Other than its employees, a corporation’s facilities are its most costly asset. In our roles as facility managers, we are constantly faced with how we can extend the life of this aging infrastructure. Taking its toll is the deferred and/or insufficient preventative maintenance processes, which accelerates the systems’ deterioration. Combine that with not being able […]
Category: Facility Management
The Hands-On Hand-Off by Brad Howlett, CFM
At some point in every facilities manager’s career there comes a time where the FM’s responsibilities need to be passed on to a successor, or a replacement. Hopefully this happens because of upward mobility—being offered a higher level position. Sometimes it comes under more difficult circumstances for the FM—organizational restructuring, downsizing, etc. Either way, it […]
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail – The need for Capital Renewal Planning Program
Many of you have likely heard the saying “a failure to plan is a plan to fail.” That is true especially when it comes to planning and budgeting for the capital replacement of aging facility systems. How many of you, if asked, could provide a 3 to 5 year capital replacement list indicating which systems […]
CMMS – A Necessary Business Tool for Today’s Facility Manager
Facility Managers are responsible for what is typically the second largest asset and expense for most organizations – the buildings. Additionally, they have a direct impact on the productivity of the number one asset – its people. Yet, many facility managers do such without being properly equipped. One of the most, if not the most, […]
CMMS: Realizing the Value
Published in the March/April 2014 edition of IFMA’s Facility Management Journal (FMJ) Follow the this link to read about my recommendations for selecting, implementing, and utilizing a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
Iron Sharpening Iron – Learning From Each Other
As you may discern from some of my other articles, I am a staunch proponent for education and continually broadening our understanding and skill sets for managing the built environment. Given we don’t know what we don’t know, I believe it is incumbent upon us as facility professionals to always be learning and improving our […]
Casting a New Vision for Your Facility Management Program in the New Year
I have to admit I am not one for establishing New Year’s resolutions; however, I do think the New Year does bring about the opportunity to review the successes and failures of the last year and to preview how lessons learned may be applied to address the new challenges that this year has in store […]
Perception is 9/10ths Reality – Managing Customer Expectations and Perception
How much easier would your job be if you could use the Jedi mind trick? “You are not cold, the temperature is just right.” “You enjoy your gray cubicle with dim lighting.” “You don’t really need that dry erase board hung today.” Okay, come back to reality… The truth is you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) […]
Wanna Win, Gotta Play – Politics and Facility Management
When you hear the word “politics”, what comes to mind? Finger-pointing, gridlock, partisan, money, under-table deals, scandals, etc. – all-in-all, politics has a negative connotation. However, according to Merriam-Webster, politics is defined as “activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government.” The key […]