Technology vital in new normal

Facilities management (FM) companies in the UAE are facing higher pressure to deliver services as customer demands spiral with the new normal in place. The UAE's FM sector was valued at $13.8 billion in 2018 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 10 per cent to reach $27 billion by 2024, according to Research and Markets report.

Prabhu Ramachandran, Founder and CEO of Facilio, said: "Delivering the best possible occupant experiences, at optimised cost, will become even more of differentiating factor in evaluating FM service providers.

"Technology will be a key pillar, in adapting to the new normal. We have already seen operatives that had a digital structure in place respond better to the pandemic, in comparison to those who didn't. Being able to make data-informed decisions, in real-time and at portfolio scale, will be a powerful enabler for CRE operatives looking to adopt the agile operational model they will need to succeed in today's new normal."

The industry is expected to have a medium to low impact as FM, being an essential service, will only be subject to limited scale downs, pointed out Tariq Chauhan, Group CEO of EFS Facilities Services Group.

"The economic slowdown will definitely lead to deferment of the existing pipeline that will impact new revenue growth on a low-medium basis. The industry is likely to have a U-curve recovery," he added.

Sanjeevv Bhatia, Chief Executive of Netix Global, said: "FM companies are harnessing the benefits of tech-led facilities management, remote control centres and insights-led decision making to meet the rising customer expectations post-Covid. The previous reopening of offices, and businesses such as malls, restaurants and other commercial centres, has given us insights into the measures that will be necessary. More and more FM companies are harnessing the benefits of tech-led facilities management, remote control centres and insights-led decision making to meet the rising customer expectations post Covid."