talking to the architect or the services engineer you probably need to be an architect or services engineer to have that conversation. I think FM firms will need to draw in people from the design professions and the management professions more than they have done, and I am sure those jobs will actually be welcome because it s a much easier conversation to have if you understand what the game is. I agree that it is a huge challenge for the FM world to embrace all this: educate everyone, manage everyone, and probably more so than for any other part of the supply chain. Gareth: I guess the ultimate question is: do you think that there is a time when FM requirements will lead and maybe even shape the design of future building projects? Martin: Only because I am an idealist, the answer has got to be yes, hasn t it? I mean here we are at the Facilities Show. When you look at the numbers that are involved Richard mentioned 15 per cent of GDP if you ran up into construction etc you can t deny the data and people are far more data savvy these days. I know we are talking about this now because the government have mandated it and it will be a big deal over the course of the next few years, and there are now lots of interesting programmes going on, but, ultimately, the operational cost of a Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 7

9 building is a huge percentage and it can t be denied. As an idealist, I say yes! Emma: Yes, it would be nice to think like that. I think soft landings is revealing some data and information that can t be ignored in regards to how a building is working, the same as BIM. Do I think FM will lead it? Personally, not for a long, long time and to be honest I don t know why FM should lead it, I think it s a team that needs to lead it, I think the architects have got some good input into it, the constructor, the M&E engineers, the FM: I think everybody has a part to play, but obviously we have to shape it. James: I think it also comes down to priorities; and the priorities in shaping a building from an FM perspective are very, very important. But, at the same time, this needs to be matched with the need of other aspects and other stakeholders in the project, So, while an engineer designing in line with FM guidance is very practical and forward thinking, good design input can also be invaluable. Richard: I think FMs would be able to be much more influential if they also took responsibility for the user satisfaction of the building, not just operating the building as a piece of machinery but for the way it supports the occupier and the delivery of the occupier s business success. Occupiers are often very weak at giving a good brief to the design and construction team because they haven t actually lived with anything other than their previous personal experience. If FMs really start to develop evidence bases not just on their own experiences but collectively as a profession, they know what works and what doesn t, they can help the user to articulate what it is that s going to do the trick. That, I think, is a road to leadership; users are not in the business of living with the building professionally, they come and they go, they are very important, but they are consumers, if FMs become part of producing that user satisfaction then I think they can take a much more leading role. Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 8

10 About the panel Emma Bailey, Director, Consulting, Agents4RM A senior executive/consultant with extensive experience in; operational improvements, change/project management & whole life costing, with a keen eye for troubleshooting and delivering a highly motivated effective performance in all areas. She has held senior positions such as Client Relationship Director for MITIE, is currently Non-Executive Board Member for the BIFM, Director for Agents4RM and Director of Interim FM Solutions. Martin Read, Managing Editor, FM World Martin Read is the managing editor of FM World magazine. He has experience as an editor, writer and publishing project manager in the B2B, client publishing and membership organisation sectors. His previous titles have been in the logistics, public transport and group travel sectors. Richard Saxon, BIM Ambassador Richard Saxon is an architect and client adviser. He was formerly chair of BDP, president of BCO and vice president of the RIBA. A long-term enthusiast for collaborative working, he has just completed a study for BIS of the growth potential from BIM. Richard was awarded the CBE in 2001 for services to architecture and construction. Gareth Tancred, CEO, BIFM Gareth has been the CEO of the British Institute of Facilities Management since February 2012, prior to this appointment he had been COO of the institute since August He has over 12 years experience at board level, ranging from SMEs to large UK, European and international organisations, along with an extensive portfolio as an Executive Director, specifically as a Deputy CEO. In 1994 Gareth became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). He has been a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) since 2000, and qualified as an accountant in James Warne, Co-Founder, BOOM Collective James background as an environmental engineer specialising in sustainability, intelligent building and building performance is built on 25 years experience within the construction and property sector. Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 9

11 He has co-founded a new practice, BOOM Collective, which looks to improve environmental performance and occupant satisfaction through an integrated approach to design, construction and operation. This starts from consilient briefing through design and construction and into operation including Post Occupancy Evaluation. James has been heavy involved in the Soft Landings User Group since its inception in 2009, and actively supports its adoption throughout the industry. He is also an advocate for the application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to improve building performance. As a Cabe Built Environment Expert (BEE), James seeks to improve design quality within the built environment. He is also a guest lecturer at Centre of Alternative Technology in Wales and University of Portsmouth, in addition to other venues. Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 10

12 Glossary BIM Building Information Modelling. A process involving the generation of digital representations of the physical and functional components of a facility. The resulting building information models become shared knowledge resources to support decision-making about the facility from the conception stage, through design, construction and operational life up to eventual decommissioning. The Government requires collaborative 3D BIM (with all project and asset information, documentation and data in electronic form) on its projects by 2016 CAPEX Capital expenditure FM Facilities management GDP Gross domestic product is the market value of all officially recognised final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. Government Soft Landings (GSL) The ongoing maintenance and operational cost of a building during its lifecycle far outweighs the original capital cost of construction. GSL identifies the need for this to be recognised through early engagement in the design process. A key identification is the need to align design and construction with operational asset management, and implement greater use of outcome based specifications against clear performance criteria. More information can be found. M&E Mechanical & Electrical OPEX Operational expenditure PAS 1192 Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using building information modelling RIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects, Is FM the catalyst for all future building projects? 11