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Welcome to InTheNews – covering all the FM news you may have missed over the week:
Service Works Global (SWG) has released a white paper that details seven steps for creating a smart building.
Entitled Art of the Possible: IoT, Smart Buildings and Digital Twins is available to download free from the company’s website.
Smart buildings centralise data from many different inputs and building systems, including the likes of lighting, HVAC, and security. The aim of a smart building is to create a system that enables assets to use fewer resources, require less maintenance visits and simultaneously deliver their service more efficiently.
Group chief executive officer Gary Watkins said: “A smart building is not something to be afraid of, or something that is unattainable for businesses. By working with the right provider, you can be guided through these steps to determine what your building needs and develop the right smart building infrastructure for you, instead of diving in headfirst and investing in a lot of technology that won’t serve your needs.”
New research from the CIPD finds that an estimated 4 million* people have changed careers due to a lack of flexibility at work, while an estimated 2 million* have left a job in the last year for the same reason. In response, the CIPD has warned that businesses may face a talent exodus if they fail to offer flexible working options.
The CIPD’s latest report, which explores employee and employer perspectives towards flexible and hybrid working practices, highlights that offering flexible working is key to retaining and attracting staff, addressing the current skills shortage and fostering inclusive workplaces.
Claire McCartney, Senior Resourcing and Inclusion Adviser at the CIPD, said: “Many organisations are facing the dual challenges of skills shortages and talent retention issues, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, education, and hospitality. Our latest research reinforces that offering flexible working can go a long way towards tackling these problems, even in roles that are traditionally seen as non-flexible.”
Mitie Security, the UK’s leading intelligence and technology-led security provider, has been awarded a new five-year contract extension by Westinghouse Springfields Fuels Ltd.
The contract extension will build on Mitie’s decade-long partnership with Westinghouse Springfields Fuels Ltd, a nuclear fuel production facility responsible for designing, manufacturing, and delivering fuel for nuclear power stations in the UK and internationally.
Jason Towse, Managing Director, Business Services, Mitie, said: “Fire and security services are business critical for the operations of such a key fuel production facility, and our intelligence-led services combined with our first-class emergency response expertise, will ensure that Springfields can operate as safely and securely as possible.”
Finally, Cities globally are at an inflection point, navigating structural changes to how people live and work due to the pandemic. JLL’s new The Future of the Central Business District report explores how cities are adapting to these changes and how the public and private sector can collaborate to help central districts remain relevant for residents, visitors, businesses and investment.
To take advantage of long-term real-estate opportunities, future CBDs can also leverage existing buildings to create a balanced mix of uses, improve amenities, and invest in the public realm and sustainable design.
“After three years of dramatic shifts to how we live and work within CBDs, significant opportunity exists to reimagine how we use and interact with city centers,” said director of global research Phil Ryan. “JLL is looking ahead to the 2030s and beyond to help identify solutions for real estate investors, developers, occupiers and city governments to keep these important economic, cultural, educational and innovation hubs energized and competitive in the post-pandemic world.”
You can find out more on news.fmbusinessdaily.com
