January 3, 2003—A recent issue of Premises & Facilities Management (PFM) outlined the findings of a FM outsourcing survey in the UK. The survey was originally conducted in the summer of 2002 by BSRIA, the UKs center for building services technologies, market intelligence and consultancy.
Some of the highlights of the survey include:
Length of Contract. The average length of contract for individual services is two years, two and a half years for group contracts and three years for full FM. This trend is likely to continue, according to the survey, partly due to the use of dedicated CAFM solutions, which are estimated by BSRIA to be increasing by about 10-15 percent per year.
Contract Awards. Winning an FM contract has become more competitive. According to the BSRIA study, only an average of 13 companies are invited to tender compared with 26 four years ago. BSRIA attributes this change to more complex and management-oriented contracts.
Decision-Making Criteria. The survey weighed the importance of various criteria in the final decision to award a contract. Some of the top criteria included: high quality of service, high level of professionalism, technical expertise and price.
The FM outsourcing market in the UK remains robust, concluded the survey, with growth running at 10 percent per year and strong opportunities for FM companies. For more information, contact BSRIA.
