Decisions, decisions, decisions

PlantServices.com

By Joel Leonard

The real threats of hurricanes, tornadoes, water shortages, floods, escalating energy costs, exiting of the baby boomer workforce, lack of trained workers and the terrorist threat at level orange are causing anxiety and concern for facilities leaders nationwide.

In the manufacturing sector, the facilities team's performance often is crucial to creating a productive environment. With clean rooms, humidity control, dust-collection systems, sophisticated building automation systems, the decisions facilities leaders make often can determine the productivity level and profitability of a business.

This facilities team also is responsible for reaction to threats, both natural and man-made, and these leaders must stay on their toes and be prepared to respond quickly, decisively and calmly in the event of a crisis.

Facilities leaders from around the country gathered recently in Las Vegas to learn from experts, learn more about new products and, most importantly, learn from each other. One attendee exclaimed, “I could learn about these subjects and products from the Web, but the Internet cannot replace the networking and learning experience gained from my peers. Learning from the success and failures of others is well worth the time away and the travel expense.”

The estimated attendance of more than 1,600 at the Facility Decisions Conference on Sept. 16-17 were treated to more than 50 free sessions that provided insight on variety of critical topics in the following tracks:

At work

From career development to asset management to energy initiatives, these seminars explored the latest trends in facility management, presented by senior facility executives at major institutions. Attendees had ringside seats to learn how facility professionals can further their potential within their organizations by enhancing efficiency, profitability and operations.

Building technology

From HVAC to lighting to roofing, new technologies are dominating the marketplace. The Internet’s role continues to grow, and wireless technologies are revolutionizing the industry. These collections of sessions were dedicated to uncovering the key trends and technologies that will direct the industry, highlighting the updates that will affect facilities for years to come.

Energy and power

Sessions in this track addressed how facility professionals can better anticipate the energy needs of tomorrow and address power supply issues. Included were perspectives from suppliers and end-users on deregulation, alternative power sources and technology’s role in improving efficiency.

Operations and engineering

There's a lot to manage within a maintenance and engineering department: benchmarking, training, budgets, code compliance, outsourcing, energy management, grounds care, housekeeping and more. These sessions took a closer look at how these issues play out within commercial and institutional facilities.

Security

Since 2001, security has become an increasingly prominent issue for building professionals, increasing the focus to include everything from terrorist attacks to workplace violence to theft and even to domestic violence. With sessions on best practices to technology updates to audits and upgrades, this track provided ample discussion on the options and obligations in safeguarding facilities and the people inside them.

Sustainability

Case studies and educational seminars targeted toward how "green" buildings are evolving to become high-performance facilities that increase ROI while lessening their effect on the environment. This track also highlighted the role that interiors and products play in creating an environmentally sound facility from the inside out.

The FM mission

This track offered insights on today's (and tomorrow's) management challenges, and provides idea-generating sessions to advance an attendee's career and facility's mission. Sessions demonstrated how to oversee a prosperous portfolio; staff departments effectively; forecast and budget accurately; plan for relocation or renovation; evaluate contract services and navigate within an increasingly global real estate market.

What happens in Vegas ...

This track explored the unique challenges to managing a facility in Las Vegas. From water conservation to alternative power to staffing issues to greening a gambling town, these sessions demonstrated solutions found by in-town facility professionals and provided out-of-towners with an insider’s view of what it takes to successfully manage facilities in a city that accommodates nearly 40 millions visitors per year.

This event was hosted at the enormous Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Educators say that the mind learns most while in a hungry, unsettled state, and this was the case for me because I got lost on the way to the convention and ended up in the National Urology Conference where I met the nation’s best Cialis salepeople. Upon discovering my error, I quickly exited because that was not the type of equipment uptime performance I sought to increase.

For more information about future Facility Decisions Conferences, visit www.facilitydecisions.com or plan on joining me March 10-12 in Baltimore at the National Facilities Management and Technology Conference at www.nfmt.com.

E-mail Contributing Editor Joel Leonard at joel@skilltv.net.

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