The Invisibility Of Facilities Management
The isolated nature of facility management can make your team essentially invisible to the management. This brings some distinct disadvantages, but they can be managed if you know how to combat it. Your job happens behind the doors with signs like ‘facilities staff only’ and on the floors passenger elevators…
The Skilled Labor Shortage and Opportunity in Facilities Management
Over the past 30+ years, the trades and other careers favored by hands-on types have fallen out of favor. As baby boomers retire, this trend has caused a severe shortage of skilled workers, particularly in Facilities Management and Maintenance. But this also presents a great opportunity for people experienced or interested…
Where LogCheck Beats Your CMMS
A CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) is the staple software platform for the Facilities Maintenance (FM) industry. But CMMS systems are not your best option for collecting some types of building maintenance data in the field. LogCheck is intentionally designed to manage your routine operations and get that data to…
Your Rounds Routine Should Have Training Built In
How nice would it be to hire an employee who could take over your rounds routine within days of coming aboard? With the right logbook it’s not only possible, but it’s easy and it could reduce the burden of training for both you and your new employee. Log sheets are…
Predictive Maintenance Is Nothing New
You and your team may be doing predictive maintenance – you just don’t know it yet. You may have heard the term “Predictive Maintenance” or “PdM” popping up in conversations about facility maintenance lately. It’s often mentioned discussions about the possibilities of internet of things (IoT) devices being used to…
Paperwork, How Good FM Jobs Go Bad
You have to love those days when doing your job feels great! Maybe you got a commitment from that vendor that’s been dodging you. Or you solved the mystery of the overloaded circuit in the pump room. Those are the days when you are on top of your responsibilities and…
Thank You, Operations and Maintenance Pros
This holiday season let’s all take a second to recognize the dedicated facilities operations and maintenance professionals who make the amazing built environment we live in a reality. They work tirelessly to keep the buildings and facilities we depend on for so many things safe and functional. Their behind-the-scenes work is what…
Facilities Maintenance Tips For Falling Temps
A few weeks ago, I heard someone on a radio program tell the audience that “cold late-October days are nature telling us winter is coming.” Instead of trying to wrap your head around the absurdity of that statement, let’s just say that winter will be here soon. With that in mind, here are…
FM Teams That Have “Always Done It That Way” Should Think Again
Near the top floor of a downtown NYC building, there is a remarkable facilities engineering department. In a hallway near the team office space, you’ll find a sign with this quote: “The most dangerous phrase in the engineering language is: ‘We’ve always done it this way’” The sign is a…
How To Reduce Stress For The Facilities Pro
As a facilities manager, the boundary between your work and private life can get pretty thin. Issues happen on their own schedule, not yours, and when they come up, a lot of people look to you. We were recently at a retirement party for a resident manager when he got…
