Last month, RICS 
and IFMA launched the first ever RICS Procurement Professional Statement. The document serves as a mandatory framework for all RICS regulated professionals involved in the procurement of FM services.
With Carillion’s collapse providing a wake-up call for the built environment sector, questions are turning towards ethics, transparency and how organisations can play a role in paving the way towards a more social, financial and environmentally sustainable future. The professional statement comes at a pivotal time, so it has created a buzz in the sector. With this in mind, we had collated the very best coverage regarding the release of the statement from the past month to understand how it might impact the future of the profession.
In Smart Buildings magazine, Derrick Tate, director at PwC and co-author of the statement, shares the secrets gleaned from his 20-year career in FM procurement.
“I’m trying to raise standards in FM,’ he said. ‘In procurement. In delivery. I want organisations to buy better. To deliver better. To be better.”
Tate’s top tips:
- When you start your procurement process It’s important to fully understand the market your opportunity sits in, and to research your prospective bidders.
- When it comes to mapping out your requirements, it’s critical to get up-to-date information and data.
- Soft market testing is helpful, too – sense check what you’re planning to do before you do it, and get the market’s views.
- Understand your procurement strategy in its entirety.
- Be precise in specifying exactly what you require
- KPIs shouldn’t be seen as a way of punishing suppliers. They’re a tool, a lever, a way to incentivise.
- Finally, stick to your process. If something changes, sure, amend accordingly – but communicate and engage the market if you do so.
If you wish to read the full Smart Buildings magazine article, click here.
FMJ polled some industry figures to get their opinion on the statement:
“If we want to improve the general public’s trust in outsourcing’s ability to operate ethically, our industry must provide the tools for FMs to do so an in intuitive and easy to use fashion. The IFMA RICS professional statement will go a long way towards achieving this.”
“Procurement has a business obligation to find the best value solution, of course, but l believe it also has a moral obligation to ensure it is sustainable. Profit is an essential ingredient and many FMs will go open book to demonstrate the best value solution. Procurement must partner with their supply chain to find the sustainable sweet point for both client and FM provider.”
If you wish to read the full FMJ article, click here.
In i-FM describes a blueprint for future success when it comes to procurement:
A blueprint for future success
- To ensure that the FM industry learns these lessons, the professional statement sets out seven mandatory requirements for RICS registered practitioners:
- You must have a clearly defined, detailed scope of the services, defining what is and is not included
- You must state clear objectives for the procurement project
- You must develop evaluation criteria that reflect your objectives
- You must have a clear pricing structure stating what services and costs are included and what is excluded
- You must have clear timescales for the procurement process
- You must provide a clear payment mechanism
- You must comply with relevant data protection rules.
If you wish to read the full i-FM article, click here.
The partnership between IFMA and RICS has an undeniable opportunity to tackle the FM profession’s biggest challenges and ultimately influence its future. The RICS Procurement Professional Statement is just one example of how the two organisations can come together to make a genuine difference to processes, standards and attitudes in FM.
