Transforming Facility Management from a Cost Centre to a Profit Centre: Interview with: Sophia Brown, Global Facilities Manager, Diageo, a speaker at the marcus evans European Facility Management Summit 2012, on re-designing operations to increase revenue.

1. Transforming Facility Management
from a
Cost Centre to a Profit Centre
Interview with: Sophia Brown, should be accessible to others in the
Global Facilities Manager, Diageo building and community, as they can
generate revenue. We have a retail
operation at Diageo that catered to
From a 24/7 and 365-days viewpoint, a employees, however we are now
mere 20 per cent of facilities are being making it available to visitors and
used to their full capacity and capability, expanding what we deliver so that it can
says Sophia Brown, Global Facilities become a profit centre instead of a cost
Manager, Diageo. “By re-thinking how
space can be designed and procured,
organisations can operate in such a way
centre.
What would help drive efficiency?
FM
that generates revenue and value,” she
adds. Until now, driving efficiency has meant
cutting costs and going for cheaper
executives
are now
A speaker at the marcus evans service providers. We have reached a
European Facility Management point where we have nowhere else to
Summit 2012, in Frankfurt, Germany, go.
seen as
9 - 11 May, Brown discusses how to
drive efficiency and change the facility It takes re-imagination of how you can
management (FM) delivery model. deliver the service standards that the
business requires, and at the same time
Has the role of the FM executive
changed in the last few years?
impact the bottom line. This would
transform how organisations perceive
FM.
client
FM executives were previously seen as
technicians and backroom support. The
role has completely transformed and we
How can the FM delivery model be
changed?
advisors
and
are now seen as client advisors and
business partners. However, this Inefficiency concerns are being
requires a scaling of the skill set and addressed and organisations are now
business
being able to participate in C-suite creating service centres where there are
decisions. different functions of the business
sitting under one hat. Facility and
How can FM transform from a cost property management must start
centre to a profit centre?
Traditionally, FM has been considered as
working together. For example, having
a joint model will suggest new ways of
engineering the way waste is delivered,
partners
a reactive service and business cost. By dramatically reducing costs and creating
thinking about how space can be re- environmental awareness. This kind of
designed and procured, organisations streamlined thinking is lacking in FM.
can operate in such a way that
generates revenue and value. What advice would you give to
those in FM?
Every organisation has meeting rooms,
facilities and amenities that are only In order to transform what is currently
partially used. Often times, a mere 20 being done, FM executives must look
per cent of the capacity and capability towards trends in other industries and
of facilities are used – from a 24/7 and focus on bringing those into their
365-day viewpoint. These facilities organisation.

2. About the European Facility Management Summit 2012
The marcus evans Summits
group delivers peer -to-peer
This unique forum will take place at the Kempinski Hotel Gravenbrunch, Frankfurt,
information on strategic matters,
Germany, 9 - 11 May 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or
professional trends and
trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought
breakthrough innovations.
leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event.
The Summit includes presentations on change management, agile and flexible
working, sustainability in building and operations, total outsourcing, centralisation
and local delivery of facility services.
www.facilitiesmanagementsummit.com
Please note that the Summit is a
closed business event and the Contact
number of participants strictly
Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division
limited.
Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com
For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com
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About marcus evans Summits
marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss
strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to
individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings.
For more information, please visit: www.marcusevans.com
Upcoming Events
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To view the web version of this interview, please click here: www.facilitiesmanagementsummit.com/SophiaBrown