A new good practice guide from IWFM provides a transformative framework for how workplace and facilities management (WFM) professionals approach information management.
The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) Information Management guide positions information as critical infrastructure – essential not only for compliance and operational efficiency but also for strategic assurance, ESG performance and organisational resilience.
The guide is authored by Gordon Mitchell, a UK-based expert on technology in WFM, and chair of the IWFM Technology Special Interest Group.
Gordon Mitchell said: “FM is now expected to deliver net-zero, safety, resilience and great workplaces - often all at once and usually with less budget and more scrutiny. What’s missing is trusted, structured information.
“Too often, our data is fragmented, outdated or simply not believed. That erodes confidence and quietly bleeds value out of the system. The new Good Practice Guide responds to that reality. It treats information not as a by-product but as a managed, lifecycle asset.”
Developed with input from leading experts and peer reviewers across the sector, the guide introduces the Five-Layer Model, a practical tool for embedding structured, trustworthy and outcome-focused information practices. The guide also sits within a wider movement across the built environment sector – The Information Management Initiative (IMI), led by nima.
Information management is not just a leadership concern – it’s a whole-business activity, IWFM emphasises.
IWFM’s director of External Affairs, Insight and Impact, Jenny Thomas, said: “Too often, critical information is generated long before handover to WFM teams, yet its structure defines operational performance for decades. Early decisions ripple into bigger effects and costs down the line. Our lifecycle-spanning guide is an essential tool for aligning people, processes and data across silos, creating a continuous thread of value.
“It is so much more than a technical reference. It empowers professionals to lead change, demonstrate value and build workplaces that are resilient and sustainable. It’s a future proof call to action – a roadmap to WFM’s future value.”
The guide is designed to support a range of stakeholders, including WFM professionals, asset owners, service providers, investors, insurers, policymakers and regulators.
The guide is free to IWFM members, while non-members can access it for £19.99.
To download the guide, click here.
