Category: Hard Services

International Women in Engineering Day: Giorgia Baker

Posted on by stephanieamata

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.

International Women in Engineering Day: Victoria Thursfield, Account Director

Posted on by stephanieamata

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.

Revolutionising Facilities Management: A Data-Driven Approach

Posted on by stephanieamata

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.

A World FM Day Celebration: Carl Gage, Regional Director, Hard Services

Posted on by stephanieamata

Carl is one of the Regional Directors within Technical Services that sits within the overall OCS Hard Services Business, responsible and accountable for six key customers across a number of services.

As part of our World FM Day celebrations, we are doing a deep dive into Carl’s FM career, to provide insight into the industry and inspire the next generation of FM professionals.

Carl’s entry into FM was varied, from catering in the military to becoming a Health and Safety Advisor, following his father’s footsteps. Eventually, Carl quickly moved into operations, which he has worked in for 8 years of his 12-year career in FM. “I have been extremely fortunate in my career to date and have been given some fantastic opportunities which I have grasped with both hands”. 

The world of FM is different every single day, but the main benefits are that you get to work with talented and like-minded colleagues and customers. What inspires Carl to work in FM is that many people bring so many different skills and experience which makes for a great team. “Every day is a learning experience which enables us to work smarter for our customers ultimately making the experience for their end users better each day”.

OCS gave Carl opportunities to grow by giving him autonomy and the ability to influence change, two crucial factors in facilitating career growth. 

“OCS is a fast-paced business and is growing all the time, which means the opportunities to grow come thick and fast which I will always take and run with”.

Carl’s key advice for anyone looking to get into FM would be to be open-minded, take nothing for granted and grasp all the opportunities that come your way. A career in FM has endless possibilities and many different paths that can be taken.

In Carl’s opinion, the future innovations in FM will vary from automation, data analytics, and many more, which will all impact our customers positively, but ultimately one thing to remember is that what makes FM so unique are the people that deliver the service to our customers. “Our people ultimately are the ones that make our customer experience greater daily. That is one of the reasons I’m passionate about OCS’s TRUE Values”. 

OCS Facilities Services

A World FM Day Celebration: Tony Parkinson, Sector Director, Hard Services

Posted on by stephanieamata

 Tony is responsible for directing the Technical Services division within OCS, which has 1,000 team members delivering planned and reactive maintenance across a range of contracts and buildings throughout the UK.

As part of our World FM Day celebrations, we are doing a deep dive into Tony’s FM career and journey, to provide insight into the industry and inspire the next generation of FM professionals.

From a young age, Tony had taken a keen interest in physical elements and how things worked. This led him to start his career as an electrical engineer, he then worked his way into management in his early 20s. Naturally, Tony’s career progressed into the FM industry to lead large and diverse teams for over 25 years. Tony’s most recent experience has been supporting growth strategies including the evaluation and mobilisation of new opportunities in the UK and our global regions.

“Our customers are committed to ensuring they have safe, efficient, and pleasurable buildings for their end customers and employees. This drives the FM industry to be an innovative market and suits my desire for advancement and making a difference in the environment”. Tony has been fortunate to work with inspirational teams who make a huge difference to our customers’ buildings and enforce the moves towards a more sustainable and ethical future.

“OCS has a positive people culture and has empowered me to manage my business and ultimately our customer requirements and promises”.

Tony saw OCS as an innovator, pushing high-quality service delivery at our customer sites, and overall OCS has the scale and drive to reach ambitious growth targets.

FM is a wide and diverse arena, and future FM professionals should spend time considering what elements excite them the most and aim for the vocational and academic path that suits their needs.  “My advice would be to start with a specialist area to focus on and gain the FM experience whether soft or hard services or wider support functions such as commercial, financial or procurement”.

OCS Facilities Services

Tony sees three key innovations as part of the future of FM; Automation, data analytics and building intelligence. “We have strong targets to help the government and customers meet their strategic carbon reduction commitments. These commitments need a solid understanding of data to support the investment into smarter, more efficient buildings. In turn, this will also ensure space is managed effectively and aligns with core requirements of FM”