Complex mobilisation with one of the world’s largest financial services providers.
In complex corporate real estate transition with numerous moving parts, we played a central role in delivering a new global headquarters for a leading global financial services provider. Tasked with simultaneously demobilising four legacy sites and mobilising the new flagship building – all during a live construction schedule – the challenge demanded absolute precision, resilience and trust.
Orchestrating an extraordinary transition
The scale of the project was immense. The client signed the lease for its new HQ in 2017 and began phased construction and occupation planning. Our involvement ramped up in 2021 and continued through to the building’s opening in 2024. Throughout this period, our team was responsible for not just one, but five building transitions: decommissioning and preparing four sites for hand back, while delivering floor-by-floor mobilisation at the new site.
Each handover had its own complexity, from full asset recycling to final cleans that satisfied lease-end requirements. We managed this without external subcontractors, drawing on our own trained in-house team. Cleaning operatives were transitioned site by site, with teams flexed dynamically to match progress at the new headquarters.
Labour planning, specialist equipment sourcing, and risk management – including high-altitude cleaning and rope access for atriums and lift shafts – were all handled by us. The entire mobilisation was delivered without service disruption and on schedule.
Partnership from the ground up
What made this project so effective was not just what was done, but how. We worked together with the client and managing agent, with joint management teams present around the clock, including overnight and weekend shifts. Communication was constant, and our responsiveness, particularly in handling high-risk activities and unexpected handover delays, ensured no milestones were missed.
Without a back-of-house area for early mobilisation, we established a satellite logistics hub and implemented low-carbon delivery methods to move equipment and materials. As our team scaled up, cleaning operatives received pre-occupation tours and were enrolled in a bespoke Service Excellence programme to raise service confidence and build familiarity with the space.
Delivering innovation floor by floor
The new HQ is a smart building, and we brought a smart service to match. Innovation was not dropped in post-mobilisation, but embedded floor by floor as the building came online.
A key pillar of this approach was the strategic deployment of cobotics. Through a carefully considered procurement process, we identified and implemented a fleet tailored specifically to the demands of a high-performance corporate environment. Seven cobots were introduced, including six Phantas units across office and reception areas and one Eco Bot 50 supporting larger open areas. Capable of cleaning both carpet and hard floors, this fleet delivers 12-14 hours of productive cleaning daily, ensuring consistent, high-quality results across all mapped areas.
Cobotics has enabled a shift in how labour is deployed. Routine tasks are automated, allowing our team to focus on sanitation, high-touch areas, and detail work, while cobot data provides clear performance visibility and supports continuous improvement. At the new HQ, this equates to 28,371 square metres cleaned daily, 87% completion rates, 14.17 hours average operation, and controlled water usage of 85 litres.
Following the cobotic cleaning success at new headquarters, cobotics were also deployed at another client’s site in 2025, with four Phantas units now in operation. In this predominantly carpeted, open plan environment, the units deliver 8-10 hours of daily productivity, cleaning 22,634 square metres per day with 88% completion rates and zero water usage.
Two years on, the cobotic cleaning operation across the client’s estate provides proven, real-world results. It demonstrates how cobotics and cleaning teams can operate together at scale, delivering consistent standards, data-led performance, and the flexibility to redeploy labour into higher-value tasks. This approach is now generating annual savings in excess of £67,000 while enhancing overall service quality.
Alongside cobotics, we introduced a digital waste strategy including a Materials Recovery Facility that tracks and improves recycling performance. Other innovations included smart pest control sensors, weather-responsive vertical cleaning technology, and cloud-based tech via the Modus Vertical system, which also integrates wind-speed monitoring to ensure safety for at-height teams. All were deployed without interruption to service.
Sustainability in practice
From day one, sustainability was a core priority. Cleaning agents were selected for their environmental credentials. We use Odorbac Tec, a non-toxic, biodegradable solution distributed through a closed-loop refill system.
We have also adopted water-soluble cleaning sachets, which reduce plastic waste by eliminating the need for plastic containers. We have saved 469kg of plastic across all client sites since 2020.
These water-soluble sachets, along with recyclable packaging and Cheeky Panda bamboo consumables supported carbon and waste reductions, while the Meiko food digester reduced vehicle movements. Washroom solutions from phs and Metsa also helped divert waste from landfill. Collectively, these efforts raised recycling to 60% (well above the legacy baseline) and cut water use by 12.45%.
To ensure wellbeing, the PRISM surface testing and antimicrobial protection programme was rolled out. Over 1,000 swab tests have been conducted so far, with 94% of results meeting optimal hygiene thresholds. This, combined with electrostatic cleaning and cobotics, delivered clean, safe and consistently monitored spaces for thousands of occupants.
Results and recognition
Our performance has been measurable and consistent. In 2024, average customer satisfaction scores reached 95%, and audits achieved a 97.9% compliance rate across 488 inspections. From rope access cleans to 24-hour resource mobilisation, we maintained a laser focus on quality, safety and partnership throughout.
What the client says
Key contact at the client
Portfolio were pivotal in the success of our move. This was no ordinary mobilisation – it was the culmination of years of planning and preparation, with extremely high expectations around delivery. Portfolio didn’t just meet those expectations – they exceeded them, showing an ability to scale, flex, and respond to challenges in real-time while always keeping quality and service at the forefront.
What impressed me most was their total commitment to our success. Whether it was deploying enhanced resources around the clock during construction or stepping in with extra support to ensure key milestones like the ribbon cutting were flawless, they were always ready to go above and beyond. We trusted them completely, and that trust was earned every step of the way. It’s rare to find a service provider who integrates so seamlessly with your team. Portfolio did just that.
From a service delivery perspective, Portfolio were instrumental in making one of the most complex FM transitions I’ve worked on feel controlled and calm. The simultaneous demobilisation of multiple sites, paired with the phased handover of a smart, complex HQ threw up no shortage of challenges. But Portfolio approached every twist and turn with professionalism, responsiveness and unwavering focus on quality.
Their leadership and operational teams were deeply engaged, collaborative, and always one step ahead, particularly when it came to high-risk activities like rope access cleans or the fast-paced sparkle cleans ahead of floor openings. Their ability to deliver under pressure was unmatched, and their transparency in planning and communication gave us the confidence we needed. They weren’t just a contractor; we viewed them as a key partner, and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again.
Key contact at the managing agent
A partnership worth emulating
This delivery set a new bar for integrated FM transitions. Our ability to balance innovation with day-to-day service excellence, to lead from the front with our own people, and to align completely with client expectations, makes this a true showcase of modern corporate FM delivery.
This is more than a contract. It is a partnership, and a model for what’s possible when values, vision, and expertise are aligned.
This case study is available to download as a PDF below.
