by | Apr 2, 2008 | Uncategorized
As many in the facilities management world within the UK, and in particular those that have been intimately involved with the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) since its establishment in 1993, the establishment of a new professional discipline does not just happen. It develops over a considerable period of time; has to achieve its objectives through interfacing with many different and disparate organisations; is reliant upon many individuals in order to establish itself as credible get itself ‘on the map’. With the arrival of a Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities Code (SIC) for facilities management it might interest many of you to gain a better understanding regarding the journey that has been undertaken to get to where we are today as well as the significance of this milestone and what it all means going forward.
The basis and recognition of any profession starts with education and this indeed was the focus in the early years of BIFM and its predecessors the IFM and AFM. This fact was also recently recognised as demonstrated through the recent Global FM International Workshop held alongside the BIFM National Conference in Oxford in March on the topic of Education. When facilities management associations were polled as to what their top priorities were in terms of facilities management developing as a profession, education was the number 1 ‘hot topic’. The BIFM in its early years therefore quite rightly focused upon the development a solid foundation the product of which was the BIFM Qualification and the associated competencies. In many respects the BIFM has led the way within the UK, and farther afield, in this regard but of course it had to also focus on a number of other such initiatives to substantiate the importance and value of facilities management to the economy as a whole.
Over the period since 1993 a considerable number of initiatives have been developed in order to further the understanding and awareness of what we do and the potential we offer as a distinct professional discipline. Other similar initiatives included the accreditation scheme with all of the UK Universities offering facilities management degrees or modules; our involvement and the development of the facilities management perspective via Asset Skills and the work that is being done to develop a structured approach to vocational skills; the involvement and contribution towards the development of British and European Standards in facilities management in order that within Europe at least we try to utilise a common understanding if not a common language; our involvement and contribution towards the development of facilities management within organisations such as Euro FM and Global FM; and the ongoing restatement and alignment of the BIFM Qualification and competencies; to name but a few.
One additional area which the BIFM Board considered to be important was to gain Government recognition of our role as a professional discipline through the establishment of a SIC Code for facilities management. A major revision of the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities was announced in 2002, being due for completion in 2008, and it was therefore decided to take advantage of the revision and as a result BIFM entered into discussions with the ONS to do so.
A Standard Industrial Classification was first introduced into the United Kingdom in 1948 for use in classifying business establishments and other statistical units by the type of economic activity in which they are engaged. ONS gather statistics from all employers to capture vital information regarding working patterns in the UK and what SIC codes categories workers fall under. This essential data is issued by ONS to government to help the planning of the economy and tracking of social trends.
The United Kingdom SIC is used to classify business establishments and other standard units by the type of economic activity in which they are engaged. It provides a framework for the collection, tabulation, presentation and analysis of data and its use promotes uniformity. In addition, it can be used for administrative purposes and by non-government bodies as a convenient way of classifying industrial activities into a common structure.
Without this code ONS firstly does not recognise that you exist (as a distinct discipline) and therefore cannot provide Government or any other interested party with data associated with the sector.
The system is identical to the EUROSTAT System NACE at the four digit class level and the United Nations system ISIC at the two digit Divisional level.
The BIFM Executive, led by CEO Ian Fielder, met with the ONS and submitted a proposal, working closely with the Asset Skills Council to influence the revision of the SIC and to include reference to facilities management. Following many meetings and revisions they were successful in persuading ONS to introduce a new facilities management class, 81.10. This class is described as follows:
81.10 Combined facilities support activities
This class includes the provision of a combination of support services within a client’s facilities. These services include general interior cleaning, maintenance, trash disposal, guard and security, mail routing, reception, laundry and related services to support operations within facilities. These support activities are performed by operating staff who are not involved with or responsible for the core business or activities of the client.
Whilst such definitions will always be potentially flawed, depending upon which perspective you view them, the fact that such a classification exists is significant. As a discipline and a sector we now officially exist! Because we now officially exist we have an opportunity to record the fact that as a sector we have a considerable part to play in the success and efficiency of the health and wellbeing of the UK economy. The fact that we now exist in a similar context within Europe equally offers advantages in terms of any measurement and communication at this level.
BIFM is delighted, along with the Asset Skills Council, that facilities management has been recognised and the use of SIC code 81.10 will help gather accurate information that can be used across the sector.
It is interesting to note that to achieve such recognition, which is arguably critical for the future of facilities management as a profession, it is important that we are involved with the development of facilities management in all its facets and that we recognise that to ultimately succeed your Board in BIFM has recognised the importance of engaging with the community as whole across all boundaries within the UK and Internationally.
Some examples of the benefits of such a strategy can be illustrated by two specific developments:
1. CEN TC 348 is the facilities management standards committee that operates across Europe working on the development of European standards. When accepted through this committee they become BS Standards and are applicable across all counties in the EU plus some others.
During the discussions with ONS to achieve the SIC code one direct influence on them was the fact that we already had two standards in facilities management that were recognised across Europe i.e. BS EN 15221-1 Terms and Definitions and BS EN 15221-2 Guidance on How to Prepare Facility Management Agreements. This demonstrates the indirect ‘value’ that can be achieved through such initiatives.
2. One of the many strengths of BIFM has been its examinations and qualification process which has continued to attract a growing number of candidates year on year and is greatly respected throughout the world. The BIFM Board recently endorsed, through its Medium Term Business Strategy an application to gain recognition by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as an Awarding Body. The QCA is responsible for the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) which sets out the levels at which qualifications can be recognised within the UK.
BIFM has commenced the development of entry level qualification through its partnership with the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). It is also working with Asset Skills to develop the new Schools Diploma programme aimed to bridge the gap between vocational and academic qualifications focused upon children aged 14 to 19. They will be able to take specific subjects, including a Diploma in the Built Environment which will be launched in September 2008.
A complete pathway for the FM career professional is no longer a dream but a reality and can be achieved through a complete blend of knowledge and experience in facilities management, and through the achievement of the SIC code such career prospects will become increasingly recognised.
All these initiatives represents an incremental step to the overall recognition by Industry, Commerce and Government that facilities management not only exists but has a significant part to play in the overall effectiveness of our economy and the resultant GDP of the UK.
We have come a long way since the humble beginnings of BIFM in 1993 and achieved much. To those who have contributed to our development on the journey a hearty congratulations and well done!
Stan Mitchell CEO Key Facilities Management stan.mitchell@keyfm.co.uk
Stan Mitchell is a Past Chair of the British Institute of Facilities Management and Global Facility Management Association. He is the current UK Committee representative on the CEN TC 348 Technical Committee developing the European Standards.
This paper was published in the April 2008 issue of FM World magazine.
by | Apr 1, 2008 | Uncategorized
As someone who has had more than a passing interest and involvement over the years relating to what Facilities Management is and how it is perceived there is much I could offer by way of comment regarding what is today coming out of the UK, Europe and Internationally and having been asked to do so in relation to the new SIC code 81.10 here is my two pence worth as they say.
It is both a strength and a weakness that Facilities Management (or Facility Management as most in Europe prefer to call it) does not fit easily into a box. This situation affects almost all of us that touch the sector in one way or another. It directly affects those that would like to see Facilities Management achieve Chartered Status; it has, until now, affected our ability to be a recognised sector within the UK economy; it affects the ability to develop a market that can clearly be understand by the client; it affects the ability of education and training to provide a structure that can gain recognition; and of course it affects the ability to be recognised and understood across boundaries whether they be industrial, professional or geographical, to name but a few.
Does it Matter? Of course it does, but it matters in different ways to different people equally diverse to the examples described above. But should we be expanding the time and effort that we have in the past to shape the box so that it does fit? Perhaps not and I will endeavour to explain why it might not be just so important as we might think later in this article.
Perhaps a brief explanation regarding SIC codes within the UK and abroad at this juncture would be useful. A Standard Industrial Classification was first introduced into the United Kingdom in 1948 for use in classifying business establishments and other statistical units by the type of economic activity in which they are engaged. The classification provides a framework for the collection, tabulation, presentation and analysis of data and its use promotes uniformity. In addition, it can be used for administrative purposes and by non-government bodies as a convenient way of classifying industrial activities into a common structure. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) gather statistics from all employers to capture vital information regarding working patterns in the UK and what SIC codes categories workers fall under. This essential data is issued by ONS to government to help the planning of the economy and tracking of social trends.
Without this code ONS firstly does not recognise that you exist (as a distinct discipline) and therefore cannot provide Government or any other interested party with data associated with the sector.
The system is identical to the EUROSTAT System NACE at the four digit class level and the United Nations system ISIC at the two digit Divisional level.
SIC code 81.10 : Combined Facilities Support Activities. The arrival in 2008 of a Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities Code (SIC) for facilities support activities is a significant moment for the sector. The full definition is as below:
This class includes the provision of operating staff to perform a combination of support services within a client’s facilities. Units classified here typically provide a combination of services, such as general interior cleaning, maintenance, trash disposal, guard and security, mail routing, reception, laundry and related services to support operations within facilities. These units provide operating staff to carry out these support activities, but are not involved with or responsible for the core business or activities of the client.
This class excludes: -provision of only one of the support services (e.g. general interior cleaning services), see the appropriate class according to the service provided -provision of management and operating staff for the complete operation of a client’s establishment, such as a hotel, restaurant, mine, or hospital, see the class of the unit operated -provision of on site management and operation of a client’s computer systems and/or data processing facilities, see 62.03 -operation of correctional facilities on a contract or fee basis, see 84.23
Does it fit the bill? Does adequately describe what we do? Does it include Facilities Management as opposed to just Facilities Activities?
Perhaps not, but I would doubt that there would be any of those likely to read this article that would not agree that it represents a significant move forward.
Variations of the Theme Everywhere you look, facilities (or facility) management is interpreted in different ways dependent upon the perspective from which you observe it. Does that really cause those of us within the profession or sector a problem? If it does I would respectfully suggest that the problem is ours and not those that perceive us in whatever way that they do.
The achievement of the SIC code as outlined above is one aspect of at least some of those who work within the profession and sector actually doing something about it.
Consider the connected dilemmas that exist around us:
- Universities who define facilities management completely differently through their courses;
- Asset skills who define the competencies of facilities management differently in Scotland as opposed to England and Wales;
- The lack of definition or understanding between Facilities Management and Facilities Services;
- The argument between Facilities V’s Facility.
All of these arguably serve to attract too much of our time and attention in trying to achieve consensus that just might be irrelevant. Take a look at the other built environment professions in the UK to see how it works. In Architecture, Surveying, Engineering they have spent many years pulling together all the various strands and specialities of their particular disciplines in order to achieve the critical mass and therefore survival of their respective professional disciplines. Once they have done so they start splitting up again but within their respective organisations as to not do so would not recognise the diversity that exists within their respective descriptors.
During the work that went on within the creation of the first two European standards for Facilities Management the two single topics that required more discussion and debate than almost any other was the Facilities V’s Facility logic and the definition of what Facilities (Facility) Management is. For the record, the end result of the latter is as follows:
“Facilities Management is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities.”
Consider this, replace the words Facilities Management with something else and how does it work! The statement is generic by default as that was always going to be the consensus that would have to be achieved when you try and get 28 parties to agree to a form of words, especially when for most of them English is not their first language.
Does it matter? Of course it does, along with many other initiatives that have been developed over the years. There are, and I guess always will be, some within our profession and sector who not see the bigger picture but all of these initiatives are vital to what I for one think we are trying to achieve i.e. a sustainable profession and sector that is relevant to the future within a global economy. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say:
- Without a SIC code Government would not officially recognise that we exist as a sector, industry or profession.
- Without the European standards we would not have the definition or in fact the SIC code! It was one of the factors that was recognised when the application was being processed by the BIFM through ONS.
- Without the BIFM Qualification we would arguably not have the BIFM, which by the way is the biggest national facilities management organisation in the world.
- Without the BIFM we would arguably not have the academic degree choices that are available within the UK representing some of the most mature and diverse academic offerings anywhere in the world.
- Without Euro FM and Global FM we would not have the diversity, knowledge pool and diversity that is being captured from a discipline and geographical perspective.
I could go on. All of these initiatives, alongside the natural driver that is the market, represent significant aspects of an emerging industry and profession. We all have our priorities within this context and we all have our perspectives but the bottom line, and what I believe to be most important, is that they are all happening. We fail to see that, plan for it and most importantly not recognise it at our pearl.
Without hesitation, in my opinion the SIC code it is sadly lacking, from my perspective at least. I believe that it does a good job in defining Facilities Services and it brings clarity to some of the key aspects of this in that Facilities Services represents the combination of the delivery of the support services that combine together to support the organisation. In this regard I am extremely positive as it represents a significant step forward for us all, whether directly or indirectly.
It does nothing for Facilities Management directly nor does it recognise the strategic or tactical nature of our discipline, but it is a start.
Having said that I could make similar comments regarding the European Standards, the BIFM Qualification, some of the educational offerings and competency descriptions that are on offer as well of course regarding the outputs from Euro Fm and Global FM. But the negative is always easy and offers no value in the process. The positive is to get behind such initiatives in a proactive way to challenge, critique and contribute; only in that way will we build the profession and the sector that we all surly want to build.
In conclusion I would congratulate Asset Skills Council and the BIFM as two of the main bodies for making this happen. A SIC code for the facilities management sector, whichever part it is, is a very significant step forward.
Stan Mitchell CEO Key Facilities Management stan.mitchell@keyfm.co.uk
Stan Mitchell is a Past Chair of the British Institute of Facilities Management and Global Facility Management Association. He is the current UK Committee representative on the CEN TC 348 Technical Committee developing the European Standards.
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