by Brianna Crandall — August 22, 2012—A shortage of skilled facilities managers is the biggest hurdle to the delivery of FM services in Asia Pacific, according to a survey by global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle’s Asia Pacific Division of over 60 senior facilities management professionals at the recent World Workplace Asia 2012 conference. Held in Singapore, the strategic conference was presented by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), and the Singapore Chapter of IFMA.
Key survey findings were:
- Almost three-quarters, or 73% of respondents, believe that skills shortage is the most important factor inhibiting the delivery of facilities management in Singapore.
- Turnover of talent is the second biggest challenge facing the industry in Singapore for two-thirds of respondents (67%), suggesting that skilled FMs can and do utilize their significant bargaining power.
- More than half (57%) believe that a lack of understanding around the value of facilities management is a major challenge to the delivery of these services in Singapore.
- The top three benefits that respondents expect facilities management outsourcing to deliver are access to best practice, value for money and innovation in business.
- The top three factors that will shape the future of facilities management are alignment to core business, business continuity, and cost and risk management through outsourcing.
- Turnover of talent is the second biggest challenge facing the industry in Singapore for two-thirds of respondents (67%), suggesting that skilled FMs can and do utilize their significant bargaining power.
“Facility managers in the region today are faced with a difficult challenge: businesses are asking for—and expecting—more from their service offering and delivery. This means that preparedness and access to non-traditional skills are now the most pressing concerns for professionals in the industry,” said Jordi Martin, Managing Director of Integrated Facilities Management in Asia Pacific for Jones Lang LaSalle. “At the same time, businesses are embracing facility management as a key component of their real estate strategy and are keen to work in partnership with FM providers. For potential new recruits within and outside the industry, this is an attractive prospect.”
For more information, see Jones Lang LaSalle’s Facility Management Blog featuring posts from attendees at the conference; a podcast by Alisa Goodyear in which she discusses Making FM Partnerships Work in Asia Pacific; and a white paper by Rob Timmermans on Surviving the Disaster Zone: Lessons Learned in Asia Pacific.
