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Smart Facilities Management (FM)

What is Smart Facilities Management

Smart Facilities Management (FM) refers to the integration of systems, processes, technologies and personnel to enhance the management of a building's facilities. It is about doing better with technology, using it as a means to an end.

It is important to consider the process and people aspect in order to harness the full potential of smart FM and achieve a holistic solution that can support data-driven decisions, create change and improve outcomes.

“Smart FM is about integrating technologies, people and processes to improve communications, lessen response time, reduce costs and manpower and more importantly, raise productivity.” 
-  Tony Khoo, President, Singapore International Facility Management Association (SIFMA)


Why Adopt Smart FM

In recent years, there is a significant interest from Building Owners to develop smart buildings or estates that cater to varied customers' experiences. As the economy shifts from traditional industry silos to integrated digital ecosystems, businesses that place their customers' experience first, have the ability to continuously create new value, and that build on digital economies of scale, will thrive.


Driving FM Sector Transformation Through Smart FM

As part of the Real Estate Industry Transformation Map (ITM) launched in February 2018, BCA was tasked to coordinate the development of the FM industry. A tripartite Facilities Management Implementation Committee (FMIC) was formed in April 2018. The FMIC brings together major stakeholders, comprising both public and private building owners, FM service and solution providers, trade associations and chambers (TACs), and unions, to develop detailed action plans to implement the strategies identified in the Real Estate ITM.

A key strategy under the FMIC to transform the FM industry is to enhance its maintenance capabilities through adoption of smart FM to raise productivity and efficiency, reduce labour intensity and enhance FM service delivery. This can be achieved through data analytics, predictive maintenance and smart technology solutions.

A Smart FM Taskforce, comprising public and private industry stakeholders, was subsequently formed to develop a framework for implementation and formulate strategies for adoption of smart FM by the industry.


Guide to Smart FM

To drive the adoption of smart FM, the Smart FM Taskforce developed a Guide to Smart FM that was launched on 1 October 2019. The Guide aims to provide Building Owners and their FM Managers with an easy-to-use reference to guide them on the key steps to take in their smart FM journey. The Guide is applicable to various building types and FM operating models, while being mindful that most buildings have a diverse range of systems. Building Owners, FM Managers, FM Companies (FMCs) and Service/ Solution Providers can use this Guide and the 5-Step SMART process as follows:

SMARTClick the image above to find out more about the 5-Step SMART process.

Since then, there had been greater awareness and adoption of Type 1 and Type 2 Smart FM solutions. As the industry made further progress towards Integrated FM and Aggregated FM (IFM and AFM), the Smart FM Taskforce sought to provide more guidance to encourage the industry to move towards adopting advance Type 3 Smart FM technologies. Launched on 6 September 2022, the Guide to Smart FM was further enhanced with the introduction of the Digitalisation Maturity Map that mapped out the different maturity levels of digital adoption and integration, best practices in data management such as Common Data Environment (CDE) for FM and a list of digital skillsets that supported Type 3 Smart FM processes and technologies.

Picture1

You can download a copy of the Guide to Smart FM here.  

Please click here for more information on the FMIC.



Productivity Solutions Grant

Funding support to assist businesses in digital transformation journey
To encourage and support digital transformation and productivity upgrading within the Facilities Management industry, eligible local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can apply for the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) to subsidise the cost of adopting pre-approved digital IT solutions which enhances productivity under the Construction and Facilities Management Industry Digital Plan (IDP).

Please click here for more information on the Productivity Solutions Grant and its eligibility criteria under the Construction and Facilities IDP.

To view the full list of pre-approved solutions supported under PSG, please visit the GovBusinessGovAssist website.

Submission of FM-related digital IT solutions to be pre-approved
Technology or solution providers that provides FM-related digital IT solutions are encouraged to take part in this programme and submit applications under the Construction and Facilities Management sector. Solutions that are assessed by IMDA to be effective, market-tested and cost-effective will be considered to be supported under the PSG.

To kickstart the next phase of FM industry transformation under Real Estate Industry Transformation Map, a new criteria for integrated smart FM solutions (i.e. Type 3 solutions^) have been included under the ‘BIM for Asset Delivery/Facilities Management’ sub-category. This is to promote the adoption of Type 3 smart FM solutions that can integrate across various FM services; and be scaled up to aggregate across a portfolio or cluster of buildings.

Please click here for more information on the submission process to have solutions pre-approved under PSG.

^ With reference to the Smart FM framework in the ‘Guide to Smart FM’ (see above), smart FM technology solutions are classified as follows (not in order of merit or maturity of technologies):
• Type 1: Digitalised workflow automation
• Type 2: Optimisation within system
• Type 3: Integration and optimisation across systems


Smart FM Challenge

To encourage more in the industry to come on-board the Smart FM movement, BCA called upon service buyers (developers and building owners) and service providers (FM companies and technology providers) to pledge under the Smart FM Challenge and work together to:

  • adopt smart FM technology solutions to improve productivity and enhance service delivery
  • in at least one building or portfolio/ cluster of buildings within the next three years; and
  • for those who have embarked on smart FM, to review the outcome and explore further areas for continuous improvement. 

Note: The above can be done with reference to the 5-step SMART process in the ‘Guide to Smart FM’.

The Challenge has been successfully launched on 1 September 2020, with more than 100 organisations committed to take on the Challenge as pioneers and first movers to transform the FM industry through digitalisation and innovation.

Please refer to the press release here.

As part of BCA’s continuous engagement with the challenge participants to build a vibrant FM community, a list of solutions offered by service providers are collated and listed for interested FM Companies and Building Owners to access and browse through. The list of solutions will be updated on a quarterly basis. Kindly note that this does not imply the product is endorsed or certified by BCA.

 Smart FM Challenge - Inputs on Smart FM Solutions offered (Technology_Solution Providers) - as of June 2022

To have your company’s solutions listed, you may provide the inputs via this FormSG link here.


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