REFM outsourcing is moving up the strategy ladder with technology

What’s happening in the real estate and facilities management (REFM) outsourcing industry? How has it changed in the past few years, and where is it heading?

The findings from the 2019 edition of our REFM Pulse survey presented numerous macro trends. Not surprisingly, most of them had to do with advanced technologies. For example, use of robotic process automation (RPA) has become table stakes for large corporations, so they’re now looking at other more advanced areas of automation. Next-generation outsourcing in the REFM space is being powered by advanced data & analytics and intelligent automation, with a focus on delivering more strategic benefits via a value pricing model. And, while businesses of all sizes are pushing toward intelligent automation, there continues to be large gaps between expectations, technology offerings/capabilities, and organizational readiness.

In this podcast, Patrice Gilles, Doug Burr, and Clinton Fairbanks, all REFM specialists in KPMG’s Shared Services and Outsourcing Advisory practice, sat down to discuss:

• Why REFM outsourcing as a value-added play can be difficult because so many of the services are tied to physical parts of a building…but mature Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities will change all that
• Why REFM outsourcing’s historical focus on cutting costs and improving cost performance is shifting to include focuses on improving the workplace to attract talent and improve sustainability
• How the value proposition for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th generation outsourcing deals is changing.

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