Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Between unpredictable weather pattern changes, record heat waves, devastating storms, and raging wildfires, utilities remain under massive strain to keep up with unpredictable usage demands. Additional factors like regulations, tariffs, and grid constraints further impact energy budgets. As unforeseen costs and usage spikes remain rampant, especially for companies with multi-site portfolios, current energy budgets simply […]
What’s one major piece of advice that Marshall MacFarlane, an industry veteran and celebrated IFMA Fellow, would give to both new and established facilities managers? Make sure to network. According to him, building a support system could be “career-changing.” MacFarlane currently serves as a facilities senior project manager at Bell Bank, the largest family- and […]
As a new academic year begins, the Biden administration has issued a back-to-school fact sheet highlighting guidance and resources available to help protect students and staff from COVID-19 spread and keep schools safely open all year long. The fact sheet calls for vaccination, testing, and improved indoor air quality. It also notes actions the administration […]
Rental properties demand a great deal of attention. Managing the business aspects alone—loan payments, taxes, accounting, and maintenance—can require more time than facility and plant managers have to give. Facility managers can’t always offload certain tasks that demand their specific skills and attention, but there are opportunities to delegate work that is better outsourced or […]
Mold in the indoor workplace may not rank among OSHA’s top 10 hazards for workers, but research indicates that indoor mold can adversely affect the health of residents and workers, particularly those with respiratory problems.
As a facilities manager, you know that decreasing the energy consumption of your building is good for the planet and the bottom line. You may have already deployed effective strategies, including purchasing energy-efficient equipment and promoting a culture of conservation within the workplace. But did you know that there may be additional incentives for businesses […]
In a recent survey by Bradley Company, nearly 70% of Americans reported having a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the poor condition of the facility. The top restroom aggravations include clogged or unflushed toilets, unpleasant smells, and an old, dirty, or unkempt appearance. Unfortunately, businesses that neglect restroom cleaning and maintenance […]
Let’s face it: Nobody likes getting lost. But facilities professionals, their colleagues in other departments, visitors, and customers often get lost when navigating unfamiliar facilities or even unfamiliar parts of their own facilities. They might also be hesitant to ask for directions, or maybe they just can’t find anyone to ask. There is a strong […]
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. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between California and Hawaii, is a floating monument to our collective inaction. It continues to grow, fed relentlessly by the 20 million tons of plastic waste that flow […]
Facilities managers know all too well the high cost of inefficiency—how anything from a lack of insulation to a poorly maintained HVAC system can lead to compounding utility costs. Inefficiency isn’t just about energy, though—it also encompasses water waste. And one of the most common sources of water waste is undetected, unaddressed leaking. Leaks can […]