by Brianna Crandall — February 5, 2014—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), in conjunction with global real estate and investment services outsourcing provider CBRE Group, has produced a white paper identifying key trends and opportunities within the facilities management industry that are expected to shape the industry for decades to come.
The full report, titled Facility Management Trend Report: Emerging Opportunities for Industry Leaders, gives a data-supplemented account of a two-day workshop held at IFMA’s 2013 World Workplace Conference and Expo in October in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The workshop included more than 20 FM practitioners, real estate leaders, service partners, academics, consultants and members of IFMA who explored FM trends in leadership, sustainability and technology.
FM professionals utilize multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place and process, notes IFMA. Around the world, the industry continues to advance to new levels of importance as the built environment grows more sophisticated. IFMA and CBRE say they strive to support the network that is crafting the developing standardization of the FM industry.
The white paper offers insight into trends and opportunities across three subject matters:
- Leading the Conversation—Showcasing FM relevancy and impact in areas such as business continuity, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and employee wellbeing
- Speaking the Right Language—Relaying FM opportunities and challenges in ways that resonate with the C-suite
- Building the Future of FM—Identifying talent, building integrated systems that connect data from disparate resources, and cultivating agility to meet continuously changing business and culture
The full report, Facility Management Trend Report: Emerging Opportunities for Industry Leaders, is available for purchase at the IFMA Store (US$120 for IFMA members/$180 for non-members). The Executive Summary is available via the IFMA Knowledge Base (free for IFMA members/$0.99 for non-members).
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) supports more than 23,500 members in 94 countries. The association’s members, represented in 130 chapters and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies professionals in facilities management, conducts research, provides educational programs, and produces the World Workplace FM conference and exposition.
