Facilities management Feb Mar 2016 by FM Industry Publications SA

EDITOR’S COMMENT

INCORPORATING

ISSN 2071-9299

FEB / MAR 2016

FM No. 007

Progressive Excellence SHANE JONES ON AECOM’s DURBAN OFFICE TEST THE WATERS BEFORE CLOUD MIGRATION

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IN GREEN QUEST

AVOID CASH BECOMING A CRISIS! BIG DATA DRIVING WORLD-CLASS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION August 2014 jFM

August 2014 jFM

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Terry Owen

News & Products

Contact centre heading to the cloud

A man for all seasons

Big data driving transport

Overcoming challenges in green quest

Durban does 5-star victory parade

Paper towels or dryers – which is the ideal?

Avoid cash becoming a crisis

Test waters before cloud migration

Incorporating

Let’s hear it loud and clear, please

alking to FM industry giants like Paul M’Crystal, Shane Jones, Cliff Hocking and David Pierre Eugene recently, it hit home again how desperately we need people with similar make-up to the above. FM is adding strategically to the bottom line, and influencing business outcomes. I wonder how many rising stars we have in this country. There may be a handful, there may be a lot but one thing’s for sure, we had better find them! In the UK, FM is the second biggest growth industry, and this seems to be the burgeoning trend throughout the world. It appears South Africa may well be following suit, and what then? Where do we find the people to step into the roles that business requires? I have said it often in this magazine that we need FMs to be making more of a noise about what they are doing as this is the only way that we can gauge if we are on the right track. Well, for the most part the silence has been deafening. What the reason for this is, beats me. I would love to shout it from the rooftops if I had something exceptional and share it with the fraternity. Seems there’s only a handful of us about. Could it be, and this is a scary thought, that it is the reticence on behalf of the C Suite to recognise the most valuable job that FMs are playing in strategizing the company? It never used to be so, so are

Conventional built to green built – is FM ready?

Top savings with rooftop PV

Street tactics proves street smart

GBCSA lays it on line in Paris

Editor

Architectural students vie for honours

Layout

First ever refuse derived fuel plant in SA

Subscription Sales & Admin Published by

Terry Owen terry@fmexpo.org

Alois Sajanga alois@fmexpo.org

Phillip Nkomo, phillip@fmexpo.org

they still stuck somewhere in the 70s when FM meant ringing the janitor to check on the air conditioning? As crazy as it sounds, there are people like that. The trick is to avoid them like the plague. Downplaying the FM is something these people just have never, or will never surpass. But more companies are seeing FM correctly, and the word is spreading. What it’s going to take is the decision, once the importance has been realised of the FM role, to announce it quite clearly that it was, indeed, FM to the rescue. Not being involved in the Core business to the extent the other players are they can go full tilt in bringing down the costs of running the business and, if they’ve been keeping up to date with technology, give enormous help in the IT divisions and social media sites, among others. You also just had to take a look at the Women in FM feature this magazine ran a while back to realise that yes, indeed, we have talent galore. As these incredible players in the industry did, step forward and announce yourselves. We need to know you’re there!

@tex_owen

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Melinda Alevras melinda@fmexpo.org Knowledge Tenza knowledge@fmexpo.org

Facilities Management (ISSN 2071-9299) is published 6 times a year by T.E. Trade Events together with 24+ email bulletins and an annual FM Supplier’s Directory. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor, employees or publisher.

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Feb / Mar 2016 FM

NEWS & PRODUCTS

FM Breakfast at Langhams Tamchele Avenue, Fourways Hear from a panel of experts on outsourcing, particularly inlight of the recent challenges to university facilities management. Is insourcing the way to go? Outsourcing in one form or another is firmly entrenched in FM methodology.

Gallagher Convention Centre Midrand, Johannesburg The largest FM event in Southern Africa Not to be missed, the FM Expo brings you all that is new, innovative and practical for the facilities manager. A great opportunity to learn, be informed, see new products and network with your peers. Co-located alongside the FM Expo is the SAFMA Conference, an ideal opportunity to hear from some of the country’s leading experts in the field. The line-up and topics will be announced soon.

Do make sure that you diarise these dates, the events are definitely ‘not to be missed’

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

new 148-room City Lodge Hotel has opened at Newtown Junction - Atterbury Property Developments’ ground-breaking R1,4-billion mixed-use development in the Joburg CBD. The three-star hotel is the latest addition to the award-winning 85 000m² Newtown Junction shopping, leisure and office development, which is jointly owned by Atterbury Property Holdings and JSE-listed Attacq Limited. Atterbury Property Developments led the project and secured JSElisted City Lodge Hotel Group to operate the hotel. This is City Lodge Hotel Group’s first hotel in the Joburg CBD and the first big-branded hotel to open in the city centre in more than two decades. “Newtown Junction’s hospitality offering has been upped significantly with the opening of the new City Lodge Hotel. The hotel, together with Newtown Junction’s exciting new restaurants and leisure offerings, elevates it as a hotspot in the CBD for shopping, business and tourists too,” says James Ehlers, managing director of Atterbury Property Developments. “We are proud to have worked

with the City Lodge Hotel Group on this great development. The new hotel at Newtown Junction represents a further realisation of our vision of creating a true mixed-use property development that transforms this historic part of the Joburg CBD,” he adds. This is the third City Lodge Hotel that Atterbury Property Developments have developed. The first was the 205-room City Lodge Hotel Lynnwood, which opened in 2010 at the Lynnwood Bridge Shopping Centre in Pretoria. Atterbury then completed the 149-room City Lodge Hotel Waterfall City in late 2014 – which is the first hotel within the Waterfall mega development in the centre of Gauteng. Ehlers comments: “Our ethos at Atterbury is ‘it’s a matter of association’. The City Lodge Hotel Group is a leading and well-recognised hotel brand in South Africa. We are happy to have an association with the group and to have developed yet another hotel with them. Newtown is a vibrant node in the Joburg CBD and is now home to the City Lodge Hotel Group’s newest hotel. This will no doubt give our urban regeneration effort a boost, bringing more visitors and business into Newtown Junction and

downtown Johannesburg.” The anchor 38 000m² retail component of the Newtown Junction mixed-use development was opened in September 2014. Later about 39 000m² of prime office space was complete in a landmark building, which secured a 4 Green Star SA rating from the Green Building Council South Africa and is now home to Nedbank’s City Campus. Newtown Junction has more than 80 stores, restaurants and service outlets, as well as basement parking for 2400 cars. It is home to a six-screen Ster Kinekor Cinema complex, gym and now a major hotel. The development of Newtown Junction represents the first significant injection in the Joburg CBD in 40 years and is part of a key urban regeneration initiative. Highlighting the significance and cutting edge nature of the development, Newtown Junction took top honours in the 2015 SA Property Owner’s Association (SAPOA) Annual Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards. Newtown Junction was declared the overall winner, after also scooping awards for best mixed-use development and the overall transformation award. n

NEWS & PRODUCTS

aw firm Webber Wentzel has almost completed its relocation to its new rental premises at 90 Rivonia Road, Sandton. The building, developed by Redefine Properties, took three and half years of intricate planning to complete. It will now house the entire Webber Wentzel Johannesburg staff complement of more than 650 people in one collaborative space. The 25 000m2 development occupies an island site with seven floors and a 2000-car park basement opposite Sandton City as well as an annex of 10 000m2 for future expansion. It is within easy reach of clients and central transport hubs including OR Tambo Airport via the Gautrain. Webber Wentzel has experienced exponential growth – the partnership has grown from 116 partners in 2010 to 150 partners this year, with 22 lateral hires in the last 18 months alone. The firm recognised the need to move all its people under one roof, supported by an upgraded technology platform for seamless connection to clients, team mem-

bers and its network of alliance partners and best friend firms. “A more cohesive working environment brings distinct benefits for our clients. The move to 90 Rivonia Road represents an exciting milestone in our plans to grow and modernise the firm in line with global best practice while at the same time delivering on our key differentiator - the seamless collaboration of specialist teams, structured around our clients’ needs. This is about working in a dynamic space that supports a more focused, client-centric culture that better delivers on our clients’ expectations of an internationally acclaimed law firm,” says Sally Hutton, managing partner of Webber Wentzel. Managing the rising rental costs of property in the heart of Sandton’s business district was also an important consideration when Webber Wentzel negotiated the deal with Redefine Properties. The firm has increased its space by 30% for the same cost as its previous rental with 10 000m2 retained for future growth. At the same time, it was an opportunity

to create an environment that focuses on sustainability, business continuity, productivity and staff comfort. Many other efficiencies will flow from the consolidation of the firm (which previously occupied three adjacent buildings) into one centralised office. Webber Wentzel’s new building features: • 45 boardrooms of various sizes. • Three fully-equipped conference rooms, one of which is a 200-seater that can be used for arbitration purposes. • Seating capacity increased by 250%. • Areas dedicated to employee wellness and exercise. • A library. • A multi-faith prayer room. • 250-seater all-inclusive dining facility with spectacular views. • 2 000 parking bays for staff and clients. • Significantly enhanced connectivity. • A concierge service for staff and clients. The modern and energy effi-

cient building, which achieves a 4-star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa, features an entire floor dedicated to the health and wellness of its staff, including an all-inclusive dining facility, a wellness centre with a doctor, nurse and physiotherapist on call, as well as a fully equipped gym. Generators and water-storage tanks ensure that business continues unhindered during loadand water-shedding. The new development at 90 Rivonia Road saw the entire Webber Wentzel Johannesburg team moved in by the end of December from its three premises in Fricker Road, Illovo, with the launch of the building set for March 2016. “This is the perfect opportunity to create an office and business environment that is fully aligned to the requirements of our clients and our people, and most importantly, reflects our position as a leading law firm in Sub-Saharan Africa,” says Hutton. n

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

NEWS & PRODUCTS

R795-million Knightsbridge revamp

Knightsbridge office park.

Emira CEO Geoff Jennett

mira Property Fund is undertaking a major R795-million redevelopment of its Knightsbridge Manor office park in Bryanston, Johannesburg, into a P-grade and leading-edge Green Star SA rated office complex. The three-phase redevelopment of the prime located office park will see it more than tripling in size to 29 352m2 in terms of GLA office space. As part of the landmark project, Emira is renaming the park simply as Knightsbridge. The Knightsbridge development, located in Sloane Street opposite the Didata Campus, started in November (2015). It is being undertaken in phases, with the first of seven new buildings set to be complete in May 2017. The new office park will boast a minimum 4-Star Green Star SA rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa. Geoff Jennett, CEO of Emira Property Fund, comments: “Our groundbreaking redevelopment of Knightsbridge supports Emira’s

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

strategy of improving the quality of certain B-grade office stock. It will significantly increase the value, attractiveness and competitiveness of this excellently located property. The new Knightsbridge is going to be a P-grade, resource-efficient and green rated office complex.” The project is portfolio enhancing. In addition, the entire office park is designed to achieve a 4-Star Green Star SA rating, supporting Emira’s principles of responsible investment. Jennett reports that Emira’s Knightsbridge development responds to demand for offices in the Bryanston area. It also leverages the park’s prime location in this growing business hub. Being on Sloane Street, one of Bryanston’s key arterial roads, Knightsbridge has quick access to the N1 highway. “Bryanston is fast becoming the preferred alternative to Sandton for blue-chip businesses and large A-grade and P-grade office

users,” says Jennett. Welcome news for anyone who uses the roads in this area, Emira’s project will result in the upgrade of the intersection of Sloane Street and William Nicol Drive. This strategic upgrade will also benefit Emira’s nearby Epsom Downs Shopping Centre and Office Park. Originally built in the mid 1980’s, Emira acquired Knightsbridge Manor in 2003. Despite cosmetic refurbishments, the park’s buildings have dated and are attracting B-grade rentals in an area characterised by A-grade and P-grade offices. Jennett says: “While Emira initially considered an upgrade for the park, it quickly became clear its complete demolition and redevelopment would be a much better option to boost its value and performance.” The redevelopment will increase its size by a massive 19 334m2, from its current 9 884m2, and sufficient power has been

confirmed for the site. The new generation Knightsbridge business park will be defined by quality design, materials and finishes, and will feature standby generators and back-up water supply. This will be complemented by resource-efficient state-ofthe-art mechanical and electrical installations including a chilled water system, lighting sensors, access control, CCTV and rainwater harvesting for irrigation. It will also have the built-in capacity to place PV panels on the roofs and offer its users generous parking. While the buildings are ideal for large corporates, they are designed with flexible floorplates to provide the best size for different kinds of businesses. “The redevelopment will take place in three phases to spread letting risk. This also ensures as much of the property as possible continues to produce income throughout the development,” says Jennett. n

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NEWS & PRODUCTS

he challenge was all about losing weight in the body of a meat hanger truck while not compromising strength and durability. If Serco could achieve the result they got an additional order but if they couldn’t they would lose out. Serco designers went to work examining the old meat hanger body and seeing where they could shave off as many kgs as possible. “A key element for the customer, SPH Transport Services based in Cape Town, who specialise in the transport of meat and fish nationally, was increasing the payload to 14 tons on a MAN 25.280 chassis, so we needed to do our sums

ZN Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) 2017, will be held once again at the Durban Exhibition Centre, from July 25-28, and promises to bring high calibre visitors focused on sourcing new technology and services. With 2015 attendance figures showing that 97% of visitors were from KwaZulu-Natal, the exhibition provides an extremely targeted marketing opportunity for local companies. Now in its 35th year, this leading industry trade exhibition has grown in both size and renown both in KwaZulu-Natal and across southern Africa. Evidence that KITE is a popular choice among discerning industry professionals is the feedback received from the high calibre visitor base and previous exhibitors. KITE is not only a portal for industry-leading technology and services, but is also a platform for knowledge sharing. This is

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

carefully,” says Serco managing director, Clinton Holcroft. “We re-looked at the different components used in the construction of the body such as the reinforcing in the roof and how we drill and tap the meat rails into the steel. We put more reinforcing in the floor so we could save on the weight of the sub-frame and incorporated lighter engineered beams for the side wall which didn’t weigh as much as the meranti wood we used previously,” says Holcroft. The end result was an impressive weight saving of just over 700kgs on an 8.5m body. Serco built three of the meat hangers for the client and after achieving the required payload, was awarded an order

evidenced in both the on-stand interactions between exhibitors and visitors but similarly in the free-to-attend seminar theatre sessions, which have proved to be a huge drawcard for visitors keen on learning about the latest technology, trends and legislation. “We are thrilled that we will be launching an Industrial Indaba in 2017 to run alongside the existing trade show. This is the culmination of our ongoing relationships with government, associations and industry partners, and we feel that KITE 2017 is the perfect launch pad for the indaba,” says Charlene Hefer, KITE Portfolio Director at Specialised Exhibitions. Another new feature for KITE 2017 is the inclusion of a Propak Africa pavilion. This premier tri-annual exhibition is Africa’s largest showcase of packaging, food processing and labelling technology and services which clearly complements the exhibitor offerings at KITE. “Including the Propak Pavilion was a natural

The newly built SPH Transport Services vehicle. for another two vehicles in September! The assignment was yet another

example of Serco going the extra mile to meet and beat the requirements of a customer. n

evolution for the KITE exhibition as there is a fair amount of synergy and overlap between the two exhibitions. We have conducted extensive research and this is clearly an initiative that wins favour with both our current exhibitors and our visitor base in KZN. In addition, it provides the Propak exhibitors with an increased footprint opportunity in the KZN region,” says Hefer. “Exhibitors at KITE 2017 will not only benefit from the ability to expand their potential customer database at the exhibition, but will also be able to leverage the marketing programme instituted by Specialised Exhibitions. This targeted horizontal and vertical marketing initiative provides extended brand exposure for exhibitors in the run-up to show, during the show and after the event has taken place,” says Hefer. The 2015 edition of KITE hosted 110 exhibitors from a spectrum of industries. The event provided its 5 156 visitors with an unrivalled opportunity to interact

with the leading manufacturers and suppliers of high quality brands. Boasting a visitor profile that focuses predominantly on senior management (32%) and technical/engineering specialists (41%), the exhibition clearly draws in relevant target markets. Demographics indicate that 31% of visitors were in the manufacturing sector while 27% were involved in engineering. KITE continues to bring visitors the latest products, services and trends across a number of industry sectors, including construction equipment and material; electronic components, energy solutions; environmental solutions; heavy machinery; hygiene products and services; industrial equipment and components; IT and telecommunications manufacturing equipment; materials handling; monitoring, process control and sensors; security equipment; workwear and protective equipment; plant and facility equipment; safety equipment and machinery; tools; and industrial services. n

ADVERTORIAL

RECENT CHANGES TO REGULATIONS AFFECTING LIFTS, ESCALATORS AND HOISTS What are these changes? and How do they affect you? Relevant regulations: “Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulations, 2009” Changes to regulations affecting Hoists Access only Goods Lifts (Hoists): as of September 2015 Hoists are no longer governed by the Driven Machinery Regulations. Hoists and Goods lifts now fall under the Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyance Regulations. Goods carrying lifts that are of dimension ≥ 1x1x1.5 m and travel at speeds ≥ 1 m/s must now comply with SANS 1545-5, the regulations governing the safety of Lifts. Definition: “access goods only lift” means a lift in which persons are never transported or allowed by the user to be transported but where the conveyance is accessed by persons for loading and unloading at landings or maintenance.

What are the implications of these changes? • All units have to be registered with the Department of Labour (DoL) by September 2020 • All existing units need to comply with SANS 1545:5 (access-only goods lifts) • All units must have an official number • All newly installed units must be issued with an Annexure A – Initial inspection before being taken into service • All units must have a valid Annexure K certificate (same principle as the Annexure B for lifts) - resulting from safety inspection. Inspections have to be conducted every 24 months

Changes to Annexure B requirements that should be noted: As of July 2015 - Any items recorded on the Annexure B document by the Lift Inspector and verified by the ISP (Inspection Service Provider) as being of a nature that could result in harm to humans have to be separately recorded as such and need to be completed (rectified) within 60 days. Failure to do so will render the Annexure B document invalid and as such the deviation has to be reported to the Dept. of Labour who in turn will issue a notice prohibiting use of the unit until a “clean” Annexure B has been carried out. The additions above now form an integral part of the “Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor regulations, 2009”

Basic requirements contained in the Act include the following key elements: • A maintenance contract must be in place that includes key maintenance routines to be executed monthly (Deviations need Dept. of Labour approval) • Before the lift can be installed permission must be obtained from the Dept. of Labour together with an official identity number for the unit • Before a lift can be put into use the following is needed: - An Annexure A report completed by competent person - An Annexure B inspection completed every 24 months by a registered Lift Inspector and issued by an ISP (Inspection Service Provider) or AIA Accredited Inspection Authority in terms of the Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulation 9(2) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993 • Documentation required to be displayed in the unit: - The name and contact details of the Lift Service provider - Rated load the lift is able to carry • Records that need to be kept within the proximity of the unit are o LSP details o The official lift number (Annexure 1) o Maintenance records o Annexure B certificate o Rope certificates o Annexure A document o A report of any notable incidents o Records to be kept for a minimum of 10 years • Where a safety incident occurs or a defect or weakness is evidenced that COULD have caused injury the following actions need to be instigated o Lift to be switched off

Additional information available at: www.s4e.co.za Solutions for Elevating (Pty) Ltd is a SANAS Accredited Inspection Body, No LIFT0019.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

TECHNOLOGY

CONTACT CENTRE IS HEADING TO THE CLOUD

The concept of the contact centre has evolved dramatically over the decades, from manually operated switchboards to automated call distribution and on to the PABX that has enabled anything from local enterprise huge multinational corporations to centralise customer communication. In addition, the contact centre has, over the years, become increasingly digital and has thus migrated into the data centre, enabling more cost-effective and efficient solutions to be implemented. However, we are now ready for another contact centre revolution, enabled by the cloud and IP-based technologies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that of the contact centre anywhere. By Andre Deetlefs

s data centres migrate to the cloud, so too do contact centre solutions. Additional technologies such as smart devices and mobile connectivity enable virtual contact centres to be created where agents can work from home, on the move, or from virtually any location. This not only creates the ability to incorporate a pool of skilled agents from anywhere in the country (or the world), it also opens up the contact centre to a far broader market. This enables any business from Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) to large corporations to leverage the benefits of a single, centralised point of customer contact.

Changing customer requirements A number of trends have influenced the direction of the modern contact centre, from the need for omni-channel communication to the evolution and revolution of cloud-based computing. With the growth of smartphones and mobile apps, the way customers conduct business with organisations has changed dramatically. Multi-channel environments, incorporating a number of different communication channels such as social media, SMS, instant messaging and more have given way for the need for omni-channel environments, which create a

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

seamless, consistent and high-quality experience for users regardless of how and where a customer chooses to interact. In order to do this, it is essential to ensure that data and context from initial contact carries over to subsequent channels, reducing customer effort, improving the customer interaction, and enabling the business to improve the customer journey. Coupled with changing customer requirements, contact centres are also faced with demand for always-on services while providing an improved experience for contact centre agents themselves. Far from the stressful environment of the contact centre of old, where thousands of agents were located in one building working shifts, answering calls and customer enquiries, technology today offers a very different solution. With Contact Centre Software as a Service (CCSaaS) growing as a preferred model due to its speed, scalability, flexibility, reliability and low investment, the entire contact centre model is actually poised for change. With cloud-enabled and virtualised services, agents do not, in fact, need to be in the same building â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or even the same province or country. They can be located anywhere in the world and still provide effective, centralised contact centre services and solutions.

Contact centres have over the years migrated into data centres, meaning that critical equipment is no longer housed with agents in the same building. As cloud-based solutions are increasingly adopted, this equipment has become virtualised, sitting elsewhere in a virtual data centre, with agents simply making use of soft devices and dumb terminals. All of the technology elements for the contact centre anywhere are already in place, save for one. Connectivity is the critical requirement in the concept of the contact centre anywhere. With the increasing availability of LTE mobile broadband as well as fibre to the home, it is now possible to overcome this final hurdle. However, such a wholesale change in operations requires the adoption of certain solutions to ensure the same quality of service as a contact centre where all agents are housed under one roof.

Enabling anywhere-contact A significant part of the challenge is the need for quality control, which is an essential contact centre component. In order to deliver this in a virtual environment, you need analytics-driven quality control that enables the monitoring of interactions in near realtime, flagging any issues so that managers can hone in on them and identify whether those issues exist within the environment, the contact centre process, the connectivity and so on. Workforce Management Adherence is another important component in an environment with distributed agents, in order to guarantee that agents are following the required processes and workflows to create a standardised contact centre environment. In addition, personal dashboards allow remote and distributed agents to measure their performance against the group as well as against their own past, providing a similar environment

to that of the centralised contact centre. Organisations can even make use of mobile workforce management apps, depending on the industry or nature of the business, and these can be used to enhance workflows and logistics, improve process and more. The technology behind all of this is Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC), which enables organisations to provide agents with a standard device, such as a laptop or even a tablet that is then used for all customer interactions. Using WebRTC, all agents must have an Internet connection. They then open a standard browser window and log into the system to access all of the available contact centre software and services, including the agent softphone. This leads to a reduction in setup and maintenance as no specialised software or configuration is required on the Agentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s computer. Existing Web based security protects the contents of the data and calls across the Internet. The devices themselves can even be offered as part of a complete managed services package. This opens up the contact centre market to even the smallest business, as it is fully scalable from a single agent to thousands. With a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, organisations benefit from fixed, affordable monthly fees, and can scale their contact centre as the business grows. The contact centre anywhere is the next evolution of the contact centre, and is a reality today, as all of the technology elements are currently in place. Organisations looking to leverage this to their advantage should ensure their solution is simple to use, can be customised according to their requirements, and provides all of the necessary functionality. This enables organisations of all sizes to focus on improving customer interactions through better contact centre processes, without the need to worry about managing technology. It also creates the opportunity to introduce remote agents and an improved working environment. The technology is there, now all that organisations need to do is be brave enough to cut the cord and take the first steps. n

Andre Deetlefs, is Executive: Lines of Business, Jasco Enterprise, The Jasco Group

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Coupled with changing customer requirements, contact centres are also faced with demand for always-on services while providing an improved experience for contact centre agents themselves. Far from the stressful environment of the contact centre of old, where thousands of agents were located in one building working shifts, answering calls and customer enquiries, technology today offers a very different solution.

World in your call-center in the cloud

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

OPERATIONS

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS Uptime. Downtime. For everything there is a season, something we are taught when very young. Did I ever think I’d actually get to meet the man for all seasons? Somebody who would push on through thick and thin – until you win? Not really. Then AECOM’s Shane Jones came along and turned FM into an inspiration to be nurtured and revered. By Terry Owen.

Shane completed the degree at the University of the Free State under the inspirational guidance of Professor Dries Hauptfleisch, also no stranger to this magazine. He said it was a difficult task, but Jones’ style is to push on through thick and thin “until you win” – his words, not mine. He was the only person in his class to complete the degree programme, which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Jones is like a dog with a bone. He’ll hang on to it for dear life, and woe betide anyone who tries to take it away. Unlike any other canines, though,

All pictures by Grant Pitcher.

ver heard of the term “progressive excellence”? Probably not because I made it up, when describing a series of projects that surpasses each other in terms of Best Practice and innovation. Now I have reason to apply it elsewhere. To a person no less. I have known Shane Jones for many years. He first came to my attention when I heard that he had graduated with a BSc in Facilities Management – the only person in Africa to my knowledge to have achieved this.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Shane Jones, progressive excellence guru

he won’t bury it. He’ll eventually tire of it and gladly pass it on to another bemused and somewhat startled four-legged friend. That’s the nature of this wonder called Shane. You’ll forgive me my monologue, but he’s a close friend of mine too and this personal touch is something I like very much and I know he would find it amusing. I feel I owe it to him to paint a complete picture, and not just add words to paper to create a two-dimensional figure. He has been at AECOM for over a year now, and in usual fashion is making great strides. Anyone on this planet who doesn’t know AECOM must surely hang their heads in shame. Think of The Twin Towers in NYC, think of Towers One which has taken their place, the tube in London, Sports stadia throughout the world (including ours for the 2010 show in Durban and Cape Town), airports, and the list goes on. They have one of the biggest collections of quantity surveyors, project managers, architects and construction maestros of any company in the world. As Donald Trump is so fond of saying: “It’s huge!” The multinational offers turnkey solutions in designing, building, financing and operating infrastructure projects for governments, businesses and organisations in more than 150 countries. The blurb on their website says: “As a fully integrated firm, we connect knowledge and experience across our global network of experts to help clients solve their most complex challenges. From high performance buildings and infrastructure, to resilient communities and environments, to table and secure nations, our work is transformative, differentiated and vital.” I love it! It’s like something President Obama would have said on CNN and we would know

it’s all true. That’s the thing with AECOM, it’s so brilliant at what it does that probably most of the accolades sound clichéd because so many other companies say the same thing, and because we know it’s not true, we tend to glide over it with glazed eyes. Kind of “heard that before” kind of thing. However, you would be very amiss to dismiss AECOM in the same fashion. The thrill of words they deliver that sound so magnificent is because they really bear fruit. It’s a giant of a company and progressive excellence is what they are all about. In this mix, you’d naturally find Shane, who is going about his business in his thorough and innovative way as always. Here, he has been bestowed with the title of Senior Manager, Real Estate and Facilities for Africa. It’s a title that fits him perfectly, and the more hectic it gets, and the more challenges that it throws up on him, the better. I know I’m making him sound like superman or some hero on a new HBO series, but honestly, that’s what he’s like. I’ve met many FM people in my years as editor of this magazine, and there’s few that reach the calibre of this man. In fact, he’s like the ideal kind of FM person and knowing him, he’ll loathe all the tributes I keep on flinging at him – but sorry, Shane, can’t help it. “This building (at Centurion, Pretoria) is full of professional teams suited to virtually any kind of project you can think of. “The top floor is architect city….architects everywhere you look”, he smiles, very enamoured, and rightly so, with this fact. “The rest

are quantity surveyors, construction guys, project managers and so on. It’s very impressive what these guys can do.” He tells me that he does full turnkey solutions – so, for example if AECOM requires an office in a specific location, he gets the local brokers to conduct a property search on several options which fit the office size requirements, and specified location “I inspect the properties taking into consideration various criterias, and then select the right fit. I do the financials; consider the projects our team are working on and the location of the potential office in conjunction with our clients. I do a full feasibility study and ensure that the office is the best fit for our

“

He first came to my attention when I heard that he had been awarded an MSc in Facilities Management – the only person in Africa to my knowledge to have achieved this accolade.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

OPERATIONS

team so that they can deliver our projects at the highest possible quality. I then manage the internal fit-out of the office, which has to be delivered within the given time frame, and budget. Once the office is ready to move in, I establish the facilities management team that will manage and maintain our office for the remainder of our lease period. Due to the nature of our business, our office lease period would usually be aligned with the projects we have secured. Our full FM team is outsourced to allow us the flexibility we require on a long term basis” Sound like a typical day in your life as an FM? Didn’t think so, but this is the kind of standard that you should be aspiring to, even if it takes you the rest of your FM career. Jones then tells me very proudly of the new Durban office, which he has been the brainchild of, and something that has been a year in the making. This office, he says, has become the company’s showcase office, and that, in anyone’s language is reason enough to buy everyone in Durban a box full of doughnuts. “I had my own design team and architects, all outsourced, and what was slightly nerve-wracking was that I was designing this for the very people whose

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

job it is to design buildings! The pressure to get this absolutely right was enormous. My success with this is due largely in part to the skill and ethos of the design team and architects, who sold their ideas to me, and I had some difficult choices to make. I had to sign off on everything – so if anything went wrong, it rested firmly on my shoulders!” “Goodness,” I said, smiling nervously. “No pressure, huh?” “Lots and lots of it,” he said grimly, “but that comes with the job!” He says he is very proud of the fact that the project was R4-million over budget when he took over, and he came in R4-million below budget. There is always resistance and push back when you move your employees from an office cubicle set-up to an open plan. The design of the office has accommodated the ‘loss’ of these offices with more meeting rooms and flexible open meeting areas. “The building has also been awarded the 5-star green rating by the GBCSA, so I’m naturally very pleased about that. “Growthpoint was the developer, and in a project of this magnitude, the fit-out contractors take every opportunity to try and penalise the tenant and developer on delays to the overall project delivery. I was very aware the whole time of the schedule I was sticking to, and also made sure I wasn’t falling behind

“

Like I was with the Durban project, FMs need to be involved from the very beginning of a development. It would save enormously on costs and prevent problems going forward.

on anything. It took us the entire year to complete, and the end result was breathtaking. I regard it as a crowning achievement for me and my team – and there were no penalties incurred at all.” He says the company also opened a new office at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town which was left to his FM team to develop. “It’s a great team and they developed this project superbly. This was part of a new FM team that I put together when I joined the company, and I consider this quite an achievement! I headed the team, and there were FM teams appointed for every one of

the large hub offices in Durban, Cape Town, Sandton and Centurion, which has a 6-Star Green Star Exterior rating. Some of the offices had never had FM representation before, so that was also a new beginning for the company. “I have to examine each new development very carefully and see if the office is going to be more costly than the income, and other issues that are involved in the analysis and outcome. So now I’m more part of the core business than I have ever been. I’m involved in making strategic decisions regarding property and financials, which is an integral part of a Real Estate and FM role.” He says he gets less involved in the day-to-day FM issues, which is something he did in the past. “My teams handle all those issues, which crop up as normal occurrences in FM life. Having a competent FM team makes my job so much easier.” He says that meeting challenges which is part of his nature finds a natural home at AECOM. “It really is an exciting place to find yourself working, and creating, in! I just wish that when I was doing my degree I could have been here. The degree course involved a lot of quantity surveying and construction, and with all those teams based here, I would have found a lot of help!” Shane says he would love to become more involved in the educational side of FM, as he feels, like I do, that inspired and successful FM people are hard to come by, and being the second biggest growth industry in the UK, means that the FM movement is set to spread like wildfire. “Like I was with the Durban project, FMs need to be involved from the very beginning of a development. It would save enormously on costs and prevent problems going forward. I had to re-engineer a great deal of the design, and materials that were originally specified by the Architects. The day to day maintenance had to be considered, and long term cost control.” There are also challenges ahead for the teams, such as a new Cape Town development and a new office in Kenya apart from a myriad of projects in the African region which Jones oversees. Is Shane ready to lead his teams onwards and upwards? Can excellence be thwarted? When Shane is involved, anything’s possible, and the outcome will no doubt be reason to celebrate. And FM will be even more the richer. n

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

TRANSPORTATION

BIG DATA DRIVING WORLD-CLASS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION By Gavin Holme and Rudraksh Bhawalkar

South Africa faces some unique challenges when it comes to public transport. The reality is that public transport – in general – hasn’t yet capitalised on the opportunities presented by new technology advancements. Developments in the realm of Big Data, for instance, present tantalising opportunities to create a more efficient transport system in South Africa.

ur road-based transport challenges include: • High volumes of daily commuters using informal transport systems – not governed by central authorities. • A middle-class still heavily reliant on private transport – which causes increasing congestion, particularly on urban roads. • Strong expansion of other urban infrastructure (such as housing and office developments) which is not supported by the same level of investment in transport networks. • An emerging trend of closed-loop and localised systems – such as the Gautrain rail network in Gauteng and the MyCiti bus network in Cape Town – with no national approach of integration of payment and profile management. • A vehicle licensing department that remains very manual in its operations, often resulting in inefficient service levels for motorists.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Attracting commuters that are currently using private, individual cars requires more than just the penal approaches such as road tolls and emissions taxes. The trend towards better use of public transport requires transport operators to offer more attractive propositions to South Africa’s commuters and travellers. The radical changes in the private taxi industry (the move away from traditional metered taxis, to the phenomenally popular disruptor, Uber) unfortunately doesn’t help in solving our transportation woes. But, by cleverly tracking geospatial trends to understand user behaviour and congestion patterns, it becomes possible for transport operators to develop rail and bus networks that suit people’s lifestyles, and incentivises more motorists to move away from private transport.

With real-time data streamed to the right authorities – such as traffic police – it also becomes possible to minimise the impact in those ever-so-often cases where an accident causes traffic snarl-ups for kilometres. In these cases, authorities would be able to deploy resources to re-route traffic to different roads, and aid people in getting to their destinations on time, for example. As viable public transport systems emerge, technology plays a central role in ensuring that they are designed and managed in the optimal manner. Ticketing could be digitised, with alerts sent to users when there are any delays or changes to schedules. With increased interoperability between the country’s various transport networks, one would be able to use the same card or payment mechanism to travel locally in any region, and over longer distances when making long-haul trips. This also opens up a number of exciting possibilities for digital marketing – where transport operators can partner with local service providers in a specific area to provide coupons and discounts to commuters on a particular route, for example. Another important point is that stronger use of technology in transportation has excellent synergies with crime prevention efforts. With video technology being a firm feature of traffic management, this plays a surveillance role – detecting suspicious activity and aiding authorities by tracking vehicle license plates and other information. For any of these promises to become a reality, having a sophisticated system that manages huge volumes of data, and transforms it into useful insights, is absolutely critical. Data collection, warehousing, integration, and quality-control are essential

“

As viable public transport systems emerge, technology plays a central role in ensuring that they are designed and managed in the optimal manner. Ticketing could be digitised, with alerts sent to users when there are any delays or changes to schedules.

facets for transport operators as they embark on their Big Data journey. Numerous examples from around the world have shown that transport operators are able to effectively develop networks of road and rail systems that improve the lives of commuters and benefit the economy at large. In the most mature examples, predictive analytics makes it possible to know how what volumes of commuters are likely to travel on specific routes, and make capacity-planning decisions in advance. And while this might still be some way off for South Africa, it is clear that there are many advantages to capitalising on Big Data – to not only enhance the convenience for today’s motorists, but also to make transport authorities and operators more successful and profitable. n Gavin Holme is country manager, Africa, Wipro Limited and Rudraksh Bhawalkar is practice manager, Analytics, Africa, Wipro Limited.

BUILT

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IN GREEN QUEST

Pretoria building contractors, JC van der Linde & Venter Projects, successfully coped with the challenging demands of complying with the Green Building Council of South Africa’s Green Star rating construction requirements for the refurbishment and redevelopment of Total House in Rosebank. By Jan de Beer.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

otal House in Biermann Avenue was renovated, revamped and redesigned to comply with a GBCSA 4 Star Green Star rating. Application has been lodged for this coveted rating for both the construction and design of the final building. The building demolition and upgrade had to meet the requirements of the stringent SA National Building Regulations, which places particular emphasis on safety. Total South Africa also required an additional 1 000m2 of office space to accommodate increasing staff numbers and to allow for future growth.

Arrie Venter, Contracts Director at JC van der Linde & Venter Projects, who was in charge of the R95-million construction contract, says the project is significant in that it represents one of the first refurbishment projects to strive for a GBCSA 4 Star Green Star rating. “This, of course, involves both demolition and rebuilding – and provided unprecedented challenges for us, as contractors, right from the outset. For example, before we could start any demolition work on the old building, constructed in 1998, a hazardous materials (Hazmat) survey had to be undertaken. JC van der Linde & Venter Projects therefore appointed special environmental consultants to guide us through the project, for which we

had to regularly report to the client’s ‘Green Star Consultants’, PJ Carew Consulting, specialists in evaluating and designing strategies for the improved environmental performance of buildings.” Venter said the requirements of the Hazmat survey was extensive and included aspects such as a soil assessment (to determine if the current soil would meet Green Star rating requirements or had to be replaced by new soil), as well as a thorough investigation of the eco-qualities of the existing building’s structural components. “A detailed report had to be filed to – and approved by – the Green Star Consultants before we could lift a brick from the old building.” The followed the formulation of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Waste Management Plan (WMP), both drawn up for JC van der Linde & Venter Projects by its own appointed environmental consultants. Included in the EMP were commitments by the contractors on a wide variety of build-

ing operations that would normally have been regarded as routine, such as how and where the contractors’ paint brushes would be washed, and how the contractors would prevent oil leaks on site. The WMP, on the other hand, laid down strict requirements on how demolished components would be disposed of. “For example, we had to create three waste skips: one for items that could be recycled, another for material that would be disposed of in landfill, and another for contaminated components. The old Total House had a sprawling glass façade and it is interesting to note that the many square metres of glass could not be re-used because it was laminated: laminated glazing cannot be recycled,” Venter observes. To meet other 4 Star Green Star rating compliance regulations, the building contractors had to use paint and adhesives with acceptably low VOC levels. “The cementitious products also had to be approved on behalf of the client by

The professional team involved in the contract was: Client:

Total South Africa

Main Contractors:

JC van der Linde & Venter Projects

Principal Agent & Project Managers:

Capex Projects

Quantity Surveyors:

Schoombie Hartmann

Architects:

Axient Architects

Interior designers:

Paragon Interiors

Consulting Structural Engineers:

BSM Baker

Environmental Consultants:

P.J. Carew Consulting

Electrical consultants:

Fhatani Consulting Engineers

Mechanical Consultants:

Adaptive Resource Engineers

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

BUILT

PJ Carew Consulting. For the concrete, we approached the concrete ready mix supplier to design a ‘project specific’ concrete mix that would meet the Green Star requirements as well as the engineers’ design criteria. The concrete reinforcement also had to be sourced from a supplier that utilises reinforcement steel with a post-consumer recycled scrap metal content in excess of 90%.” Once work had shifted inside the building, the contractors faced new challenges. For example, to demolish the existing lift shaft, only hand tools could be used as the shaft was virtually adjacent to the room that housed Total Africa’s strategically vital computer servers and sophisticated equipment. “Any damage to the operations of the server room would have had disastrous consequences for Total,” Venter recalls. Axient Architects’ design for the new building comprised a new central core in the middle of the existing building, stretching from the lower basement right up to the mezzanine level, in which a new central staircase, lift and escalators had to be installed. Consequently, the contractors had to virtually carve a large diameter hole through three floors of the existing building, utilising an intricate method of demolition. Piling for the foundations for the new lift and staircase structure had to be done with a special piling rig due to the limited space available in the existing lower basement. Nick Mallandain, Principal Architect at Axient, says: “For JC van der Linde & Venter Projects, this procedure was the main element from which the rest of the building work would follow, so the contractors’ programming of construction was based from this point.” To create the additional 1 000m2 of office space as innovatively devised by the consulting structural engineers, BSM Baker, it was necessary for Axient to redesign the roof truss structure to add more height in a specific grid area. This meant JC van der Linde & Venter Projects had to remove 1 000m2 of the existing hollow tube trusses and replace it with castellated beams. Nick Mallandain adds some of the other challenges faced by the entire professional team in this extensive refurbishment contract: “The old entrance to the building was on the east side but this was problematic in that the space was not efficiently used and faced a public transport centre. So the idea to move it to the north made sense. A double volume area existed already and because it faced the sun at its harshest it made seating staff in this area impractical. This gave us, as architects, the perfect opportunity to position the entrance here, creating the necessary additional parking around it.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Paragon Interiors created an impressive new reception area – with seated waiting areas and green walls – to bring life into the building. For JC vd Linde & Venter Projects, however, there was a big task of excavating down to the lower basement to construct a new stairwell up to the newly positioned entrance as well as civil works for the new parking area and entrance. “The two existing atrium areas were reduced from 12 x 24m to 12 x 12m. In these voids, Paragon Interiors had the idea to create cantilevered meeting rooms. Working in close cooperation, the engineers, architects, interior designers, and main contractors, managed to successfully create the meeting pods. “In fact, team work was important throughout. As part of Total South Africa’s new corporate branding strategy, the entire professional team were called on to provide maximum skills and expertise. The new building provides an inspiring environment for its staff, emphasises the client’s brand strength, and shows how an existing building can be refurbished and redesigned to high environmental standards through the combined input of dedicated professionals. The role that the main contractors played in ensuring that the client was ultimately

able to apply for a 4 Star Green Star rating was important and praiseworthy,” Mallandain adds. Kim Hutchins, Project Manager from Capex Projects, says: “Any alteration or refurbishment project is a challenge. When you add the requirements to meet Green Building criteria, the task becomes even more daunting. A lot of these requirements covered new ground for both the professional team and building contractors, but Arrie Venter and the team from JC van der Linde & Venter Projects rose to the task at hand and proved a highly efficient and cooperative company to work with. Much of the credit for the success of the project must go to them.” JC van der Linde & Venter Projects handed over the site in May 2015.The prolonged strike in the steel industry – which had severely delayed the availability of building materials – coupled with alterations to the original design, and early summer rains that started just when the old roof had been opened, led to an extension of the original contract 12-month contract. Assisting Arrie Venter on site for the contractors were JJ Maree (Site Agent), Martin Naudé (General Foreman), and Wim Wijenberg (Supervisor: Services Coordination and Finishing Trades). n

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Feb / Mar 2016 FM

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BUILT

DURBAN DOES THE 5-STAR VICTORY PARADE

Final construction work underway on Growthpoint’s R157 million new Ridgeview office development in Ridgeside, Umhlanga, which has become Durban’s first 5-Star Green Star SA – Office v1 Design rated building.

A landmark new R157-million green office development by Growthpoint Properties in Umhlanga’s booming Ridgeside precinct has been completed and has become Durban’s first 5-Star Green Star SA rated building.

onstruction on the P-Grade (premium) 6 680m2 building, which boasts views of the Indian Ocean, began in June 2014 and was completed by December 2015. Originally targeting a 4-Star Green Star SA office building rating, Growthpoint has been notified by the Green Building Council SA that the development had in fact secured a 5-Star Green Star SA – Office v1 Design Rating. “This is a great achievement and will serve as a green building beacon in greater Durban and KwaZulu-Natal,” says Greg de Klerk, KZN Regional Head of Growthpoint Properties.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

“The five storey development was conceived as two corporate office buildings on a single four level basement and arranged around a landscaped forecourt. Growthpoint’s building, dubbed Ridgeview, will be a multi-tenanted building,” he adds Rudolf Pienaar, Growthpoint Properties Office Division Director, comments: “Our Lincoln on the Lake and Mayfair on the Lake office buildings in the Parkside precinct of Umhlanga New Town Centre were pioneering green building developments in the Growthpoint portfolio. We have come a long way and now have 23 Green Star SA rated buildings in our portfolio countrywide and several more under development, which

have been submitted or will be submitted to the GBCSA for Green Star certification.” Pienaar adds: “The Lincoln on the Lake office development secured the first 4-Star Green Star SA As-Built rating for a multi-tenanted office building in South Africa back in 2012. Growthpoint continues to be the leader in terms of green rated buildings within its portfolio in the country. Our new Ridgeview building being certified by the GBCSA as the first 5-Star Green Star SA – Office v1 Design rated building in Durban furthers our market leading position on the sustainability front. “Growthpoint’s Ridgeview development in Ridgeside is a unique and leading-edge

RIDGEVIEW –Fact Sheet • This P-Grade office building was designed to achieve a 4-Star Green Star SA Office V1 rating using current technologies and innovative methodologies to deliver costeffective high grade work space. Ridgeview has secured a 5-Star Green Star SA Office v1 Design Rating from the Green Building Council SA. • The design solution maximises usable floor area ratios whilst maintaining a human scale and high grade architectural quality. The development is accessed through a landscaped courtyard space with a shared ramp that provides access to four basement parking areas. • The envelope of the building incorporates high levels of thermal insulation to external walls and roofs. The double glazed facades are designed to have a low shading coefficient to facilitate good thermal performance. • Overhangs and a unique custom designed fritted glass fins provide integrated shading structures in order to reduce solar exposure to the glazed facades. Daylight glare control is reduced using both extensive external shading and internal blinds. All office spaces are relatively narrow corporate floor plates and enjoy natural light and exterior views of Umhlanga Ridge corridor as well as sea and city views. • The design includes preferential parking to encourage alternative modes of transportation and is cognisant of the latest electric powered vehicles such as the BMW i3 with the inclusion of charging infrastructure within parking bays. The building is located very close to existing and planned public transportation modes and local amenities. Cyclist facilities with lockers and showers are provided to promote low emission transportation.

Artist impressions of the Ridgeview office development in Ridgeside, Umhlanga.

office project, which is located on an excellent site in this sought-after precinct of Umhlanga. We’ve developed a P-Grade office building that we’re justifiably proud of.” De Klerk comments: “When it comes to thriving office nodes in Durban, there’s a continued move by business north into Umhlanga Ridgeside, Umhlanga New Town Centre and La Lucia Ridge. These nodes are experiencing the highest levels of office development in Durban. “Around 50 000m2 of office space will come to market over the next year in these nodes, of which about a third is being developed by Growthpoint. We are looking forward to the completion of our Ridgeview development, which will be a great new addition to our office portfolio.” Umhlanga Ridge has become one of the country’s leading nodes for green buildings. In addition to its ground-breaking Lincoln on the Lake and Mayfair on the Lake office buildings, Growthpoint is investing R117,3-million in another 5 500m2 new green office development, named The Boulevard, in the Parkside precinct of Umhlanga which will be com-

Sustainable building features include: • Electric vehicle charging infrastructure. • Extensive rainwater harvesting on site for

Rudolf Pienaar, Growthpoint’s Office Divisional Director.

Greg de Klerk, Growthpoint’s KZN Regional Head.

pleted in April 2016. Upon completion, The Boulevard will make up a city block of green buildings in Umhlanga New Town Centre, providing A-Grade office space of 20 000m2. Growthpoint is South Africa’s largest REIT and a JSE ALSI Top 40 Index company. It owns and manages a diversified portfolio of 471 properties in South Africa, 53 properties in Australia through its investment in GOZ, and a 50% interest in the properties at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. Growthpoint’s consolidated property assets are valued at more than R100-billion. Its growing property portfolio in KwaZulu-Natal is valued at over R5,5-billion. n

reuse in toilets and urinals. • Air-conditioning system that makes use of an air cooled chiller, which reduces potable water consumption by over two million litres of water annually. • Highly efficiency façade incorporating insulation, double glazing and vertical and horizontal shading. • Xeriscaping is implemented to eliminate the need for irrigation. • Use of motion detectors in the offices and in the parking area which automatically switches off lighting when areas are not in use. • Comprehensive network of energy meters which are connected to a Building Management System and can provide the building owner with detailed information on energy use.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

HYGIENE

PAPER TOWELS OR HAND DRYERS: WHICH IS THE IDEAL? FM Link tells how a restroom upgrade project slashed operating costs for Wheaton Academy in the US by switching from paper towels to hand dryers.

heaton Academy is a college preparatory, inter-denominational Christian high school founded in 1853 in the US. The Academy enrols approximately 650 students in grades 9-12. Characterised by high academic standards and a mature student culture, the school sits on a beautiful 50-acre college-style campus with five facilities, including the Fine Arts Center and Heritage Field House. Recently during show intermissions at the Fine Arts Center, the head of the school saw students and parents waiting in line in a restroom to use old, slow hand dryers. Some frustrated restroom users would give up and leave with dripping, wet hands. The Academy decided it was time to upgrade its restroom hand dryers in three of its five facilities. One of the challenges in upgrading the hand dryers in the Fine Arts Center was to balance the need for faster, more powerful hand dryers with the necessity to keep noise to a minimum so as not to disturb the Center’s events in the nearby auditorium. Another challenge the Academy faced was the hand dryers in the Field House had to be ADA compliant. Richard Mills, of Wheaton Academy’s maintenance department, began to research

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

the different hand dryer manufacturers, even visiting different public locations in the community to test different models. It didn’t take long to settle on a product in the US called World Dryer. The Academy at that time had hand dryers from various manufacturers, including several 30-year-old World Dryer workhorses. Mills was so impressed with their reliability and the trusted World Dryer brand that he decided to go with World Dryer for the upgrade, noting it was the only manufacturer with a portfolio of choices that fit the school’s needs. Another factor in choosing the product was the fact the sales representative actually brought different models of hand dryers to the Academy so Mills and other school officials could test them out in the school facilities to ensure the best fit. For the Fine Arts Center, the Academy selected the product because it is an energy efficient and hygienic high-speed hand dryer. The intelligent and flexible controls allow customising of high-speed air flow, sound quality and heating options. Maintenance could adjust the fast, powerful hand dryers with sound at a minimum level so as not to disturb performances. The school ordered all the dryers to be automatic, hands-free and stainless steel for better sanitary conditions. Mills said the

energy efficiency of the dryers—the dryers use only 12% of the energy of traditional dryers—was also important as it helped reduce the electrical load on the Academy’s branch circuit. That was an important consideration given how many devices students and teachers plug into classroom outlets these days, Mills noted. Mills said the Academy never considered paper towel dispensers for restrooms. “It just becomes a huge mess. You have paper towels all over the floor and everywhere. Too often, they get thrown around, or they get flushed and the plumbing suffers.” Mills reports the Academy is very pleased with the new hand dryers and particularly how each different model from its full line of hand dryers has served a different purpose and fulfilled the different needs of each facility. He said teachers have even expressed surprise with how well they work, and the customer service has been top notch. “World Dryer understood that we had different needs for hand drying in each of our buildings, such as speed, sound and being ADA compliant,” Mills said. “All the hand dryers are high quality and have their purpose. They took the time to understand our concerns and offer us the right solutions”. n

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

SECURITY

AVOID CASH

BECOMING A CRISIS! Retailers cannot escape the challenges of handling cash. It puts the business and its people at risk. To improve security and efficiency, lower incidences of fraud and reduce shrinkage, retailers are searching for a 360-degree solution that collects, safeguards and processes cash. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big ask as the solution provider must have multiple physical, technological and security competencies, as well as strong multi-sector alliances. By Mel Brooks

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

he security needed in a retail store to manage cash includes CCTV, access control, physical in-store security, policies and procedures for cashing up, cash in transit security, and insurance. And there are a number of in-store challenges. Cash needs to be managed well: it needs to be collected, counted, policed, transported offsite and insured. Working with cash is time-consuming and risky. Besides the losses that come with shrinkage, 95% of armed attacks target cash. Retailers would rather focus on their core business. They want cash secured and removed, and deposited into the bank as fast as possible. For every day that cash is not deposited, interest is lost.

What is needed is a retail cash security solution that improves operational efficiencies and, importantly, profitability. However, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a single product or solution that can solve this challenge; a combination of products, processes and solutions is needed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for that retailers must find a security solution provider with broad capabilities, the right technology, strong sector relationships, and the ability (and best practices) to develop processes to support the cash management function. G4S has added innovation to best practices to develop a 360-degree or end-toend retail cash solution that addresses the challenges faced by retailers. Used by more than 3 500 retailers worldwide, it incorporates an onsite physical automatic banking

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Working with cash is time consuming and risky. Besides the losses that come with shrinkage, 95% of armed attacks target cash.

machine (ABM), the G4S Deposita, that counts and instantly registers each cash note deposited, reconciling all transactions to an identifiable source. Agreements with leading banking institutions enable G4S to offer same-day, electronic settlement of the deposited funds into the retailer’s bank account. A Terminal Management System produces accurate, real-time management information and reports that can be accessed online, at any time and can be imported to the customer’s own financial system. Full risk cover is provided from the moment the cash is deposited into the ABM.

The benefits: • Secure storage: the safest manner in which to secure cash on your premises. • One-stop-shop: the entire cash handling process is taken care of by one supplier, ensuring accountability. • Optimal performance: the ABM saves time and money as it eliminates the need for lengthy manual cash-up processes, improves operational efficiency and reduces operational costs. • Reduction of counterfeiting: the ABM counts and validates the notes automatically at the point of tender, thus reducing the risk of accepting counterfeit currency. • Accurate financial reporting: all the

ABMs are connected to a network that stores transactional information enabling a full audit trail. Retailers can view the details of all deposits made at any of their outlets nationwide, per cashier and per shift so that any deviances can be identified instantly. • Decrease of theft: the implementation of a G4S Deposita ABM results in a remarkable reduction in employee theft, pilfering and skimming, because the cash deposits are immediately and automatically registered, per cashier and per shift. • Lowering of risk: the effective processing and quick turnaround of cash that is circulated rapidly, reduces the risks associated with large sums of cash on site. G4S’ ABM is backed by a full service security solution to support retail cash management that ranges from onsite staff training to physical security services for physically managing the cash as in cash in transit and other services. For retailers, the right cash management solution can deliver significant business value. Find a proven solution that is backed by a security company with capabilities that reach across the realms of physical and cyber security, that understands the challenges faced by the retail sector and that has a solid reputation. n

Mel Brooks is Africa Regional President: G4S Africa

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

TECHNOLOGY

TEST THE WATERS BEFORE CLOUD MIGRATION Cloud is one of the most significant over-arching growth trends driving digital transformation today. Although in South Africa we are seeing some uptake of this technology, customer confidence generally remains fairly low, and local organisations are still faced with the challenge of significant investment of existing legacy infrastructure. By AJ Hartenberg

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

his has led to hesitation in the market when it comes to the option of migrating to cloud-based platforms. However, cloud technology is not ‘all or nothing’, and there are many methodologies that can be taken towards adoption. These include strategic migrations, testing, new product development and upgrades. For many South African businesses, the investment into existing infrastructure is significant, and this legacy infrastructure needs to be managed, operated and run effectively and reliably. This can make the transitioning to cloud a seemingly onerous task, with the result that many IT departments are susceptible to “Dark IT”. The question is, “Where to start?” Many businesses have embraced the need to use cloud services, yet IT departments are subjected to the continuous onslaught of being reliable with current infrastructure and systems management. How do IT departments leverage the significant benefits the cloud offers? In addition, a lack of confidence surrounded cloud initiatives can hinder adoption, as many IT departments are unsure of which projects are suitable for the cloud and which infrastructure should be maintained in-house, as well as which applications could benefit most from cloud migration. Organisations need not make the call to move all of their core transactional systems over, but can take a more strategic approach to see where the cloud can provide benefit, without taking the risk of a wholesale cloud migration. The need to balance the operation and maintenance of classic IT operations with dynamic solutions that utilise the cloud platforms.

A bi-modal approach to IT, leveraging both in-house and cloud-based infrastructure and services, has to become the norm of today. Simply moving old workloads into a new environment, in other words the cloud, is not always the best option. Before any existing services or solutions are migrated, it is essential to conduct a cloud readiness assessment, particularly in terms of the applications that can be safely and productively migrated across. A cloud readiness assessment can also provide a full overview of the business and all associated IT services, and facilitate the design of a roadmap for optimal cloud migration. In addition to these methods, a third option is to take new projects, services and applications as well as upgrades to existing solutions and deliver them straight from the cloud. Since in many organisations businesses that demand agility are bypassing IT and obtaining pure cloud services externally, this method enables IT to regain some control and initiative, and also demonstrate value to the business. While new projects are being rolled out, organisations can also assess legacy applications and systems, take them through the cloud readiness assessment, and determine which can be safely migrated. This approach offers organisations a number of benefits, not least of which is reduced risk. For example, when embarking on an upgrade, there are usually challenges that need to be ironed out which can

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For many South African businesses, the investment into existing infrastructure is significant, and this legacy infrastructure needs to be managed, operated and run effectively and reliably. This can make the transitioning to cloud a seemingly onerous task, with the result that many IT departments are susceptible to “Dark IT”

impact productivity, production and the operations in general. The upgrade can be fully tested in a cloud environment, which stabilises the IT environment, reduces disruption to the company and enables a smoother, hitch-free project. Furthermore, with regard to new products, projects or services, cloud models mean that the business is not committed to a fixed capital expenditure in order to deliver. Since cloud can be based on a ‘pay as you use’ model, infrastructure can be added as and when necessary without significant capital outlay or lengthy procurement processes. This also improves agility, allowing organisations to roll out new services faster and respond more quickly to changing market demand. Businesses also do not need to become heavily invested in new projects, as they can be cut at any time if they are not delivering as expected. In addition, all of this can be done outside of the production environment, and will therefore not have any

impact on the day-to-day operations of the business In many instances, after conducting a cloud readiness assessment, organisations will discover that the benefits far outweigh any risks. Cloud is not simply about saving costs, but around provisioning more agile, dynamic, flexible and responsive IT services. The speed and agility with which new products can be delivered to market can become a significant competitive edge, and the lack of risk in attempting new products can help to drive innovation. If a product works, cloud IT can also scale quickly to meet growing demand. Ultimately, if the right services, applications and solutions are migrated into the cloud, organisations can leverage multiple benefits with minimal risk that will enable them to become more competitive in today’s digital marketplace. n

AJ Hartenberg is portfolio manager: Data Centre Services at T-Systems in South Africa

TECHNOLOGY

ACCELERATE THE CORE, OWN THE FUTURE The biggest trend in 2016 will be the balancing act that companies face: to optimise core processes, while simultaneously building innovation capabilities that generate competitive advantage. This dynamic has been spoken about for the past couple of years – in largely abstract and conceptual terms. By Gavin Holme

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

n 2016 the reality will hit home and IT decision makers will be forced to make bold decisions to protect their organisations from losing ground. Evidence is starting to categorically show how digital transformation has a direct correlation with company performance. Those with faster rates of transformation and more aggressive adoption of Cloud, Social, Mobility, Big Data and the Internet of Things, are manoeuvring into new areas of opportunity. Secondly, South African businesses are being thrust into direct competition with powerful digitally-native companies the likes of Netflix, Uber, Spotify, AirBNB, Whatsapp, and many others that are revolutionising local industries at breath-taking speed. Those that remain flat-footed – relying on ‘legacy’ infrastructures, cultures, processes and business models - are now clearly losing

ground to pure-play digital entrants, as well as those faster-evolving traditional organisations. In Gartner’s framework of bimodal IT, classical ‘mode one’ principles of stability, efficiency and security, are combined with the more modern ‘mode two’ principles of agility, innovation, and exploration. The misconception is that for organisations to deal with the threats of disruption, they need to shift all their focus to mode two. In reality, 2016 will demand a dual focus on both ‘modes’ of one’s IT estate. Against the backdrop of a weak rand and tight economic conditions, optimising and fine-tuning one’s current environment is, in fact, just as important as building a new innovation and digitisation capability. Broadly speaking, organisations can extract costs by following the four principles of consolidation, elimination, simplification and automation.

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This balanced approach to both the run and the build requirements of IT modernisation is what we term: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;accelerating the core, owning the futureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. To truly own the future, organisations will be required to fully leverage their strengths (such as customer bases, financial assets, skills and capabilities and brand perceptions) and take bold moves to pivot their businesses, even cannibalising some of their own revenue streams.

A key aspect of surviving digital disruption is fundamentally repositioning the IT division from cost-centre and support function, to a value-adding digital transformation enabler.

Outsourcing and right-sourcing to unleash new digital opportunities A key aspect of surviving digital disruption is fundamentally repositioning the IT division from cost-centre and support function, to a value-adding digital transformation enabler. Outsourcing can go a long way to achieving this: By outsourcing the management of dayto-day operations, the IT team can focus on innovation, new technologies, transformation, and influencing business strategy. They no longer have to focus on the people and skills issues involved in system maintenance. By smartly pulling on the economies of scale and experiences of outsourcing providers, the IT team can de-risk its forays into emerging new technologies. With Cloud platforms provided by the partner, the team has a low-cost, low-risk environment to explore new ideas - failing fast where they must and productionising successful experiments.

Translating global trends into local solutions South African consumers and businesses lag behind the first world in key technology areas like connectivity speeds, smartphone adoption and Cloud computing adoption, for example. A central theme of 2016 will be South African organisations taking the best of global innovation and blending it with local customer dynamics, to achieve the optimal digital strategies. For example, we will see eCommerce finally starting to flourish in an African context. Embedding more sophisticated eCommerce tools will start to become the norm for companies in various sectors, across the continent. n

Gavin Holme is Country Head, Africa Wipro Technologies.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

TECHNOLOGY

SMART TECHNOLOGY CAN EXTEND SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE Automotive dealers can take advantage of the latest in mobile, cloud and beacon technology – to digitise their showrooms and distinguish themselves with interactive customer experiences. By Michael Frans

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

ith the right mix of technology, customers can enjoy augmented showroom browsing experience – with mobile apps that interact with beacons on the showroom floor. This provides more information about the vehicles on show, video demonstrations, photos, pricing and financing options, and the ability to easily book test drives or meetings with advisors. With their engagements logged, dealerships can follow-up with customers and target specific offers based on their behaviour, giving dealers unprecedented insights into potential customers’ interests and needs.

But perhaps most importantly, digitisation enables dealers to ‘extend the showroom experience’. This is most applicable in areas like: • Customers can now engage with the mobile app, download information, and find out more about vehicles and offers whenever they want. This creates something of a ‘virtual showroom’ – open 24 hours a day, from wherever the customer may be. • Dealers can now maximise their activations in places like shopping malls, shows, exhibitions and other events. For example, if company representatives are

Michael Frans, is head of business operations: automotive at T-Systems South Africa

not around, people can still engage with vehicles on display using digital interfaces like an app to find out more, get contact details, or book test drives. • In busier times, when sales representatives are all engaged with clients, dealerships can cater for higher numbers of visitors by providing all the information customers need in a digital format, and following up with interested customers at a later stage. Importantly, the dealer’s digital, interactive showroom can be easily connected to the servicing side of their business – linking up maintenance and service schedules, spare parts orders, and other operational areas. This allows service staff to attain high quality customer engagements, keeping customers informed with accurate views of where a car is in the servicing process, what parts need to be replaced, and other pertinent details.

The advantage of digitisation is gaining a truly singular view of each individual customer and their history with the dealership, and the cars in which they’ve shown an interest. When mashed up with external unstructured data, such as social media feeds, the dealership can build comprehensive customer profiles – to provide that personalised touch that engenders customer loyalty. Digitising the showroom also creates the platform for future innovations, including exciting concepts like virtual reality test drives that deliver rich, immersive experiences. Imagine test driving your car along California’s mythic ‘Big Sur highway’, with the raging Pacific Ocean beneath you, all from a standard showroom in South Africa! New-age digital innovations bring all of these opportunities within easy reach of dealers. With the right technology,

new insights generated from apps and beacons are automatically added to one’s customer profile databases. Prompts and alerts help sales consultants by matching individual customers, with special offers or test drive opportunities. In fact, with a simple deployment of just a few beacons, and some initial content uploading and systems integration, it’s possible to have a modern digital showroom up-and-running in less than a week. From a financial perspective, this newly-digitised environment enables easier measurement of the lead generation performance – allowing dealers to prove tangible ROI on their digital investments. 2016 will be the year that the showroom finally evolves from being highly physical and paper-based, to an integrated, digital entity that transforms the customer’s enjoyment, and increases brand affiliation and sales potential. n

Sweat your assets You’d be surprised how far the science of asset management has come in recent years. Get ahead. Run leaner, and perform better, by supercharging your asset management capabilities. Give us a call today. As strategic technology partners, we’ll cut through the clutter of technology-speak, and help you find ways to improve operations, drive growth, and quickly adapt to changes in business demands.

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Green FM

CONVENTIONAL BUILT TO GREEN BUILT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IS FM READY?

By Lloyd Dube

In the past decade, the property industry has seen an increase in the number of green buildings built. With the increase in the number of new buildings, maintenance managers and property owners need to be aware that green buildings present different maintenance challenges to that of conventional buildings. The article presents a number of strategies that call for the accreditation of maintenance managers, training in green buildings and involvement of facilities managers from day one in the planning of green building projects. Feb / Mar 2016 FM

n the last decade, facilities management service providers and property owners have seen an increase in the interest and support for green buildings from governments across the globe, the property development industry, private organisations and the general public for fostering a sustainable and climate-friendly built environment. Not to be outdone, the local property market has also warmed up to the green building surge to such an extent that the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has reported that to date, 50 buildings have been certified. Research conducted by McGraw Hill Construction has also shown that the rate of increase in the number of green buildings constructed in South Africa is higher than that of the USA, Europe, Singapore and Brazil. While the growth in the number of green buildings in the South African property market is welcome, this change has resulted in the need for facilities service providers to tailor-make their provision of maintenance services to meet the new demands brought about by specific maintenance standards suitable for green buildings.

The need to tailor-make specific maintenance strategies for green buildings stems from the fact that green buildings by their very nature significantly differ from conventional buildings in many aspects from design, materials used, equipment and maintenance requirements. In practice, green building require a shift from current conventional ways of maintaining a building to a strategy that enables compliance with energy efficiency needs, water use, waste disposal and the use of recyclable material in construction, sustainable use of space, innovative use of technology and use of natural lighting. These are buildings which by an integrated and holistic approach to location, siting, design, specification and use of energy and resources, seek to minimise their environmental impact. Maintenance managers need to be versatile enough to be able to integrate innovative and efficient technologies, sustainable design approaches and environmentally sensitive site planning practices. This requires the maintenance team to be skilled in a variety of skills including the need to ensure that green building requirements are maintained according to GBCSA standards. The point is that it is no longer business as usual for maintenance managers specialising in conventional buildings – more is required of them. One way of doing this is to train the maintenance team to reach these objectives. The need to change maintenance strategies for green buildings are based on the following reasons: • Maintenance requirements of a green building are incorporated in the project plan from the beginning of the project and because of this, the maintenance team should be engaged in the entire life cycle of the project as they are responsible for ensuring that the green status is upheld. • The maintenance team should be involved in not only the planning of the building but must also take part in the selection of the site earmarked for the new building. The involvement of the maintenance team with respect to site selection should ensure that green buildings are not erected on sites that are environmentally sensitive. This makes it easier for the maintenance team to be sensitized on the need to preserve the surrounding eco-system, and to gain an understanding of the reasons behind the wet services designs. • The maintenance team can improve preventative and planned maintenance plans by aligning their maintenance planning to

Focus Areas Details

Areas of focus

Indoor Air Quality

A. Your consultant should be able to recommend a periodic duct inspection strategy as well as hvac maintenance requirements B. A list of low VOC paint, sealant and other products that meet green building standards. The consultant needs to recommend reputable suppliers as well as good products

Lloyd Dube has extensive experience on a wide number of integrated FM projects in South Africa. green building standards from inception and not at the end of the project. • Facilities management service providers should ensure that the maintenance team of these buildings attend GBCSA accredited training workshops to have fuller understanding of the documentation requirements. This will also give them insights into other sustainability issues that they may not have been aware of and increase their understanding of emerging sustainable issues and technologies. • The facilities management service provider should ensure that maintenance managers are accredited by the GBCSA. In most cases property owners are not in a position to ensure that the maintenance team is involved in the design and construction of a building from day one. In such a scenario, property owners can insist that the consortium team responsible for the green building project should ensure that a sustainability consultant is part of the team. The reason for the inclusion of a sustainability consultant is that there is usually a disconnect between the building installations manuals, the green building requirements and the facilities management maintenance strategies. The intent is to provide the property owner with a tailor-made maintenance plan that ties in with green building guidelines as opposed to procedures for maintaining individual pieces of equipment that are normally provided in the standard equipment operating and maintenance manuals. In essence, the structured plan enables the maintenance team to create planned and preventive maintenance plans required to keep green features operating as intended in a much more coordinated way. The sustainability consultant can also focus on the areas listed in the side table on the right. n

C. A planned maintenance plan covering soft and hard services Energy

D. Information on the operation of the HVAC system E. Provide list on suitable lamps F. Effective ways of reading electrical meters and reporting

Wet services

G. Information on the sources of interior plants species used in the building H. Methods of cleaning basements and pervious paving systems I. Landscaping of gardens and roof gardening J. High-rise window cleaning procedures and guidelines

Materials

K. Provide list of recyclable materials

Materials

L. Provide list of the manufacturers and suppliers of green materials used in the building

Change Management

M. Provide a list of instructions for building occupants showing the green features and how HVAC works, water use reduction and other green practises

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Green FM News

TOP SAVINGS WITH ROOFTOP PV

assat Energy has successfully commissioned a 220kWp rooftop solar power plant of 880 solar panels of 250W each at TW Profile Services in Boksburg and anticipates a significant reduction in electricity consumption. TW Profile Services has been in operation since 1994 and has successfully grown into one of the largest service centres in the laser cutting and profile cutting industry in South Africa, specialising in plasma cutting, guillotine cutting, rolling and bending. “Due to our high electrical consumption, we needed to look at possible solutions and selected PV as the most viable. We anticipate about a 25% saving in our monthly electricity bill,” says Joost Smuts, MD of TW Profile Services. The panels are installed in four arrays giving an output of 55KW each. This feeds into two 100KW inverters in parallel, tied to the grid. The pay-back period is estimated at five to six years. The total voltage is 750v DC which is converted into 3-phase AC. Passat Energy has partnered with 3M for advice on attaching the solar installation to existing roof structures, minimising roof penetrations.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

“3M has assisted with the installation of the solar panels by providing a unique solution for attaching the solar panels to the roof of the factory,” says Pierre Lombard, a director of Passat Energy. “The panels are not secured using the traditional method of mechanical fasteners where holes are drilled in the roof to secure the panels. Mechanical fasteners tend to rust after a few years and the process is time-consuming and labour intensive. Mechanical fasteners are also prone to creating water leaks,” he says. The solution provided by 3M consists of a VHB (Very High Bonding) double-sided, adhesive-rolled acrylic tape, initially used for high-speed trains in Japan. “The adhesive is stronger than a mechanical fastener, will last longer – up to 15 years, and bonds immediately,” says Lombard. “The adhesive is also visco elastic, meaning it has no thermal expansion caused by changes in temperature and therefore creates zero fatigue on the roof or panel.” “The installation took four weeks, whereas using mechanical fasteners would have taken six to eight weeks. Recent hail and high winds had no effect on the panels and they remained secure,” he says. n

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Due to our high electrical consumption, we needed to look at possible solutions and selected PV as the most viable. We anticipate about a 25% saving in our monthly electricity bill

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Green FM

STREET TACTICS PROVES STREET SMART

niversity of Cape Town landscape architecture graduate, Frank Kleinschmidt, has won the 2015 Corobrik Most Innovative Landscape Architecture Award for an innovative dissertation using an experimental board game known as Street Tactics to explore the exciting contemporary urban design concept known as “tactical urbanism”. He took home a R 6000 prize. “Tactical urbanism” was first recognised as a global trend in 2010 and involves the use of less expensive, community based interventions to improve urban spaces. Examples include the creation of pop-up markets, upgrades of pedestrian through fares and pavements among others. Kleinschmidt explains that “tactical urbanism” is actually a form of civic intervention that allows private citizens and communities to use “low-cost, temporary measures” at neighbourhood level to improve problem areas themselves. This enables them to avoid “the lengthy bureaucratic and resource-intensive processes used by governments and private institutions”. The experimental board game tests how different ideas would work through creating hypothetical scenarios. Characters attempt to upgrade areas using different ideas and a limited palette of materials. When applied to a test site, as shown in his dissertation, the board game allows a player to evaluate the relative success of different design scenarios put forward by different characters with different agendas and resources. Then they can consider the legacy that these temporary installations leave behind. “Exploring the nature of tactical urbanism through these scenarios broaches questions about the role of designers in urban public space and offers an alternative to normative strategic design,” he says. Kleinschmidt used a selected site – the stretch of Foundry Road running from Salt River Station to the vehicular nexus that is Salt River Circle – to illustrate how the game could be played. Various items ranging

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Werner Oelofse of Corobrik is pictured with Frank Kleinschmidt, who won the 2015 Corobrik Most Innovative Landscape Architecture Award for an innovative dissertation using an experimental board game known as Street Tactics.

from skate parks to a bus shelters were developed to create a more dynamic and enriched set of spaces. These scenarios were then developed into designs, each building upon each other. He notes that his dissertation has raised interesting questions about the nature of design as well as the nature of public participation and how different methods can be employed to enrich the designer’s palette. In summary, he says that his board game shows just how various measures that fall within “tactical urbanism” can address another global trend, namely “spatial inequality”. Spatial inequality is defined as the development of public space that benefits certain, often more affluent, groups to the detriment of others. This determines how space is used and by whom. This is one of South Africa’s greatest challenges. Over time, people become dissatisfied with living in distressed areas while others are living in upmarket suburbs and it can contribute to social and political conflict and unrest, he warns.

“In Cape Town, spatial inequality originated largely through apartheid-era strategic planning. Then, in contemporary Cape Town, this planning typically focused on large-scale infrastructure projects, requiring massive amounts of capital and the city was tasked with economic generation in areas that were already yielding returns,” says Kleinschmidt

Missing opportunities Dr Julian Raxworthy, Senior Lecturer, Master of Landscape Architecture programme at the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics at the University of Cape Town commented “In the African context where much is improvised from the ground up via tactics, top-down strategic thinking can miss opportunities that emerge informally.” The innovation of Frank Kleinschmidt’s project was to design and play a board game called “Street Tactics” to generate scenarios for the creation of temporary structures that would suit different types

of “player,” like the homeless person or the developer for example. Through this process Frank critically explored the intersection between tactical urbanism and spatial inequality to design a new changeable landscape for Salt River, at the front line of gentrification in Cape Town. Corobrik’s Manager Western Cape, Christie van Niekerk, said that this dissertation confirmed what Corobrik has known for some time – architecture and landscape architecture are evolving to the point where they are no longer the preserve of a wealthy minority. Instead, they address very real challenges spanning the entire spectrum of urban development. “At Corobrik, we are proud to both acknowledge and help motivate young creatives through the Corobrik Most Innovative Landscape Architecture Award. Now in its fifth year, it paves the way for the creation of sustainable buildings, streets, neighbourhoods, and cities,” he says. n

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Exploring the nature of tactical urbanism through these scenarios broaches questions about the role of designers in urban public space and offers an alternative to normative strategic design

DON’T MISS OUT

Join us for Breakfast

and hear some great debate on insourcing versus outsourcing the FM role. We are bringing together a superb panel to debate this subject - Don’t miss out! Hear from a panel of experts on this important subject, particularly in-light of the recent challenges to university facilities management. Is insourcing the way to go? Outsourcing in one form or another is firmly entrenched in FM methodology. Which works best for you, let us help you to consider the options and why this topic is so important for the industry.

Friday the 4th of March at Langhams, Tamchele Avenue, Fourways 7.30 for 8am breakfast

• 11 May 2016 • 14 Sept 2016 • 09 Nov 2016

Visit www.fmexpo.org for details Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Green FM News

GBCSA LAYS IT ON THE LINE IN PARIS

he Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) has made an ambitious commitment to introduce a net zero/positive building certification scheme by 2020, and six more meaningful goals, at COP21 in Paris recently. A total of 25 Green Building Councils from around the world unveiled national commitments to transform the sustainability of their buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure that the building and construction industry plays its part in limiting global warming to 2 degrees. Buildings currently account for around one third of global emissions. But green building is one of the most cost-effective solutions to climate change, which generates significant environmental, economic and societal benefits. Brian Wilkinson, CEO of Green Building Council South Africa, explains its commitment to introduce a Net Zero/Positive building certification will cover energy and carbon emissions, and possibly also cover water and waste. It will leverage and be built upon the GBCSA’s current Green Star SA and Energy Water Performance certification schemes that already can assess whether a building is water or energy neutral or positive. However, it will also allow for specific recognition and acknowledgment of this net zero/positive aspect only, so as to elevate its importance. GBCSA also committed to six further significant goals by 2020. They are: 1. To secure statements of commitment in respect of the green building principles and practices for 60% of 50 of the leading and largest property owners in the country. 2. To target 2 500 commercial green building certifications, representing around 10 million square metres of gross building area 3. A target of 10 000 residential green building certified homes 4. A target of 12 000 professionals to be trained in green building principles and practices. 5. 10% of local government staff to be trained in green building principles and practices.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

6. Inspiring and assisting fellow African national to establish and capacitate GBCs in their countries by providing support with rating tools, training, and so forth, with a target of five more established African GBCs. The commitments were made at Buildings Day - the official COP21 meeting led by Ségolène Royal, the French Minister of Ecology and former presidential candidate. Terri Wills, CEO of the World Green Building Council, said: “The Green Building Council South Africa is demonstrating real leadership on green buildings by launching its ambitious commitments at these critical climate change negotiations in Paris. “We know how to build bigger and bigger. The challenge is to build bigger and better. And it is commitments like these that will help to transform the global buildings industry so that not only is a 2 degree world possible tomorrow, but we can realise the benefits from this new way of building – today.” The GBCSA has an extensive member base of over 1 300 member organisations each represented by thousands of individuals who have become activators and implementers of green building, in both the private and public sector. The GBCSA exists to transform the way the built environment is designed, constructed and operated, to be environmentally sustainable. This includes a critical focus on radically reducing harmful emissions resulting from building practices. The commitments form part of the World Green Building Council’s Better Build Green campaign, which has been focusing on COP21 and Buildings Day. A summary of the commitments: – All 74 national Green Building Councils support the high level commitment from the World Green Building Council (the global network of which they are members) to achieve Net Zero carbon new building and energy efficient refurbishment of the existing building stock by 2050. – 25 Green Building Councils commit to register, renovate or certify over 1,25-billion m2 of green building space - almost twice the size of Singapore - and train over

GBCSA CEO Brian Wilkinson

127,000 qualified green building professionals by 2020. – 3 Green Building Councils (Canada, Australia and South Africa) commit to introduce Net Zero certification for buildings. – More than 125 corporate members of Green Building Councils have made commitments, including the French product manufacturing giant Saint-Gobain, Australian developer LendLease and Swedish construction firm Skanska. Key statistics/messages • To play its part in limiting global warming to 2 degrees, the buildings sector must reduce emissions by 84 gigatonnes by 2050 – the equivalent of not building 22,000 coal powered plants. WorldGBC has committed to achieving this goal by enabling a market transformation. • This large-scale reduction of emissions is possible - but it will take transformative action and collaboration. • By 2018, green building in the US will account for over 3,3-million jobs, more than one third of the entire US construction sector. • Green Building can improve people’s health, wellbeing and productivity – for example, improved indoor air quality can lead to productivity improvements of up to 11%. n

ARCHITECTURAL STUDENTS VIE FOR TOP HONOURS His award-winning thesis in 2015 was entitled The ‘Dark’ City: Critical Interventions in Urban Despair. Johnson’s project is set in the inner-city. He believes typical architectural projects are usually within/on an open or clear site and are therefore safer. His entry focused on inner-city development in Johannesburg, which is largely outsourced (by the City) to the private sector. His research investigated what happens when the city abandons its buildings and people. For more information, contact Thilo Sidambaram on 031 560 3111 or thilo.sidambaram@corobrik.co.za. n

Award-winner Harold Johnson

he annual Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year award is the country’s premier event to highlight the creative and technical talent of the cream of South Africa’s architectural students and to drive the advancement of design excellence nationally. The architectural department at eight universities around the country evaluated their final year thesis student entries, selecting a winner. Each of these winners will represent their institution at the national awards that will take place at The Hilton Hotel in Johannesburg on May 11 2016. Participating universities include: University of the Free State, University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Johannesburg, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Pretoria and University of Witwatersrand. Participants’ thesis models are available to view at The Hilton Hotel, Durban, between 9am and midday on May 11 2016. Tertiary institutions are encouraged to send architectural and design students to view the models and listen to a student lecture that will be delivered by the eminent award winning architect Andrew Makin. Harold Johnson of the University of Johannesburg is the 28th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year winner.

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

Green FM News

FIRST EVER REFUSE DERIVED FUEL PLANT IN SA

nterwaste – a leading local waste management business – has announced the launch of South Africa’s very first Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant. The plant aims at reducing waste to landfill and pioneering general, industrial and municipal waste to alternative fuels, ensuring less reliance on South Africa’s vital resources and resources that are carbon intensive. The current plant, which is the first of four lines, is expected to see a minimum of 12 000 tonnes of waste converted to alternative fuel, annually, for use in the South African manufacturing sector. “In line with global best practice, Interwaste continually invests in innovative solutions that have the most environmentally sound waste management opportunity at its core, solutions that make us market leaders and place us in a favourable position within the competitive waste management environment. It is with this in mind, and with a strong focus on aiding our customers to reduce operational expenses, while acting responsibly towards the environment, that we commissioned the RDF plant and today, launch what is another market first since the business opened 25 years ago – which we are very proud of,” says Allan Willcocks, CEO at Interwaste. The plant, which was imported in 2015, is located in a facility built by Interwaste at the company’s Germiston depot. It is currently producing a solid recovered fuel

to European specified standards, which is equivalent to A Grade coal. “Through the commissioning of such solutions, companies are able to lessen their reliance on fossil fuels, which have a high environmental impact including: acid mine drainage and reject coal for example and as such not only are businesses able to drastically improve their emissions profile but so too are they able to pay back their investment within a mere 5 years – where the fuel is substantially more economical,” continues Willcocks. Prior to the implementation of the plant locally, Interwaste underwent stringent environmental compliance procedures to ensure all due process was followed and that the facility would operate with a valid licence and the correct environmental authority approvals – which is critical in ensuring sound business practices. The company has also pioneered the process in alternative fuels within the hazardous waste environment, ensuring that hazardous waste can be diverted from landfill, where such waste is not only expensive to landfill but toxic to the environment if not managed correctly. “Locally the playing fields have changed, where the implementation of new and pending legislation is forcing companies to move to 21st century solutions, those solutions that offer real opportunity for environmental preservation. As such, from an Interwaste

perspective, the provision of these fuels has not only opened up in excess of 100 jobs within the sector, but has created a very solid platform from which to protect the environment at large and of course, is a critical constitutional imperative in line with changing legislation,” states Willcocks. “However, we are not in this alone, it is up to corporate South Africa to understand the benefits of such solutions to their bottom line, and the environment, in order for us to make the change we want to see. We are positive about the impact of such market innovation and look forward to very exciting times with regards to RDF,” concludes Willcocks. n

Index to advertisers Craison Hygiene

23, OBC

FM Expo 2016

IBC

Robex 19

Energy Management Solutions

Immaculate Cleaning

Softworx 31

Eskom 15

Maredi Technologies

IFC

Subscription

FM Breakfast

My Office Magazine

Feb / Mar 2016 FM

OPTIMISATION OF OPERATION

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium By Blake Wilkins

1st & 2nd June 2016 | Gallagher Convention Centre | Johannesburg The FM Expo is the event to source new suppliers, new ideas and gain expert knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. Network, share experiences and grow. Definitely not to be missed! Are you the decision maker in your organisation that orders supplies,

coordinates suppliers, calls the plumber, arranges office supplies or furniture and arranges maintenance crews? Then the FM Expo is for you.

Why should you visit

Talk to real people about real products, problems and practices. Bringing together over 80 suppliers offering a wide range of products and services. Get In-depth advice on products and services. The largest gathering of FM professionals in the industry. Get Ideas, inspiration and answers.

HELPING YOU MANAGE BETTER! *Entrance policy: Facilities management is reserved for trade visitors only. No babies and children under 16 are permitted into the exhibition. Please note: Registration on the day will be charged at R75 per person.*

Get in touch with Melinda or Knowledge

on +27 11 781 5970 or email:

melinda@fmexpo.org knowledge@fmexpo.org

for more details and to book a stand. jFM August 2013

August 2013 jFM