FSI ME was acquired recently by MRI Software. This acquisition further builds on their position of being able to support the management of the full life-cycle of an asset. Talking to CMtoday, Adrian Jarvis, General Manager, FSI ME - An MRI Company, talks about the need to create a single experience and enhanced usability across the company’s applications. 

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. FSI was recently acquired by MRI Software. What does this transformation mean for FSI as a brand?

 Adrian: At the moment, it's too early to comment on the branding strategy, but the MRI team has two principles guiding decision-making: taking advantage of any acquired company’s respected position in the industry and leveraging the benefits that MRI brings to the joined businesses. 

FSI is a well-respected name within the FM industry in the Middle East and MRI will want to retain its excellent brand equity and ensure its CAFM and other FM software solutions remain easy to find and recognisable for customers, partners, and prospects. We will also want to bolster awareness of MRI's existing FM capabilities and ensure the overall portfolio becomes the go-to solution for the FM industry. Adding FSI to the product suite is central to fulfilling this ambition. 

Of course, there is a natural desire to merge the two companies at some point because it's more efficient, delivers better results for clients, and reduces confusion in the marketplace. Specifically in the Middle East, FSI has a really strong reputation, and we need to retain all the equity of the brand in the region and at the same time make sure our presence quickly becomes linked to property and workplace solutions, as we look to introduce additional software products from the MRI portfolio to the region. 

Q. Has this acquisition allowed you to expand your client sector as well? If so, in what sense?

 Adrian: MRI software is a much bigger organisation, so yes this has meant an immediate leap in client numbers and also an increase in the range of products potentially to be offered in the region. Some of these clients are well-known brands who occupy property globally, including retailers, industrials, financial services organisations, etc. 

Client names also contain some of the most recognised property brands such as international real estate investors and consultants. Having this experience and scale will be of great benefit in our Middle East operation and we will be endeavouring to utilise this to support our clients and the market better. 

Q. What are some of the new additions/solutions we can expect from FSI?

 Adrian: As mentioned above there are several other MRI software solutions we would like to introduce to the Middle East market. In other global regions, MRI Software is a leader in Property Management, both in residential and commercial, plus it also leads in Workplace Management technology. So it seems logical to bring these innovations to the region.  

We are currently investigating how we proceed, and early signs are good with feedback from clients, and prospective clients in the region, who regard these new solutions as adding value to their operations.  

We do, however, also want to keep doing what we do well and keep supporting our existing clients. Above all, we will continue selling and supporting enterprise FM solutions, which we are great at, and together with our colleagues at MRI, we will continue to work on improving our FM offering.

Q. Technology in the real estate industry has seen a boom, especially post the pandemic. How do you perceive this market change, especially on a regional level?

  Adrian: We have seen many common market trends both at FSI and MRI. From an FM perspective we continue to see the need for strong mobile capabilities for both FM providers and departments to efficiently manage an on-the-go workforce, and also to improve the building management experience for occupiers. We also continue to see a huge demand for IoT connectivity to bridge gaps in organisations' systems and deliver insights that will enable them to enhance performance, pre-empt failures, and power smart buildings. Naturally, we will continue to support clients and the market in these areas.  

A huge need among our clients is greater control of energy usage to meet corporate, brand, and societal objectives. In terms of our approach, we will continue to develop what is already excellent sustainability functionality to support these needs. Businesses also are looking for tech to support ‘return-to-the-office’ strategies (with varied approaches across global regions and countries), and support the safe return of employees and reactivation of assets. This will involve offering our other MRI workplace solutions alongside FSI to provide a comprehensive suite for this area.

FSI, being part of MRI Software, further builds on our position of being able to support the management of the complete life-cycle of an asset. And we will look to improve this with any product integrations that cover the entire process. A common thread running between these priorities is the need to create a single experience and enhanced usability across applications.