Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of Facilities Management Servicess

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New research reveals training paradox undermining FM modernisation efforts

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  • 64% of FM leaders cite inadequate training and change management among the primary causes of technology failure, yet only 9% identified it as a critical factor when reflecting on past success
  • 97% of FM decision-makers anticipate increased technology investment in 2026, with smart sensors, digital platforms and AI-powered software emerging as top priorities
  • The underlying issue appears to be capability, not resistance: almost half (46%) identify skills gaps as a current challenge, while only 15% cite staff opposition to change

Bidvest Noonan has published new research highlighting a significant gap between technology ambition and successful adoption in the FM sector.

Bidvest Noonan surveyed 110 senior FM decision-makers with authority over technology investment, managing estates ranging from 20,000 to over 500,000 square feet across the UK and Ireland. The findings reveal that human factors, not technology itself, are key limitations to success.

While 64% of FM leaders cite inadequate training and change management as a primary cause of technology underperformance, only 9% identified it as a critical factor when reflecting on technologies that had succeeded. Bidvest Noonan describes this gap as the ‘training paradox’.

The training paradox

Phil Darcy, Head of Data & Emerging Technologies at Bidvest Noonan, said: “Our research reveals a troubling contradiction. When technologies underperform, inadequate training is among the top causes cited, yet it ranks lowest among the factors that organisations prioritise for success. Closing that gap should be a priority for any organisation investing in technology.

“The data shows something important here, almost half of FM leaders identify skills and capability gaps as a major barrier, while only one in seven cite staff resistance to change. This tells us that what looks like resistance is actually a capability issue. People lack confidence in their ability to use new technology effectively, which can result in hesitation or pushback.”

What the full report covers

The full report explores investment priorities across estate sizes, the adoption status of autonomous service robots and digital FM platforms, AI productivity expectations, what distinguishes successful implementations from those that fall short, and the challenges FM leaders currently face in turning technology ambition into operational impact.

Click Here To Read The Full Report

Award-Winning Innovation Set to Reduce Food Waste Volumes by up to 80% at UCD.

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Ireland’s largest university, University College Dublin, market-leading facilities management services company Bidvest Noonan, and Ireland’s leading waste-handling solutions company, Ancove, are proud winners of the Public Sector Magazine’s Excellence in Business Awards ‘Best Waste Handling Solution’ award, recognising innovation in on-site waste reduction and environmental performance.

Bidvest Noonan and Ancove support UCD with waste management solutions helping to improve performance and increase efficiency through practical, day-to-day improvements. Most recently, the partnership has delivered a new sustainability initiative focused on food waste: the installation of a cutting-edge, industrial grade bioprocessor designed for a large campus environment.

Positioned close to where food waste is produced, the system is expected to cut food waste volumes by up to 80%, while reducing the storage and transport typically required to manage organic waste at scale.

The bioprocessor is capable of digesting up to 1,000 litres of unavoidable food waste and other organic material each day. Operating within a sealed, controlled system, it breaks waste down aerobically using oxygen and microbes, converting organic material into a soil-enriching output. By processing waste on site, the system reduces the volume of material leaving campus and decreases the number of waste collections required.

For a campus of UCD’s scale, the operational benefits are significant. Fewer collections mean fewer vehicle movements, lower associated emissions, and less disruption to day-to-day campus activity. The system also reduces the manual handling involved in food waste management and supports a more circular approach to resource use, helping to divert organic waste away from traditional disposal routes.

The installation forms part of UCD’s broader programme to strengthen environmental performance through applied innovation. It also demonstrates how facilities management and waste-handling expertise can support large institutions in delivering practical sustainability outcomes, while improving efficiency across daily operations. As the system becomes embedded in campus routines, it is expected to contribute to UCD’s wider environmental goals over time, providing a scalable model for on-site organic waste processing.

The hidden change underway in today’s workplaces

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Peter Smyth, Director of Innovation & Technology at Bidvest Noonan, on how new technologies are changing how buildings operate.

For many years, changes in buildings and facilities arrived in steady steps. A new piece of equipment here, an updated procedure there and gradual improvements across sites.

That picture is beginning to change. A group of technologies is influencing how buildings operate, how teams organise their work and how people use the spaces around them. Four areas in particular are shaping much of this progress: automation, IoT sensors, digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI). What’s different now is the speed and interconnectedness of these changes, driven by rising sustainability demands, cost pressures, and expectations for smarter, safer workplaces.

Automation has moved on from production lines and robotic arms. Today, some of the most interesting developments are appearing in far more familiar places: office buildings, hospitals, universities and transport hubs are beginning to use automation in practical and helpful ways, such as robotic cleaning machines.

As automation becomes more common, IoT sensors build awareness of what is happening inside a building, offering a rich and connected view of building activity.

Sensors can now track occupancy, temperature, air quality, water flow, vibration, light levels and other conditions. This allows buildings to respond based on what is happening.

Once organisations begin to collect richer information from sensors and systems, the next challenge is making sense of it all. Digitalisation helps by bringing all the data together in a way that is easy to work with.

One approach is the digital system twin, which helps people see how different components influence one another. If something begins to drift out of range, the model can reveal the knock-on effects, making it easier to pinpoint the problem and respond appropriately.

AI in this activity generates a growing amount of data, but data on its own does not create value. This is where AI is starting to play a distinct role in built environments, sitting inside other systems.

It is a layer of capability that makes other technologies more effective, for example robotic cleaners adjusting routes based on real-time conditions, or digital twins predicting how a system will respond under different loads or identifying early signs of failure.

Few organisations implement all four of these developments at once. Most begin with a single area, see the benefits and then explore the next step. Each development stands on its own and can bring clear value. At Bidvest Noonan, we’re seeing clients gain the most value when these technologies are introduced alongside strong frontline expertise and practical service design.

Together, they show how buildings and facilities are changing. Automation supports teams with routine work. Sensors help buildings sense and respond. Digitalisation gives people a clearer picture of how everything fits together. AI helps that connected environment learn, adapt and improve over time.

None of this replaces the need for experienced facilities and estates professionals. It gives them better tools and better information to manage buildings that are becoming more capable and more essential to how organisations operate. The most effective estates teams will be those who combine human judgement with data-led insight, turning buildings into partners in performance rather than passive infrastructure.

Peter Smyth, Director of Innovation & Technology

Bidvest Noonan Becomes First FM Services Company to Introduce New Specialist Cleaning Technology

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Bidvest Noonan is the first in its industry across the UK and Ireland to introduce a brand-new range of specialist cleaning technology for its customers. Developed for cleanroom environments, where contamination control is critical, this technology enables the high standards of cleaning required in these spaces to be achieved with greater efficiency than ever before.

The SAFE-T range was developed to meet the needs of a Bidvest Noonan customer, a globally renowned technology brand, that sought a more advanced and specialised solution for its world-class cleanrooms. To support its customer, Bidvest Noonan engaged Clenli Direct, who worked closely with i-Team Global, the manufacturers, to bring the range to market.

“Our strategic partner Bidvest Noonan introduced JLL to Clenli Direct and i-Team Global, their excellent engineers worked with our problem statement and design ideas, this collaboration of engineering and cleanroom expertise has resulted in an innovative product and relationship that we at JLL are proud to be part of.” said Spencer Price, Cleanroom Facilities Manager at JLL.

“We are proud to have played a role in the inception of this new range of technology,” said David Barker, Chief Growth Officer at Bidvest Noonan. “We have a long track record of innovating to help our customers overcome challenges, and strong partnerships have always been central to that success. We were delighted to mark the launch of the SAFE-T range alongside JLL, Clenli Direct and i-Team Global, and we look forward to bringing the benefits of this technology to our customers across the UK and Ireland.”

Officially launched in Dublin on 12 March 2025 at an event attended by industry leaders and experts, the SAFE-T line brings vast improvements to cleanroom cleaning. One of the machines in its range is the SAFE-T-IMOP, the first battery-powered scrubber dryer designed for both cleanroom and general use. It reduces cleaning time by up to 50% compared to traditional flat mopping and has been independently tested to meet ISO 14644 cleanroom standards.

Bidvest Noonan’s adoption of this technology reinforces its leadership in the FM industry, particularly in high-tech and regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, technology, and life sciences.

Bidvest Noonan’s Altius VR onboards 1,600 officers in phase one

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We are delighted to announce the launch of our VR training programme, Altius, with more than 1,600 security officers onboarded for phase one of the programme. Altius see security officers train in virtual environments using VR headsets. These environments are perfect replicas of their actual workplaces, each recreated from real settings with advanced 3D camera technology.

The training immerses officers in highly realistic simulations where they are challenged to resolve a wide range of security issues, developing their skills, and honing their reactions in a low-risk environment. Through the creation of vivid deeply engaging experiences, Altius aims to close the gap between training and the real world.

The officers are using VR headsets, which have been designed by Meta to be lightweight, ergonomic highly performant. The headsets and their accompanying wireless handheld controllers are shipped to our sites, enabling officers to access bespoke immersive training where they work. This means the programme can scale to tens of thousands while the company can measure performance down to the individual level, pinpointing specific aspects of training an officer needs help with, and ensuring each officer can get the best possible outcome.

There is robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of VR training. According to a PwC study, VR not only enhances participant confidence by up to 40% compared to traditional methods but also achieves significant cost savings and greater emotional engagement when scaled. Learners complete training four times faster and are substantially more focused and inclusive post-training.

Raj Pradhan, Operations Director and Altius lead said “our Altius programme delivers an unparalleled learning experience and unmatched results. We have found that our officers are eager and excited to participate. They emerge from their training with more skills and confidence than can be achieved through conventional classroom and online approaches. Our programmes have been carefully designed to ensure our officers have all of the skills they need to perform at the highest levels and we are very impressed with the improvements we have seen in officers who have completed the programme.”

Liz Cummins, Managing Director “this technology is enabling us to close the gap between the training room and real-world situations. We are excited about the difference it is making for our people and the benefits it is delivering for all the customers who adopted it. We believe that in the coming years, more companies in our industry will develop and deploy VR training programmes and this will substantially improve security and service quality across the industry.”

The impact of the AI Act on the facilities Industry

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On Wednesday, the EU passed the world’s first comprehensive AI law, the Artificial Intelligence Act. This Act is set to establish unprecedented standards for AI usage and regulatory compliance. Its significance will be particularly pronounced for the private security and facilities industries in the EU. However, the significance of this Act extends far beyond EU borders, potentially influencing future legislative approaches in other markets.

Notably, the UK has outlined its approach to AI regulation in its 2023 white paper. The UK’s strategy shares common principles with the EU’s legislation. The white paper advocates for a new regulatory framework for high-risk AI systems and risk assessments for AI tool usage.

Implications for the Private Security Industry


Central to the EU’s AI Act are provisions designed to safeguard fundamental rights and public safety. The legislation classifies AI systems based on their risk potential, with stringent regulations for high-risk applications and an outright ban on specific uses such as certain untargeted facial recognition and mass surveillance techniques. For the private security industry in the EU, these measures may necessitate a careful evaluation of surveillance practices and technologies in the future. The act prohibits the use of AI systems that “create or expand facial recognition databases through the untargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage”.

The Act restricts the use of ‘real-time’ remote biometric identification systems in publicly accessible areas for law enforcement purposes, permitting their usage only under specific, tightly defined circumstances, such as the search for victims of serious crimes or the prevention of substantial, imminent threats.

The act will present challenges in terms of compliance and operational adjustments for Security providers as they deploy AI. Security firms will need to conduct comprehensive audits of their AI technologies, ensuring alignment with the Act’s requirements. A crucial component of adapting to the new landscape involves educating both staff and stakeholders about the ethical, legal, and operational implications of the AI Act.

The Artificial Intelligence Act is a landmark in the regulation of AI technologies, with far-reaching implications for the private security industry. Ultimately, this legislation aims to pave the way for a safer, more ethical future. As the industry adapts, it remains to be seen how these regulations will shape the landscape of AI in security. Bidvest Noonan is closely monitoring the developments and its dedicated teams are working together to ensure compliance with the Act and careful consideration of the use of AI technology in our business.

Commentary by Peter Smyth, Director of Technology & Innovation, And Olga Mitropoulou, Director of Risk & Compliance