The landmark failure of Carillion at the beginning of 2018 continues to ripple through the industry, adding to a sense of concern – or at the least, a sense of caution – together with other big issues such as Brexit and a more general political and economic uncertainty in the UK and beyond.
At the same time, the facilities management sector continues to be a busy place characterised by growth and change even as it remains a highly competitive, low-margin industry.
Service providers have responded to the mixed conditions we’ve seen in recent years in very different ways. There has been positive, steady growth often bolstered by acquisition; and there have also been profit warnings, falling revenue and the introduction of hard-nosed transformation strategies.
What is it about the FM industry that gives rise to experiences at opposite ends of the spectrum? What can we learn from companies who are pursuing transformation successfully? And what about the ones who appear to go from strength to strength – are there insights or lessons that can be applied elsewhere?
If facilities management is to continue on its broad track of successful development, we need to know more about the business of FM, its challenges and opportunities, what works and what doesn’t.
