Face masks are to be worn in shops and potentially all indoor public areas yet just six weeks ago their protection value was questioned. It is difficult to believe that masks had not been fully evaluated then so why change policy now?

There may be political or psychological factors at play but most likely the reasoning is economic. The figures are showing only a growth of 1.8% in the economy for May despite previous economic predictions suggesting a V-shaped bounce back. It is becoming more and more evident that our economy cannot function effectively under the shackles of social distancing and that individual PPE (masks etc) is necessary to enable economic growth: protecting the individual so that social distancing is not necessary, or at least so that the risks are mitigated.

We are in the early stages of life beyond the cross-over point (when the economic cost to the country and its citizens as a whole outweighs the human toll) with all the challenges for society this brings. For us in FM, as the managers of the “built environment”, we must try to maintain clarity and focus on what best helps the businesses and organisations we serve.  We need to keep it simple:

• Only turn on necessary services:
• Remember our operating costs must be at least 30% lower than pre Covid-19 no matter what that occupancy headcount is (Using the Stop and Think models and tools of Controlled Resumption of Service and Intelligent Service Suppression)
• Self Help is the key driver (make the individual accountable for the space they use or occupy)
• Release as much space as possible and go lights out, or offload that space (Stop and Think : Space Segmentation)
• Be Loud. Visibly loud FM Services will serve to reassure occupants, and discipline will lead to behavioural change.
• Quick Source. Swift and nimble adjustment or procurement of only what is required, and measurement to drive value for money (Stop and Think : Quick Source ).

Stop and Think! Have done the thinking, produced the tools and tested the change process. We can help your organisation achieve FM stability speedily.

Our previous webinars have discussed a number of useful tools and techniques for decision-making in these challenging times:

Traditional FM is dead: https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/6267301348347288332

Cut the cloth to fit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4356534857712673539

To make sure you’re included in any future webinars, or if you’d like a copy of the slides used presentation, email us at stopandthink@opale.co.uk