Facility Managers do a lot of things and sometimes those things get in the way of what they should be doing. They get re-directed by the latest trends and concepts and neglect to focus on the fundamental things that drive results and improve what we do. Instead of spending so much effort always responding immediately…
DetailsI was discussing the issues of design not working well for operations with a very experienced Facility Manager I know and he gave me a great example of how he got the Architect on-board with operational design requirements for a new Facility. You may have seen my previous posting “Architects Dream – Facility Managers…
DetailsWebinar originally held February 12, 2013. Duration 30 Min. Quality Assurance helps you establish leadership in your Facilities role. It means you are being pro-active about service standards for your organization and implementing leading practices. It’s also a key way you ensure you and your suppliers are providing your organization with quality, consistent service. If…
DetailsWhy should you benchmark? Measuring results is the best way to improve what you are doing. Benchmarking is a form of measurement – where you measure against something else to see where you are lagging, identify the areas and take corrective action. Even if you think you are doing everything right, how do you know…
DetailsThe modern Facility Manager needs a slightly different mix of skills to navigate not just within the profession, but within their own organizations to be successful, especially if they want to become the Head of FM, whether for a small organization or a multi-national corporation. The FM Knowledge Grid illustration (see a larger one further…
DetailsRecently I had the pleasure of delivering my first webinar for Facility Managers. The webinar was hosted by Planon Software and dealt with using information for decision making. If you missed it, you can watch and listen to it on-demand for free here. In addition to my segment, Planon’s Director of Product Strategy, Erik Jaspers,…
DetailsI’m constantly surprised when I talk to FM professionals who haven’t implemented an FM system to manage their responsibilities, whether it’s CMMS, CAFM, IWMS or other systems for managing processes, space or maintenance. Having started my career over 20 years ago at a company who had an FM system back then, to not have an…
DetailsI had a conversation recently with a client, the head of a large facilities department. We were talking about the difference between those who get involved and advance their knowledge and those who don’t. Which one do you think are more likely to get ahead in their careers and deliver results for their employers? It’s…
DetailsFor some reason. I’ve been seeing a lot of articles recently about using information for decision making. Some in our industry, but lots in other areas as well. What this confirms to me is that the Facility Management industry is a business function in addition to a technical or tactical function. The methods, approaches, skills…
DetailsFacility Managers often give themselves and their departments the worst space in their facility. It’s sort of like the shoe maker’s children not having shoes. We give good, productive space to other departments, including other support groups like HR, IT, finance and others. Yet we often neglect the needs of our own staff. In one…
DetailsWe know that what we do is a risky business. Now, three men providing services to the Facility & Property Management industry in Canada face charges of criminal negligence causing death because of a tragic workplace accident. The maximum penalty is life in prison. It’s lucky that the property manager who hired them wasn’t charged…
DetailsMy Facility Management book is now available. It’s written for both new and experienced facility professionals, regardless of level, function or the type of facility managed, who want to leverage existing skills and advance their career with leading business practices, strategy, management and leadership in FM. $39.95 US Soft Cover 7″x10″ 532 pages ISBN 978-0-9813374-1-8…
DetailsI’ve been doing quite a bit of work recently on benchmarking and operational reviews for Facility Management departments and whenever I start to dig deep into the information to do the analysis, I realize how easy it is to be fooled by the big picture. My best example of being fooled by the big picture…
DetailsFinally, my book is out to the editor for a work over. I expect it to be printed and available in November. If you haven’t already signed up for the newsletter at my main FM consulting website StrategicAdvisor you should – if you sign-up before the end of November, you get a chance to win…
DetailsSparring Partners : Outsourcing May Not Equal Partnership Building Operating Management My latest article was the feature article and appeared on the May 2010 cover. I took a very hard look at what partnership is and isn’t as well as what needs to change in the industry.
DetailsHaving been on the supplier and the client side in the past, I know that Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) themselves don’t result in performance. While some people like the carrot and stick approach, you need a management approach that uses measurements (and other techniques, not just KPI’s) to get performance. Don’t just rely on a…
DetailsI recently conducted a benchmarking exercise using my Intelligent Benchmarking principles. The study clearly demonstrated why implementing change is how leaders in Facility Management beat their peers and deliver results for their organization.
FM is a complex, issues based role. I’ve learned along the way that nobody in the industry knows it all, and the best way to be successful is to leverage the knowledge and great ideas of others, including your staff, colleagues and suppliers. Recently, I delivered a 3 day workshop on Strategic Facilities Management in…
DetailsOn a forum recently, a Facility Manager was looking for ways to save costs at his facility due to the current economic pressures. He identified a few things he was doing, mostly the common low hanging fruit items, and asked for ideas. Having been in that situation as an FM and responded to it as…
DetailsSome recent discussions with senior facility managers at an IFMA networking event really hit home. In my latest article, which appears in the September issue of Canadian Facility Management and Design, I talk about implementing leading practices used by the largest and most successful professional FM companies.
Details
