How we rebuilt DMA Group around BiO® to deliver smarter, faster, and safer services.
In 2018, DMA Group made a choice that would define our future. Instead of tinkering at the edges of our operations or buying off-the-shelf software, we set out to rebuild the business from the inside out. We recognised that the facilities management sector was stuck in a cycle of manual processes, fragmented systems, and cost-led procurement. Customers wanted speed, transparency, and reliability, but the industry was slow to respond.
Our answer was not a new contract model or a marginally better system. It was a complete digital transformation: a seven-year journey that reshaped our processes, our culture, and the way our people work. At the centre of this journey is BiO®, our proprietary maintenance management platform. But BiO® is more than software. It is the engine that integrates technology, people, and culture into a single operating model that is unique in our sector.
Why A Digital Transformation Was Necessary
The UK facilities management market is worth around £65 billion a year. For decades, it has been dominated by large, national providers with complex structures and outdated technology. Many relied on generic CAFM software that recorded jobs but did little to improve delivery. Manual scheduling, siloed data, and limited reporting were the norm.
For customers, this meant poor visibility, long contract cycles, and value diluted by inefficiency. For suppliers, it meant wafer-thin margins, little incentive to invest, and rushed work. In short, the market was ready for disruption.
We saw a gap: not just to be another contractor with slightly better service, and not just to launch another piece of software, but to combine operational know-how with digital innovation in a way that changed how FM was delivered altogether.
Designing BiO®: Technology Built for Operators, by Operators
BiO® platform
BiO® is the product of hundreds of workshops where every department mapped existing workflows, identified waste, and designed better processes. Only once those processes were clear did we build the technology to support them.
The result is a unified operational engine that integrates:
- Software: a custom-built platform designed around our workflows
- Hardware: devices and IoT-ready systems for live data capture
- Data systems: automated performance metrics visible in real time
- Algorithms: scheduling, prioritisation, and workflow routing
- AI: Document parsing, data extraction, and natural language queries
BiO® manages everything from job scheduling and compliance tracking to service partner management and customer reporting. Crucially, AI is embedded from the start, enabling us to interrogate large volumes of data instantly and provide decision support without adding workload.
More Than Tools: A Cultural Change
Digital transformation fails when it focuses only on technology. We understood from the beginning that our people had to be part of the change. Every team was involved in shaping BiO®, giving them ownership and ensuring the system solved real problems.
We also linked our recognition programme, BRAVO, directly to performance data captured by BiO®. Achievements are celebrated in real time, building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. When people can see their contribution measured fairly and transparently, engagement increases, and performance follows.
The impact in numbers
Between 2018 and 2024, the results of our transformation have been clear:
- Engineer efficiency up 132%
- Back-office productivity up 154%
- Internal calls down 80%
- Compound annual growth rate of 32%, fully self-funded
- Only one RIDDOR incident since launch
- Net Promoter Score of +57
These metrics are not one-off improvements. They demonstrate a living system that adapts, improves, and reinvests in itself. Every gain funds the next stage of development, creating a cycle of growth that is difficult for competitors to replicate.
How Our Digital Transformation Has Benefitted Our Customers
Customers are the ultimate test of innovation, and BiO® delivers tangible results:
- Speed and reliability: SLA job completion is now 89%, with first-time fix rates of 97%.
- Transparency: Customers access live dashboards showing KPI, compliance, and job history.
- Reduced disruption: Engineer utilisation is 85%, meaning less downtime and smoother operations.
- Compliance: Statutory obligations are tracked and visible in real time, giving customers confidence and reducing risk.
Retention rates speak volumes: 98% of customers by value stay with us, and many of our new wins come through referral or seeing BiO® in action.
Wider Benefits of Our Digital Transformation
The transformation extends beyond our business and customers. Service partners now work within BiO®, receiving real-time instructions and uploading evidence instantly. This reduces administration, accelerates payments, and strengthens trust.
Our workforce has been upskilled, with manual roles shifting toward higher-value tasks such as analysis and customer engagement. Employee satisfaction is high, with an NPS of +51 and talent retention at 95.7%.
There are environmental benefits too. Smarter scheduling reduces travel and emissions, while preventive maintenance extends asset life and reduces waste. Projects like Rye & Winchelsea District Memorial Hospital demonstrate how improved FM can contribute directly to sustainability goals.
Protecting our Position
While BiO® is a registered trademark, our true protection lies in what cannot be copied quickly:
- Proprietary processes re-engineered from the ground up
- A unique data architecture built over years of structured performance data
- A culture of performance and accountability embedded across the organisation
To compete with us, rivals would have to replicate not just the technology but the entire journey – a challenge that requires leadership, culture, patience, and investment on a scale few are prepared to attempt.
BiO® Technology: A platform for the Future
The digital transformation we began in 2018 is not a project with an end date. It is an evolving model that adapts constantly. Every improvement, whether a new AI capability or a refined KPI, is absorbed into BiO® and used to push performance further.
Looking ahead, this innovation gives us flexibility to diversify. We are positioned to extend into new sub-sectors of FM and, from 2026, commercialise BiO® as a Service as a Software (SaaS) product. That step will allow others in the industry to benefit from the system we have built, while reinforcing our leadership in digital FM.
Conclusion
Our digital transformation is not a vision on paper, it is live, embedded, and delivering results every day. We rebuilt DMA around BiO®, not just to improve efficiency but to redefine what facilities management can be.
The combination of technology, process redesign, and cultural change has created a business that is faster, safer, more transparent, and more sustainable. It has delivered measurable gains for customers and employees while setting new expectations for the sector as a whole.
Innovation in our industry does not come from a new app or a better report. It comes from the courage to rethink everything, to align technology with people and process, and to make accountability visible. That is what we have done, and it is why our digital transformation is our innovation.
Looking for a facilities partner who’s evolved through their own transformation – not just talking about innovation, but living it every day?
Discover how DMA Group’s experience and digital innovation can transform your estate performance.
