Facilities Management Association

Our Industry

Every organisation relies on a mix of functions and services to provide the support essential to its core business operations. Ensuring that this support is available in the right form, at the right quality and for the right cost is the task of the facilities management industry. FM is a vital function in offices, retail centres, industrial buildings, schools and hospitals.

In practice, FM can be difficult to define. But in essence, it's about taking control of 'non-core' services, freeing organisations to do what they do best while the facilities managers take care of the rest.

In the past decade or so, most organisations have started to think in strategic terms about these support activities. At the beginning of the 21st Century, with its climate of continuous change in business and technology, and the emphasis on effective utilisation of all corporate resources, FM has emerged as a key business discipline. With this has come greater professionalism - and a wider range of choice in how specific functions and services are secured.

Just as it is difficult to define precisely what FM means, putting a firm value on the size of the market is a challenge.

In recent years, estimates have varied from over £10bn, through £16bn and £117bn to £173bn. Much of this variation has to do with the definitions being used.

The only definite conclusion to be drawn from available research is that the facilities sector in the UK is a large and dynamic marketplace. Our strategic alliiance with www.i-FM.net gives our members acess to daily market news and intelligence, regular features and informed comment and groundbreaking research, including: the annual Trends and Opportunities market report, the biennial UK FM Market Audit Report and other, specialised online surveys and briefings.