If you’ve been involved in building maintenance over the past decade you don’t need to be told that your day to day has changed dramatically in this time. While your role has been evolving consistently for the better part of 40 years, the last 10 in particular has seen a dramatic shift in the requirements and responsibilities expected.
So what do the next 10 years hold for those working in building maintenance? If they are anything like the last 10 (which looks more than likely!) then hold on for a raft of changes.
Here are three areas predicted for the most change in building maintenance in Australia and New Zealand:
Sustainability: FMs have always played a key part in the sustainability of a building, even before the term ’sustainability’ became a hot topic amongst the wider community. Through the management of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, one of the main responsibilities of FMs has always been to reduce the costs and improve efficiency of utilities and services.
As awareness surrounding the issue continues to grow and becomes of increased importance to the C-suite, the focus for FMs to minimise the carbon footprint of a facility through good energy, water and waste management becomes crucial.
Technology: A broad term that strikes fear in to many, advances in technology shape the way we live our lives, and for FMs this means keep up or move aside.
From the increased use of cloud computing and BIM software, through to facial recognition, motion detection and the need to facilitate the increase in employees working remotely, the acceptance and management of a host of new technologies will play an enormous role in success of a safe, comfortable and efficient facility.
Time Management: Obvious? Yes. Essential? Absolutely. Achievable? Perhaps. As the responsibility list for FMs expands and time becomes an increasingly rare commodity, how FMs prioritise their time will have a huge bearing on their success (and sanity). Managing multiple trades is an important part of the job, but often the time dealing with these external services could be better spent.
Where will building maintenance be in 10 years? Only time can tell. However, as FMs become more important to the corporate and social responsibility of a company, those who embrace new technology and the shift towards a sustainable future with good time management can put themselves in good stead for the future, and help guarantee they will not get left behind.
