Bidvest Noonan

A market leading provider of facilities services and solutions

Expertise

Miles ahead: transforming service delivery in the transport sector

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In this conversation, Stuart Cunningham, Business Development Director for our Transport Sector, shares his perspective on how a people-focused approach has helped us deliver the best service for commuters. He speaks about how Bidvest Noonan’s cleaning and security solutions have supported more than 1.5 billion journeys each year.

Tell us about your journey toward becoming a Business Development Director for our Transport Sector business unit

It is my 15-year anniversary working in soft services in the Transport Sector. Since 2007, I have always worked in sales roles for cleaning solutions within rail, tram, bus, coach, and aviation. I still love what I do, the people I work with and the great positive impact that we can deliver. I even find myself liking the challenges and obstacles that the cleaning industry throws up.

Our Transport Sector business unit delivers services to the UK’s largest bus and rail operators. What makes Bidvest Noonan a great partner for them?

We have our Credo and Vision embedded in our culture and in everything we do. Our people and our customer-focused dedicated approach helps us to deliver the best service on the market.

Our deep expertise in the Transport Sector enables us to present innovative and creative solutions that use the latest cleaning technology and processes. And most importantly, we understand and align with our customers’ requirements and expectations.

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) has never been more important and it is a big topic inside our business. I’m really passionate about it and I was so proud to read and show my daughters the recently published environmental report. I believe we are heading in the right direction with this focus.

In your opinion, what sets Bidvest Noonan apart from competitors?

We are a large customer-focused services group with a rich history and fantastic infrastructure. The transport business unit operating under the Bidvest Noonan brand and infrastructure gives us the opportunity to offer greater support at every level. I love the fact that we have a great history, demonstrable capability and long-standing relationships.

Our transport management team’s experience and knowledge are unique. We have best-in-class teams supporting our frontline colleagues, from Health and Safety, Learning & Development to HR and Mobilisation teams. They understand the unique nature of our services in the Transport Sector.

What are the biggest challenges in delivering services to the Transport Sector?

Competition is fierce and because of the safety-critical and public-facing element of what we do, only a small band of companies can deliver that compliance and proactively operate within the sector. 

Our customers have fixed commitments around quality standards for their passengers. 

Our activities are mostly 24/7, 365 days of the year with a lot of work delivered in fast-paced environments. The balance between delivering sustainable quality and pressures on cost has never been tougher, we need to be constantly evolving and looking for fresh and innovative solutions.

What makes a good business development team?

The GB leadership team has given us tremendous backing. We now have a small, very tight team of passionate and creative solution designers in the Business Development team in the transport business unit. We talk every day and we operate as one, we are in it together. I believe that our Operations teams know that we always look to support them with development opportunities, understand the challenges of service delivery and ensure we reflect that in our solutions.

Today, we have a thought-through strategy, great intelligence on our marketplace and a healthy pipeline with some great opportunities.

Innovation Watch

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As Technology and Innovation Director at Bidvest Noonan, Peter Smyth spends much of his time studying innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies. Peter’s research helps the business to achieve better outcomes for its customers, people, business, and environment.

We asked Peter to identify four areas where innovation and technological advances are beginning to impact our industry.

Cobotics

Cobotics is still an emerging field; however, at Bidvest Noonan, we have begun to introduce cobots to a number of sites where they can add value.

These machines work alongside our people, handling repetitive and monotonous tasks such as large area cleaning. Cobots are not a substitute for cleaning teams, but they can augment them, increasing their resilience and capacity. 

Cobots can offer several benefits. The cobots that we have invested in use up to 80% less water than traditional cleaning methods. They use smart mapping systems to take the most energy-efficient cleaning path and can work in the dark, further reducing energy consumption.

The data captured by our cobots support evidence-based cleaning and the development of valuable insights for planning. Significantly, by handling some of the most monotonous work, cobots improve job satisfaction for our team members and enable them to spend more time on higher-order tasks.

Dynamic Cleaning

Dynamic cleaning improves the productivity and sustainability of cleaning operations. The approach uses sensor technologies to identify which spaces have been occupied and require cleaning and which do not.

Dynamic cleaning enables teams to become more productive, with no time wasted on unnecessary cleaning in unused areas. In addition, cleaning operations become more sustainable as teams use less water, energy and materials overall.

The approach leverages real-time and historical building usage data to improve planning, enabling managers to determine the exact resourcing requirements for every period and every area of the site.

Smart Buildings

Smart buildings use a combination of technologies to improve the efficiency, utilisation and environmental performance of buildings and assets while creating a safe and comfortable environment for occupants. 

Bidvest Noonan uses a range of these technologies at some of its own buildings to monitor and manage building occupancy, powering down unoccupied rooms, spaces, or even entire floors to save energy. We only make these spaces available again when needed.

Using our digital booking system, our building users always have access to the resources they need, such as desks, meeting rooms, smart lockers and parking spaces. 

The insights provided by our smart building technologies enable us to make significant cost and energy savings in areas such as lighting, heating and air-conditioning systems while providing optimum conditions for building users. In addition, the data we gather helps to improve our workplace planning.

Waste Management

Businesses have used waste compactors and balers to manage waste for many years; however, these technologies have continued to advance, and developments in recycling and regulation have boosted their use.

Modern compactors and balers such as those provided by our specialist waste handling business, Ancove, are more powerful, economical and compact. As a result, they efficiently reduce waste volumes by more than 90%; Consequently less space is required to store waste, and fewer waste collections are needed. Additionally, waste materials have become a source of revenue for our customers. They receive payment for valuable waste materials such as paper, cardboard and plastic. This is a win-win situation for business and the environment.

Going the extra mile for innovation: Eddie Ingram, Jon Moore, Peter Smyth

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At Bidvest Noonan, our vision is to be so important to our customers, so valuable to their business, and provide experiences so good, we are always their partner of choice. To achieve this vision, we need to stay at the forefront of our industry, leveraging technology and innovation to deliver better service and more value to our customers.

This dedication to uncovering innovation drives so many senior figures from across our business to make time in their busy diaries to visit conferences, meet our suppliers, participate in round table discussions, and conduct research to improve the services we offer.

We asked Chief Services Officer, Eddie Ingram, Technology and Innovation Director, Peter Smyth, and Director of Operations Support and Risk, Jonathan Moore, why innovation is so important to our business and what role industry events play in helping us uncover new ideas and progress our innovation agenda.

Eddie Ingram, who recently attended the IFSEC International exhibition, an event that attracts over 30,000 visitors and brings together industry professionals from far and wide, said:

“Innovation is critical to our success. Our ability to challenge conventions, find better ways of working, and create greater value for clients sets us apart from our competition. Investing the time to go meet suppliers and hear from thought leaders in our industry and adjacent industries is very worthwhile. Attending industry events gives us the opportunity to meet new suppliers and catch up with existing ones too.

We recently attended the IFSEC International exhibition and had some interesting discussions around the increased use and spread of CCTV across the UK and how it might lead to a new British Standard around AI and facial recognition.

Some of the innovation happening in the security industry today is truly remarkable, and we are harnessing many of these advances for the benefit of our clients.”

Peter Smyth, who recently visited the Netherlands to attend the high-profile 2022 Interclean Amsterdam event added:

“Innovation really matters to us. We want to lead the way in our industry and use the latest innovations to help reinvent and improve solutions for our clients.

Attending some of the largest FM trade shows in the world gives us a great opportunity to see the latest products on offer from existing customers, but also allows us to meet new suppliers that are disrupting the industry with a new generation of robotics, machinery, and equipment.

The 2022 Interclean Amsterdam event gave the team and I an incredible insight into the work being done to improve how we manage waste, consume energy, and use water. I look forward to adopting the very best of these to improve the service we provide to our clients.”

Jonathan Moore, Director of Operations Support and Risk, commenting on his attendance at the IFSEC event said:

 “We met with suppliers to talk about their upcoming innovations, exploring ways in which we can work together to deploy these new products. It was refreshing to see a blend of technology, physical security, and a healthy number of organisations offering professional development routes.

At Bidvest Noonan, we aim to stay ahead of the curve, continuously finding new ways to improve the service we provide to our customers. Attending industry events and networking with thought leaders and innovators informs and inspires our own innovation research”.

Encouraging diversity in the workplace

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Discussing the impact of hybrid working on diversity

Last week Diversity Mark partnered with Bidvest Noonan, one of Northern Ireland’s largest private employers, to host a series of round table talks about how modern work practices are impacting diversity in the workplace.

The first event in this series, hosted at Invest Northern Ireland’s headquarters, brought together senior leaders from some of the most important employers, agencies, and authorities. The group discussed hybrid working and its effect on workplace diversity, sharing their expertise and perspectives to help chart a way forward. 

The sudden rise of hybrid working has been welcomed by some; however, others question its longer-term impact on our workplaces and industries. This change in working practice may create both winners and losers.

Paul Murnaghan, Head of BT in Northern Ireland and President of Northern Ireland’s Chamber of Commerce shared his perspective that hybrid working practices can be a powerful way to attract, support, and retain great talent from all backgrounds. A recent report by the CIPD bears out this view. The report found that 54% of employees expect to spend all or most of their work week in the workplace once the pandemic has passed; However, when asked about their preferences, 39% said they would like to work from home all or most of the time.

Hybrid working can exacerbate inequities, and some commentators fear that it could lead to the unpicking of hard-won gains for traditionally underrepresented groups. Research by Mckinsey found that underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ community members, favour hybrid working most.

There are concerns that hybrid workers, being distant from the office, will be less visible than in-workplace employees, making them less likely to be considered for promotion and reducing their impact in the business world.

These round table discussions aim to unearth issues and challenges posed by current working practices and seek to use the experiences of participating organisations to develop solutions and best practices. A number of significant themes emerged during the discussions at this first event.

Consult with your people

For Director of Employment Relations Services at the Labour Relations Agency, Mark McAllister consultation with employees is key to the success of any new working practices. “When the civil services 24,000 employees were asked about how they wanted to work going forward, 98% of staff said they didn’t want to come back to the same way of working as before,” says Head of NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady. “Working with staff and the unions was key to create a ground up formula that made sense for the departments implementing them.”

Be decisive and accountable

As Chief People Officer for Bidvest Noonan, a market leader for facilities services, Janice Brannigan takes responsibility for delivering a positive work experience for the company’s 27,000 employees. Janice said “The decisions we take in this post-pandemic environment, must provide for the needs of our people and the needs of our business whilst also ensuring that we are encouraging and supporting diversity.”

Danske Bank Employment Lawyer Jenny Moore shared a best practice example from IBM. At the start of the pandemic CEO, Arvind Krishna shared the company’s Work from Home Pledge on LinkedIn, outlining a set of remote working practices to follow.

As its colleagues return to the workplace, it has now created a playbook that sets out its timeframes and principles clearly to employees. “As leaders we don’t just need to talk, we need to advocate, and hold ourselves to account too. A working charter is a good way to do that,” she adds.

Communicate your reasoning, recognise the benefits

“Communication can enable or derail any transformation,” says Invest NI’s Executive Director of People and Culture, Denise Black. “We wanted to be clear in answering the key employee question ‘Why do I need to return to the office?’ And for us, that comes down to four Cs. Connection – because we’re social animals. Collaboration – including those collision collaborations that can be so productive and are lost at home. Creation – the energy and body language of a team working in person is hard to match on screen. And Care, which is a big one for me.

There is a mental health aspect that we need to recognise,’ Denise says. “I’ve worked in this role for two years and I’ve just met two of my team face to face in the past three weeks. A scheduled 30-minute check in is a great tool, but getting to know quieter staff or just grabbing a coffee is something you can’t get on screen,” she adds.

Trust your people

While recognising the need to provide a framework for hybrid working, Denise also urges leaders to be brave and to recognise their relationship with employers as an adult-to-adult one based on personal accountability and trust.

For Bidvest Noonan’s CEO, Declan Doyle ensuring his colleagues had access to the resources they needed and felt well supported has been a top priority; “We have colleagues living and working all across the UK and Ireland. Many found working from home to be a challenge. Some wanted access to our offices because their homes were too busy or didn’t have good broadband connections. We have made sure that our network of offices are available to those people and we have seen these offices get busier and busier in recent weeks,’ he says.

For Head of International & SME Development at NI Chamber of Commerce, Tanya Anderson, creating that culture of acceptance and trust is key. ‘Our system knows who is in the office and who is out, but we trust our departments to run their own diaries, they know their workloads and they manage it,’ she adds.

Consider your business needs

However, Tanya also recognised that organisations need ‘to keep their business hats on. For many, especially small businesses or those looking to grow internationally, having people in the office is important,” she says.

“The model we work to needs to fit the work that needs to be done and to ensure that there isn’t a dilution of service for customers and the people we serve,” Jayne Brady adds.

Challenge your technologies

Before the pandemic, few around the table would have considered that a project could go from idea to completion via work on Microsoft Teams, and it was clear that technology had a key part to play in enabling successful hybrid working.

For Jayne the civil service establishing the 11 Connect2 hubs throughout NI can be a game changer for those who due to caring roles could not commit to daily commutes to departmental HQs. “Having spoken to individuals they have indicated that this was a factor in self selecting themselves out of promotion opportunities. The Connect2 hubs can be a catalyst for innovative and inclusive new ways of working and ultimately delivering a more diverse and regionally balanced workforce.”

Consider wider options

Jenny Moore and Ian Campbell, Translink Director of Service Operations, were also keen to recognise key workers who didn’t have hybrid working as an option. Some 70% of Translink staff worked throughout the pandemic.

Jenny says “NI plc needs to work hard to ensure that it looks at flexibility in its broadest sense. Businesses choose how to define ‘flexibility’ and therefore should be flexible about what flexibility looks like for all with reduced hours, asynchronous schedules, job sharing and compressed work weeks on the table too.”

This roundtable is the first of our quarterly series facilitated by Lisa Strutt, Leadership Coach & Guide and Harvard affiliated, attended by Jenny Moore, Ian Campbell, Mark McAllister, Janice Brannigan, Jayne Brady, Denise Black, Paul Murnaghan, Declan Doyle.

The Diversity Mark accreditation is awarded to companies following an assessment process which ensures they have reached the required standard of commitment to advancing Diversity and Inclusion. For Companies from all sectors the Diversity Mark is a ‘Mark of Progress’ that publicly declares commitment to building more diverse and inclusive workplaces to benefit all employees.

Find out more here.

Jennifer Littlewood reflects on the importance of ‘Breaking the Bias’

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International Women’s Day is one of the most important days in the calendar for me. It is a moment to reflect, both on the huge accomplishments women have made in all fields, but also to consider how much more there is still to be done.  

My own mother was a carer nurse and listening to her describe the options open to her, I don’t doubt the limits on her progression being constrained despite being as qualified as her male peers. My career progression has been far less constrained and I have benefited from legislation fought for by my mother’s generation. Nonetheless, having chosen to spend most of my professional life in typically male-dominated sectors, it has required determination and resilience. So, what will constrain the career opportunities for my 16-year-old daughter? I truly believe she will be limited by nothing more than her own dreams. Of course, that progress is not true for all women in all parts of the globe, or from all social backgrounds, which is why International Women’s Day is such an important day for all of us to celebrate, regardless of gender, and to commit to the actions required to make a difference in the future.

‘Break the Bias’ – the theme in 2022 – resonates deeply for me. I have always had a career plan, one that I have written down and revisited frequently. I have allowed myself to deviate from it when I discovered an opportunity that has strongly appealed to me, but the plan gets updated and gives me focus. Along the way I have, of course, encountered detractors and setbacks, and my younger self would soul search earnestly for an answer. Coming to understand bias (my own as well as that of others’) changed the narrative and gave me the courage and resilience to chase the career I really wanted. I actively encourage debate, open and frank conversations, both at home and at work, to explore our biases and how we overcome them.

At Bidvest Noonan, I am delighted to have joined a leadership team that is wonderfully diverse in both its makeup and in thought. In fact, it is one of the most important reasons I joined and I feel privileged to play my part in it. This year, I will be taking time to reflect that one day it won’t be a privilege, it will be the norm.

Joining the security industry from the Police by Paul Considine

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Paul Considine, Head of Security and Contingency for one of our iconic client sites in London, has an impressive 30-year career with the Metropolitan Police. In an article for ThisWeekinFM, Paul discusses his journey from investigating serious crime to leading a team of over 50 security officers in central London for Bidvest Noonan.

In 2020, Considine was appointed as Head of Security and Contingency for one of Bidvest Noonan’s iconic client sites. He joined after an impressive 30-year career with the Metropolitan police working his way up from PC, to Serious and Organised Crime Command, homicide investigations and Hostage and Crisis Negotiator.

How Did Your Career in the Police Begin?

I joined the Met Police in 1990 and spent five years in uniform as a PC, learning my craft and providing immediate response to critical incidents and managing a range of operational activities. I was then transferred to detective duties having demonstrated an eye for detail and observation. Detective responsibilities included initial investigative planning and strategy setting, pursuing lines of enquiry, completion of case papers, to presenting evidence at Crown Court.

Upon promotion, I led teams of detectives, overseeing a wide range of cases from fraud and acquisitive offences through to violent crime and sexual offences.

You Spent 30 Years in Law Enforcement. Were There Other Positions You Took up During This Time?

I was selected to join the Serious and Organised Crime Command where I held several roles and secured numerous promotions. Responsibilities included leading covert surveillance operations and proactively dismantling firearm-enabled Organised Crime Groups.

For ten years, I led homicide investigations across London and Internationally. Responsibilities included prioritising lines of enquiry and devising analytical and innovative investigative strategies whilst working closely with community stakeholders.

I also volunteered as a Hostage and Crisis Negotiator for several years where I primarily provided crisis intervention for those with mental health issues. This work was incredibly rewarding and often involved my deployment to sites across London to negotiate and support vulnerable individuals who were threatening suicide.

“I have always enjoyed being challenged and was keen to choose an industry that would continue to challenge me and allow me to use the skills honed over 30 years. The security industry seemed an obvious fit on the basis that I would be identifying and mitigating risk, building and maintaining professional relationships and leading a team.”

Why Did You Look to Security as a Possible Career Option?

I saw an opportunity to seek out a second vocation and decided to retire from the police service.

If I am honest, it was not something I was looking forward to with much relish as I joined the police straight from school and a career change seemed daunting. I have always enjoyed being challenged and was keen to choose an industry that would continue to challenge me and allow me to use the skills honed over 30 years. The security industry seemed an obvious fit on the basis that I would be identifying and mitigating risk, building and maintaining professional relationships and leading a team.

Why Bidvest Noonan?

I spoke with several security professionals who were keen to assist me in my career transition. However, it wasn’t until I met with a Bidvest Noonan Director and the wider team that I was ready to fully commit to leaving the Metropolitan Police.

I was impressed from the outset at the Bidvest Noonan setup and ethos, and I was aware that the company provided security to several iconic buildings and estates across London. It was clear to me that the company was both dynamic and ambitious, and I immediately wanted to be part of it.

What is Your Role and Responsibilities at Bidvest Noonan?

I was delighted to secure my position as Head of Security & Contingency in April 2021 at one of London’s most exciting and innovative new destinations.

Since commencing my post, my feet have not touched the ground. I manage a team of over 50 security professionals and together we are responsible for keeping the estate safe whilst making it a welcoming place for all those that use it, and ensuring we meet client and occupiers’ high expectations.”

Is There Anything You Particularly Like About Your Role?

It has been a steep but enjoyable learning curve made easier by the support offered and provided by peers, managers and support staff. I’m most looking forward to developing my team, identifying talent and assisting them as they progress in their security careers.

Have There Been Any Key Learnings From Your Time in the Role so Far?

The client and occupiers of the building have very high expectations, and meeting them all is often challenging. Fire alarm systems and the security response is not something I have dealt with before. I’ve been impressed with the level of detail in correlating standard operating procedures (SOP) and have enjoyed learning something new.

What Would You Say to Someone Thinking of Looking to Start a Career in Security?

Do it! I am still in the infancy of my security career but I am thoroughly enjoying it.

I am very grateful to Bidvest Noonan for the opportunity and look forward to enhancing my reputation as a security professional and the reputation of the company which to date I have been hugely impressed by.

Article written by Ella Tansley from TwinFM