ey Takeaways: Facility managers can secure stronger budget support by focusing on total cost of ownership instead of just upfront purchase costs. Long-term financial analysis, including energy savings, maintenance costs and payback periods, can help justify higher initial investments. Building strong relationships with finance teams and presenting data in financial terms can position facilities managers as strategic business partners. The gap between purchase price and total cost of ownership is where facilities budgets go to die and where strategic facility managers learn to speak finance's language.
Read This » Warning Signs: How Small Envelope Failures Lead to Big Building Problemsey Takeaways: Small issues such as drafts, condensation and water stains can signal larger building envelope problems that may lead to costly structural and energy-related damage. Building envelope components, including roofs, walls, windows and flashing, function as an interconnected system, meaning failures in one area can affect another. Proactive inspections, preventive maintenance and early repairs can significantly reduce long-term costs and extend the life of building systems. The costliest failures in commercial facilities rarely begin with dramatic events.
Read This » Be Clear with Alert Notification Messaginghen looking to enhance the notification system at University of Rhode Island, its emergency management director and assistant director of public safety, Samuel Adams, relied on layering in redundancy.
Read This » Is it Time to Ditch the Conference Room?ey Takeaways: Walking meetings can improve collaboration, creativity and problem solving by creating a more relaxed and less formal environment for teams. Facilities teams can benefit from walking meetings because being physically present in spaces often leads to faster decisions and better project ideas. Small walking meetings can also support employee wellbeing and engagement by reducing sitting time and encouraging more open participation. Last week, my facilities assistant and I had our monthly one-on-one while walking the perimeter of our building instead of sitting in my office.
Read This » Cybersecurity and Identity Verification Take Center Stage in Visitor Managementey Takeaways: As visitor management and access control systems move to IP networks, cybersecurity and data privacy have become critical considerations for facility managers. Organizations should carefully vet vendors on issues such as encryption, data retention, authentication and ongoing security updates before adopting new platforms. Modern visitor management now combines security, operational efficiency and tenant experience, requiring collaboration between facilities, IT and leadership teams. Cybersecurity is no longer optional as visitor management and access control systems move onto IP networks. This makes vetting access control and visitor management platform vendors vital, stresses Geoff Kohl, senior director of marketing at the Security Industry Association (SIA).
Read This » Strategic Upgrades Help Aging Buildings Meet Modern Demandsey Takeaways: Aging building systems are driving higher energy costs and pushing facility managers to prioritize strategic upgrades and long-term capital planning. Energy incentives and tax programs can help offset modernization costs, but experts say projects should focus on operational value first. Simple improvements such as insulation, sealing leaks and lighting retrofits can deliver fast energy savings before larger HVAC upgrades are considered. As building systems age, they become less efficient, increasing energy consumption and driving up operating costs. At the same time, rising utility rates, sustainability goals and evolving regulations are putting pressure on building owners and facility managers to improve building performance. This changing landscape has pushed facility leaders to take a more strategic approach to capital planning and long-term building investments. Now, modernizing aging facilities starts with identifying upgrades that deliver the greatest operational and financial value then assessing available state and federal incentive programs that can offset construction and equipment costs. Aging infrastructure meets new expectations Steven Barnes, a partner at Wipfli, advises building owners, developers and facility managers on the tax and construction considerations behind building upgrades tied to energy-related projects.
Read This » Unlocking Human Potential Through the Workplaceacility management is stepping into its most consequential era.
Read This » How We Build the Next Facilities Management Workforcenbsp; Facility managers are feeling the talent shortage, but where should recruitment begin? In this bonus episode of Facilities in Focus, host Mackenna Moralez talks with Caroline Horton on the reasons she chose to obtain her master’s degree in facilities management and the way her thesis encourages industry leaders to work with local schools to recruit new talent from a young age.
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