July 27, 2019

Sick Building Syndrome
Sick Building Syndrome Building Management System Is your building “unwell”? What is it? and does a “sick building” cost the landlord mo ..
May 12, 2019

Building Management System Grief
Building Management System Giving you Grief Unlock Your Building from “BMS Single Vendor Captivity”. Building Management Systems (BMS) were designed ..
April 28, 2019

Fire Indication Panel Programming
Fire Indication Panel Programming The Issues which Arise When Multiple Fire Services Vendors Program the Same Fire Indication Panel. The Brief We attended site ..
January 13, 2019

AFSS Annual Budget Blow Out
AFSS Annual Budget Blow Out Fire Systems Maintenance Commercial & Residential Buildings Attention Property Manager’s, Facility Manager’s and Bui ..
August 27, 2017

Sustainability with Automation
How Can we Improve Automated Sustainability with Building Management Systems (BMS) To develop and expand your BMS for greater automated sustainability should b ..
August 9, 2017

Legal Obligations
Fixed Plant Management – Legal Obligations Understanding you legal obligations for Council and Government compliance Just a few questions for your thought ..
August 1, 2017

Generator Test
Essential Services Essential Services Generator Test Regular generator testing is a critical part of any essential services management. Typically the Generator ..
August 1, 2017

Methodology Statement
What is a Methodology Statement The steps the task or scope of works requires from start of finish. Simple enough right! The exercise is not a political or docu ..
August 1, 2017

Compliance Water Issues
Ensuring Compliant water storage methods in Commercial buildings The Responsibility At some point in time, it will occur that an owner/occupier or manager will ..
August 1, 2017

Abatement versus Incentive
Abatement versus Incentive | What Do These Terms Actually Mean Abatement versus Incentive: The Lease agreement or contract between the Landlord (lessor) and the ..
July 31, 2017

The Commercial Business Case
Your Property Manager or Client Wants a “Business Case”. a justification for a proposed project or undertaking on the basis of its expected commerci ..
July 31, 2017

Water Pumps in Commercial Buildings
Typical Water pumps which serve our buildings It is surprising exactly how many water pumps there in a building, often with separate plumbing circuits and often ..
July 31, 2017

Why Have an Asset Register
Asset Register importance! Backstory We found ourselves in an a situation, which I thought, had an unfortunate outcome for an employee of one of our competitors ..
July 31, 2017

Facility Performance in Commercial
What is Facility Performance: When we talk about Facility Performance (or Building Performance) we refer to costs versus income, that is the building operations ..
July 31, 2017

Commercial Furniture Fail
The false economies if reusing commercial furniture in an office space The Commercial Furniture Fail .We look at a few different scenarios and none of them prov ..
July 31, 2017

More Commercial Tenancy Fit Out Faux Pas
More Commercial Tenancy Fit Out Faux Pas – The Faux Pas of Fit series Continues; In out last post project management fit out faux pas we looked at Noise, ..
July 31, 2017

Fit Out Faux Pas
What Happens Behind the Scenes During a Commercial Fit Out Sometimes a project is completed seamlessly, without fuss, in a timely manner, and without dispute. S ..
July 31, 2017

Single Source Supplier
Facilities Management – Single Source Supplier Facility Services Management is a diverse and critical operations function, which effects all stakeholders, ..
July 31, 2017

Why Upgrade a perfectly good BMS
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” Why should a Landlord Upgrade building management system technology in their commercial Building? Inst ..
July 31, 2017

Maintenance Defined
Which Maintenance means What Action: A definition of Maintenance We’re writing about this because it comes up in conversation with clients and vendors a l ..
July 31, 2017

Climate Bonds
Climate Bonds – Investment Climate Bonds: Mobilizing debt capital markets for climate change solutions “Bonds” are a financial investment inst ..
July 31, 2017

Elevator Etiquette
A few Helpful Hints for correct Elevator Etiquette Many of us use elevators every day from the city to the suburbs, in commercial office buildings, to apartment ..
July 31, 2017

Vendor Management in Operations
Vendor Management Save Money, get it Right, With Experienced Diligent Managers What is Vendor Management? Contractor co-ordination and supervision Basic tasks a ..
July 31, 2017

Building Technology and Sustainability
Building Technology Sustainability Building Technology Sustainability: The opportunities to implement Technology in Facilities can often be discovered and impro ..
July 31, 2017

What is Single Vendor Captivity?
Understanding Single vendor Captivity Definition “Single Vendor captivity” crystallizes when a system or major asset can only be repaired and mainta ..
July 31, 2017

Do We Need Facility Management Software?
Time Management, a Case for Facility Management Software: Yes, Facility Management Software Helps to be Organized or No, the facility management software is a C ..
July 31, 2017

Tenant’s Office Cleaning – Who should we use
Tenant Lease In the larger commercial buildings and retail centers a tenant might find a condition in their lease instructing them to use the base building clea ..
July 31, 2017

The First Thing In Building Management
What is the Number One Task for any Building Manager? Risk Management. The first thing in building management, the number one priority, in our view, for the bui ..
July 31, 2017

Pest Control Pigeons
Pest Control Pigeons Are Pigeons leaving unsightly droppings on your building and car park pipes, ledges, and facades? Have the pigeons damaged your property? I ..
July 30, 2017

Asset Register Must Haves!
Asset Register Core Information Implementing and maintaining an asset register, which serves to document the building’s service’s and fixed assets, ..
July 30, 2017

Crisis Management
Crisis Management We all have different ideas of what a crisis within your facility really is, and we all have different priorities based upon the commercial la ..
July 30, 2017

Outsourcing Property Services
Outsourcing Property Services to improve Building performance and Control Risk Why Outsource when we can do it ourselves Outsourcing is not about whether you ca ..
July 29, 2017

Reactive Maintenance Risk
Reactive Maintenance Risk – DIY Facility Management. A huge financial risk when it goes wrong…and it did! “A privileged observation” No ..
July 29, 2017

Good Fast Cheap
Property Management Good, Fast, Cheap! Contractor Management “101” “Good, Fast, Cheap, choose any two!” Its an old “adage” i ..
July 29, 2017

Why install a Variable Speed Drive
Small Project Management Why install a variable speed drive? “Several contractors have suggested we install a VSD in our pump and fan motors, Why”. What is a VS ..
July 29, 2017

Outsourcing Facility Management
Outsourcing Facility Management There are “Pro’s and Con’s” with any business strategy, Facility Management outsourcing is an important ..
July 29, 2017

Outsourcing Maintenance Versus DIY
Outsourcing Maintenance – DIY: (published in “hotel engineer”) Outsourcing Maintenance: The conversation went a little like this: “Who’s idea ..
July 29, 2017

Seven Reasons For HVAC Audit
HVAC Mechanical Services Audit Any audit is about saving money or understanding where money is being spent to reduce further loss; the HVAC mechanical services ..
July 29, 2017

Phone Call for Maintenance, What Next?
Incoming Urgent Phone Call For Maintenance or Repair. Incoming Urgent Phone call for maintenance or repair, to panic or not to panic. In this article we have tr ..
July 29, 2017

Energy Bill Audit
Energy Bills Audit WIIFM (what’s in it for me) What’s this about? We must admit, the title of this post, Energy Bill Audit, sounds totally boring, but, this pos ..
July 29, 2017

Measurement And Verification
Measurement and Verification – DIY Systems Integration, Asset register, Building Management System, Energy Management System, BIM, Measurement In a previo ..
July 29, 2017

Energy Conservation Versus Profit
Energy Conservation versus Profit? A privileged observation Energy Conservation can be at odds with Profit and overall performance of the building, so which one ..
July 29, 2017

Data Center Energy Wasted
Data Center did not have an Energy Management System So we “Winged” it and saved $3000 a month “Energy Management by Observation” Data C ..
July 29, 2017

Work Orders 101
Work Orders – 101 Devil is in the Detail. Work orders are the number 1 item for “move it over there, follow up tomorrow, it 4:45pm, it can wait, …blah blah blah ..
July 29, 2017

Who Is The Building Caretaker?
Building Management Who is the Building Caretaker? “Property Manager, Building Manager, Strata Manager, Somebody tell me, Who is the Building Caretaker?”. Histo ..
July 29, 2017

Contract Management Fail
A Contract Management Fail An outline of this privileged observation: Contract Management: In a nut shell, a HVAC contractor is a given a task to replace a Fan ..
July 29, 2017

Should We Terminate This Vendor
We Found ourselves in a situation where we had to terminate a vendor | What are your thoughts? Let us set the Scene. Residential apartment block, common basemen ..
July 29, 2017

Sub Metering Data
Energy and Resource Sub-Metering? Facility Managers can no longer just wait for the resource bills to pass over their desk and sign them off. Facility owners ar ..
July 29, 2017

Outsource the House Keeping
Outsourcing the House Keeping for the Hotel – “What a Stupid Idea!!” The conversation went a little like this: “Who’s idea was that, no one does that!”, “what a ..
July 29, 2017

Small Project Management Scope
Small Project Management What is the Scope of works? “It’s just a little Project, we’re getting a few quotes”. Let’s set the scene, You are a member of the Exec ..
July 29, 2017

False Economies in Building Operations
False Economies in Building Operations Investigating and eliminating False economies has the potential to save some serious money for both the Facility Manager ..
July 28, 2017

Energy Management Strategic Plan
Energy Management and a strategic Plan for Commercial Buildings The Simplest Strategic Energy Plan is sometimes the best, results are results! The Project saved ..
July 28, 2017

Outsourcing Facility Services
Outsourcing Facility Services Facility Services delivery includes more than just attending site and organizing corrective maintenance, it encompasses many solid ..
July 28, 2017

Contract Management Clauses
Contract Management Clauses Contract Management gone wrong: There many strategies involved in contract management which pursue outcomes aligned with goals and o ..
July 28, 2017

Bank Guarantee
Property Management Why a Bank Guarantee? “The Commercial Real Estate Agent has asked you for a Bank Guarantee, Why?”. What is a Bank Guarantee, Simply put, it ..
July 28, 2017

Are You Guilty of Management by Crisis
Negating the “Management by Crisis” Scenario! Experienced Managers Know this Expression. Typically, a result of lack of resources, every industry manager has ha ..
July 28, 2017

Commercial Property Types
Commercial Real Estate Types Offices, Retail, and Industrial There are three main types of commercial properties which attract a tenant and consequently a yield ..
July 28, 2017

Building Managers: a Valuable Resource
Building Managers, and sub-contractors; an under-used resource? In our efforts to reduce costs, increase sustainability and improve the economics of operations ..
July 25, 2017

Building Management Change
Building Management vendor Change: Should you change your building management vendor? Why should you change? What are the benefits and liabilities? Will it help ..
July 25, 2017

Building Intelligence and Energy Management
Building Intelligence and Energy Management What is Building Intelligence and Energy Management? A Quick Definition Lets begin with a quick definition, there ar ..
July 23, 2017

Unwrap Single Vendor Captivity
Frustration! The greatest industry challenge we regularly witness is the frustrated client whom wants to use another a vendor and feels trapped with the vendor ..
July 21, 2017

Energy Return On Investment
Return on Energy Management Investment Energy Management Metering. Energy management investment is the application of energy metering your building’s perf ..
July 20, 2017

Energy Trend Logging
Trend Logging Energy Data Trend Logging in the Building Management System Trend Logging data within the Building Management System can be one of the most produc ..