Table of contents for August - September 2015 in Facility Management

Rubbermaid HYGEN Disposable Microfibre System The Rubbermaid HYGEN Disposable Microfibre System features innovative technology that offers optimal infection prevention, superior cleaning performance and improved productivity. It is the only disposable product line proven to remove 99.9 percent of microbes, including C. Diff. Traditional disposable products cannot remove microbes, leaving behind a food source for live pathogens. Rubbermaid HYGEN Disposable Microfibre eliminates the food source and combines superior microfibre cleaning in a disposable application to prevent cross-transmission and reduce the occurrence of healthcare associated infections. www.rubbermaidcommercial.com.au/hygen Panasonic releases new IP network security cameras Panasonic’s new 5 Series Dome and Fixed Network cameras also provide advanced features such as 133dB Enhanced Super Dynamic Range, and day/night functionality with a built-in removable infrared (IR) cut filter. The 5 Series uses Panasonic’s latest image…

Your day likely starts with a technologyheavy ritual that includes scrolling through email via your smartphone and, with an additional swipe, effortlessly checking the day’s weather. Perhaps you’re travelling on business, so you ask your phone where the nearest coffee shop is located and set off using GPS to address your nagging caffeine fix requirements. All of this happens without much thought or effort and, in many ways, we’ve come to take this level of convenience and visibility in our surroundings for granted. When you head to your job as a facility executive or manager, should this seamless and effortless use of technology suddenly stop? The answer is ‘no’, but that’s different than the reality of a lot of the software and systems currently used to power buildings. Regardless, employees…

Building owners and managers are being urged to take a closer look at their fire safety maintenance schedules in a bid to address a rising number of false fire alarms. The number of false fire alarms each year is staggering. The latest figures from Fire and Rescue New South Wales reveal that of the 46,000 fire alarms that were responded to in 2012, only approximately two percent were genuine fire emergencies. The issue was also so problematic in Victoria, that the Country Fire Authority introduced fees for false alarms, which are supported by state government legislation. Fines are now in place across the country for businesses found to be responsible for a false fire alarm. For instance, in NSW, a business found to have ‘no reasonable excuse’ for a false…

Sound masking systems have been used to improve speech privacy and control noise for decades, but many people are still unfamiliar with this technology. Below are some of the most commonly asked question about sound masking. 1. How can you cover noise with sound? Adding sound in order to control noise seems contradictory. But the problem with many offices is that they’re actually too quiet. They just don’t have an effective ambient level. And in this ‘pin drop’ environment, even the smallest noises disrupt a person’s train of thought. It’s also really easy to hear other people’s conversations, whether desired or not. That’s why people describe these spaces as noisy. Sound masking solves this problem by distributing a comfortable background sound throughout the space. This new baseline level - typically…

AUSTRALASIAN WASTE AND RECYCLING EXPO WHEN: 12-13 August 2015 WHERE: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre WHAT: Find more efficient waste solutions and meet over 100 commercial suppliers in a two-day seminar program at Australasia’s most established and dedicated waste and recycling event. CONTACT: www.awre.com.au INTEGRATE 2015 WHEN: 25-27 August 2015 WHERE: Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Melbourne WHAT: Integrate is one of Australia’s largest industry events for leaders and professionals in audiovisual (AV) and systems integration. Featuring next-generation solutions for businesses and the latest technologies, Integrate is the conduit for local and global brands to meet with buyers and distributers, AV professionals and end users. The three-day event will offer an opportunity to see the latest products, control systems, entertainment technologies, video projection and display products, and meet digital signage…

Facility management organisations tend to be wary of new technologies, taking a riskaverse approach to implementing emerging solutions. Minimising risk is a smart approach and facility management organisations that balance risk management with cautious innovation can reap significant rewards, potentially leaping ahead of the competition. Adopting new technology is one way to drive growth and profitability, and it can even transform the business for the better. Yet with an increased rate of change comes increased business risk. While advancements in big data analytics and business management systems can help organisations in all industries cut costs and gain a competitive edge, it is critical for business leaders and their technology project partners to work strategically and methodically. Innovative technologies can help businesses reduce price and lower barriers to entry, change the…

As budgets tighten across most industries, those people responsible for managing technology solutions in the business face increasing demand from CEOs and CFOs to be able to deliver a return on investment (ROI). At the outset, securing buy-in for the installation and/or upgrade of an expensive technology system involves the complex task of demonstrating value, to compete for limited business resources. One of the main challenges is that companies often focus on quick returns on capital investment, rather than the longterm benefits that can result from investment in technology. Although a typical investment case may be made on the basis of improvements to a specific department, demonstrating the value a technology solution can bring to the wider business is more likely to generate support from management, who typically look to…

While the concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is not new in design and construction, 3D BIM technology is starting to gain traction in facility management (FM) providing real bene fits to asset owners and operators over the long-term. BIM is a three-dimensional model-based concept that provides a shared knowledge resource linked to a 3D visualisation of a facility, integrating information and activities across the entire life cycle of an asset. With a proven return on investment in design and construction, BIM has revolutionised the way that buildings are constructed, aptly summed up by the old adage ‘measure twice, cut once’. From basic asset operations and maintenance, to high level and strategic decision-making, 3D BIM-based technology is starting to hit the top of the agendas for facility managers under increasing…

Migrating a facility’s IT operations to an IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS) model can provide a more agile, customer-focused experience, which fully leverages cloud computing options. It can save time and money, and mitigate many of the hassles associated with running a complex IT environment. For a few years now, facilities and organisations have been moving applications and storage operations to the cloud, virtualising many aspects of their IT environment. Cloud computing allows a facility to be more flexible, make better use of resources and scale the size of their programs more efficiently. Put very basically, a cloud computing model means that rather than each individual computer having a software program downloaded to it and stored to the device, a ‘cloud’ or bank of servers – either in-house or outsourced – hosts the…

With IT security breaches on the rise, the facility management (FM) sector is at particular risk. This means that the ‘good enough’ approach needs to go. While no organisation deliberately ignores security threats, relying on the security features of access points or other wireless infrastructure components is no longer sufficient, as they are incapable of detecting all types of threats across every channel. For facility managers on a single site or managing multiple premises, with staffon-site and off-site sending confidential information over wireless infrastructure, any gap in security is a threat. Cyber security is increasingly becoming a greater threat to governments and businesses alike, with hackers becoming smarter every minute. With this in mind, the FM sector really does need to step up its game. In 2014 alone, 42.8 million…

The language we use when talking about sustainability in the built environment is evolving. It’s true that we still talk about how designing, constructing and operating our buildings more sustainably can help save the environment – and rightly so. The Value of Green Star (2013) has found that, on average, Green Star-certified buildings produce 62 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and use 66 percent less electricity than average Australian buildings. They also use 51 percent less potable water than average buildings and are recycling 96 percent of their construction demolition waste, compared with 58 percent for average new construction projects. These days, however, we are also talking about how green buildings can improve the productivity, health and well-being of the people who live and work in them. And this can…

WILKIE CIVIL ENGINEERING OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES ITS UPGRADED WEBSITE Wilkie Civil Engineering (Wilkie) has announced its fully featured website – www.wilkieengineering.com.au. With the newly revamped website and recent redesign of the company logo, the branding identity is now more closely aligned with the company’s vision for growth and development. The new site has extensive content, helping viewers understand Wilkie’s complete range of services and project capabilities. The website has been redesigned with user-friendly navigation, a fresh look, and special tools and features. It is updated with the latest information and provides a comprehensive range of service offerings. The new design allows users to understand the organisation and easily access items they are looking for. The website is compatible with smartphones, tablets and desktops, allowing access to the site from any location…

Clearly, if you’re reading this article in a facilities management trade magazine, you don’t need me to tell you what it is. You probably even have your own definition, which is likely unique as it seems to be a term that is poorly defined and subject to interpretation. But, if you’re a friend or family member of someone in the industry, you’ve probably glazed over and done a shoulder shrug whenever someone has tried to explain to you what it is that they do in facilities management. For those folks, the message is that the thing you do is taken for granted until something goes wrong, accounts for the second highest spend (after salaries) by every organisation on the planet, is essentially unknown as an industry to everyone outside of…

St Vincent’s owns and operates a large public and private hospital network in Australia with facilities concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne. Redevelopment of St Vincent’s medical campus in Darlinghurst began in 2000 and included upgrades to the Xavier Building, a 38,000-square metre (409,000-square foot) facility designed for both outpatient and inpatient services. The firm, Entropy, which has managed the building management systems (BMS) on the Darlinghurst campus for the past few years, called upon BuildingIQ to help reduce the building’s energy consumption. The challenge The challenges included establishing good working relationships with the diverse areas of responsibility in a public hospital, ranging from facilities management and environmental staff, to finance and IT. The hospital’s approach was one of caution due to the significant impact HVAC disruption could have on patient…

In The Power of Workspace for People and Business, Dr Jacqueline Vischer and I explore the value of privacy in effective workspaces. Privacy at work is like money: no one ever thinks they have enough. Workspace research often asserts that employees are ‘dissatisfied’ with their privacy at work and would like more solitude. What does this mean and how can stakeholders who plan, design and manage workspaces apply this information to value-adding decisions about workspace? To respond to reactive employee feedback – which is often emotional - and create private and enclosed offices to support employee privacy is not always the most effective solution, as it translates into less space availability for other functions and activities. Moreover, having a private and enclosed office does not ensure that people will work…

LED (light-emitting diode) lighting is a fast moving world. Without requiring facility managers to become lighting specialists, the issue is how to navigate the murky sea of product quality assessment and technology jargon to find the best solution. The education challenge for facility managers is how to focus on long-term project value and not upfront cost. New lighting technology requires projects to be assessed differently. Energy performance, operating life and light depreciation factors play an important role. Quality LED lighting is often a greater upfront cost than old technology replacement. Energy efficient LED lighting upgrades are competing with other valid demands for CAPEX (capital expenditure) budgets, so the more we can help in equipping the facility manager with the project value data, the better. Technology uptake Energy efficiency has not…