Business Reporter

A supplier whose experience covers the full gamut of hygiene functions can be invaluable in saving a business time and money – and protecting its reputation A clean working environment isn’t just more pleasant. In many sectors – food and pharmaceutical to name just two – it is a prerequisite for safe, legal production. Companies [...]

In tough economic times, a multi-service approach can cut costs and boost efficiency, whether your organisation is public or private sector When Servest Multi Service Group, the UK’s leading facilities services provider, began working with Leicestershire County Council in the 1990s, it provided cleaning services alone. Gradually more services were added, and two years ago [...]

Total facility management draws together every service a company needs to run its buildings into a single package, cutting costs and boosting performance, says Craig Shepheard What is TFM? Total Facility Management (TFM) combines everything clients need to run their buildings, from hard services – mechanical/electrical (M&E) maintenance, water treatment, heating and air-conditioning – to [...]

Procurement’s role in facilities management is about more than securing the best price. It also has to be a catalyst for challenge and change By its very nature, facilities management is not a core component of most businesses. Complex, fragmented and highly operational, it’s an unattractive area for the uninitiated. However, procurement has recently been [...]

A holistic approach to environmental issues can enable companies to cut spending and increase revenue – and it doesn’t require a huge capital outlay either The business benefits of being kinder to the planet are widely acknowledged. Canny companies realise that as well as saving them cash and making them more competitive, it strengthens their [...]

Plantronics’ HQ is designed to wow current – and future – workers Plantronics’ new UK headquarters is a testimony to the US company’s position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of hands-free headsets for phones. Its design has been deemed so successful that it is being replicated at the firm’s other European offices, and [...]

Consistency and accurate data are key to managing facilities in global and multi-site firms For a company attempting to manage its facilities across a number of locations there is a range of potential difficulties. These largely stem from the surplus of contractors that may be involved, from cleaning to catering to the various maintenance requirements, [...]

In a world where cost-cutting is king and efficiency is essential, we ask three industry experts about the role of facilities managers today   Graham Forrester     Why should senior managers be concerned about FM? It’s a major cost, typically accounting for 15 to 35 per cent of outgoings. It has a direct impact [...]

With 18 per cent of organisations having no plans in place for the Olympics upheaval, firms must act now to get a headstart on the hurdles ahead Few events will present more challenges to business continuity in London than the Olympics this summer. The heightened security in London during the Games has been the obvious [...]

Large and complex outsourcing contracts can quickly become a risk. Business Reporter speaks to industry experts on how harmony between suppliers and customers can be created to steer clear of danger At a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) conference on strategic facilities management in London in February, more than 80 per cent of the [...]