A decade ago, I wrote down on a piece of paper I still preserve, what I wanted FMHOUSE to be. Excellence and ethics were to be undisputed cornerstones prevalent in all our activities. FM would also represent a benchmark in both domestic and international markets and, above all else, my wish was to help increase recognition of the profession and its professionals. It was evident to me that I had to combine consultancy with a wide range of specialist training, without overlooking research as an element that would compel us to innovate and keep abreast of the latest developments. The logo, in fact, was designed to depict these three components, and it continues to be relevant to this day.
Setting up a business is not simple and undertaking the challenge in a market as unfamiliar as ours and with such a wide range of services does not make it any easier. We have no investors to back us, nor are we part of a business group. We set our own objectives and define the roadmap without straying from our core values. The team has been, is, and always will be the fundamental pillar of the company. None of this would be possible without them, and I would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication over the years. We are an efr certified company (family responsible) and we have a relatively flat, project-based organisational structure. We have implemented an authentic 100% remote work policy, an idea which, incidentally, was difficult to get across years ago. We were among the first to introduce collaborative work tools and we have shared our method of operating through workshops with other companies.
FMHOUSE’s consulting activity is complemented by that of the FMHOUSE Institute, the name given to the body that certifies the training we provide. We have created 3,000 hours of content, packaged in 64 products, ranging from a 2-hour monographic course to a 2,800-hour international master’s degree. Several years ago, we called our research unit FM Observatory, since it would help us not lose track of the current situation while planning the way forward.
Let’s now consider some figures, which always help to strengthen an argument. We have executed 256 consulting projects for 190 clients in 12 countries. It is worth mentioning that FM tenders for the provision of services have amounted to over 300 million. Regarding training, 480 people have enrolled in standard courses and more than 3,500 have participated in the open access talks we have given. When it comes to research, we have published 95 reports and we have partnership agreements with 32 associations, universities and institutions in the sector. Furthermore, our focus has not been entirely on projects. We publish new content monthly in Spanish, Portuguese and English, and we have built the largest open access Facility Management library, offering almost 600 documents. We have also participated in the development of Facility Management standards, initially at a European level and later internationally, a contribution we continue to make. In my view, judging by these figures, it can be acknowledged that the objectives we set ourselves initially have been accomplished.
A company is said to come of age after 10 years, therefore, our adulthood has now begun. We will be celebrating our anniversary until November 2023, and during this time special campaigns will be launched to express our gratitude for the confidence placed in us. Firstly, we would like the training programmes we offer to reach as many people as possible. To this end, every month we will give free access to one of the professional accreditations, both in Spanish and English. We will also carry out benchmark studies to help companies to determine their situation with respect to the markets. Our overarching goal is to continue pursuing the initial objective to improve the recognition of Facility Management and its professionals.
Many thanks once again to all those who have had faith in us. Let’s keep going for another 10 years!
David Martínez
