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This paper aims to discuss the current debates in facility management to understand where the research community is working and where the facility management sector and discipline might be heading.

A review of research outputs has been undertaken to identify research themes. The discussion is based on developments that are already shaping how one should view facility management and outlines a possible future based on a number of strategically important questions and their likely answers.

There is a broad landscape of research themes; yet, a significant portion of the most-cited journal papers were published more than 10-15 years ago. Current debates are focused mostly on operational improvement; few are directed at more strategic objectives. Those in the informal media are concerned with more speculative themes, particularly the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), which are indicative of disruptive technology. These themes are debated mostly by practitioners.

Many views are expressed in this editorial – some are controversial whilst others should be regarded as matters of fact. The underlying aim is to stimulate debate and action among readers about what appears to be a dilemma for the facility management sector and discipline. Does it continue along the same trajectory or should it be bold and strike out in new directions and meet the challenges presented by disruptive innovations, notably the IoT and AI? Hard choices await and not all decisions will lead to preferred outcomes.

Introducing Management Development Centres enabled Atkins to map its employees’ potential career routes by assessing their key capabilities and interests, explains Brian Fitzgerald, Akins’ director of HR development.

The paper has the purpose of demonstrating that (business) process modelling can be used to portray facilities management as a hierarchical set of activities which combine to satisfy the business needs of the client organisation. The paper aims to show, through a top‐down approach, how service provision must be set in a wide context if its role in fulfilling those needs is to be successful. The question of whether or not to outsource services is given particular prominence. A secondary purpose is to show how best practice and attempts to improve current practice can benefit from the modelling approach.

Business process (IDEF0) modelling is used to portray the facilities management process from the perspective of the client organisation.

Service provision must be set in a wide context if decisions and their outcomes are to be consistent with the delivery of best value and customer satisfaction. The model of the facilities management process presented in the paper shows, for instance, where and how the decision to outsource or retain services in‐house fits into the total picture. The transparency afforded by the model and the procedures that can be derived from it will enable clients to reach a competent decision and not one based on incomplete consideration. Furthermore, clients are able pursue a policy of continual improvement and with that practices that can be regarded as “best” in their context. As a template of current best practice, the model is also the context for evaluating the worth of new insights and novel practices.

The model is limited to a top‐down approach to the facilities management process; as such, it does not consider very detailed issues.

There exists no authoritative model of the facilities management process from the client's perspective. The issue of context has not received adequate treatment in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to report on research into investigating ways in which construction clients can overcome barriers to partnering through the adoption of purposeful procurement procedures within an overall project management context.

Data were collected through interviews, document analysis, surveys and workshops as part of a longitudinal case study using an action‐research approach.

Analysis reveals how the early involvement of partners, selected for their long‐term perspective and willingness to use collaborative working arrangements, can help to overcome cultural and organizational barriers.

The research results are based on empirical study for which reasonable generalisations could be made, albeit cautiously. Clients' implementation of partnering requires an appropriate use of a broad range of suitable procurement procedures that are quite different from more commonly used procedures. Hence, clients need to reassess their procurement procedures and tailor them to different project situations. Additionally, a long‐term perspective is crucial in order to facilitate continual improvement over time.

The case study data support the analysis of how utilised procurement procedures affect project results.

Automation hand‐in‐hand with a determined management and a dedicated workforce have helped Tl Apollo turn round its golf shaft business. Brian Rooks visited the Oldbury factory to find out how.

The purpose of this paper is to identify critical barriers to partnering, as perceived by construction clients, and the specific measures that are taken to overcome them during implementation.

Empirical data were collected through a survey study of 87 professional construction clients in Sweden.

Clients regard the most critical barriers as those attributable to cultural and organisational aspects. The analysis also shows that clients' perceptions of these barriers do not, in fact, affect their procurement procedures. Two‐thirds of clients in the survey wish to increase cooperation with actors in the belief that it will favour project success. Their intention does not have any bearing on their procurement and project management procedures, which are still aligned to competitive bidding. Two potential reasons for this inconsistency are discussed: clients may be unaware of how their procurement procedures affect cooperation, and/or the individual decision maker may not have strong enough incentives to start using new and less familiar procurement procedures even though they are potentially more suitable than traditional procedures.

The quantitative data are limited to clients' perceptions of barriers to partnering; a contractor perspective is not included in the survey.

The research results can serve as an alert for construction clients that their procurement procedures need to be adapted if they want to achieve the move towards increased cooperation that they say they do.

This paper offers a unique analysis of the correlations between desired outcome in the form of increased cooperation, and actual behaviour in the form of procurement procedures.

How often do we use the word “academic” to mean irrelevant or inconsequential to real life issues? Research from the academic community is often treated with the same reservations. Reports how the Department of Construction Management and Engineering at Reading University is linking up with commercial organizations in collaborative FM related research. Like other UK universities involved in FM, it is seeking to break down the academic‐industrial divide. Despite having a strong reputation in the construction sector, Reading has often been accused of being ambivalent about its position in facilities management. Claims that some light may be shed on this confusion from this discussion.