Are you using data insights to power facilities within your estate?

The amount of data generated within your estate has never been more significant or complex. However, there is a growing trend that organisations wish to become data-driven; for example, a recent IDC research study found that 83% of CEOs want their organisation to be data-driven, though only 33% of executives felt confident with the current data that underpins business KPIs and metrics.

Data-driven organisations should utilise data to determine facts, KPIs and metrics to inform strategic estates decisions during the lifecycle of an asset – from establishing a business need to design and build, operate and maintain, and ultimately whether to retain or dispose of an asset.

Establishing a robust data culture is paramount to achieving success and becoming a data-driven organisation. Data culture must be developed and begin at the top; it should align with the fundamental objective of collecting and analysing data to make better decisions and not for the sake of gathering data unjustifiably.

There is a misunderstanding and knowledge gap regarding the importance of data, a report, ‘The technology impact: embracing technology to move forward in FM’³ produced by the Institute for Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) in 2018, concluded that the use of technology and data is essential, but the overall level of digital expertise appears to be low. Many industries and market segments are acknowledging the digital skills gap. As part of their long-term plan, the NHS published a workforce action plan for Estates and Facilities^, which includes an action to embed data-driven decision-making and future-proofing skills across its current workforce of c100,000 people.

 

Near term solutions

Whilst organisations are developing long-term sustainable plans to bridge the digital skills gap, a near-term solution for leaders of estates is to reflect on their existing FM partnerships. Does the existing partnership provide meaningful data insights into the estate?

Bellrock is a digitally-led asset, facilities and property management services provider that helps organisations to transform their estates through technology and services. In 2022, Bellrock’s technology platform Concerto was trusted to manage £2.7Bn of transactions across 257k sites and 37k suppliers. Clients in the public sector include HMRC, London Fire Brigade, HM Treasury, NHS England and over 80 local authorities and NHS Trusts. The golden thread between these clients is that all have geographically disparate, technically complex, and critical operations across many different asset classes. Their requirement is to continually evolve to improve the customer workplace experience through being empowered to make data-driven decisions.

 

Beginning digital transformation

It isn’t easy for organisations to assess the maturity of their digital estates information or their existing FM partners contribution to it. To assist organisations with this challenge, Bellrock has devised the Integrated Digital Estates Assets (IDEA) model, an assessment of an organisation’s maturity in respect of digital estates information. The self-assessment is comprehensive and covers data, environmental and cultural, contracts and service, statutory and regulatory, organisational, and financial maturity. The self-assessment will produce a score and benchmark an organisation’s position on an ascending maturity scale –

1. Preliminary – Conscious of the need for consistent FM processes
2. Aspirational – Delivering consistent FM processes and will be working towards an open and proactive communications model
3. Defined – An effective integrated software platform and will benefit from decentralised data management
4. Aspirational – Integrated processes with dynamic distributable KPIs
5. Optimised – Common data environment with effective change management

 

The future of FM is here

In 2020, a large commercial client partnered with Bellrock to deliver a new data-led FM Integrator model across their portfolio, which covers 142 properties, including 32 multi-let offices, over 1,000 occupiers and more than £30 million per annum of managed supply chain service. The model incorporates the latest technology from numerous technology partners, including connected sensor and BMS solutions. The application of sensors within the build environment feeds into the quality of the occupier experience:

• Cost avoidance / efficiency
• Reduce disruption within the occupier environment
• Pull baseline data together on the net zero journey

Bellrock Property & Facilities Management is a named supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Facilities Management and Workplace Services Framework, RM6232, TFM Lots 1a / 1b and Hard FM Lots 2a / 2b, and Crown Commercial Service’s Estate Management Services (EMS) framework, RM6168, Integrated Workplace Management Lot 7. The frameworks provide access to pre-qualified suppliers who have already demonstrated capacity, capability, expertise, and value for money.