Table of contents for June - July 2018 in Facility Management

The Internet of Things has revolutionised much of the way facility managers go about their business, but there’s no doubt it has created a whole new set of challenges as well. As never before, we’re seeing an extraordinary level of integration between the systems underpinning smart buildings, the people who work in them and the teams that manage and maintain them. But with every technological innovation that comes to the fore, there are legions of criminal types intent on exploiting whatever they can. Insurers would call it business ‘disruption’ until that term was hijacked as a synonym for innovation itself. In this issue of FM, we look at how prepared facility and building managers are to manage cyber risk. Given the implementation of new data privacy laws and the announcement…

EKA CyberLock 20 Key Vault The EKA CyberLock 20 Key Vault is a great solution for managing contractor access. CyberKeys are contained within the Vault unprogrammed until a PIN or RFID card is presented, downloading a user’s access permissions onto a CyberKey. After use a full audit of the CyberKey’s actions are downloaded to the software. To read more about this innovative product, see the article on page 52 in the April/May edition of FM magazine. Contact EKA on 1300 722 311 or sales@ekasecurity.com.au. www.ekasecurity.com.au Karcher 36V Battery Powered Range Range includes: Backpack Vacuum BV 5/1 Bp, Dry Vacuum T 9/1 Bp, Scrubber Drier BR 30/4 C Bp Pack Key points: Full mobility. Strong performance. Effort and time savings. We are pleased to release the new 36V 7.5Ah battery-powered range…

The US-based Security Industry Association’s security megatrends report released last year indicated that there is strong evidence of fighting back against cyber criminal activity. Here are some of the megatrends it identified that have particular value for facility managers. Booming IoT growth According to Gartner, businesses are predicted to represent more than half of overall IoT spending in 2017 (57 percent). Going into 2018, cross-industry devices, like those used in smart buildings (i.e. LED lighting and physical security systems) will drive this spending trend. The IoT is creating both challenges and capabilities for the physical security and risk management sectors. When implemented and properly secured, the IoT will provide predictive analytics, the ability to deliver a more personalised experience to users, and complete situational awareness from top to bottom. Cyber…

The idea of a building information model (BIM) first appeared in the 1980s, but the actual term as a noun and indeed a verb with the acronym BIM (building information modelling) didn’t really take off until the early 2000s, spurred by the advancements in three-dimensional technology and computer processing. Now, however, it has become ubiquitous. So ubiquitous that those in the property and built environment spaces are expected to know exactly what it means. But do you? Or is it just some nebulous phrase that you assume has something to do with plans and blueprints and how a building operates? BIM allows users to digitise and visualise a building prior to it even being built. It is all of those things, but for a facility manager the most pertinent explanation…

Raoul listened to Marcus describing his examination of drivers of future progress in his industry. “You know Raoul, I’ve been thinking about templosion. How the so-called exponential nature of change continues to impact our world while everything – cost, time, effort – gets smaller.” Marcus heard Raoul chuckle on the other end of the phone. “What’s so funny?” “It’s a cool description, don’t you think? Our conversation clearly made an impact on you!” “It did and I’m wondering if, and how, necessity, even scarcity, may be driving it.” Raoul was quick to respond. “My friend, the adage of necessity being the mother of invention. Well, even this is becoming unfashionable these days.” “You think?” “I do. In the home, for example, we’ve seen technology, over time, make our lives easier…

According to Health Department data, in May 2017, 47 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported across Australia, which is a significant increase on the 28 cases reported for the same period a year earlier. There are countless research papers, experts available, design standards around the world and equipment on the market to minimise and prevent Legionnaires’. The question therefore must be asked – why does it keep happening and how can we ensure another fatality can be prevented? Do we need an improvement in legislation and Australian Standards to incorporate additional design, operation and maintenance techniques? You may have missed the amendment to the Public Health Regulation 2012, which was published on 1 December last year, with the new requirements that came into effect on 1 January this year. The…

The hard decisions have been made. Accommodation needs have been analysed, the market has been tested, alternative premises have been viewed, shortlisted and the best option has been decided on. The net present value and revenue impacted financial model are done, the business case and board paper approved, and finally the heads of agreement signed. Time to relax? Not a chance – the hard work is only just starting. Relocation challenges are linked to many variables, including accommodation size, number of the employees relocating, whether moving to existing or new fitout, the time period available and many other imponderables. Once you’ve signed for the new space, the ‘drop-dead’ date is now unchangeable, unlike many other corporate projects. Detailed planning to ensure that nothing goes amiss is essential. And, as always…

A Facility Management content partner is an organisation with which we’ve entered into a partnership to collaborate on content for the magazine. In this issue, thought leaders from their respective organisations are: ASSA ABLOY’S BRIAN CORNWELL Brian Cornwell is BIM technologies manager at ASSA ABLOY Australia Pty Ltd. BILLI’S ADRIAN CUGNETTO Adrian Cugnetto is the marketing manager for Billi Pty Ltd. HUMANSCALE’S STEVE BENDER Steve Bender is global managing director of technology and monitor arms Humanscale.…

A new Melbourne hotel will set new design standards in energy efficiency to help cut as much as 25 percent of its energy consumption, drawing on a $39 million investment commitment from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). The Holiday Inn Express at Southbank in Melbourne is being developed by the Pro-invest Group. As part of the CEFC finance, Pro-invest Group will lift the design standard for the project, ensuring the latest clean energy technologies are included from the construction stage. CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth says: “These design changes will result in a 25 percent drop in the hotel’s energy use, delivering a substantial energy saving that will provide ongoing benefits for the hotel, carbon-conscious guests and for the environment.” Pro-invest Group CEO Ronald Barrott says the company is committed…

The times they are a-changing, and in almost every aspect of our lives progress is rife and we’re making leaps and bounds into the future. Technology is moving at a pace so rapid that most of us can’t keep up, though that doesn’t stop us from being swept along for the ride. The building and facilities management industries are no exception to these developments, and it’s a field that affects most of us, whether we work in the FM industry or not. We all encounter buildings every day – we live in them, we work in them and we interact with them, often in ways we don’t even realise. The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is leading the global movement to transform our buildings, and thus our communities, in ways…

Did you ever see Billy Wilder’s 1960 bittersweet masterpiece, The Apartment? (If you haven’t, do yourself a favour and download it. It’s on iTunes.) In the film, Jack Lemmon as CC Baxter plays a wage slave accelerating his path up the corporate ladder by lending his flat to various colleagues for their extramarital assignations. But before he gets the key to the executive washroom, we discover him in the middle of a massive regimented office surrounded by hundreds of like-minded drones, processing files from his in tray. Each worker sits at an identical desk, with identical equipment (typewriter, adding machine, Rolodex) on it, performing identical repetitive tasks. Wilder is, of course, exaggerating to make a point. On the whole, though, that is what offices used to be like. Fast-forward to…

Spearheading the rollout of new major buildings in Sydney and Melbourne for global professional services giant KPMG, Peter Dollin is more than aware that people come into the workplace and facilities field from all manner of backgrounds. His just happened to be plastering. “My background is in construction. I had to leave school in year 10 and the next door neighbour had a plastering business,” he recalls. “I went and knocked on his door and asked for a job. I did solid plastering, cement rendering and ornate plasterwork in old terrace houses. It gave me a passion for buildings, especially when you start with nothing, watch it come to life and see the affinity people have with the built environment.” Dollin had hoped to study economics, but he fell in…

How’s your day going so far? Would you fancy another three hours to give you more time to get through all the myriad things you need to do today? Ha! Wouldn’t we all? If you’ve ever spent untold hours (and counting) hanging about for a service operator to come and fix your washing machine/phone line/photocopier/you name it, you’ll certainly appreciate any new technology that can shave three hours off that waiting time. But that’s just what’s possible with the Ahead technology developed by Schindler. A recent Italian study showed that in a large facility housing a significant bank of lifts, there is an average of three hours before anyone notices when one of them is out of action. People are just waiting for the first one that comes. The idea…

New research shows there’s been a shift in the workplace as Australians increasingly value flexible working arrangements, for many even over a higher salary. The survey of 1000 Australian office workers, published in the newly released 2018 ‘Robert Half Salary Guide’, found the majority (84 percent) of Australian office workers are willing to accept a lower salary for more benefits. Flexibility tops the charts, as almost half (47 percent) would be willing to accept lower pay in return for flexible working hours. Other preferred benefits include the option to work from home (40 percent), increased holiday allowance (37 percent), medical benefits (36 percent) and travel allowances, such as company cars and fuel expenses (31 percent). Andrew Brushfield, director of Robert Half Australia, says, “While salary is a prime motivator and…

Australian employers report that communication is currently the most valued and in-demand soft skill, according to a new survey by ManpowerGroup, which predicts IT, frontline and customer-facing roles will see the greatest hiring increase in the country. Australian employers are anticipating that the continued growth in automation will drive an increase in headcount over the next two years, requiring more people and more skills. The report – ‘Robots Need Not Apply: Human Solutions in the Skills Revolution’ surveyed 20,000 employers across 42 countries, including over 1500 in Australia. The survey found that automation is happening at different speeds across Australia, with key industries and functions likely to suffer while others gain. In response to the impact of automation, 21 percent of Australian employers expect to grow their workforce, while 62…

Every month, once a month, a woman I know spends an hour on a Sunday picking up rubbish from a beach outside of Melbourne. Civic duty and all that… The most recent clean-up took place during a wild and woolly wintry morning and there were just a few intrepid volunteers out there with their collecting bags. Even so, they picked up 32 kilograms of rubbish including 84 recyclable bottles and cans. A good proportion of those bottles and cans were old water bottles. It’s always that way. One hour, one beach, one day a month. Let’s extrapolate that and think of the thousands of beaches, hundreds of thousands of hours and millions, nay billions, of empty bottles. In 2017 Forbes reported that globally humans are now buying a million plastic…

KAMBERRA INDIGENOUS CLEANING – SIMON ROLFE In what sector of industry do you operate? Commercial cleaning. How long have you been established? Kamberra Indigenous Cleaning turned 12 months old in April 2018. Where are you located and where do you provide your services? Kamberra Indigenous Cleaning is solely located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and provides services to a range of clientele including government, private enterprise and other Indigenous businesses in the ACT. What’s your overriding motto when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene? “We provide cleaning solutions and achieve quality results by working closely with our clients’ cleaning requirements.” What makes your company stand out from the pack? Our company is operated by our Indigenous general manager, Tyrell Gooley, with a strong focus on making Kamberra Indigenous Cleaning…

Dependent on the type of project, the team assigned could have different work streams and call upon various subject matter experts (SMEs). But it’s important to get the right team together. In workplace change projects, you may find the team consists of the following: Project Control Group (PCG), project director and work streams for change, fitout, IT, operations and facilities. In technology change projects you may find the project team consists of some of the same executive leaders in roles, such as PCG and project director, but it may now include stakeholders from business and governance, business analysis, project management, IT security and risk, IT strategy and Infrastructure, IT service delivery and IT operations – to name a few. While the team make-up is ultimately dependent on the structure of…