In today’s rapidly evolving procurement landscape, ethical and sustainable practices are more crucial than ever. Recently, Kim Russell our Head of Procurement Transformation, wrote a piece for CPOstrategy highlighting the importance of implementing robust supplier codes of conduct to ensure responsible sourcing and sustainability.
These were the key points we took away from Kim’s article:
Ethical Standards: Establishing clear ethical guidelines helps maintain integrity and transparency throughout the supply chain. This includes fair labor practices, anti-corruption measures, and respect for human rights.
Sustainability Goals: Integrating sustainability into procurement processes is essential for long-term success. This involves reducing environmental impact, promoting resource efficiency, and supporting eco-friendly initiatives.
Supplier Collaboration: Building strong relationships with suppliers is key to achieving ethical and sustainable goals. Regular communication and collaboration ensure that suppliers adhere to the established codes of conduct.
Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing and updating supplier codes of conduct is necessary to adapt to changing regulations and industry standards. This proactive approach helps organisations stay ahead in the competitive market.
For a more detailed exploration of these topics, visit the full article on CPOstrategy here.
Giorgia Baker, in her role as the Account Director on a variety of OCS’s local government contracts from the City of London to Croydon, holds a pivotal position overseeing critical sites for Boroughs across London. Notably, she is responsible for managing key locations such as Courts and Police, The Barbican Centre, Royal Parks and other local Borough Portfolios.
Giorgia’s career spans diverse industries and countries and she has worked with a high-profile customer base. To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, we sat down with Giorgia to delve into her professional journey thus far, exploring the factors that have shaped her career as a woman in the challenging field of hard services.
Giorgia Baker has enjoyed an illustrious career, fueled by her determination and foresight. Her career in facilities management spans 28 years, a journey that, like many other FM professionals, she fell into. Starting in estate management, she transitioned into property management, marking the beginning of her journey. She soon completed her IWFM qualification, formerly known as the British Industry Facilities Management qualification. In 2021, she was awarded the prestigious IWFM chartered status, demonstrating her excellence as a professional and expert in the industry.
However, Giorgia didn’t start in hard services. After achieving great success managing a range of soft services—from cleaning, catering and security to pest control—and winning local awards in many instances, she decided it was time for a new challenge. Thus, she was drawn to hard services. “It was the natural next step for me to invest in something else and answer new questions. How does a building design work? How does the air conditioning flow? Where do you put the pipes? Where do you put the wiring? How do you deal with the exhaust waste in gas production? It also has a completely different set of legislative regulations. I felt drawn in and excited by the challenge to answer these new questions.”
The path to hard services was not easily forged. Being a woman in a male-dominated sector presented its challenges, but Giorgia faced them with an acute focus towards her goal. “To break through, I had to persistently knock on doors and create opportunities. Unlike those with technical qualifications, such as electricians, I didn’t fit the traditional mould. Despite not being male or technically qualified, I immersed myself in learning beyond my day job. I became a fierce advocate, explaining complex concepts like boiler functionality and HVAC systems. Managing assets, considering life cycles, and navigating legal compliance—all from a female perspective—required difficult conversations.”
Undeterred, she soldiered on. She takes pride in her work and celebrates the diverse buildings she has managed. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some truly incredible buildings and spaces. I’ve taken on global roles in the past due to the diverse career I have forged, earning the label ‘globally experienced.’ I’ve managed office moves in Hong Kong virtually, I’ve done and seen so much, and I feel proud and grateful for that.” But one thing remains close to her heart: seeing her team thrive and grow. “My pride lies in team management and colleague development. Working with people brings me immense joy—I thrive on developing others.”
Her path to joining OCS was an equally interesting one. Having started her relationship with OCS, then Atalian Servest, as a customer, she was drawn in by the team’s sheer dedication to work. Reflecting on the time, she says,
“I really enjoyed the way we worked the contract together. It was an outstanding relationship. When you have the experience of working with people who go those many miles extra, there’s something in it. There’s something that draws you into that, and that’s what led me to OCS. So far, it has been one of the best places I’ve ever worked.”
For the future of the industry, Giorgia remains curious and ready to adapt, foreseeing many changes on the horizon. “The influence of AI in our industry intrigues me. We’ll need to navigate this transformation and find ways to explain how AI and robots can effectively manage estates. Already, we’ve seen cleaning machines making an impact.” She also believes the industry still has loose threads to tie up in the aftermath of the pandemic.
She is passionate about seeing more women in the industry flourish. When asked what her advice would be for women interested in hard services, she says, “Make it your business to understand your business. Get qualified—it opens doors to valuable networks and contacts. Attend everything you can, even if it’s unfamiliar. Whether it’s an emergency call-out or a planned preventative maintenance (PPM), dive into understanding the assets. The Institute of Workplace Facilities Management (IWFM) is an excellent resource, and there are international counterparts now, including one in Australia.
“Stay curious, get qualified, and actively engage—it’s your business to be involved!”
Giorgia’s journey is a beacon of inspiration for future generations of women in the facilities management industry. Her tenacity and focus have led her to a thriving career, weaving through the various pockets and sideroads of the industry, facing challenges and innovating as she went along.
Victoria Thursfield, in her role as the Account Director on OCS’s Government Property Agency (GPA) contract, holds a pivotal position overseeing critical sites for the UK government. Notably, she is responsible for managing key locations. Victoria’s career spans diverse industries and countries, and she has worked with high-profile clientele. We sat down with Victoria to delve into her professional journey thus far, exploring the factors that have shaped her career as a woman in the challenging field of hard services.
Victoria’s entry into the facilities management (FM) business was serendipitous. Her career trajectory began in the catering industry, with a graduate job at Compass and a stint at the food chain Pret-A-Manger. Her rapid ascent within Pret-A-Manger led her to establish the business in Hong Kong, where she spent three years. “We needed to be quite self-sufficient because you didn’t have the support of the UK business. I think that was a good grounding for then working in FM,” she recalls.
Upon her return to the UK, Victoria’s CV found its way to the desk of a managing director of a leading FM business. This marked her foray into the FM world, where she initially managed the retail sector. As she gained experience and made her mark within the company, she took on more accounts, eventually leading her to engineering, marking a new chapter in her career. Despite not being an engineer herself, Victoria pursued an interest she always knew was there. “My father is a civil engineer, so I think there’s always been a bit of interest there,” she shares.
Victoria has spent a total of 19 years within the FM industry, strengthening and developing her expertise, and building a strong network. She joined OCS in October 2023, where she now oversees the technical services contract for GPA. She thrives on the dynamism of the FM industry, stating, “No day is ever the same.” On joining OCS she says, “I’ve now been here six months and I can tell it’s ultimately about the people, OCS say people are at the heart of what they do and that feels true, you know, OCS delivers its values throughout. Despite my short time here, I feel like my voice will be heard, which is quite comforting. To be so new in a significantly significant sized company, I still feel I have influence and will be listened to and that’s a valuable thing.” She also particularly enjoys setting up new teams and developing people, a task she is currently undertaking on the GPA contract.
However, Victoria’s switch to engineering has not been without its challenges. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she often found herself the only woman in the room. Despite this, she credits her supportive and receptive teams for helping her navigate these challenges. She remains hopeful and proactive in recruiting more women into hard services, working with social value practitioners and attending career fairs to promote hard services as a career option for young women.
In her current role within the hard services division, Victoria is excited about the future of OCS. “I think we have some very challenging and ambitious targets and it’s quite an exciting time to join,” she says. She wants women curious about hard services to know that there’s nothing stopping them from diving in. “It’s not all about knowing how a fan coil unit works, or what happens in a plant room, it’s about not being afraid to ask questions,” she advises.
Victoria’s journey is a testament to her resilience and adaptability. From her early days in the catering industry to her current role in FM, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to thrive in new environments and take on challenges head-on. Her story serves as an inspiration for women looking to break barriers in traditionally male-dominated fields.
At OCS, our high ambitions and expectations create both challenges and opportunities. To navigate this landscape effectively, we have launched the Catalyst Programme. This program is aimed at nurturing some of our most accomplished performers to lead their teams to even greater success.
Program Objectives
The Catalyst Programme is strategically designed to achieve several vital objectives for sustaining and enhancing our leadership framework. Its primary goal is to develop a cohesive leadership and management strategy for OCS UK and Ireland. By equipping our leaders with the necessary skills and confidence, we ensure they are prepared to achieve and maintain success.
Another key objective is to share and refine effective leadership and management techniques, encouraging participants to enhance their methods and skills for immediate workplace application. This approach helps participants achieve their potential and inspires their teams to reach their goals.
Intended Outcomes
The program aims to achieve several important outcomes. Participants will contribute to shaping and driving the organisation’s vision, mission, and ambitions. This will help the organisation maintain success in the face of changing circumstances and drive growth. Protecting our existing business and brand reputation, improving performance, and increasing profitability are crucial goals. Additionally, the program seeks to develop a deeper pool of leaders and managers within OCS, fostering a high-performance climate where innovation thrives, and resilience is built. Participants will be equipped to lead business improvements and identify potential acquisitions, ensuring effective integration and sustained high performance.
Through the Catalyst Programme, OCS is dedicated to empowering its leaders to promote success and innovation, ensuring our organisation remains at the forefront of the facilities management industry.
Tom Copsey
Director of Resourcing & Talent Management
The Program Structure
The Catalyst Programme comprises practical workshops on real-world application and pre- and post-development activities designed to reinforce learning. Participants will immediately apply their new skills and methods in the workplace, driving improvements in several critical areas.
Key Areas of Focus
The Catalyst Programme empowers participants to develop capabilities in various key areas:
Leadership and Managment
Strategic Insight and Implementation
Creating High-Performance Climates
Enhancing Commercial Capabilities
Business Improvement and Innovation
Self-Management and Effective Communication
By focusing on these areas, OCS ensures its leaders are well-prepared to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, driving success and innovation in the facilities management industry.
Join us in celebrating our new cohort of ambitious leaders who are set to shape OCS’s future, making people and places the best they can be and delivering the best outcomes for colleagues, customers and communities.
Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level?
Whether you’re a current employee looking to elevate your career, or a potential applicant seeking to join a dynamic organisation committed to leadership excellence, the Catalyst Programme awaits.
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Data has emerged as the new currency across many industries but has become especially significant in the world of facilities management, with its continued effort to modernise and optimise building management technology. Data holds the key to unlocking efficiency and driving tangible results, with data-driven decision-making in FM practices can be transformed drastically.
1. Harnessing Current Condition Data
Facilities are more than just physical structures; they are dynamic ecosystems. By collecting accurate asset data—details about equipment, maintenance history, and condition—we can make informed decisions about the asset, such as life remaining, maintenance interventions, and replacements.
One crucial metric is the Facility Condition Index (FCI), defined as the ratio of the current year’s required renewal cost to the current building replacement value. A facility with an FCI score above 10% is considered to be in poor condition. FCIs serve as a health check for assets, providing a holistic view that enables long-term planning and strategic asset management.
2. Decoding Energy Consumption Patterns
Energy costs form a significant portion of FM budgets. With the built environment accounting for 59% of the UK’s electricity consumption, optimising energy usage through data analytics is crucial. Consumption patterns help identify when energy-consuming equipment, such as lighting or HVAC, activate and de-activate, and highlight peaks in energy demand.
This information can guide decisions on how equipment should be controlled, timed, and operated. Additionally, anomalies can be identified and investigated to understand whether energy is being wasted due to defective equipment or faulty control settings.
The use of smart meters, historical consumption patterns, and real-time monitoring empowers FM sites to control their energy consumption effectively. The potential impact? Reduced energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint.
3. The Power of Predictive Maintenance
Waiting for equipment to fail is both costly and disruptive. Predictive maintenance models, fuelled by real-time data, allow for intervention before breakdowns occur. This approach not only optimises asset health and predicts failures, but also extends the useful life of your assets through a strategy that prioritises repairs and replacements. This could decrease costs by 12% and extend the lifespan of an aging asset by 20%.
4. Optimising Space Utilisation Metrics
Space is a precious resource. Analysing occupancy trends, peak hours, and spatial efficiency can guide flexible workspace design and enhance the employee experience. Space utilisation measures what’s actually happening in the office, providing granularity that other occupancy data sources like badge check-ins and employee surveys can’t.
By spending less on utilities in underutilised spaces and only investing in workspaces employees will actually use, costs can be cut. Better office design that aligns with work habits and work style preferences can improve the workplace experience. Furthermore, real estate portfolios can be optimised by making data-driven decisions regarding architectural design, office layout, and resizing.
Conclusion
In the dynamic world of FM, smart data utilisation is the key to unlocking efficiency and driving tangible results. By harnessing the power of data, we can revolutionise FM practices and create a more sustainable, efficient, and productive future.
Ready to harness the potential of data-driven solutions in facilities management?
Explore how our advanced technology leverages data to optimise operations and enhance performance.
The facilities management industry has seen numerous advancements and innovations, particularly in the realm of technology. Here at OCS, we’ve embraced one such innovation: ABi.
ABi, or Advanced Building Intelligence, is an integrated solution that harnesses the power of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. By collecting and analysing data, ABi drives improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness. But it’s not just about crunching numbers. ABi understands the intricate dynamics of each site, creates a data model reflecting how people interact with these spaces, and guides them to their optimal work areas via automated task allocation.
Reducing Costs and Monitoring ESG Commitments with ABi
ABi is a formidable tool for businesses looking to maintain costs and monitor their ESG performance. The technology smartly tracks water and energy usage through features such as real-time performance data, energy optimisation, remote asset monitoring, demand-based cleaning, and occupancy tracking. Implementing these features leads to significant cost savings and improved working conditions.
One of the significant benefits of ABi is its role in environmental sustainability. It unlocks the ability to optimise energy usage and tailor cleaning programmes to match occupancy and demand. ABi also plays a pivotal role in waste management. Using sensors in bins to notify relevant operatives when they are 75% full, leads to more efficient waste management and utilisation of labour resources. This technology can potentially facilitate significant savings on waste and time.
Take, another example, the virtual PPM we employ with ABi in washrooms. It monitors outlets for water flow and temperatures 24/7, reporting which ones require flushing based on usage and flow. The data gathered from these sensors can guide your business’s water consumption plans, considering the predicted 6% rise in water bills, an increase above inflation, and the average workplace water consumption of 50 litres per employee. In a world of increasing water scarcity, every litre counts.
The Role of Our Computer-Aided Facilities Management System
Our services are all connected through our Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) System, ensuring we stay ahead of any challenges your site may face. By connecting the latest cutting-edge technology, we digitise your building 24/7 through an industry-leading AI engine integrated with our CAFM Platform, providing a truly integrated smart building experience.
In conclusion, ABi is more than a technological solution; it’s a strategic tool that drives cost savings, environmental sustainability, and improved service delivery. As we continue to innovate, we remain focused on enhancing our service delivery, driving continuous improvement, and delivering the highest levels of customer experience.
We’re excited to announce that our team at Royal Papworth, alongside our partners at Equitix, Skanska, and Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Trust, has been nominated for a Partnership Award in the “Best Operational – Healthcare” category.
Royal Papworth Hospital is recognised as the UK’s leading heart and lung hospital, treating approximately 50,000 patients each year. Since the hospital opened in 2019, our on-site team has been providing integrated soft services such as catering, cleaning, portering and security.
This nomination recognises our consistently delivered service and sustainable partnership with our clients and other facility management providers on-site.Through exceeding expectations with transparent service delivery, the OCS team at Royal Papworth successfully navigated a rigorous review process in 2023. Recognising the close working relationships and dedicated efforts the OCS team have put in since service commencement, this process ensured continued excellence in service with no disruption.
We were delighted to note the inclusion in the nomination of multiple examples of positive patient and staff feedback related to our services, which is a testament to the OCS team’s hard work.
Working collaboratively, the teams at Royal Papworth have established the Team Royal Papworth Hospital Charter and a Joint Efficiency Group. This group meets quarterly to address recurring challenges, share insights, and offer valuable advice demonstrating flexibility and enabling continuous improvement opportunities through a partnership approach.
This nomination is a great honour and a testament to our commitment to quality service, effective partnerships, and the dedication of our team. We’re thrilled to have been recognised this way and we’re eager for the announcement on the 2nd of May. Good luck to all our fellow nominees!
Lindsey Coles
Support Director
The charter, based on Excellence, Collaboration, Communication, and Compassion, directs their collaborative work. By fostering transparency with industry partners and key stakeholders within the Trust, the OCS team has tailored their services to the unique needs of the facilities and their users.
Congratulations to the Royal Papworth Team. We look forward to the announcement of the winners on Thursday 2 May.
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