The Future of Facilities Management in the UK: Insights from Cardo Group

Why Facilities Management Is Evolving — And Why It Matters More Than Ever

Across the United Kingdom, facilities management is undergoing a fundamental transformation. No longer viewed as a behind-the-scenes function, FM is now at the forefront of delivering public value, enabling sustainable operations, and protecting essential assets across housing, education, and community sectors.

At the centre of this shift is Cardo Group — a trusted provider of integrated building services and maintenance solutions to public sector organisations and housing providers. With deep roots in responsive repairs, planned maintenance, compliance, and retrofit works, Cardo Group offers unique insight into how the UK’s facilities management landscape is evolving — and where it’s going next.

Cardo Group and Facilities Management: What Today’s Clients Need Most

As expectations rise and budgets tighten, clients are demanding more from their facilities management partners. From school estates to social housing stock, the focus has shifted from reactive upkeep to strategic asset performance, with an emphasis on:

  • Operational efficiency
  • Sustainability and Net Zero alignment
  • Compliance with new regulatory frameworks
  • Digital integration and real-time reporting
  • Social value and local economic impact

Cardo Group’s multi-service model — delivered regionally across England, Wales, and Scotland — addresses these priorities head-on, making them a key partner in the future of FM.

 

Report generated from planned maintenance

 

Key Drivers Shaping the Future of Facilities Management in the UK

The next decade will bring sweeping changes to the way public assets are maintained and managed. Here are the most influential factors Cardo Group sees impacting facilities management:

1. The Push for Decarbonisation and Retrofit Integration

With legally binding carbon targets, facilities managers must now align routine operations with environmental objectives. Maintenance schedules are increasingly tied to:

  • EPC performance
  • PAS 2035 retrofit frameworks
  • Energy-efficient system upgrades
  • Low-carbon heating technologies

Cardo Group’s combined offer of maintenance, retrofit, and energy-saving upgrades enables clients to meet climate goals without managing multiple contractors.

2. Regulatory Reform and Building Safety

Post-Grenfell legislation, including the Building Safety Act 2022, has elevated the importance of compliance in FM. Clients now expect:

  • Full traceability of fire safety works
  • Proactive risk assessments
  • Real-time tracking of statutory checks
  • Specialist knowledge in fire doors, cladding, and structural works

Cardo Group’s commitment to planned compliance, fire risk management, and responsive remedial works places them in a strong position to lead FM teams through a highly regulated future.

3. Digital Transformation in Service Delivery

Facilities management is rapidly becoming data-driven. Clients want transparency, visibility, and actionable insight. The FM providers of the future must offer:

  • Digital dashboards and reporting tools
  • Automated job tracking
  • Integration with asset management platforms
  • App-based communication for operatives and residents

Cardo Group’s investment in mobile technology and client data integration ensures their services are aligned with these digital expectations — not just operationally, but at the contract level.

Integrated Delivery Models: Why Facilities Management Is Moving Beyond Silos

Traditional FM contracts often separate services: one provider for cleaning, another for compliance, another for maintenance. But this fragmented approach is inefficient, costly, and difficult to manage at scale.

Cardo Group champions an integrated model, where services such as:

  • Responsive and planned maintenance
  • Void property refurbishment
  • Compliance and testing
  • Retrofit and energy efficiency
  • Customer service and engagement

…are delivered under one umbrella. This streamlining benefits clients by:

  • Reducing contract complexity
  • Enhancing communication
  • Improving scheduling and resource use
  • Aligning performance across services

As FM continues to evolve, integration will become a baseline expectation — not an optional extra.

Cardo Group’s Regional Model: Local Delivery, National Standards

Facilities management is most effective when it combines strategic consistency with local knowledge. Cardo Group delivers this through its structured regional divisions:

  • Cardo (South & Central)
  • Cardo (Wales & West)
  • Cardo (Scotland) – via Rodgers & Johnston
  • Heatcare Oil & Gas – for heating and gas compliance

Each division operates under the same group-wide standards for health, safety, quality, and customer care — but adapts delivery to local needs, workforce availability, and community priorities. This enables scalable FM delivery across urban and rural areas alike.

Sustainability in Practice: How Facilities Management Supports Social and Environmental Goals

Modern FM isn’t just about maintenance — it’s about contributing to broader policy objectives, including:

  • Reducing emissions and energy use
  • Creating green jobs and apprenticeships
  • Supporting local supply chains
  • Promoting healthy, safe living environments

Cardo Group embeds social value and sustainability into every contract, ensuring that facilities management is aligned with the long-term interests of tenants, local authorities, and the environment.

The Role of Compliance in Future-Proof Facilities Management

Facilities management must now be compliance-led. From gas safety to fire prevention, building managers must not only meet legal obligations but demonstrate evidence of compliance.

Cardo Group delivers compliance services that include:

  • Fire door inspections and upgrades
  • Electrical safety testing and EICR reporting
  • Legionella monitoring
  • Gas Safe servicing
  • Asbestos management and abatement

Their capability in this area allows clients to consolidate compliance into their FM contracts, reducing risk while simplifying oversight.

Smart Facilities Management: The Role of Predictive Maintenance

As facilities management shifts from reactive to strategic, predictive maintenance is emerging as a key capability. Rather than scheduling repairs on fixed cycles or waiting for equipment to fail, predictive maintenance uses real-time data to identify and address issues before they cause downtime or safety risks.

In public sector housing and community buildings, this means:

  • Identifying boiler faults before heat loss
  • Flagging failing fire door closers before inspections
  • Detecting damp risks early through sensor data
  • Planning M&E servicing based on condition, not just time

Cardo Group is already embedding sensor-based monitoring and asset lifecycle planning into its facilities management approach — enabling clients to reduce costs and extend asset performance while improving the resident experience.

As IoT technology becomes more accessible, predictive maintenance will become the norm across FM frameworks, helping providers plan better and act faster.

Workforce Investment: Building the FM Workforce of the Future

As technology advances and service expectations increase, the FM sector must invest in skills. Cardo Group actively supports this through:

  • Apprenticeship schemes across trades and compliance roles
  • Upskilling programmes for existing operatives
  • Partnerships with colleges and training providers
  • Local recruitment to support place-based delivery

A strong FM workforce is essential for quality, continuity, and innovation — and Cardo Group recognises that people are as important as systems in the future of facilities management.

Facilities Management and the Tenant Experience: Why It’s Strategic

In the social housing sector, facilities management isn’t just about asset care — it’s about people care. Tenants increasingly expect services that are not only efficient and safe, but also respectful, proactive, and easy to engage with.

For Cardo Group, tenant experience is central to their delivery model. FM services are designed to:

  • Minimise disruption through advance scheduling and communication
  • Provide operatives with soft skills training for respectful interactions
  • Collect and analyse tenant feedback to improve services
  • Offer multilingual materials or accessibility options where required

This people-first focus turns facilities management from a background operation into a visible part of the resident relationship — one that supports satisfaction, trust, and community wellbeing.

As expectations rise, the future of FM will increasingly depend on how well it serves the people who live in and rely on the spaces being managed.

 

Facilities management experts at work

What Clients Should Expect from Facilities Management Contracts in 2025 and Beyond

The future of FM in the UK will demand more clarity, more accountability, and more value. Cardo Group recommends that public sector clients look for:

  • Contracts that integrate multiple service lines
  • Providers that offer digital reporting and transparency
  • Flexibility to accommodate retrofit and Net Zero goals
  • Compliance structures built into daily operations
  • A focus on tenant communication and satisfaction
  • Demonstrated commitment to social value and skills development

Facilities management is no longer a background function — it is a strategic partner in asset and community wellbeing.

How Cardo Group Is Positioned for the Future of Facilities Management

With over 750 staff, regional divisions across the UK, and a growing portfolio of public sector partnerships, Cardo Group is fully equipped to lead the next generation of facilities management delivery.

Their model stands out because it is:

  • Integrated: Offering maintenance, compliance, and retrofit in one service
  • Data-driven: Enabling real-time performance insight for clients
  • People-centred: Built on workforce development and community connection
  • Sustainability-aligned: Supporting carbon targets through retrofit integration
  • Adaptable: Structured to flex with new legislation and funding streams

As demand grows for smart, strategic FM, Cardo Group is committed to delivering with professionalism, reliability, and clarity.

Facilities Management in the UK Is Changing — Cardo Group Is Ready

From carbon reduction to compliance reporting, facilities management is evolving from a maintenance function into a core enabler of housing and public service delivery. As this transformation accelerates, housing providers and local authorities need partners who understand the big picture — and who can act locally with precision and accountability.

Cardo Group’s approach to facilities management is built for this future. Through integration, innovation, and regional expertise, they offer FM services that not only preserve assets but help them perform, improve, and support the communities they serve — now and for generations to come.

For more information about Cardo Group’s full range of facilities management solutions, visit cardogroup.co.uk.

 

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