Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Retail giant Walmart is getting into the facilities management business. The company has launched Upstream Facility Services, a new business that will offer the retailer’s in-house maintenance expertise to other companies nationwide. Leveraging the systems and scale that support thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club locations, Upstream is designed for companies managing complex facility operations, especially […]
Hyperscale data center growth is running headlong into real-world constraints—interconnection queues, transformer lead times, water stress, community scrutiny, and tightening climate policy. At the same time, the thermal profile of the data center sector is shifting decisively from air to liquid cooling, concentrating heat into a form far more useful than a plume of hot […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) renewed the agency’s Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards National Emphasis Program (NEP) on April 10. OSHA updated its 2022 NEP to protect workers from outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards, directing agency resources to where they can have the greatest impact by focusing inspections and outreach on industries and workplaces where […]
Nearly every modern facility relies on electrical systems, whether it’s a data center, manufacturing plant, school, hospital, or public infrastructure. In all cases, reliability, safety, and uptime are critical. That’s why NFPA 70B, which moved from a recommended practice to a mandatory standard in 2023, has become a focal point for facilities managers across industries. […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most talked-about technologies in facilities management, but for many FM teams, the conversation hasn’t translated into day-to-day value. Rising operating costs, lean budgets, and expanding responsibilities mean facilities leaders can’t afford experimentation that doesn’t deliver results. As momentum builds around agentic AI that operates within smart workflows, […]
Skilled trades are considered a strong foundation for a facilities management career. As the U.S. confronts a critical shortage of skilled trade workers, the Lowe’s Foundation announced an expanded $250 million commitment to help train and develop 250,000 tradespeople by 2035 through its Gable Grants program. This announcement follows a $100 million initiative from financial giant BlackRock to support the next […]
April showers bring May flowers—and a whole lot of pests. Warm, wet weather in the spring creates perfect conditions for the season’s most common and problematic pests, and the board-certified entomologists at the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) are urging homeowners and businesses to take action before these pests take over. “Spring marks a major shift in pest behavior,” said Dr. Jim Fredericks, SVP […]
Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor. Facilities management is often defined by its technical responsibilities—HVAC systems, electrical distribution, preventive maintenance, capital planning, compliance. But anyone who works in FM knows the job extends far beyond equipment and infrastructure. It’s people […]
Public restrooms are among the most frequently used—and closely judged—spaces in any facility. Whether in office buildings, healthcare environments, airports, schools, or retail destinations, restroom conditions influence how visitors perceive the entire property. Findings from the annual 2026 Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Company highlight just how strongly restroom conditions shape user confidence and business […]
Four out of five commercial real estate (CRE), workplace, building management, and facilities professionals lack the data they need to make confident space-planning decisions, according to a new report. The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, interviewed 400 decision-makers in the U.S. for Butlr’s “Beyond Occupancy: The State of Office Space 2026” report. The results show […]