Jeff Dewing, CEO shares his manifesto for change

The new book, aptly named ‘Doing the opposite’ identifies the endemic problems identified within the FM industry and proposes a ‘Manifesto for change’

The book is packed with real life stories highlighting issues that range from a lack of compliance to overcharging and suggests ‘the traditional FM relationships are stuck in a cycle of self-destruction.’

Data detailed in the book suggests that legal compliance is a significant issue for the industry, with only 30-40% of buildings having the correct documentation and processes to protect the very people that operate within those assets.

Commenting on the industry, Jeff Dewing said: “Its time to hold a mirror up to the industry, I set out to highlight some of the fundamental problems our industry faces and suggest a positive manifesto for change. We have the technology to enable a new era of transparency and behaviour that will rebuild trust and confidence in the industry and drive huge efficiencies and cost-benefits to all the associated stakeholders.”

The manifesto for change addresses how to change the culture of organisations by connecting values to operations. It seeks to address the culture of poor behaviour such as over-billing and ‘behind closed doors activity’ by creating accountability throughout the value chain.

‘Doing the Opposite’ is the story of Jeff’s life and business career and how his upbringing was the catalyst for a disruptive drive for change. It examines the facilities management industry and highlights the life lessons that helped him build back from set-backs and shares essential tips for resilience in times of crisis for business, facilities management and life.

Jeff has had a roller-coaster ride of a career. Back in the 90’s, he went from owning a successful business and a football club to claiming benefits to try and put food on the table. In 2012, he co-founded Cloudfm and built a successful business that grew from zero to £70m in just 4 years by disrupting the facilities management industry. By using cutting-edge technology and innovative thinking to drive behavioural change, Cloudfm demonstrated incredible cost efficiencies and radically improved legal compliance for all of its Clients.

Based in Essex, Cloudfm operates internationally with offices in the UK, Dublin and Barcelona. It helps manage some of the worlds most recognised brands’ assets and properties, including KFC, TUI, Wolseley, PizzaExpress and many others.

The book is receiving consistent five-star reviews and is now available on Amazon in both paperback, kindle e-book and Audible.

Extracts from ‘Doing the Opposite’.
“The traditional FM relationship is stuck in a cycle of self-destruction. Clients procure services the same way but expect different results. And it is not just the FM providers doing things the wrong way.”
“Client FM managers tend to focus on the detail, not the big picture. They might have a £20m contract but rather than worrying if they are wasting millions of pounds, they obsess about a dishwater which has broken down three times in a week. Even as intelligent people, we still stupidly focus on cost and not value.”

“My vision was to change the industry from the bottom up because doing things radically differently is the only chance you have of getting a different result. We are tearing up the template and doing things the right way. That cycle of self-destruction? Procure the same old way, focus on the detail, fix the same problem time and again? We simply step away from it.”