Top-5 Positive And Negative Changes in Facility Management For 2018 in Ukraine and in the World

Experts of the SHEN Facility Company closely watched what was happening in the sector and identified the most important changes that will have a significant impact next year.

The outgoing year was rich in events in the field of facility management. The market is becoming more dynamic, competition is tougher, eastern countries are beginning to play an important role.

World market

If we talk about Facility Management in developed countries, then there is an important trend towards the transition to an integrated FM, a model in which one contractor provides a range of services in close cooperation with the client. At the moment, the share of such contracts is 8-10% of the market. At the same growth rate, in 5 years this figure may increase to 15%. The main drivers of such growth is the desire of companies to optimize material resources and time as well as the introduction of innovative technologies, which implies an integrated approach to building operation.

“Smart” buildings, as a unified system combining lighting sensors, various sensors and object systems for effective control, are becoming more common, especially in European countries. Here, an important role is played by the positive experience of people inside the building. Specially designed mobile applications collect information about a person, and the automated control system of a “smart” building can adjust the lighting, temperature and other quality parameters of comfort according to the individual needs of the person.

In addition, such applications, report on the availability of parking spaces, free cafe tables and menus, reserve meeting rooms, conference rooms, etc.

The development of artificial intelligence is also among the important technological world trends. In 2018, we are seeing a significant increase in the number of software products and applications that use machine learning in their work. This year, several interesting pilot projects were implemented on the use of robots with artificial intelligence to provide facilitation services. For example, a robot assistant is now working at the Seoul airport, which helps to bring luggage, serves as an information desk. In the US, there are several projects for the introduction of security robots. Such companies as Karcher are actively developing the direction of autonomous floor cleaning machines.

The health and well-being of people this year has undoubtedly become a priority for facilitation managers around the world, as well as the eco-trend, which has deeply penetrated into all areas of business.

Facility Management Market in Ukraine

As for Ukraine, the first thing we see is a significant increase in interest in the transfer of tasks related to the operation of real estate to outsourcing. International companies in our country are still more actively using Facility services, since for them such cooperation is already the norm. Domestic enterprises are still more cautious, however, there is undoubtedly already an understanding of the proposed product and the benefits that the outsourcing facilitations of the company carry.

Also, positive trends include improving the quality of services provided and the introduction of process automation systems. Outsourcing companies are actively implementing ISO 9001 standards, which undoubtedly has a positive effect on the management system and, as a result, improves the quality of services.

SHEN, as a market leader, also operates according to HACCP safety standards.

In April of this year, the first ISO standards in the field of facility management were published, the introduction of which should bring not only the Ukrainian but also the world market to a qualitatively new level. The process automation systems introduced in Ukraine are also aimed at improving the quality of services, thanks to such technologies, the processes become transparent, the time for completing tasks is reduced, and control at all stages allows adjusting work in real time.

Separately, it is worth noting the growing demand for energy efficiency solutions. Up to 30% of the cost of operating the building accounts for energy. Smart buildings for the Ukrainian market are still too much luxury, but some technologies are already being introduced, some large objects are eyeing alternative energy options, solar panels or boilers producing energy from industrial waste.

If we talk about negative changes, then just like a few years earlier this is a difficult economic situation. Companies are not yet ready to significantly invest in their real estate, which in turn inhibits the development of the market.

In conclusion, we note that the year 2018 brought many positive changes in the field of facilitation management both in the world and in Ukraine. Trends in demand for high-quality, technological services, energy-efficient solutions and an increase in the share of outsourcing will continue next year, opening up new opportunities for business development.

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