SPEECH BY SPS DR SYED HARUN AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 5TH FACILITIES MANAGEMENT EXPERTS SUMMIT 2026

Good morning. I am pleased to join everyone at the 5^th Facility Management Expert Summit this morning.

Facilities Management (FM) touches our everyday lives. It is the backbone of our built environment and an essential service that ensures our buildings and spaces remain safe and well-maintained for everyone.

Over the years, our FM industry has adapted to new and emerging trends.

Demand for building maintenance works continues to increase as Singapore's building stock grows and ages.

At the same time, the industry faces a shrinking and ageing workforce, making it harder to meet growing maintenance demands.

Making FM work better

To this end, I am happy to note that the FM sector has been embracing new modalities of delivering FM services:

For example, many have embraced Integrated FM, or IFM, that brings together the operations, workflows and data across multiple services, for greater synergy.

Many have also adopted Smart FM technologies to deliver more responsive FM services, improve productivity, and redesign jobs for our FM professionals.

Let me share some updates on these fronts.

Building FM Capabilities

Earlier in 2022, we launched the Integrated FM and Aggregated FM (IFM/AFM) Grant to support FMCs and Service Buyers including their in-house FM teams to build IFM/AFM capabilities in areas such as Smart FM technologies, and Design for Maintainability (DfM).

I am glad that the grant has supported CBM Private Limited (CBM) and City Developments Limited (CDL) to develop and implement “digiHUB”, a smart FM platform that integrates maintenance, cleaning, and security service management across four buildings into a single centralised system.

Through its data-driven automation engine, CBM was able to reduce manual FM workflow processing time by around 23% to 25%.  

As firms harness technologies to transform FM operations, tasks that were once manual and repetitive are increasingly automated and streamlined, allowing FM employees to focus on higher-value work, such as, data-driven monitoring and optimising maintenance strategies.

Just a few years ago, a role like “FM Digital Specialist” was unheard of.

Mr Pang Zi Hao from CBM used to be a maintenance executive carrying out scheduled maintenance checks and manual data entry across building systems.

The implementation of digiHUB created new opportunities for employees like Zi Hao.

As part of the implementing team, he developed new digital skills alongside his engineering background, bringing together Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics technologies to implement CBM’s first-ever predictive maintenance workflows.

By monitoring equipment data and deploying maintenance efforts before equipment breaks down, he has been able to reduce air-conditioning downtime, extend equipment lifespan and generate significant savings for both CBM and CDL.

This is just one of the many inspiring transformation stories happening in our FM sector every day.

BCA has compiled a series of case studies in the BCA Guide to Smart FM, which will be published on BCA’s website today.

I encourage everyone to make use of the guide. Stakeholders who require support from the IFM/AFM grant may also approach BCA for more details.

The Government is committed to supporting the FM sector on this transformation journey. 

Strengthening FM Value Chain Partnerships

Beyond embracing technologies, the success of FM transformation requires various parties to work together collaboratively, build trust and optimise workflows.

Through close engagement with industry stakeholders, we have identified several areas where we can encourage more progressive practices.

I am pleased to announce that BCA will be launching the revised Guide on FM Procurement that will outline some best practices to support wider adoption across the sector. Let me highlight some of the key points.

First, progressive subcontracting practices are key to uplifting the FM value chain.

In a team sport like FM, every value chain partner, from the cleaning service providers to the security companies, are key to success.

Across the ecosystem, we are glad that FMCs have adopted various progressive practices to partner and empower their subcontractors more effectively.

For instance, regular monthly reviews between main contractors and their value chain partners can facilitate open communication, timely issue resolution, and continuous improvement.

With open communication, difficult issues, such as payment deductions, are also discussed openly to reach amicable resolutions.

Others have also involved their subcontractors in the tendering process and site reviews, so that services can be better planned and resourced to meet the clients’ needs.

Second, good work must be recognised and remunerated fairly.

Late payments or excessive payment deductions not only strain relationships but can also severely threaten business sustainability of important subcontractors.

The revised guide sets out payment approaches that facilitate timely payment across the FM value chain, allocate incentives equitably and provide for fair deductions based on clear performance delivered by each subcontractor’s performance. This also helps to strengthen the business sustainability of FM firms.

Third, collaborative contracting can reap significant cost savings.

At last year’s FMES, we shared that BCA will be piloting the first NEC4 FM contract in Singapore as part of its IFM tender for BCA Braddell Campus.

Six months into the implementation of the NEC4 FM contract with C&W Services (C&W), over $350,000 in savings have been reaped through collaboratively refining the scope of service to better serve the Campus’ needs.

The collaborative spirit has laid a strong foundation for more consistent processes and better outcomes for the facilities management of the campus.

The revised Guide contains many tips and lessons learnt from across the ecosystem.

From how to provide incentives that recognises strong subcontractor performance, to best practices in fair payments and fostering close collaboration between main contractors and subcontractors.

We look forward to the community making use of this resource and proliferating the best practices outlined in the guide.

In addition to the guide, BCA will be launching a new feedback channel between public sector agencies and their FM value chain partners. This channel provides a neutral and safe environment for candid feedback.

We understand that stakeholders may sometimes shy away from providing constructive feedback, for fear of offending others.

However, this represents missed opportunities for current practices to be improved. 

Many of the initiatives I have highlighted in this speech are the result of stakeholders providing candid feedback to us.

Through the feedback form, BCA will study the feedback and facilitate constructive dialogue amongst the relevant parties where appropriate. The feedback form can be accessed from the BCA website.

We encourage everyone in the FM value chain to use this channel. By sharing both good practices and areas for improvement, you can help to build a more collaborative FM environment and raise standards over time.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by thanking all of you present – our industry partners, building owners, and professionals in the FM value chain for your continued commitment to transforming our FM sector.

As I mentioned earlier, Facilities Management (FM) touches our everyday lives. It is an essential service that has impact on every single person who interacts with our buildings. Your good work in this sector ensures that our spaces continue to remain safe and well-maintained for everyone.

Let us press on with this journey – embracing new ways of working, building new capabilities, and raising the bar for FM excellence in Singapore.

I wish everyone a fruitful and enjoyable day ahead. Thank you.