The First Facility Management Blog

Older adults are more vulnerable to a number of risks including fire, either at home or in assisted living facilities such as nursing homes. In a recent nationwide survey conducted by the Society for Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), Americans correctly identified adults age 65 and older as the most at-risk group.

Thirty-nine percent of Americans named older adults as the most at risk of fire danger, while 26% of respondents indicated that infants and toddlers were most at risk. At the same time, 63% of Americans stated they think about fire less than once a year.

“I’m not surprised that Americans recognize the increased risk of fire to older adults. People with limited physical and cognitive abilities, especially older adults, are at a higher risk of death from fire than other groups,” says Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager at SFPE, and a scheduled speaker at The TFM Forum this coming April. “At the same time, it’s dismaying that most people don’t think about fire even once a year when over 3,000 people die each year as a result of fire. Without a doubt, the public does not fully understand the enormity and seriousness of the fire problem.”

While fire is a noteworthy risk for people of all ages, federal government statistics cite older adults to be almost twice as likely to die in a fire as compared to the rest of the population. Older adults are more likely to suffer from reduced sensory abilities and mental capacities as well as physical disabilities. Moreover, medical devices, cooking equipment, and electrical products can pose serious fire risks to older adults.

There are numerous ways that fire protection engineers play an essential role in designing safe facilities that house aging populations. For example, they analyze how buildings are used, how fires start, how fires grow, and how fire and smoke affects people, buildings, and property.  Additionally, they use technology to:

• Design systems that control fires, alert people to danger and provide means for escape
• Evaluate buildings to pinpoint the risks of fires and the means to prevent them
• Conduct fire safety research on consumer products and construction materials
• Investigate fires to discover how fire spreads, why protective measures failed, and how those measures could have been designed more effectively

The Society seeks to increase the public’s awareness of how science and technology is used to protect people from fire.  “Whether they live in a small house or a large assisted living facility, it’s critically important to take the time to evaluate your loved ones fire risks and ensure the best technology is available to protect them from fire, “ said Jelenewicz. “Their life may depend on it.”

The survey, commissioned by the SFPE and conducted in January 2010 by Synovate, polled more than 1,000 American adults. The findings have a margin of error of +/- 3%.

Tips On Fire And Elderly Populations

As part of National Engineers Week, February 14-20, SFPE published a list of ways that fire protection engineers enhance the safety of public and private buildings and what American should look for in their loved ones living facilities.

Fire protection engineers use science and technology to protect our aging population from fire. Fire protection engineers enhance the safety of facilities that house the elder by designing:

• Active Fire Protection Systems: Fire protection engineers design active fire protection systems such as fire detection systems, sprinkler systems, notification systems, and means of egress systems. These systems detect fires, control fires, alert people to danger, and provide means for escape.
• Passive Fire Protection Systems: Fire protection engineers design passive fire protection such as fire barriers, smoke barriers, and fire doors that block the spread of smoke and fire in a building. In an assisted living facility, passive systems also provide an area of refuge for people who are not mobile.
• Testing and Maintenance Programs for Fire Protection Equipment: Once fire protection systems are designed and installed in a building, the facility must should an inspection, maintenance, and testing program for these systems. Records for all testing, maintenance, and inspection activities should be available at all times.
• Emergency Planning: Every assisted living facility should have a documented emergency plan that addresses the many types of emergencies that can occur including fire. This plan should include an evacuation plan and a plan for exit drills. Exit drills are necessary so that occupants will know how to make an efficient and orderly escape. Moreover, the plan should be coordinated with the local fire department. All staff should receive periodic training and understand their responsibilities in implementing the emergency plan.

Earlier this month, Procter & Gamble Professional® released the findings of its “Cleaning in a Down Economy” survey, which revealed that 85% of surveyed cleaning professionals have adopted a “doing more with less” approach in response to current economic conditions. P&G Professional launched the survey to gauge how decision makers managing in-house or contract cleaning services in the health care, education, retail, commercial, foodservice, and hospitality industries have reacted, and adapted, to recent business conditions.

The findings point out that cleaning service managers have often had to tackle the same amount of labor with fewer employees, placing increased demands on staff productivity and cleaning efficiency. Many managers have been forced to streamline operations, with 76% reporting being under pressure from upper management to keep operating costs down over the last six months.

To address these demands, nearly nine in 10 respondents reported making cut backs, including staff reductions. While these cut backs have not been easy, 97% of the decision makers surveyed feel they have been able to effectively keep expenditures down. And more than nine in 10 respondents using this “doing more with less” approach indicated they are likely to do so even after the economy improves.

“Managers in charge of cleaning services were faced with belt tightening activities at the same time as the H1N1 outbreak,” said Matt Koloseike, customer development manager, P&G Professional. “To meet this challenge and ensure the effectiveness of their cleaning program, decision makers maximized efficiencies across the entire breadth of their operations, including getting more out of their staff and the products they purchased. We found the past year has opened a lot of cleaning professionals’ eyes to the efficiency benefits of simplified cleaning routines and effective, multipurpose products—both of which are core components of the cleaning solutions, and philosophy, that P&G Professional brings to its customers.”

When it comes to increasing efficiency and delivering cost savings, the importance of product selection was particularly noted, with 22% of respondents highlighting “products that get the job done right the first time” as most helpful when it comes to performing their cleaning services. The survey also found that in spite of constrained resources, cleaning professionals primarily judge the value of a product based on its quality and effectiveness (56%) and versatility of use (36%) rather than its price point (5%).

Survey Highlights

• Nine out of 10 cleaning product decision makers would rather find ways to perform their services more efficiently than raise prices for their customers or clients.
• Over two in five (41%) respondents feel being as efficient as possible with current resources is what is most vital to their business right now. In fact, 35% think keeping customers happy is more critical than other fiscal matters like growing the business (10%), keeping all staff members employed (6%) or making a profit (3%).
• More than six in ten (61%) of those willing to spend more on a product would do so if it enabled employees to work faster by getting the job done the first time. Additionally, 43% would spend more if the purchased product could replace multiple cleaning products they currently use.
• Eighty-one percent of respondents do not think having more cleaning products in their arsenal will lead to getting the job done right.
• The biggest hurdle for cleaning providers who are not performing at their best is having to train staff on how to properly clean (68%). With a high staff turnover during tough economic times, this is likely to get even more difficult.

Two-thirds of school districts responding to a new “School Energy and Environment Survey” from Honeywell and Education Week Research have made spending cuts or modifications as a direct result of rising energy bills. Seventy-four percent of respondents also said their districts don’t have the money to pursue energy retrofit or renewable energy projects. These budgetary constraints and cutbacks, primarily in building maintenance and capital investment, are hurting efforts to boost efficiency and resolve schools’ long-term energy and financial concerns.

“The School Energy and Environment Survey reveals that increased energy spending is negatively impacting school districts’ investments, programming and priorities,” said Sean Herdman, the associate publisher at Education Week Research. “Spending cuts tied to rising energy costs include areas that impact instruction and the learning environment, including teacher staffing, maintenance and key capital investments.”

The online survey gathered input from more than 250 district administrators nationwide regarding energy management and environmental sustainability practices. More than half of respondents have scaled back, delayed or eliminated the possibility of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects due to the economic downturn. In addition, while 96 percent of survey respondents view energy management as important to their district’s long-term success, one-third reported that they do not have a strategic plan for managing energy consumption and costs.

“Many districts find themselves caught in a vicious cycle: deferred maintenance and upgrades mean less efficient equipment, which results in higher energy bills and ultimately leads to tighter budgets,” said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “Unless districts find solutions to address the required energy and infrastructure improvements, they’ll have to dedicate more money to utility bills, and less to teachers, supplies and other critical needs.”

Although school districts consider renewable energy sources as a potential solution, many do not have the internal resources or expertise to determine the most suitable investments for their buildings. According to the survey, 61 percent of school districts have evaluated or implemented renewable energy sources, with solar photovoltaic, wind and geothermal the most popular choices. Yet, 40 percent of these respondents said they don’t have a clear understanding of the variables that impact the economic viability of renewable technology.

“The renewable energy options that seem to be top of mind are telling,” said Jeremy Eaton, vice president of energy solutions for Honeywell Building Solutions. “Solar, wind and geothermal are the most visible, well-known technologies. However, when we analyze energy prices, resource availability, financial incentives and other factors, we see biomass thermal as having the greatest financial drivers for the education industry as a whole. And that technology is barely on people’s radar, according to the survey.”

In addition, while there is growing interest for schools to incorporate sustainability practices into their building operations and curriculum, there is a clear gap between commitment and activity. While 26 percent of districts have set goals to reduce their carbon footprints, only 7 percent have completed a greenhouse gas inventory — a necessary step in cataloging emissions and setting a baseline to gauge the impact of environmental initiatives.

When broken down by district type, the gap becomes more evident. For example, 40 percent of urban districts have made carbon reduction commitments, yet only 9 percent have completed an emissions benchmark.

“Many schools are trying to improve sustainability, but it’s difficult to make changes without having the tools to identify the main areas of concern or measure success,” Orzeske said. “The key is establishing an accurate baseline, and finding the mix of conservation measures that will deliver not only environmental benefits, but also improve the bottom line.”

Survey Methodology
In July 2009, Honeywell Building Solutions and Education Week Research conducted an online survey of Education Week Web subscribers identified as school district administrators or school board members. The survey consisted of 253 respondents from across the United States.

For detailed survey results, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

Forty-four percent of people update their resume less than once a year and nearly one-in-five haven’t updated their resume in over two years. Whether currently in an active job search or satisfied with one’s current career, Right Management recommends always keeping your resume updated. Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services.

Right Management surveyed over 1,330 people via an online poll on LinkedIn® and asked “How often do you update your resume?” The results were as follows:

• 19% - It’s been more than two years
• 25% - Maybe once a year
• 18% - Every six months
• 28% - Each time I achieve a new goal
• 7% - Once a month

“The end of the year and start of another is the perfect time for a ‘career check-up’ to put yourself in the driver’s seat of your own career,” said George Herrmann, Group Executive Vice President for the Americas at Right Management. “You never know when the perfect new opportunity might come along. Don’t wait until you need it. Keep your resume updated so you have your most important marketing tool at the ready.”

Among the study’s other interesting findings:

• Employees at large companies are more likely to regularly update their resume. Fifty-seven percent of employees said they update it as soon as a new goal is achieved, compared to only 35% at mid-sized firms.
• Professionals in Consulting and Sales roles are the most diligent at updating their resume as soon as a new goal is achieved, with at least 40% citing that they did so. Finance and IT professionals were the least proactive updating their resumes.
• Forty-eight percent of employees in the 18-24 age range said they update their resume when a new goal is achieved, while employees in the 35-54 age range were least likely to do so (24%).
• Herrmann advises that your resume is meant to catch the eye of a hiring manager. “It’s important to address the issues that a potential new manager looks at the most carefully, such as relevant skills, functional experience and accomplishments. Use this tool as a way to convey your competitive advantage and the value you bring to a prospective employer. You will have a much better chance of success.”

Herrmann recommends three best practices for updating resumes:

1. List accomplishments and proof of performance. Focus on success metrics that can be quantified or qualified whenever possible. Highlight skills and how you have used them to be successful in the past.
2. Focus on most recent experience. This is your industry and functional experience garnered mainly from the last two years. Remove information that is no longer important to your career goals.
3. Keep the format fresh. Use contemporary styles to ensure it appears current and relevant. Make sure you cover the basics with what should be included: name, contact information, objective statement, employment history, skills and experience, and educational achievements.

Right Management surveyed 1,332 professionals globally via an online poll conducted in partnership with LinkedIn®. The data was collected in November 2009.

About Right Management

Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce Transition and Outplacement. With offices in over 50 countries, Right Management partners with companies of all sizes. More than 80% of Fortune 500 companies are currently working with us to help them grow talent, reduce costs and accelerate performance.

The International Facility Management Association has released Temperature Wars: Savings vs. Comfort (available to download for free at this link: hvacsurvey2009), a new study that takes an in-depth look at the most common thermal complaints made by workers and the variety of ways facility professionals respond to them.

For many years, IFMA has surveyed facility professionals to learn the top office complaints among employees. Respondents consistently cite the temperature being too hot or too cold as the most frequent grievances they hear — surpassing high noise levels, limited space, and unpleasant odors. Recent IFMA research also shows that many facility professionals are adjusting the thermostat to higher settings in the summer and lower settings in the winter in an effort to cut energy consumption and costs.

This 2009 study identifies when most thermal complaints occur, the nature of the complaints, and the actions taken to make workers more comfortable and able to concentrate on their jobs. Not surprisingly, survey respondents again report that the most common heating, ventilating, and air conditioning complaints they receive are that the temperature is too cold (94%) or too hot (91%). Indoor air quality complaints are a distant third (25%), followed by too drafty (21%) and too noisy (16%).

Building occupants adjust to thermal comfort issues in different ways, the most common of which are through the use of personal fans (66%) or by a change in clothing (64%). Also popular with workers — though not with building management — is the use of personal heaters, which 60% of facility professionals report seeing. Many survey respondents say that personal heaters are not allowed, however, because they present a fire hazard.Other responses include using stand alone air conditioning units, blankets, and even small wading pools under the desk.

“We have people with lap blankets and fingerless gloves on,” said one respondent. “Sad, isn’t it?” [NOTE: I keep a pair of fingerless gloves in my desk drawer for just this purpose.]

When it comes to addressing occupants’ thermal complaints, 90% of facility professionals say they check the temperature in the area where the complaint was made to see if it is within standards; 87% validate that the HVAC system is working properly; and 75% adjust thermostats to provide for greater worker comfort. Less popular responses include encouraging the occupant to wear layered clothing (35%) and temporarily moving the worker to another area (4%). Others report taking a vote of all occupants in a given control zone; asking people for a budget code to charge them for additional costs associated with running units more than agreed upon parameters; or simply doing nothing.

“We sometimes say we’ll make an adjustment, but don’t,” said one respondent. “This actually seems to work.” “Usually, a prompt response saying that we are handling it is key,” said another. “Then, we follow up in a couple of hours to find out if the ‘adjustments’ made an improvement. Often, we haven’t actually physically done anything to change the temperature.”

During the summer months, survey respondents say they hear complaints that the temperature is both too hot (66%) and too cold (58%). However, 57% of facility professionals say their company does not relax the dress code during the summer to improve occupant comfort, whereas 43% say their company does. Summer “pre-cooling,” a practice in which cool outdoor air is brought into a building at night, was reported by 47% of survey respondents.

The majority of those surveyed say temperatures at their facility are centrally controlled and cannot be regulated by individual occupants (56%). Forty two percent say that temperatures in their buildings are zone controlled, allowing facility managers and sometimes occupants to adjust the thermostat, and 2% report buildings that feature individual occupant or work station temperature control.

Energy efficiency is of prime importance to facility professionals, with the vast majority of respondents saying they utilize a number of energy saving techniques. Seventy seven percent say that they have updated or replaced an HVAC system or components; 73% have verified that their building automation system is working as designed; and 52% have installed more efficient light fixtures to reflect less heat. Common responses also include modifying ductwork (27%), installing new window shades (24%) and adding window film to improve thermal properties (24%).

The survey was drafted with the assistance of several HVAC experts and taken during June and July 2009. It is based on the responses of 473 IFMA members, with a margin of error of approximately +/- 5%

A just released survey sponsored by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) and funded jointly by IREM and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR), sought to identify current and emerging legal/liability issues impacting real estate management professionals.

The survey queried IREM members in leadership positions with their organizations about legal problems confronting them and their industry colleagues, and elicited perceptions about the impact of current economic conditions on these problems. An analysis of upwards of 700 relevant cases decided over the past two years as well as related legislative and regulatory activities during the same period were also included in this independently conducted survey.

IREM president Pamela W. Monroe, CPM®, explaining the rationale for the survey, stated: “A while back, IREM members identified ‘risk management’ as one of several critical issue affecting today’s real estate management industry (others included troubled properties, sustainability, technology, workforce development, and business competition). We undertook the survey to help our members and industry colleagues’ better address proliferating risk management challenges in their business practices, thereby enhancing their performance on behalf of the owners, investors, and other constituents they serve.”

Top Concerns Now: Debt Collection, Slip and Fall Disputes, Frivolous Lawsuits
The most significant current legal problems survey respondents identified are those relating to the day-to-day business of managing properties. Debt collection is a major area of concern, with 69% of respondents stating that it was a significant source of current disputes. Among the economic factors adversely affecting debt collection activities, said respondents, are the large numbers of retailers going out of business, growing lease defaults, and increasing numbers of residential tenants losing their jobs.

“Slip and fall” accidents and frivolous lawsuits, cited by 69% and 44% of respondents, respectively, also rank as top causes of current disputes. As with debt collection, many respondents believe the economic downturn is exacerbating both types of disputes. Some suggest that the depressed economy will lead more people to try to cash in on slips and falls. Others suggest that opportunists looking for easy money target landlords in frivolous suits, hoping to cheat the system in these hard economic times. Similarly, events on a property—situations in which a landlord or manager is blamed for a crime perpetrated by a third party—which ranked right under frivolous lawsuits as a key concern, is linked strongly to the recessionary environment. Some respondents cited the lack of jobs and other adverse economic conditions as reasons for the increasing the crime rate. Others observed that as the economy continues to decline, areas that were once rarely affected (by crime) have now been hard hit.

Issues On The Horizon: Wrongful Termination and Fair Housing
When asked to predict which problems would become more significant over the short term—the next two years—survey respondents again cited debt collection, frivolous lawsuits, slips and falls and events on a property. One employment issue—wrongful termination—also is seen to be increasing in importance.

By comparison, when the respondents were asked to rank potential future issues, several fair housing issues—handicap discrimination, advertising and target marketing, familial status discrimination, and race and religious discrimination—ranked at the top of, or high on, the list.

Training Needs Identified
Survey respondents also weighed in on where additional training may be needed to deal better with key legal issues and concerns. Their responses generally track the key issues identified in other parts of the survey, with training needs in the areas of debt collection and slip-and-fall incidents topping the list. Training also is perceived to be quite important to better handle issues related to potentially libelous occurrences on properties other than slips and falls; also, employee defamation and wrongful termination, and aspects of fair housing.

Key Findings Of Case Law And Statute Analysis
Following are some top-line survey findings:

• Debt Collection: Most of the 22 cases examined were dismissed or ended with a summary judgment for the defendant. The defendant was found liable in only case.
• Slip-and-Fall: 261 cases and jury-verdict reports were analyzed. In the 185 cases in which liability was determined, the landlord or management company was found not liable 70% of the time. The finding of no liability was made before trial in 22% of all cases. And most cases (56%) in which the defendant was found not liable required a trial. This is unusual as most cases involving other premises liability issues that decided for the landlord or management company did not require trials.
• Crimes on a Property: 61 case law and jury verdict reports were examined. In the 43 cases in which liability was determined, the landlord or management company was found not liable 77% of the time, most often without a trial.
• Condition of Tenant’s Premises: Although survey respondents did not indicate a significant number of current disputes in this area, the case-law survey indicated otherwise. Some 212 relevant cases were decided over the past two years. In cases in which liability was determined, the landlord or management company was found not liable 60% of the time. Moreover, the findings of no liability were made before trail in 28% of all 212 cases. No trial was required in 73% of the cases in which the defendant was found not liable. (On a separate but related note, the most common situations giving rise to large verdicts and settlements for landlords and real estate managers arose in residential settings and involved lead-based paint, fires, and dangerous dogs.)

About IREM
The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®) is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2008. IREM has been the source for education, resources, information, and membership for real estate management professionals. An affiliate of the National Association of Realtors®, IREM is the only professional real estate management association serving both the multi-family and commercial real estate sectors. With 80 U.S. chapters, eight international chapters, and several other partnerships around the globe, IREM is an international organization that also serves as an advocate on issues affecting the real estate management industry.

The International Facility Management Association and Today’s Facility Manager are currently conducting a study regarding facilities management (FM) staffing, and feedback from active members of the profession is needed. Responses should be submitted by Monday, July 13, 2009.

This online survey will measure total FM staffing levels overall, in addition to levels by position and facility. It will also identify data pertinent to the factors that drive FM staffing, such as industry/sector, mix of space managed, outsourcing practices, employee turnover, location, total facilities and space managed.

All responses will be treated as confidential. Those who complete the survey will receive a free summary of the findings after the report has been completed.

Goals of the survey include:

• Determining the size of FM departments;
• Finding out if they are adequately staffed;
• Evaluating the impact of outsourcing on staffing levels; and
• Looking at salary increases and turnover in staffing in past year, number of vacancies.

To participate in this study, please click here.

In an online survey conducted this spring, 94% of U.S. adults said they always wash their hands after visiting a restroom. However, when asked what percentage of other people they thought washed their hands each time after using a public restroom, 99% thought that other people don’t do so each time, and almost half (48%) felt that people wash their hands less than 50% of the time after using a restroom.

The commissioned survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Tork® brand of SCA Tissue North America and drew 2,516 U.S. adult  respondents 18 or older—46% male and 54% female.

Asked during which situations they would be most concerned about health and hygiene risks, respondents stated:
•    Visiting a public restroom (44%)
•    Preparing food or meals (26%)
•    Contact with other adults (9%)
Other answers: contact with babies/children (7%); contact with animals (3%); other (2%); and not sure (8%).

“Clearly people think public restrooms present a hygiene risk and claim they are washing their hands after using those restrooms,” said Mike Kapalko, Environmental and Tork Services Manager, SCA Tissue North America. “But their observations of others in public restrooms indicate that a large percentage of them are not actually doing so.”

The survey results show that most people, given a choice in a public restroom, would prefer to dry their hands with paper towels. Asked how they would prefer to dry their hands in a public restroom if they had a choice, among those who visit public restrooms: 55% selected paper towels followed by high velocity jet air dryer with 25%; hot air dryer, 16%; linen or cloth towel, 1%; and not sure, 2%.

More than half of respondents (59%) selected paper towels as the fastest method for drying hands, followed by high velocity jet air dryer (25%); linen or cloth towel (8%); hot air dryer (4%); and not sure (4%).

The survey also asked questions to determine opinions on the most hygienic and effective ways for drying hands and reducing bacteria levels. In both cases, SCA stated that the opinions reflected in this poll have been disproved in a controlled experiment conducted late last year by Westminster University in London.

Asked for the most hygienic method for drying wet hands, respondents selected: high velocity jet air dryer (41%); paper towel (31%);  and hot air dryer (20%). Not sure was selected by 6% and linen or cloth by 2%.

Asked to rate each method as extremely, very, fairly, somewhat, or not at all effective in drying hands and reducing bacteria levels,  poll respondents gave extremely or very effective ratings to:

High velocity jet air (65%); Paper towels (53%); Hot air dryer (50%); Air drying or drip drying (19%); Linen or cloth towels (15%). “These opinions giving high marks to hot air and jet air dryers are fairly widespread among consumers, but scientific research shows that paper towels are not only more hygienic and effective but that hot air and jet air dryers actually do more harm than good when it comes to reducing bacteria in public washrooms,” said Kapalko.

“Controlled experiments conducted in December 2008 by scientists at the University of Westminster found that paper towel drying reduced the average number of bacteria on the finger pads by up to 76% and on the palms by up to 77%,” Kapalko said. “By comparison, electric hand dryers actually caused bacteria counts to actually increase.”

Test results of the Westminster study showed:
•    Traditional warm air dryers increased the average number of bacteria by 194% on the finger pads and by 254% on the palms.
•    Jet air dryers increased the average number of bacteria on the finger pads by 42% and on the palms by 15%t.

The scientists also carried out tests to establish whether there was the potential for cross contamination of other washroom users and the washroom environment as a result of each type of drying method. They found:

•    The jet air dryer, which blows air out of the unit at claimed speeds of 400 mph, was capable of blowing micro-organisms from the hands and the unit and potentially contaminating other washroom users and the washroom environment up to 6.6 feet away.
•    Use of a traditional warm air hand dryer spread micro-organisms up to 31.5 inches from the dryer.
•    Paper towels showed no significant spread of micro-organisms.

“The Westminster results confirmed previous studies that show thorough hand drying with a paper towel is not only the most effective way to dry hands and reduce bacteria but also the most hygienic when it comes to preventing the spread of bacteria in public restrooms,” Kapalko said.

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service on behalf of SCA Tissue North America between Feb. 26 and March 2, 2009, among 2,516 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Results were weighted as needed for region, age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey results and a full methodology statement, please contact Tom Lyons, Directions, (920) 725-4848.

Within the current economic landscape, corporations are going to continue to cut expenses. With current workforces becoming further geographically spread along with the introduction of new technologies, alternative workplace strategies (AWS) present opportunity that can potentially save on salary cuts and freezes. Still, the largest challenge continues to be a lack of support from senior management; this is according to a recent survey of CoreNet Global Dallas Summit registrants.

Many furniture companies are addressing AWS needs with flexible design. (courtesy of Trendway)

Microsoft, with CoreNet Global, continued its effort on an international survey examining the successes, challenges, and drivers of AWS. (Microsoft and CoreNet Global last partnered for a North American study in October 2008.) The current survey specifically examined registrants to the Dallas Global Summit with 71% representing large scale, global operations. An international survey was also distributed at the Macau Global Summit.

The economic landscape has ushered in a more mobile workforce at a faster pace with an overall shrinking corporate footprint. In fact, 55% of survey respondents agreed that the commitment to the overall AWS strategy has increased significantly to support current economic conditions. Sixty-one percent of respondents reported having a greater commitment to their AWS programs. Whether working in open office settings, satellite offices or other remote locations, employers are becoming more flexible with the technologies used to match the people and places where the work is being done.

Read TFM’s May 2009 article on furniture trends, “Working The System”

The CoreNet/Microsoft survey of international workplace and corporate real estate executives (CRE) continued in line with findings from the other international findings that not only are AWS programs going to grow, but 76% of the respondents report the presence of these programs within their organization already. A difference that was noted to be specific to Dallas is of those companies that already have programs in place, 71% have been in place for at least two years. The early adopters, those programs that have been in place for less than two years, were fewer, at 29%.

The survey revealed a slight difference in the number of employees within corporations embracing these programs. In the survey at the Orlando Summit in November 2008, over half of the companies surveyed reported less than 10% of employee participation. For Dallas, there was almost one-fifth of companies reporting between 10% to 20% participation with 47% of companies forecasting a slight change over the next three years.

“From our global survey we have consistently seen two main reasons corporations are implementing existing AWS,” said Katherine Randolph, director, Unified Communications for Microsoft. “The first reason is about people—the ability to attract and retain talent and provide a better work-life balance by enabling employees the flexibility to work remotely. Second, improving productivity and collaboration. Cost, whether right sizing the portfolio or overall cost cutting, were also important, but less than the people issues. Empowered by the latest realities in mobile technology, Corporate Real Estate is working closer with IT and Human Resource departments build a joint vision for the best possible workplace and make it a reality within the current global economy.”

Companies in the survey are currently looking to reduce operating expenses wherever possible with 62% of respondents agreeing that current conditions are likely to continue through 2010. Travel is the highest area of reduction followed by hiring freezes, staff reduction, and bonus/salary reduction.

Fifty-seven percent of companies stated that AWS strategy of Telework is a component to the reduced travel policy. Within Telework, e-mail continues to be the number one form of communication. Web conferencing is used by 80% of respondents’ companies, and instant messaging, voice over IP, and video conferencing are all being used.

While the survey noted regional trends in rolling out AWS programs, North American and European operations are further along in development of AWS programs. All other global regions have ample room for growth and adoption. Top regions that are actively rolling out, are in the processing of piloting, deploying or have completed the rollout include: North America (96%); Europe (65%); Other Asia/Pacific Rim (48%); and India (46%).

“The economy has dealt our members many business challenges over the past year. As an industry, CRE is adopting new practices including flexible programs such as alternative workplace strategies, which will ultimately lead to much smarter business decisions,” said Dr. Prentice Knight, CEO of CoreNet Global.

The Building Intelligence Group has been retained to conduct a research project on the issues and needs for operators and technicians involved with High Performance buildings. This project is being funded by the National Science Foundation, and the results will be used to define the needs for future operations personnel including required tools, training, and processes.

The Group’s work involves research on issues and trends as well as conducting a series of surveys, interviews, and focus groups with building operations staff. The Building Intelligence Group has posted an online survey and are encouraging those involved with the operations of commercial buildings to participate in filling this out. The survey will run through mid-June.

Facility professionals involved with the day-to-day operations of commercial or institutional facilities are being asked to provide their input. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete. Survey participants will be entered into a drawing for a $100 American Express gift card. The information will be used anonymously as part of the research project and will remain confidential. Please note that this survey being conducted strictly for non-commercial research purposes and will involve no solicitations of any kind. To participate in the survey, click this link.