Employee take note in boiler room

It’s time for a facility condition assessment

January 24, 2018

This is part one in a series on preventative maintenance.   Although you can never totally prevent all emergency repairs, a preventative maintenance program is a good way to head off most danger. The first step is to run a …

Categorized: Buildings, Facilities Management, Maintenance, Sustainaibility

Business People Meeting Conference Discussion Corporate Concept

The dangers of public WiFi

January 12, 2018

If you or your coworkers spend time traveling, you probably find yourself logging into a public WiFi network at some point — whether in a coffee shop, restaurant, hotel or airport. We’re not ones to unduly push the panic button; …

Categorized: Security

Air Conditioning Technician and A part of preparing to install new air conditioner.

Is it time to repair or replace your HVAC?

January 3, 2018

According to the EPA, HVAC systems make up approximately 38 percent of facilities’ energy use. Another statistic states replacing an HVAC system that is more than 10 years old can save a facility as much as 20 percent or more …

Categorized: Buildings, Environmental, Facilities Management, Maintenance

Portrait of successful young businesswoman speaking in front of audience at conference, making presentation to colleagues

How to deal with resistance to change

December 27, 2017

Some employees embrace change. They can see the potential for improvement in any plan, and they actively work toward implementation. However, every organization has a few individuals who resist change and voice their objection. As a manager, how do you …

Categorized: Facilities Management

High angle view of business people discussing at lobby. Male and female professionals are in office. Focus is on executives at workplace.

For Better Productivity, Go Green

December 20, 2017

This is part six in our ongoing series on increasing employee productivity. In a 2007 study published by Building Research and Information, 12 U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) buildings (including courthouses, offices, etc.) determined that workers’ productivity is higher in …

Categorized: Buildings, Environmental

Closeup of Virus Alert Sign in Internet Browser on LCD Screen

How do you know if you’ve been hacked?

December 13, 2017

When you get hacked, it’s not like alarms go off with flashing lights and a PA announcement that we’ve gone to DEFCON 2. (Although, now that we think of it, that would be pretty great, because at least then you’d …

Categorized: Security

Cropped shot of a sick businesswoman blowing her nose in the boardroom

How to Keep Your Workers Healthy This Winter

December 6, 2017

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), absenteeism costs employers an average of $225.8 billion each year. So it pays for facility managers (FMs) to be proactive in preventing the spread of illness in their facilities.   “Illnesses like …

Categorized: Uncategorized

Businesswomen sitting in offices behind glass screen. Mature female manager at desk on left with two younger women sitting at table on right.

How Customizing the Workspace Boosts Productivity

November 29, 2017

This is part five in our continuing series on employee productivity.   More and more offices are moving to an open-workspace design, which can be great for team collaboration. These kinds of workspaces often include low-walled cubicles, shared workspaces, and …

Categorized: Buildings, Facilities Management

A close-up on an abstract design of a display, which is warning about a cyber attack. Multiple rows of hexadecimal code are interrupted by red glowing warning text. Part of the display is reflected on a shiny surface. The image can represent a variety of threats in the digital world: data theft, data leak, security breach, intrusion, etc...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Viruses

November 22, 2017

In the videogame called Plague Inc., a player tries to destroy all of humanity by creating a super pathogen. The secret to winning (spoiler alert) is to make your plague hyper infectious but with no obvious symptoms. The minute people …

Categorized: Security

Snowy landscape with warning sign and copy space

How to winterize your facility

November 15, 2017

As the line goes, “winter is coming”. Here’s how to get your facility ready for the challenges that winter can bring, including cold temperatures, ice, snow and winter storms. A little preparation can help you get through winter with as …

Categorized: Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Preparedeness, Facilities Management, Maintenance