World FM Day: Shining a Light on our FM Teams

Celebrated globally, World FM Day recognises the vital role played by Facilities Management (FM) professionals in maintaining and managing the built environment. From ensuring the safety, comfort, wellbeing, and productivity of building occupants to helping clients meet their net zero targets, here at Bouygues Energies & Services (Bouygues E&S), we’re committed to delivering innovative and sustainable FM solutions. We’re proud to be part of the global community celebrating World FM Day, raising awareness of the essential work of FM professionals, and showcasing the value it brings.

To mark this year’s theme, ‘Making a real difference’, we’re shining a light on the activities our FM team at our client’s site, West Middlesex University Hospital (WMUH), undertakes on a daily basis and the difference their work makes in a healthcare environment.

The day begins with a stand-up meeting attended by the management team. Together, they reflect on the progress of the month and discuss what else can be achieved, considering all planned preventative maintenance (PPMs), ongoing projects, and the client’s priorities for the upcoming month. By facilitating inter-departmental communication and collaboration, this meeting helps team leaders streamline operational efficiency and maintain their high standards of service of delivery. Attending this meeting is Steve Ray, who has worked at WMUH for the past seven years.

Steve shared with us: “As team leader of the electrical team, it’s my responsibility to ensure that the client receives continual electrical maintenance and emergency support that follows due health and safety processes. In a healthcare environment, this emergency support is imperative, and needed round-the-clock. Today, I’m beginning my week as the on-call engineer as part of the monthly rota to ensure that hospital staff can access instant emergency responses, no matter the time.”

With a clear view on the day’s priorities from the stand-up meeting, Steve and the electrical team begin performing PPMs. By planning and executing a schedule of maintenance, the team ensures that issues are identified and rectified proactively, resulting in minimal disruption and unexpected failures. At the same time, they’re also following a schedule to replace outdated fluorescent lighting with energy-saving LED lighting across the site, helping the Trust meet their sustainability priorities. Whether it’s routine maintenance or implementing sustainability innovations, the team’s work is integral to the smooth running of the hospital and the comfort and safety of its patients.

Throughout the day, the electrical team will also be responding to unexpected incidents called into the Bouygues E&S Helpdesk. These could be anything from a dripping tap or faulty door to a burst water pipe. No matter the situation, the Helpdesk carefully records the issue and helps to distribute and prioritise the resulting tasks to the engineers. In turn, they’ll investigate and resolve the problem, ensuring that any issues are rectified promptly and efficiently so that the building’s staff and users can continue safely.

The Helpdesk is managed by Monika Vancea. Having progressed over the last 15 years to become Helpdesk Manager, Monika has benefitted from the comprehensive learning and development offer at Bouygues E&S. In particular, our internal award-winning Core Management Academy programme, dedicated to developing current and future managers, has helped her to advance. Today, she’s set aside time to work on her core management training and encourages the members of her team to similarly work to develop their skills.

Monika Vancea, Helpdesk Manager, shared: “It’s important that our Helpdesk runs smoothly to ensure that all calls are answered promptly, and all key details of the task are captured efficiently. As Helpdesk Manager, I help enhance our operational efficiency by closely communicating with our engineers on the priorities and progress of each task.” 

Elsewhere on site, the groundsmen are hard at work: as summer approaches and new flowers bloom, it’s a busy time for the team. Today, Pawel Chmura, Ground Supervisor, is ensuring the plants at the site’s main entrance are flourishing and provide those on the arrival to the hospital with a sense of calm. Maintaining high standards is incredibly important for him and his team: they understand that for many, the environment at the entrance is their first impression of the hospital. Ensuring that the grounds are tidy, well-maintained, and cared for is an important element to providing a reassuring welcome for incoming patients and visitors.

“We’re doing what we can to make everybody feel at ease when they visit WMUH. Whether it’s caring for the plants at the front of the building or tending to the memorial garden to create a space for reflection and tranquillity, we want to make sure that the grounds enhance patients’ and visitors’ wellbeing.” Pawel Chmura, Grounds Supervisor at Bouygues E&S.

It’s a vision closely shared by Dominic Conlin, Hospital Director. He noted: “From the moment patients walk in the door, one of the first things they see is how tidy the environment in which they’ll receive care is. As a values-driven Trust, we’re committed to providing every patient with the highest quality of care possible, and by providing a bright, clean, welcoming environment, our Bouygues E&S Facilities Management team help to reassure patients that that’s exactly what they’ll receive. It’s particularly important that on World FM Day, we showcase and celebrate what we may otherwise take for granted and take the opportunity to recognise the staff who work hard every day to help us achieve our mission.”

Later in the afternoon, the team take the time to attend a toolbox talk dedicated to the importance of reporting incidents, accidents, and hazards to our incident hotline. At Bouygues E&S, health and safety remains one of our top priorities, and identifying, reporting, and preventing accidents is fundamental to ensuring the wellbeing of our staff and end-users. The talk is delivered by Samihah Kausar, Bouygues E&S’ General Manager at WMUH.   

Having joined Bouygues E&S over eight years ago as a personal assistant, Samihah’s enjoyed rapid career progression, supported by tailored development plans. She was delighted by the warm response across the business to her recent appointment as General Manager. In her new role, Samihah places great importance on the close client partnership that is symbolic of the Bouygues E&S’ approach and dedicates much of her days to strengthening the client relationship and areas for collaboration. This includes a weekly ‘Back to the Floor’ walk, a joint health and safety walkaround which identifies areas for improvement first hand and fosters a culture of partnership and shared responsibility.

Samihah Kausar, General Manager at Bouygues E&S, concluded: “It’s fantastic to have joined a team that is so clearly dedicated to excellence in their roles and providing the highest quality service for the client. To me, World FM Day is all about celebrating not just what Bouygues E&S does as a business, but also the passion and commitment of our staff to create a built environment that is safe, compliant, and comfortable. I’m proud that WMUH offers a service always aiming to surpass our internal standards while aligning with the values of our client and delivering to the needs of our end-users.”