The First Facility Management Blog

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has announced the winners of its prestigious Awards of Excellence, recognizing groups and individuals who have made significant contributions to the facility management profession and the association. Awards were presented at IFMA’s annual Awards of Excellence banquet on Friday, October 17, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dallas, in a celebration that capped off IFMA’s World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo.

“This year’s award winners represent the best in class in volunteer achievement and FM leadership,” said John J. McGee, MBA, chairman of IFMA’s board of directors, who presented at the awards banquet. “The Awards of Excellence provide continuous career support for the association’s members and highlight the importance of advancing the facility management profession, raising the bar, and setting examples for those who follow.”

Winners were announced in 19 categories, with judging panels comprised of industry experts evaluating nominees individually and scoring them in a number of specific areas. IFMA recognizes companies and individuals for their achievements that advance the facility management profession as well as chapters and councils for their outstanding performance in key areas. 

The Sheila Sheridan Award of Excellence for Sustainable Design and Energy Efficient Projects went to Adobe Systems and Cushman & Wakefield. In conjunction with Cushman & Wakefield, Adobe Systems developed and implemented a rigorous program to green its headquarters buildings.

Mark C. Horan, CFM, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City was this year’s recipient of the George Graves Award for Facility Management Achievement. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has made significant improvements in the areas of design, security, efficient space planning, sustainability, and furniture purchasing. 

The Distinguished Author Award of Excellence for an Article was presented to Bill Conley, CFM, CFMJ, LEED-AP, IFMA Fellow, for his article “Make Yourself at Home With an Alternate Workplace Strategy,” which reinforces the necessity of taking a holistic view of actions and processes by evaluating the range of causes and effects, especially when dealing with culture shifts. Conley has been a contributing author to IFMA’s “Facility Management Journal” for 13 years. 

Diane C. Stegmeier was honored with the Distinguished Author Award of Excellence for a Book for her entry Innovations in Office Design: The Critical Influence Approach to Effective Work Environments, the result of a 10 year research study surrounding the impact of physical space on workplace behavior. The study, which involved more than 140 organizations in 24 countries, resulted in her discovery of what is now known as the Critical Influence System—15 tangible and intangible factors impacting workplace behavior. 

The IFMA Associate Member Award went to Betty J. Friedrichs, LEED-AP, for her active participation in governing and operating the Orange County Chapter of IFMA.

The Oklahoma State University Student Chapter of IFMA was honored with the Student Chapter of the Year Award. 

The Council of the Year Award went to the Corporate Facilities Council of IFMA, which currently has more than 3,800 members worldwide and has placed professional development at the core of its strategic plan.

The Chapter of the Year Award, small chapter, went to the Sacramento Valley Chapter of IFMA for its ongoing commitment to sustainability and educational programming.

The Chapter of the Year Award, large chapter, was given to the Silicon Valley Chapter of IFMA, which has not only provided quality educational and networking programs to its members, but has also broadened its outreach to selected industry sectors such as life sciences to pursue new members.

The Chapter Award of Excellence for Membership Marketing, large chapter, went to both the Denver Chapter and Silicon Valley Chapter of IFMA, with the small chapter award going to the Delaware Chapter of IFMA.

The Boston Chapter of IFMA won the Chapter Award of Excellence for Newsletter Publishing, large chapter, with the small chapter award going to the Madison Chapter of IFMA.

The Chapter Award of Excellence for Web Communication, small chapter, was awarded to the West Michigan Chapter of IFMA.

The Denver Chapter of IFMA won the Chapter Award of Excellence for Professional Development, large chapter, with the small chapter award going to the Greater Triangle Chapter of IFMA.

The Banking Institutions and Credit Unions Council of IFMA received the Council Award for Excellence in Newsletter Publishing.

The Council Award of Excellence in Programs and Professional Development was awarded to the Health Care Council of IFMA.

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) announced earlier this week its 2008 class of IFMA Fellows. Bruce Kenneth Forbes of ARCHIBUS; Jon Eldon Martens, CFM®, CFMJ, of Sonoma County, CA, General Services; W. Kirtley Miller Jr., CFM, of Himes Associates; and Michael K. Schley of FM:Systems will receive the honor of IFMA Fellowship during the association’s Awards of Excellence banquet on October 17 in Dallas, TX.

Established in 1992 to recognize members dedicated to IFMA and the facility management profession, the fellowship program creates a core of respected leaders who act as advisors to and ambassadors of the association. Being named an IFMA Fellow is the highest honor the association can bestow on a member. To date, 75 other facility professionals have received the distinction.

“Everything about this group of IFMA Fellows is extraordinary, from their passion to their constant commitment to the profession and IFMA,” said John McGee, MBA, chairman of the IFMA board of directors. “Perhaps the most important and enjoyable task I’ll have at World Workplace will be announcing this group of fellows at the Awards of Excellence banquet.”

With more than 100 years of combined facility management experience, the 2008 class of IFMA Fellows represents multiple industries and backgrounds.

Bruce Kenneth Forbes, founder, president and CEO of ARCHIBUS, holds master’s degrees in architecture and computer science from Harvard and Cornell, where he has also held research and teaching positions. Forbes’ vision for the future of the industry led to the creation of the world’s first Computer Aided Facility Management solution in 1976. He has also held positions on the IFMA executive committee and board of directors.

Jon Eldon Martens is the facilities operations division manager for Sonoma County, CA, General Services and the founder and president of JEMCOR, a facility management education and consulting firm. He is a lecturer and instructor at the University of California – Berkeley Haas School of Business. Working with IFMA and UC Berkeley, Martens was one of the founders of the association’s Recognized Certificate Program.

W. Kirtley Miller Jr. is a program/project consultant at Himes Associates and program manager for the facility management certificate program at George Mason University. Miller worked as the manager of real estate for Verizon in Arlington, VA, when the company lost 650,000 square feet of office space during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He led the planning team that provided emergency work locations for 2,300 displaced employees and created a long range plan for permanent work locations. Miller has also served as a regional vice president on the IFMA board of directors.

Michael K. Schley is the founder and CEO of FM:Systems, a software company that helped pioneer facility management systems. As chair of the Task Force on CAD Layer Guidelines and the IFMA Task Group on Area Measurement Standards, his leadership has resulted in two essential standards critical to the profession. Schley holds a master’s degree in architecture and has served as a guest lecturer at numerous academic institutions, including Cornell, Michigan State and Brigham Young universities.

To learn more about the IFMA Fellows program, or for a complete list of fellows, visit www.ifma.org/about_ifma/ifma_fellows.cfm.

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) now has a new floor area measurement standard. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) recently approved and published “E1836-08: Building Floor Area Measurements for Facility Management,” a standard that provides a definitive procedure for facility managers to use when measuring and classifying floor area in buildings. 

The standard provides a simple, step by step procedure to measure floor area that makes it easier and faster to determine how much floor area is available for space planning. It includes measurement rules for floor areas in text form and an easy to read matrix. ASTM-E1836-08 should be used in tandem with “E2619-08: Measuring and Calculating Building Loss Features that Take up Floor Area in Buildings,” which allows users to determine the amount of floor area that is rendered unusable for occupants or core business functions by specific physical elements of the building. 

Essential for allocating and charging back space, IFMA’s new standard can be applied to space planning, strategic facility planning, and specifying occupant requirements. It enables owner-occupiers and tenants to perform space planning activities and charge back business units for the amount of space they occupy.

This new standard provides a common measurement to allow collaboration between The Building Owners and Managers Association International (BOMA) and IFMA standards, eliminating the overlap of terms between the two organizations.

“This standard is positioned well for the future. It is the first time two standards have been put in alignment,” said Lynne Blair, president of LY Blair & Associates and chair of the IFMA Standards Committee. “Using this standard, we can share data more easily than ever before. The new standard allows for the reduction of costs by facility managers and building owners and helps transfer data between departments in an organization, which had previously been a stumbling block.”

Hundreds of facility professionals from across the globe eager to broaden their skills and work toward professional designations will meet in Dallas for the International Facility Management Association’s 2008 Fall Symposium, Oct. 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Held on the eve of the World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo, Fall Symposium is a collection of nine competency courses that will help built environment professionals expand their knowledge in critical areas of facility management.

New to the Fall Symposium lineup this year will be “Making the FM Case for Sustainability” and the “Emergency Preparedness Workshop.” They will join other competency courses fundamental to Certified Facility Manager® (CFM) and Facility Management Professional (FMP) credential candidates, including sessions on real estate; finance; operations and maintenance; planning and project management; and leadership and management.

Fall Symposium will also offer CFM candidates a two day review course, Oct. 13-14, and FMP candidates a four day introduction to the business of facility management—the first course in the FMP curriculum—Oct. 11-14. All courses offer continuing education units to apply toward professional designations beyond those offered by IFMA.

IFMA’s new “Making the FM Case for Sustainability” course is designed to assist facility professionals in the planning and implementation of their sustainability programs. Participants will learn how to develop strategies for leading sustainable change; incorporate sustainability goals into the procurement of FM products and services; and identify appropriate metrics for measuring results. Kit Tuveson, CFM, IFMA Fellow, and president of Tuveson & Associates in California, a facility management consultancy company, will lead the presentation.

“Facility managers who are facing the prospect of establishing a sustainability program are looking to find the tools and exercises needed to create a plan of action to confidently achieve their objectives,” said Tuveson. “This new course is designed to complement the traditional core competencies of the profession and help facility managers understand their leadership role, assess their organization’s level of sustainability readiness, and create a personal action plan for moving forward.”

Fall Symposium’s “Emergency Preparedness Workshop,” which debuted in 2001, is one of the association’s most sought-after courses. Recently updated and expanded, the workshop will assist professionals in assessing their facility’s potential internal and external risk factors and developing a disaster preparedness and recovery plan. Eduardo Valdes, president of World Class Solutions Group, a consulting company specializing in workplace safety, will lead the workshop.

The International Facility Management Association recently announced that Capt. Walter L. Miller, FMP, of the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology has become the first Air Force member to hold the association’s facility management professional credential.

Miller is a course director at AFIT’s Civil Engineer and Services School. He holds a Master of Science degree in facility management from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Miller has been deployed to Qatar and Iraq and stationed in Japan. He holds several military decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

“One of the biggest reasons people pursue credentials is to have credibility, and the FMP provides that,” said Miller. “Pursuing a credential is not something to be feared. I think it opens doors. It shows that you’re serious about what you’re doing. People come in and say ‘Hey, who are you?’ and having the FMP helps provide a credible response to that.”

Miller’s receipt of the FMP designation comes after the Air Force issued a policy last year adding IFMA’s Certified Facility Manager® credential to its Group A Professional Credential Level and offering 100% reimbursement for expenses required to maintain it. Members of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Coast Guard also hold the FMP.

IFMA’s Facility Management Professional designation is a knowledge based credential demonstrating a proven comprehension of the basics of facility management. A springboard for obtaining IFMA’s CFM® designation, the FMP helps accelerate a new facility manager’s transition into the profession.

The International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace 2008 Conference & Expo, held October 15-17 in Dallas will bring facility professionals together with students looking to break into the industry to focus on the future of the built environment. Students from facility management programs around the world will present their own original projects and research during the IFMA Foundation’s second annual ePoster competition. The foundation will also present more than $90,000 in scholarships to 28 students whose efforts are already making an impact on the profession.

The World Workplace ePoster competition provides an international stage for students in IFMA Foundation Recognized Degree Program schools and other institutions offering FM related educational programs to present original work in the field of facility management.

An ePoster presentation is a visual summary of a recent research or work project, consisting of a PowerPoint or other electronic display combined with an interactive two minute question and answer period. Student ePoster submittals will be displayed October 16 on the expo floor, with the winning ePosters being selected by an international panel of judges.

Students representing institutions such as Brigham Young University, the University of Teesside in the U.K., and the University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein, Austria, will travel to World Workplace to present their projects. The winning ePoster author(s) will receive a $1,500 expense allowance toward attending the 2009 European Facility Management Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Last year’s winners included students from BYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, Germany.

Because supporting deserving students helps to ensure the quality of the built environment in a changing world, the IFMA Foundation will also present a record dollar amount in scholarships at this year’s conference. The foundation will be giving out nearly $20,000 more in scholarships than it did last year and more than twice what it gave out in 2005.

Fifty-four graduate and undergraduate students representing 22 schools applied for the scholarships, which are awarded based on merit to students pursuing degrees in facility management or a related field. Scholarships provided by the IFMA Foundation start at $1,500 and include an allocation for the recipient to attend World Workplace.

“I heard about the scholarship through a peer at Cornell studying the same program as me, facilities planning and management — and I ended up winning,” said Anne Marie Oswald, who won the Barbara Pryor Scholarship at last year’s conference and is applying for a scholarship again this year. “The trip to World Workplace 2007 was an amazing experience for me. It would be great to win the scholarship again and reunite with my peers who are heading to Dallas.”

IFMA’s World Workplace Conference & Expo is an annual three day educational and networking event focused on the future of the built environment. Building on the professional development opportunities available through the association year round, the World Workplace experience includes a conference focused entirely on education and an exposition incorporating product demonstration and instruction.

Companies are offering employees a wider range of amenities than in years past, according to results from a recent International Facility Management Association study. When compared to similar data from 2004,the most common amenities are still break rooms and coffee bars, but employers are increasingly providing Internetcafés , outdoor recreation areas, and employee health facilities as well, according to the report,”Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs.”

While previous IFMA studies have shown employee workspace size decreasing—middle manager office space, for example, has shrunk from an average of 151 square feet in 1994 to 121 in 2007, a decline of nearly 20%—the variety of amenities being offered is on the rise. This increase in employee amenity options could be attributed to companies wanting to attract and retain the best employees while compensating for reduced workspace size.

“As companies reduce personal workspace, employees place greater importance on in-house amenities that simplify and enrich their work day, such as lunch-hour yoga at the company fitness center,” said AngieEarlywine, workplace strategist for HOK Advance Strategies. “Employees benefit from feeling refreshed and relaxed as they return to the remainder of their day, and employers benefit from the increase in afternoon productivity.”

Headquarter and educational facilities are the most likely to offer the majority of
employee amenities, according to the report, and while some amenities are being offered by fewer companies than in 2004, the emergence of new alternatives is pronounced. Multi-purpose space, for example, has become a popular feature, being offered by 35% of survey respondents. Other popular amenity options found by the new study include exercise parks, cot rooms, and nursing/lactation areas.

Based on a survey of 1,032 facility professionals from across North America, the
new report covers a variety of costs associated with employee amenities. The costs are broken down by industry, facility type, and geographic region. Companies on the West Coast, for example, annually spend an average of 30 cents per square foot to operate and maintain amenities, while those in the Midwest spend only 4 cents.

IFMA annually conducts a benchmarking survey of its members in an effort to
collect data that allows for easy comparisons of built environment costs and practices. These reports allow facility professionals to gauge their performance against similar facilities—whether in the same industry or a different one. This year’s report includes data from more than 1,000 facilities and isIFMA’s largest benchmarking study to date, with many survey respondents supplying information from multiple facilities.

To learn more about the “Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs” survey results and methodology, or to order a copy of the report, visit www.ifma.org/tools/research/benchmarks_v.cfm.

What amenities have you added to your facility in the recent year? What are employees looking for when it comes to amenities? Post a comment below and share your thoughts with other facility managers.

Led by a dramatic increase in utility costs, the overall cost of running a facility is 10% higher than it was just four years ago, according to results from a recent International Facility Management Association (IFMA) research report. The study, Benchmarks V: Annual Facility Costs, shows that utility costs, which include electricity, gasoline, fuel oil, steam water, and sewage, have jumped 19% compared to similar data from 2006.

While the increase in utility costs may come as no surprise to some, it is happening at a time when energy consumption is down. When compared to IFMA's 2006 benchmarking figures, average electricity consumption, measured in kBTUs per square foot, has dropped from 93 to 81, while gas consumption has remained constant at 35 kBTUs per square foot. This decrease in energy usage could be attributed to companies implementing energy conservation practices, lighting improvements, and equipment upgrades at their facilities.

''In recent years, many organizations have invested in their electrical and mechanical systems to make them more energy efficient,'' said IFMA Associate Director of Research Shari Epstein. ''Performing simple measures such as installing occupancy sensors, adjusting heating and air conditioning controls, and performing preventive maintenance checks to keep equipment running efficiently can make a measurable impact in reducing energy consumption.''

Based on a survey of 1,032 facility professionals from across North America, the new report covers a variety of costs, including lease, maintenance, housekeeping, security, environmental, recycling, waste disposal, and space planning. The costs are on an annual basis and are displayed as dollars per square foot. Many of the costs are further broken down by industry, facility type, and geographic region.

This year’s report reveals that expenses associated with environmental initiatives are also starting to increase. For example, the cost of recycling has doubled in the past four years. While facility managers today are spending an average of four cents per square foot on recycling, they were spending two cents per square foot in 2004, according to a previous IFMA benchmarking study.

''In years past, organizations could generate a little income from recycling paper, cans, and cardboard materials,'' Epstein said. ''With the current emphasis on sustainability, more organizations are stepping up their recycling efforts even though it comes at an increased operational cost.''

IFMA annually conducts a benchmarking survey of its members in an effort to collect data that allows for easy comparisons of built environment costs and practices. These reports allow facility professionals to gauge their performance against similar facilities, whether in the same industry or a different one. This year’s report includes data from more than 1,000 facilities and is IFMA’s largest benchmarking study to date, with many survey respondents supplying information from multiple facilities.

The International Facility Management Association and the Building Owners and Managers Association International have published A Unified Approach to Measuring Office Space, a report outlining common definitions for floor area measurements as well as major revisions to IFMA and BOMA’s respective area measurement standards. These common definitions will be incorporated into the standards supported by each organization, with the primary goal being to clarify building measurement and industry comparisons based on floor area measurements.

Currently, IFMA recognizes The ASTM Standard Classification for Building Floor Area Measurements for Facility Management, while BOMA supports The ANSI/BOMA Standard Method for Measuring Floor Area in Office Buildings. Together, the two standards form the foundation for benchmarking and best practice. They are commonly used by facility professionals and building owners and managers to measure floor area in office buildings.

IFMA and BOMA appointed a working group comprised of key members of both organizations to develop these common definitions. The professionals included had extensive experience in floor measurement issues.

Their mandate was to develop commonly agreed upon definitions to be contained in each floor measurement standard as well as commentaries with parallel definitions that elaborate on the floor area measurement process. The definitions and commentaries are available in the new joint publication, and are meant to be uniform and easily understood by non-technical readers.

“We’ve known that the members of our community need a common communication protocol. They need one set of measurements and one methodology,” said Lynne Blair, IFMA chair of the working group and president of LY Blair Associates in Ottawa. “It’s important to help them save time, effort and money, and with this new unified approach, we can do that.”

“The major benefit of this publication is that it establishes common terms and approaches for measurement that each organization will use as they revise their respective standards,” said Kent C. Gibson, CPM, BOMA chair of the working group and vice president of Zions Securities Corporation in Salt Lake City. “This allows both organizations to be consistent in going forward in the development of their standards. Part of the foundation has been laid.”

A Unified Approach to Measuring Office Space is currently being offered by IFMA and BOMA.

For those looking to break into the facility management profession, there’s no better time than now. An International Facility Management Association (IFMA) salary survey shows that the facility management industry is experiencing an aging workforce and a jump in salaries for those entering the field, factors that bode well for the up-and-coming facility manager.

The Profiles 2007 Salary Report, based on a survey of 4,600 facility professionals, showed that the base salary for those with less than four years experience rose nearly 13% since the previous salary report, from $56,000 in 2004 to $63,000 in 2007. This, combined with the fact that the median age of facility managers continues to rise — from 47 in 2004 to 49 this year — points to a workforce that is moving toward retirement and in need of young professionals.

“To enter this field and potentially be looking at a $63,000 salary speaks volumes about the value of the industry and what it can offer younger professionals,” said IFMA Associate Director of Research Shari Epstein. “Facility management is a growing field, yet there aren’t enough young workers to fill in for the larger group of facility managers who plan to retire in the next few years. This is good news for those considering entering the profession, as starting salaries are beginning to rise significantly.”

The age gap outlined in the report is striking. Workers 45 or older increased from 62% in 2004 to 68% this year, with those 55 and older increasing from 20% to 25% during the same period.

While the average age of facility managers is on the rise, the number of young workers entering the field is on the decline. Workers 35 to 44 years old decreased from 30% in 2004 to 25 percent in 2007, with the number of workers younger than 35 also declining, from 9% to 7%. Only 2% of facility managers surveyed were 29 or younger. The number of workers whose first job was in facility management, however, grew from 5% in 2004 to 7% in 2007.

Though the number of young workers is declining, the majority of young people in the field are women. Eleven percent of female survey respondents were younger than 35 years old, compared to only 6% of their male counterparts. Similarly, 28% of women surveyed were 35 to 44 years old, as opposed to 24% of men.

As the workforce ages, younger workers are enjoying increased salaries, but they aren’t alone. While the data suggest substantial diversity in survey respondents, a typical facility management practitioner reported a total compensation of $86,000 in 2007, an increase from $77,505 in 2004.

As with previous surveys, education level and the Certified Facility Manager (CFM) designation also have a large impact on compensation. Survey respondents with a master’s degree or higher reported earning an average base pay of $96,750, up from $87,000 in 2004. Those with a bachelor’s degree reported a base pay of $82,000, an increase from $75,000 in 2004.

Similarly, facility managers with the CFM designation reported earning $14,000 more per year than their counterparts without the designation. Those with the CFM designation reported a base pay of $92,000 in 2007, up from $79,450 in 2004.

Additional analysis of the salary data showed that each year a facility manager spent in the field added $779 to the individual’s salary. The number of years an individual spent with their current employer had a lesser impact on salary, adding $362 per year.

Geographic location also played a role in compensation. Those living on the West Coast reported earning on average $13,107 more than their counterparts, while those on the East Coast reported earning an average of $6,297 more.

For the complete 64-page document, contact the IFMA Bookstore at (713) 623-4362.