Table of contents for Issue 2-2022 in Facility Management

In Australia alone it’s estimated that building defects can cost the nation up to $2.5 billion annually. PlanRadar’s success is fueled by the demand for the industry to run more efficiently as well as data driven. PlanRadar’s regional lead Bart Crowther spoke about the expansion. “Australia is a rapidly expanding new market for the PlanRadar business. We’re starting to see strong interest across the construction sector for digital management solutions that can help manage the growing pipeline of building and infrastructure projects, especially where quality assurance and defect management are particularly rigorous.” PlanRadar’s mobile, cloud-based technology increases transparency and efficiency at every stage of the build, from conception to completion, by giving contractors the power to markup designs, run instant reports, view BIM models and floor plans, and gain detailed…

Co-working spaces were launching and expanding across major cities everywhere prior to the pandemic. Thanks to technological advancements and changes in the labour market, remote and flexible work had become more commonplace. Freelancers, ‘solopreneurs’ and start-ups, seeking community and amenities, flocked to this ‘third workplace’ between the office and the home. As a result, the second half of the 2010s saw aggressive growth in the sector. A 2019 survey by the co-working magazine Deskmag found the number of spaces globally increased from 8900 in 2015 to 22,000 in 2019. This disruptive new organisational form had some saying the future was flexible, with optimists in the industry predicting almost a third of corporate real estate portfolios would comprise flexible space by 2030. Then came the ‘great disruptor’: COVID-19. The rapid proliferation…

The ‘great resignation’ in Australia appears to be morphing into the ‘great return’, with many employees rethinking their intentions to leave their jobs. Whether this is due to the simple necessity of putting food on the table and clothes on their backs, is hard to say, but across the country the trend is for a return to at least a semblance of how things were pre-pandemic. For employers though, there are still many challenges. If they can find the staff in the first place, enticing them back into workplaces is proving to be a struggle. The Age recently investigated the outlook for offices in the city. In an article entitled ‘Fast-forward obsolescence’, the newspaper reported, “Melbourne’s office occupancy rate remains stubbornly low, prompting grim predictions for downmarket CBD towers that…

In facility management, and across the board, the jobs market is currently shaped and defined by a skills shortage. In his introduction to the ‘Hays Salary Guide Australia and New Zealand 2022/‘23’, Hays managing director for the region Nick Deligiannis says it’s at a level unmatched in Hays’ 46 years of recruitment. A whopping 91 percent of employers are experiencing a skills shortage, compared to 70 percent in the last peak of 2019. Statistics like these, considered in the context of the pandemic and all of the disruption, uncertainty, remote working it has introduced, of course give way to talk of the ‘great resignation’. The fluid job market and high demand for skills would certainly suggest it’s a reality, though Deligiannis says the survey results show things aren’t as dire…

Often confused with Information Technology, OT is the focus on behaviours and outcomes. Most control systems employed across industrial and manufacturing installations in the past weren’t networked. The result? Siloed specialised devices, each electronic, but lacking the ability to communicate or share information with one another. This results in human operators to bridge these gaps. NEW ROLES ESTABLISHED TO HELP WITH OT At GEG, Cameron Exley has been brought on board as the Head of Technology Commercialisation. The role has been created to help customers working in facilities management to solve different tech challenges and differences within their operational technology environments. It’s essential in streamlining these technologies and making sure that they are talking to one another. INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES It’s so important for these technologies to be able to read…

Facilities managers have a lot on their plate; from ensuring the safety of employees and tenants to complying with regulations, there’s always something to be done. Thankfully, new smart building technology can help make their job easier. This article covers how technology can benefit facilities managers and how they can get started with implementing it in their buildings. WHAT IS SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY? Smart building technology refers to the various systems and devices used to manage a building’s energy use, resources and occupants. This can include lighting control systems, security systems, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems, and more. To be considered ‘smart’, these systems must communicate and be controlled remotely. This allows for greater flexibility and efficiency in managing a building. FOUR BENEFITS OF SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY FOR FACILITIES…

When ‘office planning’ is mentioned, most people imagine that it is simply a matter of accommodating everything and everyone on the premises. Yet, planning and managing an office involves much more than just finding a place to keep everything. Planning an office space, and then managing it, are both strategic actions that lay the groundwork for productivity and smooth operations in any organisation. Interestingly, these duties fall within the many responsibilities of a facility manager. If you’re an FM and are wondering how to plan and manage your office space better, keep reading for five straightforward and practical tips that can help you to accomplish that. 1 ASSESS YOUR CURRENT SITUATION Measurement precedes any kind of improvement. It’s important to measure and understand the current position before you can hope…

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WHEN: 2 December 2022 WHERE: Online www.waset.org PROPERTY FIRE INFORMATION SESSION WHEN: 3 December 2022 WHERE: Gulf Savannah, Mareeba, QLD www.eventbrite.com.au/o/qfbc-33731471951 SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION ESSENTIALS WHEN: 14 December 2022 WHERE: Waterman Eastland, Ringwood, VIC www.sustainnovate.com.au/events/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WHEN: 29 March 2023 WHERE: Sydney, NSW www.waset.org INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES WHEN: 17 May 2023 WHERE: Sydney, NSW www.waset.org…