Table of contents for December - January 2018 in Facility Management

While most of us enjoy nostalgia, it’s very likely that facilities managers don’t necessarily long for the days before technology made their lives – and their jobs – much more straightforward. The rise of IoT and its use in driving ever greater improvements and solutions is a boon, especially when it can read the symptoms before a piece of key equipment fails. For a lot of organisations, it’s a no-brainer to implement from a cost-benefit perspective and certainly helps the facility management industry better manage the life cycle of assets and buildings. Although the signs of change are clear, FM experts still characterise our industry as somewhat conservative. Our lead feature this issue looks at the wonders of augmented and virtual reality technology and discusses whether it’s being seen as…

On Boxing Day this year Alexander Payne’s first film since 2013’s Nebraska will hit Australian cinemas. While this month the latest Mezzanine magazine will appear on the newsstands with nearly a dozen pages all devoted to the same topic. And in October two very particular homes went under the hammer in Melbourne for the very first time. What do all these apparently disparate factors have in common? The answer is size. Simply size. The new cinematic off ering from Payne, who previously gave us films like Election, About Schmidt, Sideways and The Descendants, is called Downsizing and it’s a fanciful, and at times touching, satire about a man (played by Matt Damon) who joins a growing movement of people who get scientifically shrunk to a few centimetres, as a way…

An unpleasant smell emanating from garbage rooms, bin chutes and loading bay areas is not the lingering impression you want to give to residents, visitors or clients. It can also lead to disputes between neighbours and even some allergic problems for building occupants. According to environmental campaigner, author, broadcaster, science journalist and sustainability researcher Tanya Ha, Australians produce about 2.25 kilograms of waste each per day. Imagine a high-rise tower with around 500 apartments – that means more than a tonne of rubbish produced in a day. Odour control management needs to be more than simply installing an automated air freshener in garbage rooms and bin chutes. ODOUR REMOVAL RESOLUTIONS From simple proactive steps to sophisticated resolutions, there are several approaches that facility managers can use to overcome odour challenges.…

With rain being so scarce in many parts of Australia and water charges envisaged to increase, it’s important we all make the most of what little water we have and take the pressure off our existing infrastructure at the same time. Green Star and NABERS focus on reducing a facility’s water footprint, resulting in numerous innovative water conservation practices. But what more can we do to futureproof existing facilities? The answer lies in greywater. Reusing the waste stream relates to black water or greywater systems. Significant benefits can be achieved by reusing the water within a facility, reducing the carbon footprint, plus achieving maximum credits for Green Star/NABERS related projects. Black water recovery can assist in earning green credibility. In Australia, however, recycling from the waste stream is a relatively…

Moving day is stressful enough, but the impacts are felt long before and can linger on for far too long afterwards. Here, we look at the role of the FM/ workplace teams and the challenge of integrating the relocation strategy and change program to ensure business readiness on day one. The FM/workplace teams contribute to the policy and procedural changes in the business and are often responsible for the transfer of product knowledge and skills to staff prior to, during and after a move. These teams will need help when there are added complexities such as a change to the ways of working, which affects more than locational change, but also behaviours, etiquettes and business process. To draw out and prepare for the changes ahead, the change manager should look…

Rockwell Automation recently announced its investment in The Hive, a Silicon Valley innovation fund and co-creation studio, in order to gain access to an ecosystem of innovators and technology start-ups with a focus on applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to industrial automation. Rockwell Automation’s goals include co-creating to solve customer problems, accelerating innovation and identifying new emerging technologies that can help its manufacturing customers improve business performance by bridging the gaps between plantfloor and higher-level information systems. “Smart manufacturing requires the use of new and disruptive technologies such as AI to create the future industrial plants and supply networks that are flexible, efficient, responsive and secure,” says Elik Fooks, senior vice president for corporate development. “AI can help manufacturers unlock data, contextualise it and take action. We continue to create…

A set of main entrance revolving doors includes a manufacturer’s warranty – one maintenance visit per door every quarter. The warranty includes eight maintenance visits per year at a cost of $500 per visit; i.e. $4000 per annum. What does this outlay achieve, given that the doors rarely break down and, if they do, it generally costs $2000 to fix them? The likelihood of both doors breaking down at the same time is very low and the impact on the business, even if they did, would be minimal. They could be ‘propped’ open or an alternative entry could be used. Inspection frequency should be based on the rate of depreciation of an asset, not how often it fails. In the context of the preceding example, however, can $4000 per year…

FM: How did you become interested in this field? What started my interest in ergonomics was actually an interest in computers and, back in the 1970s, computers were just transitioning from being mainframes to the first mini and microcomputers. It was clear that the technology was going to impact the workplace. When I finished my PhD, I also worked in two government offices in the UK and I thought the office designs were just awful. They really didn’t support optimal working, so those two things combined led me to go into ergonomics and also to focus on how to design office workplaces. At the time that was seen as a crazy thing to do, because the office wasn’t seen as any kind of dangerous workplace. But in retrospect now we…

Thinking back to his days in the Royal Air Force (RAF), Graham Constable says he is struck by the parallels with modern facilities management. “In the air force, everyone’s role was geared to ensuring that the pilots could fly successful missions,” he says. “In facilities management, our role is to ensure our organisations are also able to fulfil their visions.” While ultimately a long career in the air force was not to be, Constable, the author of the engaging ‘Connections’ column in FM magazine and a long-time industry consultant, has never lost his desire to aim high. “I got into FM via an operational career in the air force, but that wasn’t my original plan,” he recalls. “I was born in Ghana, West Africa and spent my first six years…

Central energy plants (chillers and boilers) are critical components of a building’s infrastructure. Not only are they incredibly energy hungry, they also have the biggest impact on internal conditions when things go wrong. So how can facility managers effectively visualise and manage the central energy plant, internal building conditions and energy efficiency all at the same time? Inefficiency or failure of major building infrastructure like chillers or boilers can be a significant concern for any building owner: • They are ‘energy hungry’, so small inefficiencies equal big energy waste and expense. • Inefficient plant not only results in higher than normal energy expense, but usually goes hand-in-hand with premature wear and higher than expected maintenance costs. • Failure of these major pieces of plant usually affects all building occupants –…

In any organisation, decisions around profit, process and product can be relatively easy. They involve making rational decisions based on stable and predictable empirical evidence. But where it gets tricky is making decisions involving people. Developing and progressing people – the company’s culture – is always difficult. Humans are complex, unpredictable and emotional. Some are even downright unmanageable. We each have different emotional triggers and ranges in behaviour. Yet, without people, profit, process and product don’t mean anything. We can’t get them to work without people. Why people decisions are often problematic is that, at their core, they involve trusting people to do the right thing. This occurs in the part of the brain that processes emotions, such as trust and loyalty. This part has no capacity for language and…

It is increasingly important for facility managers to ensure that employees have Wi-Fiaccess that provides fast and secure ‘anytime and anywhere’ access to the network and critical applications. However, the number of threats against these networks has risen steadily, partly because it’s so easy to launch attacks against wireless networks, which means a stronger security stance is critical. Network and security operations teams are fighting a multi-front Wi-Fisecurity battle. Challenges include employees plugging cheap, unauthorised/rogue access points (APs) into the network, hackers using attack tools they’ve downloaded from the internet and even radio frequency jammers that make the entire wireless spectrum unusable. The wireless network contains three layers: the wireless local area network (WLAN), AP encryption and authentication, and building security. This is a significantly lower number of layers compared…

A review by masters of urban policy students at UNSW (University of New South Wales) has found that a new approach to green infrastructure that involves better funding and regulation is essential to keep pace with Sydney’s population growth and housing density. The research comes on the back of the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) calling for public submissions to its review of the costs developers pay to provide water, sewerage and stormwater infrastructure to new developments. “There is a common misconception among developers and governments that green infrastructure costs too much. We’ve been able to show that, when green infrastructure is valued accurately, this is not the case,” says UNSW urban policy student Alex Lawrie. “Often green solutions reduce the overall cost of stormwater in new developments,…

Earlier this year Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions (BGIS) launched what it called a world first ‘mixed reality’ program for the property and FM industry, in conjunction with Trimble Real Estate and Workplace Solutions. The technology uses Microsoft HoloLens, a self-contained holographic computer that helps people interact with holograms around them. A number of pilot programs have been initiated looking at real-time holographic visualisation of critical maintenance workflows, context-related operational data overlaid in the physical space, Building Information Modelling (BIM) integration and remote real-time collaboration. BGIS also uses Trimble’s Manhattan integrated workplace management system, the data from which will be displayed in the mixed reality environment, giving a greater ability to visualise and streamline work processes. “We are excited to be collaborating with BGIS to explore technologies that will profoundly impact…

Globally, disruptive business models and technology trends are causing continual change to the way organisations deliver their services, requiring a rethink of workplace accommodation strategies. Businesses now acknowledge that workplaces can be the drawcard in attracting and retaining talent, supporting employee well-being and engagement and, ultimately, leading to increases in productivity. In addition, the ongoing evolution of office accommodation from private offices to open plan from the early 2000s, to the current approach of agile and flexible workplaces, has demonstrated the benefits of collaborative and innovative working environments. Many aspects of the traditional approaches to portfolio planning, procurement and management, are now inadequate to deliver agile working outcomes. In many organisations, the inconsistencies in workplace philosophies and quality standards across locations do not provide environments that harness employee engagement. Instead,…

“Marcus Neary speaking.” “Hi Marcus, this is Alan… Alan Heath. Harry’s boss.” “You read my mind – I was going to call you later. How are you?” “I’m good, thanks. Harry’s mentioned you’re moving on?” Marcus smiled. “Actually, it’s Harry that’s moving on.” “Excuse me?” Marcus chuckled. “Sorry Alan, couldn’t resist.” “Oh.” “Harry doesn’t need me anymore. He’s more than capable of flying solo now.” There was silence on the other end. “We met the other day and we agreed I can’t add any more value at this stage. He’s done well. He’s a credit to your organisation.” “Mmm, OK.” “Anything wrong?” “No, I just expected you to be around a lot longer.” “I could stay, but I would probably be getting in his way… we both agreed to this,…

What the coming generation of FM apps in end users’ hands means for clients – and end-user consumers of the service. For some time now, smartphones and the apps on them have been growing as a key interface for maintenance and other FM professionals. Inputting data into CAFM (computer-aided facility management) or similar systems via a smartphone interface is often seen as a better solution than desktop-based self-service avenues. Giving end-users access to the FM service in this way is a significant leap; suddenly, such access is on the same level for end-users as access to their social media, music and messaging apps. There’s an immediacy to the connection, and a more personal one at that. Imagine your end-users allowed access to a suite of simple, single-function smartphone/tablet apps –…