Current Conversations on MyFacilitiesNet:

New Thinking about FM Outsourcing

When it comes to outsourcing, there's often a gap between words and deeds, says outsourcing expert Ingrid Fenn. FMs talk about innovation, outcomes and strategy, but often buy services based on price alone. Service providers talk about innovation and strategy too, but may find themselves hamstrung by contract terms. If that sounds familiar — and frustrating — consider new approaches that emphasize collaboration and, yes, even a strategic approach. These "relational" arrangements, the best known of which is called Vested, have generated new contracting models that emphasize collaboration, outcomes and multi-tiered measurement. Click through to learn more, and leave a comment about your success (or failure) with taking a strategic approach to outsourcing.

     Ed Sullivan, Be the first to comment

Improving Performance Bit by Bit

Facilities management as an iterative process is on my mind. I just finished up an article on high performance office strategies for the April issue of Building Operating Management and something one of my sources said reminded me of an earlier piece I did on office repositioning. Both sources said the best approach is to continuously strive to improve the facility. It's not about just maintaining the asset in an effort to keep it from deteriorating, but seeing it as a living system that is continuously evolving. Facility managers should constantly be making course corrections to make sure the built environment best serves the goals of the organization. Click through to learn more about what Brian Harnetiaux, then BOMA International's chair-elect and senior vice president at McCarthy Cook, had to say about continuous commissioning, and tell me about the continuous commissioning process for your facility's interiors and exteriors.

     Naomi Millán, Be the first to comment

Do You Have Rating System Fatigue? USGBC Wants to Help

In the January issue of Building Operating Management, the USGBC introduced Arc, a new interface through which all buildings, communities and even cities can connect to the green building strategies of LEED, earn LEED certification and verify building performance. "

"For years, GBCI has been busy, expanding to administer several complementary rating systems. With frameworks like WELL, PEER, SITES, GRESB, EDGE, Parksmart, and most recently, the Zero Waste Facility Certification and the Investor Confidence Project - we are going beyond buildings to cover virtually every facet of the sustainability industry," said Melissa Baker, vice president of technical solutions for the U.S. Green Building Council. "Over the years, we've seen leaders pursuing LEED certification hit a threshold, wherein their efforts to pursue credits under LEED have also gotten them a third of the way to WELL certification, for example, or halfway to Parksmart certification. It's become clear to us that the market is asking for a simplified means of doing more."

Are you halfway to your second or third certification? Do you have rating system fatigue? Do you welcome a better system? Click through to read about USGBC's intention for and progress around Arc, and let us know your thoughts.

     Greg Zimmerman, Be the first to comment

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