The use of data has allowed ISS to spot and solve problems, particularly around energy efficiency in client buildings, reducing expenditure, improving employee wellbeing and helping work towards sustainability targets. “Space utilisation and service delivery based on the knowledge or the anticipation of building occupancy is a huge lever in tackling environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns”, says Phil, “and data is a major enabler there”.
But it can do more than just that, according to Damien, who explains that the firm is supporting customers by providing the ISS Scope 3.1 carbon footprint reporting—emissions that are produced by companies indirectly responsible for others up and down the value chain.
“What is the cost of our supply chain to the customer, and how can we assist them in reaching their sustainability goals and regulatory reporting obligations? When we look at sustainability, we look at our own decarbonisation targets first and then at the customers,” he says.
Using data to spot and fix problems
Damien, who has worked at ISS for more than a decade, explains that the tools and skills available to solve some of these challenges have transformed dramatically in recent years. “What data gives us now is the ability to understand the causal flows and effects of one service line on another,” he says, citing areas such as cleaning, food and office spaces.
For example, building occupancy levels may not have been a top priority pre-pandemic but, post-COVID-19 and the resulting shift to hybrid working, “understanding the usage of the building in digital terms influences how much time we spend on operational activities such as cleaning and maintenance.
“It can optimise food procurement, waste management and refine the building operations and energy consumption to optimal levels,” Damien says. Being able to collate these data points on a global scale can help improve transparency and create a ‘single source of truth’ across the customer portfolio, enabling ISS to work with clients to generate benchmarks, identify outliers and anomalies—and prompt highly productive discussions in partnership collaboration meetings.
When looking at the use cases of technology and data innovations, the introduction of Mobility Mojo—a firm empowering organisations to create more accessible and inclusive environments—has helped ISS clients consider the accessibility of their customer’s buildings. Assessment scorecards provide “a catalyst for change” which can help “win the war for talent” when striving to demonstrate the alignment of employer-employee values through visible inclusivity enablement.
From a technology perspective, digital techniques can help ISS capture real-time events in the built environment, ensuring that risks are mitigated before they become problematic.
“There are so many use cases for the positive application of AI”
The use of AI is also an important enabler in any innovation strategy—not just for clients but for the facilities management sector as a whole—offering huge potential to manage workplace improvements with maximum insight and efficiency.
“ISS is continuously reviewing how AI can support the way we conduct our business,” says Damien. “We’re looking at the potential use of AI in every single part of our service delivery by reviewing our operating procedures and mapping out the daily activities of our placemakers. We are very interested in the possible productivity, efficiency and automation opportunities that can be gained through AI—from enhanced onboarding experiences for new talent, to more effective outcomes in each service delivery.
“We’re tasking all our service line owners to look at their business process and ask, ‘How could AI enhance my proposition?’” AI is also revitalising data accessibility and data literacy, ensuring that data interpretation is provided up and down the organisation in an easily digestible way.
Continuous improvements
Creating a culture of continuous innovation and collaborating both internally and with facilities management companies is key to achieving these improvements. “When clients move from a supply chain relationship with their provider to an innovation-based partnership, new levels of attainment are possible—whether this is solving client problems or refining the service delivery,” explains Damien. “Continuous innovation gives assurance and comfort to clients that we have got their back; that ISS is looking after them both today and in future.”
But substantial improvements are simply not possible without organisational collaboration and a culture of openness, Phil adds. “Let people open themselves up, share ideas and acknowledge their ideas—otherwise how can you continuously improve yourself as a company?”
Damien agrees: “If you give people a voice, it’s amazing what ideas surface. It’s something that we do with our teams, and they willingly do for us. It’s a true benefit of having a vastly diverse and skilled workforce—you simply need to stop and listen.”
