HomeTurning operations into strategic advantage: Cromwell’s Facilities Management Team leads the way
November 14, 2025
Turning operations into strategic advantage: Cromwell’s Facilities Management Team leads the way
Cromwell’s Facilities Management (FM) team has been named a finalist for FM Organisation of the Year by the Facilities Management Association of Australia — a recognition that reflects not just operational excellence, but strategic value. The FM unit consistently outperforms industry benchmarks, proving that focused leadership and smart execution can drive enterprise-wide impact. For investors, this signals Cromwell’s ability to deliver the deep expertise and capability typically associated with large-scale organisations, while maintaining the agility, responsiveness, and personalised service of a boutique team. Below is an overview of the team’s key achievements that contributed to this national recognition, along with insights into how a high-performing FM function supports investor outcomes through enhanced asset performance, tenant satisfaction, and operational resilience.
The role of Facilities Managers
Facilities Managers oversee the day-to-day operations of Cromwell’s buildings, ensuring they are safe, efficient, and aligned with tenant needs. Their responsibilities span maintenance, compliance, sustainability, and service delivery — all of which directly influence tenant satisfaction and asset performance. At Cromwell, the FM team plays a pivotal role in translating strategic objectives into operational outcomes, working closely with Asset Managers to ensure every decision supports long-term portfolio value.
Cromwell’s Facilities Management (FM) team’s tenant-first mindset continues to deliver industry-leading tenant satisfaction results. Their performance places them in the top quartile of peers in the Future Forma survey, with standout results in service-request responsiveness.
For investors, this translates into higher tenant retention, reduced vacancy risk, and more stable income streams. By actively engaging with tenant feedback, including insights from the annual Future Forma survey, the team addresses asset-specific issues and enhances the overall experience across the portfolio — a key factor in protecting and growing long-term asset value.
With a data-driven approach and strong ESG leadership, the team has supported Cromwell in achieving Net Zero Scope 2 market-based emissions and maintaining top-tier NABERS and Green Star ratings. Initiatives such as solar installations, operational optimisation, and GreenPower procurement have contributed to a 95% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions intensity. Safety and compliance have also been strengthened through the implementation of a new incident management dashboard, real-time risk reporting, and ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 recertifications — reinforcing a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Key milestones
Recent initiatives have delivered measurable improvements across tenant experience, environmental performance, and operational efficiency:
Continued to achieve strong tenant satisfaction outcomes in the Future Forma survey, maintaining top-tier performance.
Record NABERS results, with six assets achieving 6.0-star ratings and six reaching 5.5-stars through lifecycle-aligned optimisation.
Cromwell’s first NABERS Waste Ratings via Bintracker and tenant education
Enhanced incident reporting in partnership with AESC, improving safety oversight and responsiveness.
Agile Work Framework tailored to FM, supporting psychosocial safety, retention, and team performance.
These milestones reflect the team’s commitment to continuous improvement and strategic alignment with Cromwell’s ESG and operational goals.
Learning experiences driving service excellence
Cromwell’s FM team fosters a culture of continuous learning to enhance service delivery, embedding insights into daily operations and strategic planning.
A key learning has been the value of high-quality data in driving smarter decisions. Improved visibility of energy, water, waste, emissions, and safety metrics has enabled targeted interventions with measurable environmental, financial, and safety outcomes. For example, tenant usage data informed plant room tuning and LED upgrades, boosting energy efficiency and comfort.
Lessons from solar installations have streamlined future rollouts, while feedback loops including post-implementation reviews and tenant surveys have strengthened engagement, contributing to a strong FM satisfaction score, well above industry benchmark.
Insights from pilot programs and Bintracker have shaped waste education campaigns and supported Cromwell’s first NABERS Waste Ratings. All change initiatives are developed collaboratively by the Facilities Leadership team and broader FM representatives, ensuring solutions are fit-for-purpose and genuinely support operational needs—making day-to-day processes easier and more effective.
Beyond internal performance, Cromwell’s FM team contributes to sector-wide advancement. They actively participate in:
Property Council of Australia working groups
NABERS stakeholder panels
Industry events such as the Queensland FMA’s World FM Day, where National Manager Chris Eske presented on “Thriving in a World of Change”
Internally, quarterly FM forums distil site-level insights into technical guidelines and procurement frameworks, driving consistent performance uplift. Externally, Cromwell shares learnings through Insight magazine, LinkedIn, and its website — offering replicable models for peers seeking to improve sustainability and service delivery.
Conclusion
Cromwell’s FM team exemplifies how operational capability can be transformed into strategic value. Through leadership, innovation, and a relentless focus on tenant experience and sustainability, the team continues to deliver outcomes that exceed industry benchmarks. Their achievements support Cromwell’s organisational goals and contribute to raising the standard of facilities management across the sector. We wish them every success in the upcoming awards announcement on 4 December.
More insights from our property team
Cromwell Unveils Landmark Project and Debt Refinance
Cromwell Property Group (ASX:CMW) (Cromwell or The Group), today announces it has entered into an agreement for lease with a Commonwealth Government e…
Cromwell combines a unique blend of tenant focus and expertise, backed by a strong track record of managing and delivering complex refurbishments and …
