By Alistair Craig, Managing Director at Anabas

Where to start? It doesn’t seem a week since I wrote 2023’s end-of-year review. Yet here we are, little more than a month remaining of 2024 and only weeks until Christmas Day. Some year it’s been, too. 

While facilities management (FM) has done well to shield itself from outside influences in recent times, that trend has been tested this year. Our industry as a whole is navigating the early days of a new government, with all the changes that come with that, but also more specifically, a surge in new technologies to contend with. 

And in the run-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the parallels between FM and – bear with me here – festive shopping have dawned on me. 

AI tech has found its way into FM

I can’t watch TV, listen to the radio or scroll my phone for even five minutes without coming across a handful of Black Friday offers on the latest tech. Or the tech that retailers have struggled to sell to this point but hope will find buyers at 10% off! 

Much like Amazon touting AI-powered kettles this Black Friday (yes, really), our operations teams have noticed an uptick in salespeople approaching them with smart tech for office management in 2024. 

A challenge this year has been cutting through the noise and working out which products are more hassle than they’re worth, and knowing which products you should look at more closely. This is where we’ll find opportunity for the New Year, and it’s something I touched on in i-FM’s 2024 FM Business Confidence Index. More on our response to this challenge will follow in my 2025 forecast. 

How we define hybrid working has been a key talking point this year

The need for tech that improves efficiencies is in part down to another of this year’s challenges: hybrid working and how we operate around a workforce that is no longer in the office five days per week. 

A question we’ve had from several clients this year has been how we can help create an environment that encourages their employees into the office as part of a hybrid work pattern. As a result, workplace experience has become an entire service in its own right – a trend that I see stretching well into 2025 and beyond. 

It’s also one that relies on the smooth running of all other aspects of the office, especially employee satisfaction and employee engagement. This is something we’re keen to practice, not just preach. Gemma Rigby, Anabas’ HR Director, recently explored the topic, with some actionable insight for employers. 

Ending on a high

This year hasn’t been all about struggles, though! Far from it, in fact. Our ability to identify and tackle these challenges, with our sights set firmly on delivering an industry-leading workplace experience, is contributing to our continued success at Anabas. 

Our client retention remains extremely high, with an equal focus on bringing new partnerships through the door – including another global name in banking. This has all contributed to double-digit revenue growth for the fourth year in succession. 

We’ve also made key appointments across the business to support that, not least with Mel James joining as Account Director to some of our most prestigious clients. 

Amid the many challenges this year, I’m immensely proud of my Anabas colleagues for delivering yet again and I’m fully confident in their ability to carry that into the New Year. But before that, a well-earned break and celebration at Christmas. 

Many thanks to our staff, suppliers and clients for a great 2024 and I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. 

I hope you all find an AI kettle under the tree on Christmas morning.