PROPERTY JOURNAL

Ten reasons to use people-centred building management

IBOS is a new framework that will help a variety of stakeholders to understand and use the data collected in a building effectively to create better places for people

Author:

  • Paul Bagust

21 February 2022

Modern office reception viewed from above with people at reception desk, sitting on sofas and standing just outside

RICS has developed the International Building Operation Standard (IBOS), a new approach to measure and manage how buildings perform for people, through data.

Recognising that there is now more emphasis on the value of the building to those who use it, IBOS helps property and facility managers, building owners, occupiers and investors adopt a people-centred approach to the way their spaces are managed. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of new ways of working and operating, creating the need for a framework that reaches beyond traditional ways of assessing building performance. 

IBOS supports you by providing the data to embed environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and user-centred decision-making. It offers a consistent way to benchmark across a portfolio of properties. 

How can IBOS help?

Here are ten reasons you should consider adopting IBOS for your building performance strategy.

  • It puts people at the centre of measuring building performance, recognising the link between buildings, user experience, health and safety, and well-being. For example, it can help you find the right level of quiet, light or air quality for those occupying a building.

  • It's data-led, helping you to collect a broad range of data on a variety of indicators. You will then be able to adopt evidence-led decision-making as the future of real estate increasingly becomes driven by the need to analyse data.

  • It can help you better target investment, by highlighting where and how this can improve asset performance, the user experience and, potentially, the value of the asset. 

  • IBOS can support you in embedding ESG factors into your real-estate strategy. As an example, it provides the data to help identify opportunities to implement more sustainable operations, and generate social value with stakeholders including the community.

  • It recognises that property can be more than just an asset, and that responsible building management can help achieve strategic business objectives.

  • It complements existing methods of assessing of building performance; for example, the WELL Standard and WiredScore

  • IBOS can work for all buildings: it goes beyond offices to schools, universities and hospitals, and can be a force for positive social impact. 

  • It will eventually be accompanied by a free, easy-to-use self-service tool so you can understand your own building measurement. 

  • It's global, being endorsed by professionals from Dubai and London to Barbados and India. It will therefore help you benchmark properties across markets. 

Paul Bagust is head of land and property standards at RICS

Contact Paul: Email

Related competencies include: Data management, Property management, Strategic real estate consultancy

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