Why the FM sector needs consultant-operators, not just more reports

By Carlo Alloni 2026-02-24T07:00:00

The expectations of consultancies are changing and demand for strategies that work operationally, not just on paper, is growing. Carlo Alloni at Bellrock considers this challenge to more traditional models

Industry turbulence has shifted the competitive advantage from scale to speed. Much like the rapid ascent of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands during the pandemic, today’s market conditions demand a “challenger” mindset, prioritising rapid operational pivots over traditional, slow-moving corporate frameworks to meet evolving consumer demands.

The 2020 pandemic was a textbook temporary crisis. What facilities management (FM) and estate management face today is far more daunting: a rolling, inevitable slide into a tech-driven unknown. This isn’t a “pivot”; it is a permanent state of turbulence fuelled by AI, economic volatility and shifting compliance.

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