Jens Ebbe Rasmussen’s is Senior Vice President of Business Development at Coor Service Management, a Facility Management leader in Scandinavia.

At Coor, the mission is to create the happiest healthiest, most prosperous workplaces across the Nordic Region. The company does €900M in revenue, has 11,000 employees, and maintains 20,000,000 square meters of real estate.

FACILITY MANAGEMENT AND RETURN TO WORK

“One thing we foresaw when thinking about what would happen [during] the big return was the trial and error period [from] different companies.” – Jens Ebbe Rasmussen

At Coor, Jens designed a three-phase approach to rebounding from Covid.

The first phase was the safety phase. This included anti-viral technology, reducing airborne viruses by 97%, to managing the number of employees in the office.

Afterward came the advisory phase. This meant that any advisor can answer customer questions across company sectors. They built a framework for the most common questions so that any contract manager can have a discussion.

The final phase was making it attractive to return to the office. Jens says the combination of the first two phases went a long way. Unlike companies trying to mandate returns to the office, Coor is set on attracting its employees back to work.

FACILITY MANAGEMENT FOR TODAY’S WORKFORCE

“We’re meeting generations that ask, what’s in it for me? And what’s the greater purpose?” – Jens Ebbe Rasmussen

Jens remembers an interview 25 years ago in which they asked him if he wanted coffee. He said yes and was directed to a vending machine. This simply wouldn’t fly today.

Companies need employees to adapt, be fast, creative, and innovative. But as a company, you must lead by example. The war on talent must start with a complimentary coffee.

Employees at Coor can have a direct line with the CEO. They can work from home if they want to. Covid has made things more difficult, yet also revealed what’s important. With this in mind, it’s up to the leaders to set the stride.

FACILITY MANAGEMENT POST COVID

“Mental Health has become something that companies are more attuned to.” – Sabine Ehm

Jens responds that cleaning services is becoming more demand driven due to automation. It is much more focused, as opposed to general cleaning once a day.

Food services are also evolving. The Nordic countries have been more used to buffet style, but meals are now served. This improves health risks and quality of experience.

At Coor, all services are becoming more flexible in order to serve different customers and sectors.

HOW FACILITY MANAGEMENT HAS CHANGED

“There has been a [desire] to put the supplier and the customer on the same side of the table” – Jens Ebbe Rasmussen

Jens says that twenty years ago, facility management services were more traditional. For example, it was the norm to show services offered through organizational charts. It was a more traditional sales pitch. Cost bases, RFPs, and so on.

But now, it is more about synergy and working together. Flexibility is key, not just for you the customer, but for the facility management business in general. The business is much more about communication and focused attention. The result is cost-effectiveness.

CONCLUSION FOR FACILITY MANAGEMENT

If Jens could find a way to make the facility management industry truly sustainable and climate neutral, that would be his number one priority.

According to Jens, we spend about 36% of energy in the built area. Plastics, other consumables, red meat in the restaurants, different chemicals used are several ways the industry can change.

Since the Nordic countries are a leader in sustainability, Jens is confident the future is bright and that Coor can help continue to lead the charge.