Tricks Of The Trade: Asset Management Ideas

By James C. Elledge, IFMA Fellow, CFM, FMA, RPA, RIAQM
Published in the October 2005 issue of Today’s Facility Manager

Q Would you recommend an asset management program that would include work orders and preventive and deferred maintenance components?

Michael Short
FM Manager
City of Lenexa
Lenexa, KS

A If you pay a visit to the Software Network, you will find information on a variety of facility management related packages. Your final decision should be based on your current or planned infrastructure (such as SQL, Oracle, etc.) and the appropriate client/server operating system.

If you are using nothing now, you’ll need to create some kind of starting point. If and when you get closer to selecting a more specific product, at least you can easily convert your existing data into the new system.

You may also wish to talk to your peers to find out what systems earn the highest praise and the strongest criticism; ask about implementation experiences, while you’re at it.

Elledge,facility/office services manager for Dallas, TX-based Summit AllianceCompanies, is the recipient of the Distinguished Author Award from theInternational Facility Management Association (IFMA), is an IFMA Fellow, and isa member of TFM’sEditorial Advisory Board. All questions have been submitted via the “Ask TheExpert” portion of the magazine’s Web site. To pose a question, visit this link.