Grapevine

03^rd July 2020

Welcome to this week’s Grapevine, the place to get your bitesize FM updates in one place, in a handy five-minute read.

Got a story for us? Please send news stories & press releases to: grapevine@twinfm.com.

CBRE joins the World’s Largest Commitment to “Social Procurement”

CBRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) has joined the Buy Social Corporate Challenge, a ground-breaking initiative led by Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) which will see CBRE commit to engaging with more social enterprises.

CBRE and a selection of other high-profile businesses have committed to contributing to the overall target of collectively spending £1 billion with social enterprise suppliers.

Social enterprises are businesses which use their profits to help tackle pressing social or environmental issues; from creating jobs for the homeless, diverting waste resources away from landfill, to rehabilitating ex-offenders. There are approximately 100,000 social enterprises in the UK, contributing £60 billion to GDP, and an increasing number of them operate in B2B markets.

Through purchasing from social enterprises, CBRE aims to go beyond the traditional conceptions of corporate social responsibility to embed diversity and inclusion into their core business. For example, 40 per cent of social enterprise leaders are women (compared with just 17 per cent of mainstream SMEs), 13 per cent of social enterprise leaders are from a BAME background (compared with just 5 per cent of mainstream SMEs) and 37 per cent of social enterprises have a director with a disability.

Kerry-Anne Dilley, EMEA Regional Sourcing Director at CBRE GWS said: “The government backed Challenge aligns to CBRE’s commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices and will help social enterprise suppliers to grow their revenues and impact by tapping into CBRE’s corporate purchasing power.

“Furthermore, engaging with social enterprises will further our dedication to delivering innovation – according to SEUK research 56 per cent of social enterprises introduced a new product or service in the previous 12 months, far outstripping mainstream SMEs at 36 per cent.”

Wates FM Celebrates First Anniversary

The Wates Group’s facilities management division, Wates FM, is celebrating its successful first year as part of Wates Property Services, with seven new contract wins and six extensions secured in the 12 months to July 2020.

Currently maintaining a total of circa 350 buildings nationwide for 52 customers across 16 sectors, Wates FM has established itself as a leading presence in the UK facilities management sector, providing self-delivered, mechanical, electrical and total FM services.

New clients include Wates FM’s first public sector contract with West Midlands Police which will see the management of facilities for more than 1,500 police and civilians in Birmingham. New private sector contracts include a major deal to deliver mechanical and electrical facility support for law firm Clyde and Co and an FM and compliance services contract across the nationwide estate of investment management firm, Brooks Macdonald.

James Gregg, Managing Director of Wates FM, commented: “Since launching Wates FM 12 months ago, we have secured seven new customers and have extended service agreements with six of our key clients. This is a huge testament to our position as a high quality and trusted FM partner.

“I am particularly proud of the impeccable standards we have maintained in our health and safety over the last 12 months; it has been over 1,200 days since our last reportable injury and both our Accident Frequency Rate and Lost Time Injury rates are at zero.”

Reconomy Says Thanks to NHS With Summer Campaign

Reconomy, a provider of outsourced waste and resource management services is giving back to the NHS by supporting The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH).

As part of their “say thanks this summer” campaign, Reconomy will donate £5 for every new skip or container order placed by customers in July. The plan is to use the funds generated to renovate a disused courtyard at the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, and create an outdoor space that can be enjoyed by patients, staff and visitors.

Reconomy will also offer waste management and recycling solutions for the project, provide volunteers and help find other local support for things like the design of the outdoor area.

Head-quartered in Telford, Reconomy employs many people from the local area. This made the Princess Royal Hospital an obvious choice to try and support.

The company runs regular community engagement and fundraising activities, coordinated by staff, as part of its social value programme and this latest campaign aims to acknowledge the efforts of the NHS and front-line workers as Reconomy’s business starts to increase following the impact of COVID-19.

The BCIA Launches Schoolz Out Competition

The Building Controls Industry Association has launched a brand new summer competition that encourages children and young people to design an energy saving product or initiative which uses an element of control, that could help reduce the energy consumption of their schools.

Terry Sharp, BCIA President, said: “Today’s students are perhaps more aware of environmental matters than anybody as it is their future that is most at stake right now.

“The next generation of engineers will be the key drivers in developing the innovative technologies to help create a sustainable future and the Schoolz Out competition encourages people to take the initiative as early as possible in shaping the world they will inherit.”

The competition is open to two age categories; age 10 and under, and age 11-16, with a prize to be awarded to the winner of each category. The winners can choose from: A 64GB 10.1” iPad Air with a £30 iTunes gift card OR An ASUS C434 Full HD 14 Inch Touchscreen Chromebook.

Click here to find out more details about how your child can get involved.

Pubs opening again this weekend...time to enjoy a social drink with family and friends BUT let's all do it safely. Cheers!

26^th June 2020

Welcome to this week’s Grapevine, the place to get your bitesize FM updates in one place, in a handy five-minute read.

Got a story for us? Please send news stories & press releases to: grapevine@twinfm.com.

FSI launches a Field Service Management Solution for Small Teams and Trade Firms

FSI, a leading global CAFM/IWMS provider, has released the Concept Rapide Field Service Management solution for small trade and maintenance companies.

Concept Rapide is an on-the-go solution available on a monthly SaaS subscription, and the company is hoping to use it to transform the way the M&E contractor market navigates job fulfilment moving forward.

Managing a job from an initial quote through to delivery and invoicing involves many time-consuming processes. With Concept Rapide, there is total control, visibility and management of a job’s timeline, reducing the amount of administrative work for owners, managers and employees, while maximising time, staff and cost efficiencies across the board.

Even on the move, users can quickly and easily manage the availability of staff and customers, keep track of and edit appointments and have complete oversight of the status of any properties, facilities and assets.

With the working world changing, small businesses will need access to tools that ease the increasing burden of local competition and ongoing financial pressures. Concept Rapide allows for the end-to-end management of quotes, finances, tasks, customer records and more.

Bolton Foodbanks to Benefit as FM Business gets Creative with Charity Challenge

Workers at a major facilities management business have been raising money for foodbanks across Bolton.

Staff from Robertson Facilities Management took part in the C2.6 charity challenge as a fundraising replacement for the London Marathon, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Participants were encouraged to tackle a challenge with “2.6” at its heart – whether it was a 2.6mile walk, a 26km cycle, 26 consecutive cartwheels or even, in the case of one person, baking 26 Yorkshire puddings.

In total, the activity raised £738 with the funds being donated to Storehouse Bolton, which is the town’s main centrally located foodbank.

Storehouse, which is operated by Urban Outreach Bolton, primarily supports families and single people in distress as a result of redundancy, illness, debt, adverse changes or a delay in benefits.

Keith Edwards, Director for the FM Partnership, said: “Many people were understandably disappointed at the cancellation of the marathon but that didn’t stop the team from wanting to support their chosen charity. Everyone found a creative way to meet the C2.6 challenge and I’m thrilled that the money raised is going to help such an important cause.

“While the current crisis is difficult for everyone, there’s no doubt that certain sections of society are being hit the hardest. Urban Outreach does fantastic work in Bolton and their Storehouse programme is providing real support to people at a time of need – we hope that our donation goes a small way to supporting the brilliant team there and their service users.”

Robertson FM has a contract with Bolton Council to support the management of their property estate, which consists of around 3,000 properties.

Robertson has also partnered with Bolton Council to form the Clear Sustainable Futures programme, which focuses on developing long-term solutions to sustainability challenges. In addition, the firm’s regional construction business - Robertson North West - recently completed work on a £6m office project which forms part of the Bolton Central development.

Daro UV Systems unlocks Interest-Free Deal with Akira Financial

British manufacturer Daro UV Systems (part of the Daro Group), has announced a deal with Akira Financial to provide interest-free credit for its Mobile UV Disinfection unit.

Keen to encourage greater awareness around the benefits of ultraviolet light when it comes to infection prevention, Daro has accelerated the production of the unit. Through its agreement with Akira Financial the company is now offering zero per cent interest, in order to make the technology accessible to businesses whose recovery relies on client numbers such as dentists, chiropractors and gyms.

The Mobile UV Disinfection Unit is a tablet controlled fully portable UV germicidal unit with motion-sensor safety feature, designed to quickly and effectively disinfect rooms and visible contents to prevent the spread of infection and cross contamination. The unit can be placed in any room for just 10 minutes and will fully disinfect surfaces, accessible objects, and air within a 2.5 metre radius.

Mervyn Douglas, managing director of the Daro Group, commented: “We are delighted to be investing in this finance option with the support of Akira Financial to provide financing for companies keen to purchase and use the Mobile Disinfection Unit. It will open the doors for many businesses, which may not have previously considered such an option, particularly following lockdown and the impact this will have had on the bottom line.”

KPMG and Planon Extend Cooperation to Support Organisations in the Digitalisation of Lease, Real Estate- and Portfolio Management Processes

KPMG and Planon have announced moving their collaboration to the next level, by signing a partnership agreement. Planon is the leading, global provider of innovative software solutions that support corporate real estate and facility managers in optimising their business and workplace performance. Over the past two years the parties have been successfully working together on helping companies to comply with IFRS 16 standards by implementing Planon’s Lease Accounting solution across Europe.

KPMG and Planon see extending their partnership into the field of real estate, portfolio and property management and combining their expertise in these areas as a logical next step.

In the era of opportunities created by digitalisation and data, technology has become key to disclosing data and leveraging the full potential of the insights available into their core real estate management processes and smart portfolio management. The partnership will enable building owners and users to plan and execute a smart portfolio management strategy, using innovative technologies managed from a single source.

Gerben de Roest, Partner at KPMG Enterprise Solutions, said, “I am very happy that we have found a global software provider that helps building owners and occupiers to streamline business processes for buildings, people and workplaces and that puts innovation first. I am looking forward to continuing our successful collaboration by helping our mutual and new clients to get the most value out of their Planon investments, by providing value added expertise and controlled implementation of Planon solutions and related technology.”

If you are looking to take advantage of this mini-heatwave, remember to use sun cream and to leave any public place clean and tidy. See you next week.

Got a story for us? Please send news stories & press releases to: grapevine@twinfm.com.