2008 Articles

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Asking Tough Questions; Seeking Honest Answers

This month's FM Frequency drifts into the realm of the radical.

Consolidation Of Vendor Bases

Is consolidation putting corporations' revenues at risk?

Energy Ran High As The Industry Met In Chicago

The 2008 TFM Show this past April provided a plethora of information for facility management professionals.

Essential Elements In Outsourcing

A new approach to outsourcing is making it a more attractive management option.

Tricks of the Trade: Capital equipment replacement program

Since your equipment is still functioning, it appears that you will need to prioritize your plant equipment replacement program.

Singing The 1040 Blues…Or Was That A Hymn?

Tax preparation is an unexpected religious experience for Crane.

Job Order Contracting: Putting Business Goals Within Reach

When procurement needs to be spread around the community, budgets can benefit over time.

LEED Or Not To LEED? Well, It All Depends!

Crane shares this interactive session with a thought provoking reader.

Facility Management: The Oldest Profession?

This amusing overview defines great moments in FM history.

Tricks of the Trade: How would you handle your first week here?

If the position has little direct supervision, your first week would be spent on...

For The Love Of Buildings…Or Not

Confessions under the knife: anesthesia exposes the trippy side of Crane's facility sensibilities.

Facility Management Is...

Tim Springer challenges fms to define what they do in terminology that's tangible to everyone.

The Brain Drain

Effective asset management programs can help overcome the exodus of maintenance talent.

TFM Names Neal Angrisano Facility Executive of the Year

This natural born leader has just what it takes to advocate excellence, professionalism, and class.

Video Analytics

Facility managers can use this technology to meet more than just their security needs.

2007 Articles

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A Few Of My Favorite (Web) Things

They may not be raindrops on roses, but there are some things that make Jeff Crane happy.

Hello Columbus!

Tim discovers the best of American urban planning during a recent trip to Columbus.

Rolling With The Facilities Budget

There are alternatives to the traditional method of budget preparation.

Design-Build

This project delivery method benefits from the power of one and the expertise of many.

No One Of Us Is As Smart As All Of Us

There are distinct qualities that separate true leaders from mere managers.

Auditing Contingency Plans

What the fm does with the plan is as important as the plan itself.

Creating The Ideal Workforce

An educational outreach program transforms potential dropouts into successful, skilled graduates.

Mid-Project Intervention

It is possible to experience early avoidance and resolution of construction disputes.

Home Away From Home

Results from TFM’s annual survey reveal a cash crop of new and renovation projects.

Take Me To Your Leader

There are distinct qualities that separate true leaders from mere managers.

Facility Management Made Easier

A universally accepted tool can simplify a facility manager’s need to coordinate all contractors.

The Facilities Machine: Master Or Myth?

Urban Legends may (or may not) exist in facilities too!

Help Wanted

More facility managers are turning to outsourcing and offshoring to increase time and cost efficiency.

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

The 10 year celebration at the TFM Show is a smash hit with everyone involved!

KISS My Asset!

Springer gets feisty when discussing facility management’s unnecessary complexities.

Curtailing "Office Creepers"

Mobile workplace habits make it extremely easy for company information to “disappear.”

Tricks of the Trade - Jim Elledge, resident FM Expert

Where can I find out more about Clean Desk Policies including successful examples (particularly with regard to the change management process)?
James Elledge replies ...

Service Level Agreements And Critical Facilities

Treat outsourced personnel like part of the in-house team to generate inspired results.

Keeping Mold Away With Moisture Control

Measures taken during the construction and operations stages will help minimize this threat to healthy indoor air quality.

Heading Up A Move

Churn is a fact of life. Managers can use technology to keep the process under control.

Recipe For Success

Think you have what it takes to be a facility manager in today’s demanding times?

Are You Invisible?

Springer explains why facility professionals need to be their own best cheerleading section.

Infrared Technology Can Help Improve Safety And Operations

Hidden problems can escalate if left unnoticed and neglected.

Use The Philosophies Of Delegation To Create Success

Recognizing personal weaknesses and tapping the skills of others can yield big benefits.

2006 Articles

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Bridging The Gap

Closing the divide between the design process and long-term operations and maintenance.

FM And Purchasing: You Get What You Pay For

Before The Sale, How Much Is Too Much To Expect From Vendors?

Giving Thanks!

Want an excuse to deny wacky requests? Just thank your insurance and liability teams!

FM And The Language Of Business

Springer debates the logistics of going from the boiler room to the board room.

Real People, Real Stories

If you think you’ve heard it all when it comes to interviewing antics, keep reading!

5S Manufacturing: What Is It?

A journey of continuous operational improvement can lead to excellence in manufacturing.

The Myth Of Interoperability

When will systems really start speaking the same language?

Solving The Mysteries Of The RFP

It is possible to resolve confusion over architectural and engineering expectations.

On The Horizon

The latest TFM survey results show facility professionals will not only be juggling numerous projects, but they’ll be managing large budgets well.

Great Suppliers Can be Excellent Business Partners

It’s possible to gain significant advantages from outsourcing relationships.

Who’s In Charge Here?

With technological integration on the rise, operations becomes a game of diplomacy.

Aren’t All Structural Engineers The Same?

This Q&A in team building basics goes from the bottom to the top.

You Can Take It To The Bank

TFM survey examines financial demographics of the profession.

Slam Dunk In Chicago

The 2006 TFM Show™ takes it to the next level.

Purchasing Behaviors Associated With The Unplanned

A new twist on the old joke, “how many people does it take to buy a light bulb?”

Reducing Liability Through Strategic Risk Management Practices

During downtimes, a quick overview of insurance policies can help thwart trouble.

AH-CHOO! Indoor Air Quality Revisited

Spring is in the air, but from Columnist Crane, it isn’t such a pleasant time for facilities that suffer from poor ventilation.

Reduce Change Orders To Increase Project Resources

Quality Management Plans can help facility managers minimize expensive changes.

Facilities Manager = Corporate Shrink?

Facilities house a cross section of the population, and for Crane, some occupants are more “high maintenance” than others.

Image Enhancement Services

It is possible to repair damage in order to maintain image and avoid replacement costs.

The TFM Show Preview

The most prestigious and comprehensive facility management event returns to Chicago…now a free conference.

How To Hire A Design Firm

Putting the right amount of effort into the selection process can make or break a design project.

Skilled Labor: A New Recipe?

The increasing shortage of qualified facility management staffers has one optimist a little concerned.

Ask For It By Name: Realizing The Benefits Of Integrated Systems

The removal of crossed signals may ease communication problems.

Balancing Act

2006 begins with more advice on keeping your building pressure right where it belongs.

2005 Articles

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Hunting Big Game

Revamping the boiler system to maximize BTUs can help facilities take down a moose.

Can Purchasing Habits Determine Overall Costs

The right decisions regarding supplier selection may dictate potential savings.

What It Really Means

Ever wonder what job placement ads are really saying when they describe a job? Cut through the jargon and get the real answers.

Worst Case Scenario

Severe weather tests Gulf Coast facility managers trying to protect—then salvage—their buildings.

Checkup And Tune-Up: Working Like An Efficient Machine

How do professionals develop a facilities management strategy for the long haul?

A Disaster Checklist

Asking the right questions will help facilities avoid the confusion and destruction just witnessed on the Gulf Coast.

Conservative Optimism

TFM readers reveal their future plans for renovation and new construction.

IFMA’s Strategic Management Planning Process

New approaches may help facility managers reach higher levels of achievement.

Big Swings At Budget Time!

Crane’s tongue-in-cheek perspective explains how to maintain facilities and lower budget costs at the same time.

Facility Assessments and Project/Budget Planning

A look at a residential facility can offer some much needed perspective on running a commercial facility.

Project Cost Saving Strategies

Certain approaches may make it easier to keep construction affordable.

Combining Facility And Project Management Into One Application

Communal software approaches can make it easier for facility managers to save money while staying on top of construction projects.

Finding The Glass More Than Half Full

Crane offers a historical perspective to paint the future of facility management in a positive light.

Readers Benchmark Earnings

First TFM Salary Survey reveals demographic nuances based on key factors.

The European Facility Manager

The groundwork for a global interpretation of the profession is being prepared now.

From Attendee To Presenter: My First Five Years With The TFM Show®

My TFM Show® report.

A Little Lesson In Human Resource Management

When it comes to certain issues, an organization doesn't even have to do anything wrong to incur devastating legal fees.

Occupancy Research And Building Performance

Before and after studies related to new construction and renovation projects empower facility managers.

The Controversial Conversation

The outsourcing conversation has spilled from the conference room to the water cooler.

Can Facility Managers Afford Not To Train Their Staff-And Themselves?

Continuing education should benefit both the individual and the organization.

 

FM Names Ward Komorowski Facility Executive Of The Year

Passionate about facilities, this colorful motivator leads by example and has a great time along the way.

 

2004 Articles

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Dial "M" For Facility Management Advice

Organizational Issues Facility Professionals Should Understand.

 

TFM Names Charles Ayoub Facility Executive Of the Year

A no nonsense leader gets things done at a growing Houston hospital-in spite of obstacles and disasters.

 

Treating Space as Enterprise Applications

A single asset management system will bring footprint issues in line.

 

2003 Articles

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Conveying Corporate Continuity

When a company can have many different job titles in a single office, the fewer variances allowed the better.

 

Conduit Of Communication

Karl Borgstrom is charged with bringing the message of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) to its constituency as well as outside organizations.

 

Holding Educational Facility Professionals To A Higher Standard

Having An Edge In The Complex Arena Of Educational Facilities Starts With A Standards Program.

 

Zen And The Art Of Facility Maintenance

The Facility Operations Audit: An Essential Tool

 

Capital Renewal Clairvoyance

A facility condition assessment can provide a schedule for maintenance and save money for clients.

 

Total Facility Management Hits Chicago! The TFM ShowT at Construct AmericaT offers attendees even more than ever before.

When The TFM ShowT was launched back in 1998, very few people could anticipate its success and growth only five short years later.

 

Beyond Facility Management: Taking The Satellite View

With facility managers responsible for so much, these under appreciated employees have to realize how much say they have in their companies.

 

TFM Names Kelly Olds "Facility Executive Of The Year"

In its premier year, TFM's Facility Executive Of The Year Award is a distinct accolade. It recognizes the outstanding work done by a facility professional on a single project, making it the only award of its kind.

 

Innovative Contracting Best Practices, Part 2

Can facility managers dictate the success or failure of innovative contracting measures? In November 2002, Cotts examined the subject of job order contracting (JOC). This month, he will demonstrate the consistent success potential of performance based contracting through the use of PIPS (the Performance Information Procurement System).

 

2002 Articles

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A Legacy Of Leadership

BOMA International President Larry Soehren explains how good managers demonstrate leadership qualities.

 

Innovative Contracting Best Practices

Facility management expert David Cotts explains how to maximize outsourcing measures by increasing output of contractors.

 

Find The Way: Strategic Facility Planning

Add value to facilities–and facility professionals–by developing strategies directly aligned to business goals.

 

Strategic Facility Planning

For building professionals, seemingly unrelated events create significant challenges and take on even greater importance when considered in terms of their impact on facilities. Dr. Tim Springer and Steve Lockwood of Foresight Associates explain the importance of strategic facility planning during difficult times.

 

Disaster Recovery And Contingency Planning In Extreme Times

Specialists from the field of emergency preparedness tackle questions and share advice on disaster planning.

 

Workplace Violence: Recognizing And Preventing Harmful Actions In A Professional Atmosphere

What should fms seek/avoid when handling workplace violence problems in their facilities? Find out in this expanded coverage.