They warned against making artificial distinctions between hard and soft (FM) services. Comparing one project against another and assuming that services will be categorised in the same way is unrealistic, because each service is different, the requirements are different, and the solution has to be different: "What is characterised as a hard FM service in one contract is characterised as a soft FM service in another contract".
Many services are not easily defined by the terms hard or soft. A good example is security, which begins with the layout of the building, and ends with the services delivered by frontline security personnel. The right layout makes it easier to keep a building secure, because it can be designed to avoid blind spots or areas of the building that are difficult to patrol. Security is an important service in many public facilities, and getting the design right to ensure the right level of security is possible is an extremely important risk management tool.
In the words of one participant, "disaggregating design and management means the core services lose out" - whereas making service considerations part of the core management approach from the outset is an effective way to manage delivery and mitigate risk, not only in the design solution, but also in the transition period and ongoing asset management.
One interviewee described an example of how the crossover between design, hard FM and soft FM considerations in one health sector contract reaps benefits for individuals delivering those services at the front line:
"For [one hospital], we developed an automated waste disposal solution. Its value is not just as a practical solution to reduce the number of staff needed to deliver the service, it's also about risk-management… Most needle-stick injuries are incurred by porters and cleaning staff - not doctors - when they are bundling up bedding. This solution helps prevent needle-stick accidents because the waste handling is automated - less handling equals less risk."
An important lesson from this example is that by combining hard and soft services, and by factoring in service considerations at the design stage, an innovative solution has emerged that simply would not have happened had the design and services been managed separately. One expert commented:
"Innovation in relation to solutions is stymied by the separation of hard and soft services… Tight definition of soft services reduces flexibility and makes it more difficult to come up with innovative ideas and approaches."