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2008 Articles

Where could I update my skills in the area of data center design/build?

These recommendations should help you brush up on your skills.

Powering Through The Data Center

Focusing on four major areas can contribute to successful power design in mission critical facilities.

Getting The Message

When an emergency event occurs, mass notification capabilities can help keep people safe.

Decoding The Acronym Puzzle

Web based facility management offerings are becoming easier to decipher.

Cleaning The Systems

A consistent, effectively designed program will keep HVAC equipment in top condition.

Parking Goes High-Tech

Innovations for this area of the facility can save space, time, and money.

Net-Zero-Energy Buildings

Can these types of facilities be market viable by 2030?

It’s All About The Network

This often overlooked component can be the key to success when implementing facility systems.

Maximizing The Data Center

Migration to a holistic, preventive maintenance approach can improve performance and reduce costs.

Predictive Maintenance

This condition based approach to servicing HVAC equipment can help to anticipate problems.

Tricks of the Trade: organizational tools

In my position, I oversee 40 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic. I have yet to find an organizational tool that helps me keep their gazillion problems in an organized manner yet reminds me to follow up.

HVAC On Demand

A new ventilation strategy may help managers reduce the impact of HVAC on their facilities.

Sustainable Energy Production

Consider these D-I-Y energy generation options.

Reading Light

When the senior property manager of The New York Public Library needed to find new lighting components, he searched for a way to remain true to the city’s original vision of the establishment.

2007 Articles

PSIM: The “Other” Intelligent System

An emerging security technology links all functions in the realm.

Work Order System Thwarts Campus Tryst!

With new work order management software, this director of operations brought efficiency to a university’s maintenance practices—and may have helped a father come between young love.

Worry Free Wireless

Can facility managers trust wireless networks when hackers strive to violate them?

The Wireless Facility… Inside And Out

Unfettered communication technologies can offer more.

A Clean Sweep

It is this man’s job to ensure that the city of Green Bay, WI can enjoy a football game without worrying about sewage issues. With a system to monitor activities remotely, the stadium’s management scores a touchdown for efficiency.

21st Century Security

From pocket video to security robots, emerging technologies are changing the facility landscape.

What The Web Has To Offer

CAFM’s latest upgrades will give users universal access.

Curtailing "Office Creepers"

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

Enterprise Asset Management

The next generation of facility management software is coming...get ready for features galore!

The Emergence Of The Electronic Security Age

With more technologically advanced security systems being developed, facility managers are partnering with IT departments for implementation purposes.

Staying Connected

Web sites with a focus on facilities can be a useful tool in effective management.

Infrared Technology Can Help Improve Safety And Operations

Hidden problems can escalate if left unnoticed and neglected.

2006 Articles

Looking Back… 2006 Trends Recap

With the year coming to a close, TFM reflects on the significant trends that developed over the past 12 months.

Building Information Modeling

This approach to project documentation has the potential to synthesize the entire life cycle of a facility.

Wireless: Generation Next

As wireless sensor networks evolve, the potential benefits for facility management operations are increasing.

The Heart Of The Matter

The trend toward integration in facilities is resulting in a unified management and command center for many organizations.

Become A “Super FM” With CMMS

Facility managers can unleash previously undiscovered powers by making the most of their maintenance management software.

My Own Private Firestorm

In this expanded version of FM Frequency, Crane wakes up in a cold sweat to the realization that truth can be stranger than fiction.

Effective Data Center Design

The right enclosure can make all the difference in critical facilities.

Planning for Integrated Building Services

Intelligent buildings pave the way to interoperable systems and improved efficiencies.

Data Center Planning

Facility management participation in this task can prove valuable for critical facilities.

VoIP Capabilities Continue To Develop

Is this communications technology right for your facility

Coming To Facilities Soon...

Thinking Cameras, IP Everywhere, Mini Data Centers, And Compatible Softwares

Stealth Buildings

In his last "Material Revolution," Brian Kraemer looks at carbon fibers and their ability to strengthen building foundations.

 

2005 Articles

2005 Calendar Year

From uncertainty in 2005 toward new technologies and a rebounding furniture market in 2006.

The Case For Wireless

By overcoming initial hesitations, facility managers can turn a wireless system into a company asset.

Cell Phones And Facilities

Various technologies can be used to combat dead zones, holes, espionage, and more.

Simply Soy

Installing soy bean oil based insulation can change the complexion of facilities.

Incentives Can Help Facilities Increase Their Return On Investment In Solar Photovoltaics

Financing Options For Solar Energy Systems Grow

Planning For Disasters

From site selection to data protection, a variety of technologies can help facilities prepare.

Replacing PVC

A new polymer is changing the way facility managers think about resilient flooring.

Double Duty: Combined Heat And Power

Implementing combined heat and power systems can help reduce facility energy costs.

Perfecting The System

Recent software advances allow facility manager to update building information more quickly and accurately.

Broken Bottle Flooring

An old process using recent technology can change the way flooring is thought about.

Picking The Fluff Off A Heap

Throwing away garbage doesn't mean it will never turn up in a building again.

Combining Facility And Project Management Into One Application

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

Ensuring The Data Center

Commissioning and conducting regular testing to identify problems ahead of time are key to reliable operations.

Securing Your Perimeter To Manage Outdoor Spaces

Keeping the fringe element off the premises has its own set of rules.

Convergence And The Facility Professional

Can there be a relationship between technology, convergence, the Enterprise, and facility management?

Learning To Adopt In Order To Adapt

Voice, data, and security enhancements combine to result in productivity gains and space savings in conference centers and training rooms.

 

2004 Articles

Asset Management Alphabet Soup

Many facility professionals seem to be confused about asset management software.

 

2003 Articles

There's A Hacker In The HVAC

Hacking into the company's network isn't just an IT problem anymore.

Reaching Beyond Four Walls

The advances in BMS technology has led to more BMS suppliers and the expansion of interoperability.

Ensuring Business Continuity If Disaster Strikes

Facility managers need to think about how to react if a violent act, mother nature, or some other problem strikes the company.

BACnet Remote Monitoring And The Bottom Line

BACnet data mining techniques enable predictive maintenance and bottom line savings for energy management.

Pragmatic Open Building Automation Systems

There are three types of people who buy technology: early adopters, pragmatics, and laggards. The focus of the article will be on the first two and how their buying decisions are affecting the technology market.

Innovative Contracting Best Practices

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

Innovative Contracting Best Practices, Part 2

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

 

2002 Articles

From Swim Suits To Business Suits: The Gaylord Palms™ Resort And Convention Center

Jill Aronson-Korot shares her report on the brand new Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, FL.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, It's Yours: The Current State of CAFM Technology

In this expanded article, guest columnist Thomas Brennan catches up with top developers of CAFM software.

Building Bench Strength

How do fms mentor and cultivate talent that can embrace leadership roles tomorrow? Cindy Liu, a consultant at an executive search firm, explains why it is important for fms to develop those who will succeed them.

Resurrection Of A Relic

This column marks the launch of TFM's newest feature, "Industry Showcase." As an extensive case study, this article, bylined by Doug Aldrich and Sheri Wolford (both of Dow Corning), examines the relevant issues involved in the renovation of Dow Corning's laboratory facilities. (This is an expanded version of the article that appeared in the March issue of TFM.)

Building Commissioning: One Effective Solution To The Building Automation Puzzle

While the concept of building commissioning is no longer alien to fms, the process often uncovers more questions than answers. This doesn't have to be the case, however. Building commissioning is entirely practical; it assures that the design and installation of a building's automated equipment and systems satisfy their original intent.