2022 outlook

While it is hard to take away positives from the pandemic, this significant shift did place the efforts and duties of FM teams in the spotlight like never before. Previously working in the shadows, these professionals were pushed to the forefront to ensure the wellbeing of employees, residents and others was secured in these challenging circumstances.

Whether it was keeping workplaces clean and disinfected, organising safe maintenance routes, or reconfiguring space, FM professionals were more visible than ever across all types of facilities.

2022 will concentrate on FM teams consolidating this visibility, and not let things revert to the way they once were. With more people aware of the role these teams play to keep everything in working order, we anticipate that they will be more frequently referred to for their insight when forging company-wide strategies.

As organisations increasingly rely on data-driven decisions, the expertise of FM professionals, and the information gathered by their software solutions, will be relied upon more than ever to guide companies forward.

One trend spurred forward by the pandemic that will continue to gather steam in 2022 is hybrid working.

As this approach to working becomes widespread, with the growing adoption of flexible hours and hot-desks, FM teams must be prepared to implement these without impacting on the quality of their output. This may include the facilitation of co-working and managed workspaces or introducing mobile apps that enable teams to work effectively regardless of where they are.

If your company is not yet set up for hybrid working, this year is the time to start. Looking at enhanced space management and mobile solutions will put you in a strong position to reap the full benefits of hybrid working in your organisation, something we have worked with a lot of our clients on implementing.

Due in part to the shift towards hybrid and remote working, many organisations in 2022 will be seeking to reduce the scale of their real estate. Rather than pay over the odds for expensive office space that is no longer required due to a reduced number of employees on-site, steps will be taken to cut out these costs.

However, these actions will require FM teams to review how their buildings are configured to accommodate everyone on-site comfortably. Space and move management will be top of the agenda, so smaller layouts can serve larger groups of people when necessary and create environments more suitable for hot-desking and collaborative working.

Companies will find themselves increasingly reliant on robust facilities management solutions to ensure that their organisations can adapt to a more compact environment, with no decrease in their employees’ quality of life or their day-to-day productivity.

2021 arguably brought environmental issues and climate challenges to the forefront more than any year prior. People are increasingly conscious of the need to turn the tide to protect the health of our planet, and regulations are being – and will continue to be – introduced in response to this.

These regulations will no doubt impact all forms of buildings and organisations, which will need to take strides to reduce their carbon footprint. So, we anticipate many FM teams to start moving in this direction in 2022.

Each year brings with it a flood of new rules, regulations and standards that facilities management teams must get to grips with, and 2022 is no different.

For instance, in the UK the Building Safety Bill will change the health and safety processes surrounding high-rise residential buildings and hospitals. Responding to the events of the Grenfell tragedy, this sets new responsibilities for the ‘Accountable Persons’ to ensure all mandatory safety measures are in place in a built environment.

This is just one of numerous updates that will be introduced across the year, and as ever FM teams will need to stay informed of these in order to avoid compliance-related penalties.