The world of FM has continued to evolve with the changing needs of the market in the past few years. It has witnessed a spike in the demand for cleaning, sanitation and decontamination services. We spoke to Gary Reader, General Manager, ServeU to understand more about the changed needs and how ServeU is adapting to them. 

How has the FM sector evolved over time, particularly in the Middle East, especially after the pandemic?

Over the years, the facilities management (FM) sector has prioritised ensuring workplace compliance and business continuity. With the effects of the pandemic, the sector had to adapt with the changing market needs and demands to comply with the new and evolving regulations. Cleaning, sanitation and decontamination services were the most sought after due to the widespread COVID-19 virus.

Due to frequent cleaning and disinfection of air ducts, the demand for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) maintenance services saw a tremendous rise. The demand for security services also increased with large organisations requiring thermal scanning and health check at entry points. These growing requirements resulted in FM organisations investing in development of their services, including technological development investments.

To tackle the growing competition, FM firms are adopting big data analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence and touch-free interfaces. The sector has witnessed tremendous growth over the last few years, with the FM market showing great potential to meet the increasing expectations for seamless operations and cost-effective integrated services.  

Clearly, innovation and data-driven FM are cornerstones of organisational success and sustainability. How does ServeU continue to be innovative in this digital world?

To ensure efficient, safe and comfortable operations, the FM sector involves people, places, processes and technology. The FM sector now focuses on business strategy and environment trends to adapt its business and support models to the prevalent market trends. Facility management has seen tremendous improvements in functions and operations with the help of modern technology and innovative tools.

ServeU has been in the maintenance business since long, and we have broad experience in understanding the challenges in the market and needs of our clients. We strive to offer comprehensive facility management services to our customers and ensure cost-effective solutions through our wide range of hard and soft services to cleaning services.

To keep up with the digital innovations in the industry, digitalise customer experience and offer state-of-the-art solutions throughout the region, we have initiated our most inventive and significant strategy that guarantees that all of our customers gain seamless access to our services through the recently launched fully automated mobile application.

Through this new digital platform from ServeU Essentials, we provide our customers with online reservations, cashless purchases and access to virtual subscriptions. The application allows customers to access, book and make payment for services without human interaction through its user-friendly design. It gives the FM managers and staff the opportunity to improve service efficiency while providing customers with immediate responses, as the application is connected to the Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system of the organisation. We recently have collaborated with Microsoft to improve and modernise our CAFM system. We also ensure proper and optimum technology training so that all our employees are well-skilled in the newest technologies in the market.

How does sustainable Facilities Management boost productivity in workplaces?

Sustainability is the top priority now more than ever for every government and private sector. Adopting sustainable methods can help reduce risks, improve customer and corporate efficiency and helps in technological progression, while simultaneously lowering the adverse impact on the environment and the society. This makes sustainable practices beneficial for both the corporation, as well as the society.

The sustainable facilities management field entails work that can be described as a leader’s ability to make decisions that has an impact on the environment. A facility manager has the discretion to make decisions that may have a positive or a negative on the environment. It is a sector that involves people and long-lasting behavioural changes, so it is necessary to invest in technical, behavioural and communication improvements to achieve better results. 

Sustainability does not just necessitate the reduction of a facility’s environmental impact, but also considers the level of comfort the occupants or workers inside it feel. To attract investments from large corporations, FM businesses must also ensure superior interior air quality, ventilation, and air circulation that would help enhance staff productivity. If this is achieved, FM companies become reliable businesses to avail services from and the clients’ also receive positive responses from their employees. According to experts, people who are happy with the work environment are 18 per cent more likely to stay at with a firm and are 30 per cent more likely to be drawn to it.

What is the role of Facilities Management in maintaining a sustainable HVAC design? 

The FM system helps in achieving an efficient HVAC system through examination of all waste and carbon footprint utilising technologies that track equipment operation in real time, and additionally find ways to reduce them. Projects might differ in every sector, but sustainable HVAC systems are essentially delivered in the same method with a project team starting an integrated process from the first day by examining different aspects of the building structure, which would have a long-term influence on the energy needs and carbon emissions. The foremost responsibility of a facility manager working on this project will be to ensure that the blueprint of the HVAC design is discussed in the planning and design phases to guarantee rightsizing, effectiveness and superior indoor air quality.

To make shared decisions cost-effective, facility managers should be dedicated to early planning and consolidated design. Early planning has numerous benefits such as its helps in the reduction of floor-to-floor heights, which helps in saving costs as less facade and structural materials are specified. The mitigation of operational and cost implications has a cumulative effect on the total project.

Highlight the importance of indoor air quality.

A major concern for businesses, building managers, tenants, and employees is the health, comfort, well-being, and productivity of building occupants, and air quality plays a major role in addressing these issues. HVAC systems facilitate better and improved air quality in buildings ensuring enhanced breathability and comfort for occupants. Areas in a building where ventilation is limited require efficient HVAC systems. Awareness of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is essential for building and facility managers, especially those in the HVAC manufacturing industry, and should be given proper attention to ensure a safe and healthy occupancy.

Through its optimum planning and dynamic system improvements, ServeU provides its customer the best and optimised HVAC processes. We recommend upgrades and retrofits for your ageing equipment to maintain its efficiency. ServeU’s HVAC system helps improve the performance of buildings, making people more productive and saving energy by up to 40 per cent.

Despite all the awareness of the latest technology trends, some companies are still hesitant to shift, why should these companies prioritise investing in technology?

To thrive in the competitive market, businesses need to accept the fact that automation and data driven operations are the future. With the increasing demands, the competition in every sector is tremendously increasing. There are a lot of costs and challenges involved but companies are realising the need to adopt innovative technology, provided the offer of right solutions which suits the business type and budget.

Technology is a long-term investment, and investing in it may prove to be expensive, but it would help plan the future and devise strategies in a better and a sustainable way. In this ever-evolving market, FM companies are constantly upgrading and developing to provide better experiences to clients in energy efficiency services, security services, or FM integrated services.

We, at ServeU, have given the highest priority to provide optimum training to our staff in information and technical knowledge to better adapt to the newer technologies that we adopt. To address the issues of transformation to new technologies, companies should consider training their staff to improve their interaction skills with technology. 

The world is moving forward at a breakneck speed with new and innovative technological developments changing the face of the market. To keep up with the advancements, companies must explore different avenues to adapt to newer trends and ensure efficiency in facility management for their clients.