The First Facility Management Blog

In a nod to IFMA’s own facility management Awards of Excellence — presented each year at the association’s World Workplace conference — Global FM has developed an awards program of its own it will be debuting this year at World FM Day on June 24.

The Global FM Awards for Excellence in Facilities Management 2010 will recognize efforts by individuals and groups in the facility management industry who have made a positive contribution to the knowledge, practical application and communication of strategies to improve the built environment.

What makes these awards unique is that they are open to, among others, Global FM member organizations from countries that do not currently have awards programs of their own.

For general information about the awards process itself and a more detailed list of rules, click here. To download the submission form for the awards program, click here.

The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce it has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® program to help facility professionals improve building performance through energy conservation.

The IFMA Energy Challenge: ENERGY STAR encourages all facility professionals to track their progress as they work toward a goal of reducing their organization’s measured facility energy use by 15%. IFMA has created a master account within the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and asks facility professionals to create their own accounts, add information about their facilities, and share that information with IFMA.

By measuring facility performance in a consistent manner, benchmarking energy and utility use, and sharing and implementing efficiency measures and best practices, ENERGY STAR can help organizations save money; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; improve facility performance; and qualify for tax incentives and rebates. In 2008 alone, Americans saved $19 billion on their utility bills with the help of ENERGY STAR.

“EPA is very excited to work with IFMA as it rolls out its energy challenge. We applaud the association for calling on its members to achieve an aggressive energy reduction target and promoting the value of benchmarking as a key component of successful energy management,” said Alyssa Quarforth, program manager for ENERGY STAR, Commercial Properties. “We have found that association-based initiatives such as IFMA’s can drive significant energy improvements across commercial buildings, while also promoting increased awareness of ENERGY STAR and the value of strategic energy management.”

Facility professionals interested in tracking and reducing their buildings’ energy use are encouraged to download the IFMA Foundation’s free “Sustainability How-to Guide: EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager” publication here for step-by-step instructions and tips on how to create their own account and share their information with IFMA and others. IFMA will not publicize the organization names of those who submit information, only relevant benchmarking data.

Additionally, IFMA’s upcoming Facility Fusion conference — held in Philadelphia April 13-15 — will feature the educational session “Measuring Energy Consumption: IFMA’s ENERGY STAR Initiative” on April 15. Presented by representatives from FEA and CFM2: Conley Facility Management, the session will explore how incorporating energy management and other sustainable facility practices can save money and improve overall facility performance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) as a 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For the second consecutive year, K-C will be recognized for its energy management practices and commitment to sustainable operations, resulting in significant energy and financial savings. K-C will be recognized at the ENERGY STAR awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 18.

Kimberly-Clark is being honored for its continued focus on achieving its energy efficiency targets for its manufacturing processes as well as its energy conservation goals for all of its facilities. As part of its environmental vision 2010 program, K-C estimates that it has improved its worldwide energy efficiency by 4.4% since 2005. The company’s energy efficiency initiative continues to generate ongoing cost savings while further driving K-C’s long-term sustainability strategy.

“Kimberly-Clark is leading the fight against climate change through greater energy efficiency,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. ”Kimberly-Clark’s robust energy management program is a model for others and affirms that energy efficiency is our most cost-effective climate strategy.”

In choosing Kimberly-Clark as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, EPA specifically recognized the company’s approach to energy management, which is an integral part of K-C’s long-term strategy. In addition to its thorough tracking process of energy usage at its facilities, the company influences its supply chain to address imbedded energy costs in their operations. KC continues to invest in energy improvement projects including combined heat and power systems, landfill gas and biomass to power manufacturing sites and offices. The company also continued to launch energy and other sustainability awareness campaigns to further engage its employees worldwide.

“Earning the EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year is a testament to our ongoing commitment to sustainable energy management practices throughout every aspect of our business,” said Suhas Apte, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Kimberly-Clark. “Our partnership with ENERGY STAR allows us to collaborate on important issues and improve our environmental stewardship through energy efficiency, which is a critical component of K-C’s sustainability strategy and long-term growth plans.”

Kimberly-Clark has been a member of the ENERGY STAR program since 2007 and was originally recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2009. In addition, K-C is also involved in EPA’s Climate Leaders, Green Power Partnership, Landfill Methane Outreach Program and SmartWay programs.

The ENERGY STAR award follows K-C’s recent number one ranking on EPA’s list of On-site Green Power Users as well as its top 20 ranking on the organization’s National Green Power Purchasers list. In addition, K-C received its third consecutive Environmental Excellence award from EPA’s SmartWay Transportation Partnership for leadership in reducing greenhouse gases and conserving energy.

In recent years, IFMA has assembled panels of facility experts — representing the profession’s industry sectors and constituencies — with the goal of identifying and discussing trends impacting facility management.

EuroFM recently released its FM Futures Report, sponsored by IFMA. The document was created through multiple industry workshops throughout Europe, in locations including Helsinki, Finland; Manchester, England; and Zurich, Switzerland. Panels of European academics and FM practitioners gathered with the goal of developing a vision for the future of facility management.

This report, along with other forecasting reports from past years, is now available for free download on the IFMA Web site.

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has formed the Casino and Gaming Facilities Community, a new community of practice for those who manage facilities in the casino and gaming industry. IFMA’s communities of practice are organized special interest groups that unite members of specific industries not represented by the association’s councils.

The new community will provide a network for gaming facility professionals to connect with one another and share resources through webinars, roundtables, benchmarking studies, and other continuing education opportunities.

“Over the past decade, the gaming and entertainment industry has shed its stigma and become a mainstream business. From mega resorts in Las Vegas and Macau, to riverboats across the United States, there are millions of square feet under the management of some very qualified facility professionals,” said Richard Emmons, CFM, CFMJ, senior director of corporate facilities for Isle of Capri Casinos. “The new Casino and Gaming Facilities Community will present excellent networking opportunities and provide gaming facility professionals with resources that may not have been previously available to them.”

The new community will hold an introductory webinar entitled “Casino/Gaming Roundtable: What Keeps you up at Night?” on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. EST. The webinar will focus on 24/7 casino operations, food and hospitality services, HVAC, smoking, odor control, and power loss and deregulation. Representatives from Cherokee Nation Enterprises, Edgewater Casino, Isle of Capri Casinos, PCI Gaming, Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise and others will moderate the discussion. Participation is free and open to anyone, regardless of IFMA membership.

The International Facility Management Association has combined its 2010 spring events into one conference offering facility professionals a fusion of new ideas, best practices, and leadership and management training. IFMA Facility Fusion will help built environment professionals recharge their careers through instructor-led educational programming; an expo showcasing the latest products and services; cutting-edge facility tours; and other professional development opportunities.

Held April 13-15, 2010, in Philadelphia, Pa., at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Facility Fusion will feature an Energy Forum hosted by a panel of government experts; three industry-leading power speakers; and an opportunity for attendees to meet new IFMA President and CEO Tony Keane, CAE.

Facility Fusion kicks off with an Energy Forum on Tuesday, April 13, featuring a panel of authorities from federal and state government agencies. Representatives from the U.S. State Department, U.S. General Services Administration, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and the City of Philadelphia have been invited to speak. Panelists will discuss energy as it relates to federal buildings as well as carbon capture and new legislation impacting sustainability in the built environment.

“As decisions made in Washington increasingly affect the built environment, it’s critical that we routinely engage those agencies at the forefront of promoting energy efficiency and sustainable practices,” said IFMA Director of Government Relations Jeffrey Johnson. “We’re pleased to have a growing list of government members who can provide perspective on the current administration’s approach to energy policy, how it’s affecting their agency and what effect those priorities may have on the private sector.”

The first day will also feature educational sessions highlighting sustainability case studies, resource conservation best practices and more. Representatives from the City of Orlando, Green Building Services and Texas A&M University’s Health Science Center will present. Conference attendees will get to meet Keane, who will address the audience during lunch on the first day and share his vision for IFMA in 2010 and beyond.

Day two of Facility Fusion, Wednesday, April 14, will begin with a presentation from power speaker William Rodgers Jr., president and CEO of GoodCents and former president and CEO of EMCOR Facilities Services. Rodgers will present “How to Make the Case to the C-Suite,” a presentation in which he teaches facility professionals how to develop clear sustainability initiatives and programs and then sell them to upper management.

The conference’s second day will include educational sessions on strategic portfolio management, environmental responsibility and reducing corporate food service costs. Representatives from Harrah’s Entertainment, SCAN Health Plan and the University of Reading will present. Additionally, day two will offer tours of local Philadelphia facilities including the state-of-the-art ARAMARK Innovation Center in Philadelphia’s Wanamaker Building; the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the largest museums in the U.S.; the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the leading pediatric hospitals and research facilities in the world; PECO, the largest electric and natural gas utility in Pennsylvania; and the Keystone Helicopter/Sikorsky Global Helicopters facility.

The Facility Fusion expo will also debut on Wednesday and remain open until the close of the conference on Thursday. The expo will feature dozens of exhibiting companies promoting the latest workplace products and services. Companies including Bentley Prince Street, CORT, GCA Services Group, Munters and ServiceMaster Clean, among others, will be on the expo floor.

The conference will conclude on Thursday, April 15, with presentations from power speakers Jim Mathis and Sheila Brown. Mathis, an author, business consultant and president of The Mathis Group, will present “Reinventing Yourself for the New World of Work: 7 Bold Truths to Becoming a Market Leader.” His presentation will focus on responding to the recession through a market-oriented, consumer-driven business plan. Brown, an associate with Stantec consulting who helped develop Canada’s LEED® credentials, will present “Green Buildings: Trends for 2010.” She will discuss the latest energy, environmental and sustainability issues impacting the built environment and provide tips for making the business case for green building operations.

The final day of Facility Fusion will also include a variety of educational sessions covering topics such as strategic facility planning, ENERGY STAR® utilization and organizational cost savings. Representatives from ARAMARK, Facilities Solutions Group, Pacific Building Care and State Farm Insurance will present.

Those interested in attending Facility Fusion may register here. Members of the media may register for the event at no cost by e-mailing communications@ifma.org.

To learn more about the IFMA Facility Fusion conference and expo, or to learn about the Certified Facility Manager® and Facility Management Professional courses being offered in conjunction with the event, visit www.ifmafacilityfusion.org.

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,000 members in 60 countries. The association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the association’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.

The International Facility Management Association has released its sixth annual FM Resource Guide, a comprehensive, easy-to-use listing of hundreds of facility-related companies, products and services organized by region and category.

The new publication also provides an overview of the benefits and opportunities available to association members.

“This guide can help today’s facility professionals further their careers with information on certification, professional development, networking and even social media,” said Kim Coffey, IFMA corporate connections representative. “We’ve surveyed our members to make sure we’re meeting their needs, and we feel this year’s guide will not only help them, but also vendors and advertisers who want to reach out to them in a very targeted way.”

To view the guide, or to learn more about advertising in the 2011 FM Resource Guide, click here. IFMA membership is required to view the guide.

The IFMA Foundation is pleased to announce the publication of the first “North American Facility Management Degree Program Guide.” The new guide provides a listing of all known facility management programs in North America.

Its purpose is to help educational institutions develop standards for facility management curricula and the details of the course of study. It also serves as a reference for students, educators, and professionals interested in facility management higher education degree programs.

“This career choice prepares students for jobs managing the built environment with consequent opportunities to have a significant impact on sustainability in buildings, which are major consumers of energy,” said IFMA Foundation Director of Academic Affairs Charles Claar, CFM, CFMJ, P.E.

For a free copy of the “North American Facility Management Degree Program Guide,” send an e-mail to tfm@groupc.com with the words “IFMA Foundation Education Guide” in the subject line of your e-mail.

While much of the last decade had all of us focused on shiny new green buildings as the silver bullet for the many environmental challenges in the built environment, the virtual collapse of new development has helped the industry to refocus on the real solution: greening existing buildings. (Submitted by www.greenbuildingservices.com)

10. Existing building sustainability focus
While much of the last decade had all of us focused on shiny new green buildings as the silver bullet for the many environmental challenges in the built environment, the virtual collapse of new development has helped the industry to refocus on the real solution: greening existing buildings. There are many strategies one can employ to green existing buildings, but the most recent upgrade to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance is like your one stop shop for all things to green operations and maintenance. Implementation of building audits, ENERGY STAR® benchmarking, retro-commissioning as well as policies and practices will not only green your building, but may just lead to the greening of your entire organization.

9. Visibility of building performance data
From building owners and facility managers to occupants and visitors, information is power. In this information age we expect building owners and facility managers to continue to integrate systems that provide detailed information on building performance. Seizing scale-appropriate information is key—from building portfolio tracking, whole building performance, down to the individual occupant or receptacle, real change will come when the data is in clear view. Captured data and analysis will be leveraged to change behavior, make important capital expenditure decisions and inform building certification.

8. Occupant engagement and behavioral change
To bring about the kind of dramatic energy reductions we have to make in the next decade, occupants have to be engaged early in the design process, trained on how to occupy and operate the building and provided with detailed feedback on their own resource use within the building. Remarkably, building users are often completely left out of the process and treated as an unknown. The next generation of buildings will fully engage these agents of change in the fulfillment of low energy design and operation of buildings.

7. Training and education
Increasingly rigorous regulations, growing political support, a variety of incentives, and consumer preferences create opportunity for professionals and companies with demonstrated green building and LEED knowledge and expertise. Cities like Washington D.C., now require energy reporting for commercial buildings, countries like Germany have outlawed air conditioning for certain building types, property management companies are certifying buildings in bulk, the LEED 2009 certification and professional programs are out and underway…there’s no time to stop and certainly no time to look back. Training and education is a key strategy to help organizations and individuals tackle the question, “How do I fit in green building and LEED?” Professionals distinguished by their breadth and depth of applied experience in green building and LEED have “been there” and can facilitate your transition from awareness creation to a discipline-specific ability to analyze and execute.

6. Green leasing
Owners and tenants can forge partnerships and come away with a win-win scenario with thoughtful approaches to green leasing. For both tenants and landlords who are interested in green measures for the space, education and relationship building facilitates making green building and operations part of the lease. Developing a more collaborative relationship, the stage is set to make additions to the lease in the areas of indoor air quality, energy use, water use, recycling, carbon credits, tenant-build out and green cleaning that will provide an incentive for the tenant and the landlord. The result is a more efficient building with less impactful operations. Often an afterthought in many green buildings, establishing this clear and detailed legal agreement ensures that green approaches are followed by the parties involved.

5. Building codes close in on LEED
With LEED certification becoming a more feasible and even expected outcome of new construction projects, government bodies are implementing code requirements that closely match the expectations of the LEED framework. Many of our projects that targeted LEED Silver and achieved LEED Platinum, due both to the tremendous efforts of the project teams as well as advances in the building industry. Organizations that develop model codes, such as the International Codes Council and others are raising code requirements to help address energy and environmental issues. These sorts of changes in 2010 will continue to push the USGBC to expand their reach and modify their frameworks at the lower certification levels and beyond their Platinum rating as well as ensure a higher level of accountability.

4. International expansion of green building
With the growth of green building councils across the globe, the USGBC emphasizing international expansion, and the increase of international firsts in the second half of 2009, we are at the cusp of a wave of international projects going through certification. As more and more countries develop LEED and LEED-like standards, there continues to be a growing need to translate green building standards and requirements into country-specific approaches that are relevant and appropriate.

3. Manufacturers and the supply chain retool for the green economy
Vendors continue to work to differentiate themselves from the increasing green noise among their peers. All one needs to do is walk the exhibition floor at a green conference to hear the emphasis vendors are placing on products with green, sustainable and LEED characteristics. Through their internal practices and products, manufacturers will continue to push the market forward with their commitment to green, authentic or not. Greening the supply chain will require significant effort. Organizations such as The Natural Step provides programs and business case studies that help businesses successfully integrate sustainability into their organization.

2. Green building goes to scale
Eco-efficiency at scale will continue to be a hurdle for city planners. The European “eco-district” approach to a unified community of buildings is gaining traction in the U.S.  Portland’s Eco-districts program forges a new model for infrastructure, policy, and governance.  In the same vein, the world will learn many lessons from the BC’s Olympic Village (eco-district) this winter. LEED ND hits the streets! With the official rating system being released by the USGBC, this exciting standard applies to new master planned development, infill projects and existing communities…just in time for the projected upswing in green development projected for the coming years.

1. Living Building Challenge, version 2.0
Nothing could be more exciting to us than the vision outlined in the new version of the Living Building Challenge. This Visionary Path to a Restorative Future outlines 20 Imperatives (rather than Prerequisites) under the now seven Petals of the Challenge.  Each Petal outlines the Intent, or why we should focus on these issues and revised Ideal Conditions and Current Limitations, which help us to envision an ideal built environment and describes the barriers to getting there. The former prerequisites have been updated, and in some cases combined or renamed, while others have been added to complete the standard and make it more all-encompassing. New elements include: Urban Agriculture, providing food production on-site; and Car Free Living, developing diverse mixed-use buildings and neighborhoods that support alternative transportation options. New Petals of Health and Equity add the Imperatives of Biophilia, integrating natural elements and forms into projects; Human Scale + Humane Places, places designed for people rather than automobiles; Democracy + Social Justice, moving away from gated communities, providing affordable housing and universal accessibility; and, Rights to Nature including access to Fresh Air (imagine that), Sunlight (ibid), and public access to Natural Waterways. At least four projects are slated to certify this year, with over 70 in design or construction.

The City & Country Clubs Council of the International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce its partnership with the Club Managers Association of America, a professional association of nearly 7,000 managers of city, country, golf, yacht and athletic clubs. The partnership strengthens an established relationship between the organizations in which IFMA provides educational resources and certification to CMAA members responsible for overall operational maintenance and the implementation of capital requirements at their clubs.

As part of this partnership, CMAA will recognize all IFMA facility management educational courses that fulfill the related requirements of its own Certified Club Manager credential. Additionally, the organizations plan to confront shared issues facing the club management industry through joint webinars, research collaborations, networking and outreach opportunities, and presentations at each organization’s respective conferences.

“With support from CMAA’s members, there’s no doubt that the City & Country Clubs Council of IFMA can improve the performance of the professionals who oversee each club’s facilities, ultimately enhancing each club member’s experience,” said Steven G. Ballard, project manager at The Country Club in Massachusetts and president of the City & Country Clubs Council of IFMA. “No matter who is responsible for the operation and maintenance of facilities, there’s a great deal to be gained by utilizing the proper information in order to make the best decision on behalf of the club and its membership.”

For more information about the City & Country Clubs Council of IFMA, contact Council Development Specialist Kari Stein at 713-623-4362 or kari.stein@ifma.org, or visit www.ifma-clubs.org. To learn more about CMAA, go to www.cmaa.org.

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,000 members in 60 countries. The association’s members, represented in 125 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the association’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.