5
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
MARCH
2014
New relationship models
Organisations in almost every industry
are realising that to be successful at their
core business means developing relation-
ships that shift responsibility for non-core
operations to a third party. Healthcare
networks, for instance, are in the busi-
ness of healing patients. Managing their
hospitals and laboratories is essential
to this task, but not their core function.
So vested outsourcing is the solution.
But it is not old-school outsourcing.
The trend is toward long term symbiotic
relationships that involve an assignment of
risk and requires deep understanding and
trust. Further compounding it is the trend
toward global, integrated solutions, so
the number of partners is limited but the
span of services expanded. Achieving high-
value partnerships like this can be at odds
with traditional cost-based procurement
processes. Thus the procurement process
needs critical evaluation. A rigid method
will not work for a relationship with value
beyond the initial bottom-line. The FM
industry must be prepared to provide
custom-crafted, commercial solutions.
Accelerating change
The adage is true: The only thing constant
is change. But the trend now is for major
organisations to fundamentally trans-
form their business operations. Part of
this stems from the new relationship
models, part is driven by economic vola-
tility, evolving trade regulations and new
market opportunities. What is pertinent
for FM is to be extremely agile and ready
to support the core business’ transfor-
mations with things such as flexible lease
contracts, and the ability to expand or
shrink real estate portfolios as required.
Hence the evolution in FM of ‘liquid space’
accompanied by an emphasis on agility in
leadership and growing focus on effective
change management.
Ultimately, all these technological,
climate, relationship and business devel-
opments have significant implications in
one of the hottest buzzing trends: the war
for talent.
War for talent
Organisations competing for top talent
need a battle strategy to win it on
three fronts:
Demographic Diversity
There is plenty
of buzzing about Digital Natives, Generation
Y, or Millennials. And there is obviously an
increasing impetus to attract these bright
young minds and harness their innovative
talents on their terms. Traditional Fortune
500s are revolutionising employment
policies and practices to compete for a
talent pool of young workers who demand
greater flexibility.
However, the FM industry also has a
cache of ‘graying’ workers, Baby Boomers
with a wealth of knowledge and experi-
ence to be retained on somewhat different
terms. These workers may not be as tech-
savvy as their younger colleagues and
often prefer traditional workspace models.
Successful organisations will be able to
engage workers across the age-spectrum
with a mix of flexible workspaces.
Cultural Diversity
The trend toward
cultural diversity is not new, with the
innovation advantages of varied perspec-
tives and styles well documented. But the
necessity of such diversity in FM is taking
off like never before. Hand in hand with
the trend toward integrated, global solu-
tions in the new relationship model, facility
managers with a multinational portfolio
will have widely varying needs from one
location to another. To meet those needs,
facility managers must have a culturally
diverse team of experts who can provide
locally-appropriate solutions throughout a
global organisation.
Skills Diversity
To keep pace with all of
the trends, today’s workforce needs to be
agile at every level, ready to apply knowl-
edge to diverse tasks, adapt quickly, absorb
new skills, and think creatively. The lifespan
of knowledge acquired at university is now
about three years. Coupled with the fact
that there is already a shortage of talent
coming out of science and engineering
programs, there is a real dilemma for the
FM industry. Thus, developing continuing
education and on the job training programs
to fill the skills gaps will be as essential as
competing for the best talent.
Anticipating these trends, under-
standing their impact on your business,
and being able to meet the challenges they
present is critical to success.
About Global WorkPlace Solutions
Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions is a leading provider of
facilities, commercial real estate and energy management for many of
the world’s largest companies. It creates business advantages for
customers through tailored solutions that optimise real estate
performance and employee productivity while reducing total occupancy
costs. Its 21 000 employees have delivered over USD3-billion in savings
for our customers over the last 10 years and ensure the business
continuity of the 1,8 billion square feet of real estate that it manages in
more than 75 countries.
