78% of FM leaders see operational efficiency as their top priority, but our report highlights widespread inefficiencies in crucial areas. What if the strategies you rely on are actually creating bigger problems?
It’s time to question the rules you’ve been playing by. Get inside the mindset of 281 FM leaders. Our report exposes operational principles FM teams swear by. Learn which principles to embrace and which to avoid for long-term success. Download the report here.
How you think influences how you act. Here are four highly potent lies FM professionals tell themselves every day.
- “Cut costs at all costs”
Alright, let’s talk about the 60% of facilities management pros who are obsessed with cutting costs. While you should be mindful of your spending, don’t let it turn into a cost-cutting frenzy that seeps into everything.
With the best of intentions, you might end up slashing supplier costs, innovation budgets, staffing, investment in workforce management software, sustainability initiatives… you name it.
As a famous Frenchman once said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” You might think you’re helping your business, but what you’re really doing is nipping any growth opportunities in the bud.
- “Reactive maintenance is just part of the job”
When you’re constantly putting out fires, the idea of preventive maintenance seems like some fancy, modern nonsense. “Why fix what ain’t broken?” you grumble, convinced that swooping in at the last minute is peak efficiency. Spending time and money on something that might go wrong? Preposterous! Especially when everything seems perfectly fine (for now…).
When you’re obsessed with efficiency, you may see tasks without immediate, tangible results as a waste of time. Consequently, you might dismiss preventive tasks because they don’t give you that immediate, satisfying “I fixed it!” rush.
Not to mention reactive maintenance has been the norm for years. It’s hard to break away from what’s familiar, no matter how much more effective this “preventive mumbo jumbo” actually is.
- “Good suppliers are so hard to come by these days.”
Spoiler alert: they aren’t—you’re just scaring them off.
It’s easy to pin the blame on “bad suppliers,” but have you taken a hard look at your own approach? If you don’t know how to work with suppliers or don’t even bother to reflect on your methods, you’re part of the problem.
Are you tracking supplier performance? Are you addressing issues clearly and consistently? And let’s rewind even further—how are you vetting them in the first place? Are you actually doing your homework before work begins?
It’s time to flip the narrative. Not enough leaders are engaging with suppliers in a modern, constructive way. For the record, nearly all suppliers (98%) crave better communication from their customers. Our survey reveals that 72% of FM professionals fail to recognise the role of communication in supplier management issues.
That’s right—good communication is the real rare commodity here, and it’s also the magic key to becoming a customer-of-choice.
Are you a customer-of-choice? Do competent suppliers feel like doing business with you?
- “Sustainability doesn’t pay the bills”
Despite a 155% increase in ESG regulations over the last decade, facility management still treats sustainability like an afterthought. Only a minority of respondents (19%) recognise sustainability as a promising trend in FM. For most, it’s still a cost. A burden. Just another item on an already impossible to-do list.
But sustainability sells. It is a powerful differentiator. Treat it as a core part of your business strategy and watch clients rush to you, desperate for your expertise in net-zero facilities.
There are many ways to demonstrate sustainability ROI. Green buildings can save up to 30% on energy usage and if you are managing rentals, they command rent premiums of up to 20% in the US.
Got it. So where do I go from there?
The best FM teams don’t just sidestep the pitfalls—they weaponise them. They see every inefficiency, every missed opportunity, and turn it into leverage. This is where strategy takes shape. This is where leaders emerge.
And that’s exactly what our report teaches you to do. Knowing about the problem is the first step. Our insights take you the rest of the way. Grab the full report here.