A new decade, a new dawn for FM?

But as 2019 draws to a close, there also comes the added excitement and speculation that accompanies the start of a new decade.

What will define this new decade and how will it be remembered? In the previous century, ‘the Roaring Twenties’ were characterised by new freedoms in social, economic and cultural aspects of life. That decade was fundamentally shaped by the aftermath of the First World War, and so what events and issues will shape the 2020s? And how will this filter down to the FM industry?

To ignite discussion and debate on what the 2020s will hold for facilities management, we spoke to a number of acknowledged thought-leaders within the industry to get their views.

As well as spokespeople from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and professional body RICS (The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), our sounding board comprised experts from across cleaning, security, catering, IT and support services and property services – the five pillars of FM.

Unsurprisingly, the uncertainty around Brexit loomed large among the responses, along with concerns around continuing cost pressures. There were also more specific challenges within the sectors that make up FM, such as how best to meet evolving threats in security. 

But there was also plenty of optimism around the benefits and opportunities that technology and data-driven solutions will bring, as well as the growing focus on sustainability. 

For Facilities Matters, 2019 has obviously been a significant year, having launched the magazine in March. Since then the response has been fantastic, so many thanks for your support. This is our last issue of 2019, but we look forward to bringing you plenty more interesting and useful information and insight in 2020. See you next decade!