Facilities Management Magazine

ISSN 2071-9299

OCT/NOV 2018

WASTE REDUCTION

LEGISLATURE THAT GOVERNS THE PROCESSES OF WASTE MANAGEMENT

LEAD GENERATION FOR FM 5 BEST LEAD GENERATION PRACTICES

PENNY SAVING RECYCLING RECYCLING HAS BECOME A PROBLEM AND A FISCAL OPPORTUNITY

FM No. 021

SOUTH AFRICA

™

Leaking Pipes?

Don't replace, reline!

We have a solution for everyone!

With the ability to reline from 15mm pipes upwards, it’s no wonder Nu Flow serves so many industries.

UP Law Building

University

Situation: A CCTV camera inspection revealed that 10 x 110mm and 2 x 160mm PVC storm water down pipes had shifted joints.

Solution: Nu Flow relined the 12 downpipes from top to bottom with our structural lining technology working from the full bores on the roof and the outlet at the bottom.

LAPA Uitgewers

Commercial

Situation: The company's four-story offices in Pretoria were experiencing leak problems from the old steel 110mm and 160mm storm water pipes and two 110mm cast iron sewer stacks which had corroded through in places.

Solution: Nu Flow cleaned and descaled the problematic pipes. Once the pipes were clean Nu Flow relined them with structural liners.

Standard Bank Building, Pretoria

Commercial

Situation: The Standard Bank Building was experiencing problems with half of the full bores on the 3rd and 5th floor of the building.

Solution: Nu Flow relined all the steel pipes ranging from 75mm to 200mm.The pipes are suspended from the floor slab and covered with ceiling boards.

The CSIR Building

Commercial

Situation: The CSIR building was experiencing water damage from leaking full bores: The innovative facility did not hesitate to call in Nu Flow.

Solution: Nu Flow relined the problematic down pipes which were a combination of 50mm and 75mm gavanised and PVC.

Swimming pool in Meadowbrooke

Residential

Situation: The swimming pool's 50mm PVC pipes were leaking at the joints. The client didn't want to replace the pipes as they run under larger cut stone paving blocks.

Solution: Nu Flow relined all the swimming pool pipes using the “Nu Pipe” epoxy coating system. The epoxy is air blasted through the pipe network, coating the interior, thereby sealing all leaks.

jfm@nuflow.co.za

087 160 0383

www.nuflow.co.za

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Phil Woods

Almost there!

Contents 2

News & Products

6

Lead generation practices for facilities management

12

Waste reduction

15

The broom doesn’t work

16

Penny saving recycling

19

Retro-commissioning

20

IOT. Taking the leap

22

Furniture in the office

24

CapeTown Expo & Convention review

T

he end of the year is fast approaching and as I write this in Johannesburg I am looking out over a parched landscape and thinking of the Cape Town water crisis.

I was there recently and in spite of reports of dam levels back to 80-90% they are still under level 5 water restrictions. I do believe that this is a good idea in that most of us need to be on top of our water use and reduce wastage. I do hope that we in JHB are learning from the lessons in the Western Cape and are looking at water savings as part of the planning and budget ideas moving forward.

I was in Cape Town for the Facilities Management Confex that we organised in early October. The event was well received by all who attended and it proved to be a successful day. More on this on page 24.

Editor Phil Woods phil@fmexpo.org

Layout Alois Sajanga alois@fmexpo.org

Journalist Lerato Mashiane lerato@fmexpo.org

Earlier in September we had the tragic fire that took place in Johannesburg CBD at the Lisbon building. The concern here being that the deaths of the 3 fireman could have been averted if proper inspection and maintenance of the building had been carried out. It does emphasise that maintenance and proper control and processes should be a top priority for all FMs and how important the sometimes, mundane things can be.

In this issue we have plenty of topics to engage and hopefully stimulate, from recycling and waste reduction to the Internet of things and Retro-commissioning. Plus, part two of Andrew Mason’s excellent article on lead generation for FM service providers.

See you next time.

Advertisement Sales

Copyright & Disclaimer

Brendan Kristiansen brendan@fmexpo.org

Somi Bululu somi@tetradeevents.com

Facilities Management (ISSN 2071-9299) is published 6 times a year by T.E. Trade Events together with 12+ 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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Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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NEWS & PRODUCTS

20 19

& Convention

C

ommitted to zero environmental impact by 2030 across its 143 clubs in Southern Africa, Virgin Active South Africa has partnered with the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) to sponsor a Net Zero Rating Tool.

The health club group is already making operational changes to reduce water consumption and waste, switching to renewable energy to drive down carbon emissions, and eliminating solid waste by recycling.

Ross Faragher-Thomas, MD in South Africa said, “This longterm partnership with GBCSA is a key driver that will steer our sustainability journey. It is imperative that businesses assume a leadership position and conduct operations in an environmentally responsible manner. The Net Zero Standard and Certification path adds a level of accountability for us.”

The brand will use the

T

otal South Africa recently revealed a model of their solar service stations at Skukuza Camp and also celebrated 60-years of partnership with SANParks in the Kruger National Park.

The revelation is in line with the company’s solarisation project targeting the installation of solar panels in 5,000 service stations around the world by the end of 2021.

This programme drives several efficiencies for the business, including reducing Total’s carbon emissions by 100,000 tonnes per year, as well as reduce its electricity bill by $40 million per year.

All photovoltaic panels will be

August 2014 Oct / Nov 2018 FM jFM

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tool to drive awareness on an operational level at 143 clubs, enabling a rating at each individual club across the different net zero categories of carbon, water, waste, and ecology.

“GBCSA is thrilled to have Virgin Active South Africa come on board as the first Net Zero sponsor, an organisation that is committed to demonstrating their commitment to sustainability by having their sites independently assessed against the GBCSA’s Net Zero standard – this is an incredible commitment, and the GBCSA congratulates Virgin Active on this bold, positive

step,” commented Manfred Braune, executive director of certifications, Green Building Council South Africa.

Further to this sponsorship, the health club group has committed to setting company-wide emissions targets in line with climate science.

From the date of the signature, it will have 24 months to calculate carbon emissions and submit targets.

Science-Based Targets is a collaboration between Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), World Resources Institute (WRI), the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and a global call to action to collectively reduce the average temperature by 2°C.

provided by SunPower, a subsidiary of Total Group since 2011.

“The project is fully aligned with Total’s ambition of becoming the responsible energy major and its commitment to developing solar power. Total South Africa embarked on the solarisation programme in response to anticipated changes in customer expectations and their relationship with energy,” said Pierre-Yves Sachet, MD and CEO of Total South Africa.

“This is an opportunity to demonstrate the need for responsible energy consumption in light of a growing global population with increasing energy needs. We firmly believe that it is possible and necessary to

produce, process and supply affordable energy while meeting the highest HSE standards,” Sachet added.

The France-based multinational also noted that the solar service station model coincides with its 60-years partnership celebration with SANParks.

“After 60 years in partnership with Total South Africa, it gives us a great pleasure to be working with a brand that shares our goals and vision in conserving our environment and investing responsible resource usage,” said Fundisile Mketeni, CEO of SANParks.

In South Africa, 282 Total service stations are planned to be fully solarised by 2021

M

artina Biene has been appointed the new Head of the Volkswagen brand in South Africa, Martina Biene, who was previously the head of product marketing for the Volkswagen brand in Wolfsburg, will be responsible for the Volkswagen brand in the South African market.

Biene has 16 years of experience in the Volkswagen Group, having worked in product planning and product marketing for luxury vehicles and the Volkswagen Brand, both in Germany, Belgium, and Luxemburg.

Biene replaces Carla Wentzel who has been appointed as the group managing director of Volkswagen Group Ireland, which

represents the Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, and Volkswagen Commercial brands in the Irish market.

Prior to leading the Volkswagen Brand, Wentzel was in a group role that included accountability for planning and logistics, IT, marketing research, dealer training, and customer centricity programme.

producing sufficient power to support its day-to-day electricity requirements while also decreasing its overall carbon footprint, another significant point in our sustainability journey,” he said.

Clampett added that, in addition to ensuring that the mall reduced its carbon footprint, the project created temporary employment for 50 people and full-time jobs for a further two workers.

Jaco Botha, the chief executive

of Solareff, said it was a groundbreaking project for South Africa’s solar PV industry and it was estimated that it would be able to produce 7800MWh annually.

Botha said Solareff and Attacq worked through the lengthy legal process together with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa and Eskom to ensure it was fully legally compliant.

Clampett said the reduction in traditional electricity consumption because of the installation of

T

he Mall of Africa, in the heart of Waterfall City in Midrand, is set to reveal a more than R50 million rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system.

Developer Atterbury Property, which owns 20 percent of the mall with the majority 80 percent owned by listed property company Attacq, has claimed it is the largest rooftop solar PV system of its kind in the southern hemisphere and the 10th largest worldwide.

Atterbury said that, as far as could be established, the system was the world’s largest integrated rooftop PV/ diesel hybrid solution.

The 4 755kWp installation covers most of the available space on the mall’s roof space, an area of about 45 000m².

The energy generated would be used to power the mall’s daily operations.

James Ehlers, the managing director of Atterbury, said that they had long ago realised the importance of integrating solar-smart solutions into their buildings.

“This solar PV system is just one of many that we will be installing across our portfolio,” he said.

Michael Clampett, the head of retail asset management at Attacq, said Attacq was well known for its focus on sustainable building, especially in its flagship Waterfall development.

“This project will see the mall

the system would alleviate pressure on the national power grid, allowing for greater available capacity to support the substantial local economic growth currently experienced in the Waterfall area.

Attacq said the positive environmental impacts of the solution implementation included annual savings of 8034 tons of CO2, 4394.36 tons of coal and 157 fewer coal trucks on the road each year.

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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NEWS & PRODUCTS

D

esigned by GIBB Engineering and Architecture, the Motherwell Passenger Rail Corridor (MPRC) in the Eastern Cape is one of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) largest rail projects.

The MPRC, when constructed will be a major benefit for Port Elizabeth and could lead to other important developments, such as the upgrading of the railway station in the area to include an intermodal hub and retail facilities, according to Nico Pienaar, GIBB Project Manager.

A project of this magnitude has a major economic impact and carries multiple benefits, including the generation of economic activity within the region, with knock-on effects potentially creating many employment opportunities and economic impacts.

In 2000, Prasa undertook the basic planning of the Motherwell Passenger Rail Corridor (MPRC) in Port Elizabeth. However, subsequent developments in land use development and rail technology meant that the planning required an update. This was completed

by GIBB in 2014, which was then appointed by Prasa, to carry out the

B

attery Park will be part of the Canal District and is described as a gateway to the V&A Waterfront.

The initial Waterway House development was an investment of R700m while developing the new Battery Park and garage and preserving the remnants of the old Amsterdam Battery was an investment of R300m.

Furthermore, R25m is being invested in the Canal Plaza and to improve the flow of traffic; R70m is being spent on the Queens Hotel, Amway Building, Old Dock Road

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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design of the proposed MPRC and stations.

Pienaar added, “The base design was completed in November 2015, with preliminary design following in October 2016 and the detail design in July 2018. Once the detail design is approved, the construction tender will be released.”

Other major milestones include the acceptance of the final scoping report by the Department of Environmental Affairs in July 2018, and one to follow is the signing of the MOU between Prasa and the NMBM (Nelson Mandela Metro Municipality).

The MPRC project consists of infrastructure including 14.7km of ballasted railway track, of which 7.14km is a double line; five rail cross-overs; 13 turnout sets; 2.3km of concrete railway track structure; and the required bulk earthworks and railway design layer works. The project also incorporates ten bridge structures and three railway station buildings, including mechanical and electrical services, precincts, intermodal facilities, and retail facilities. It also includes a service road along the railway alignment and a 3m high

boundary wall to protect both Prasa assets and public safety by preventing people from crossing the railway lines.

“Integrating all of these various aspects was one of the greatest challenges presented by the project. Allowing for pedestrian movement across the railway corridor was a key consideration.

All road-rail bridges have therefore been designed to include a 2m wide, barrier-protected walkway on each side of the bridge.

In addition, each of the three stations includes a street-to-street concourse bridge, which will allow people to cross over the bridges and allow controlled access to the station platforms,” said Pienaar.

Moreover, the railway stations are designed to allow connectivity between the train services and other transport services. This is a Prasa initiative, intended to support the IPTN (Integrated Public Transport Network) of the NMBM. The MPRC railway line ties off from the existing Transnet railway line just before Aloes Station and then runs to the left into Motherwell up to the four railway staging lines at the end station,

and landscaping; R10m is being spent on additional pedestrian links in the Canal District.

‘New heritage site’ According to David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront, a key objective of the V&A Waterfront has always been to re-establish the connection between the city and the sea. This has been done with the pedestrian path that runs alongside the Canal.

The ruins of the historic Amsterdam Battery have been retained in the park as a new heritage site.

“Our overarching vision, though,

was to provide a functional, convenient, comfortable, safe and unrestricted space with recreational activities for all age groups,” Green said in a statement.

Each area of the park contains public walking paths and benches.

It will integrate Cape Town’s CBD and the V&A Waterfront through a series of pedestrian routes, including one alongside the canal. Visitors to the park will also be able to engage in a range of outdoor recreation, entertainment and retail activities

Station 4. This station will be used for the overnight staging of the trains for departure to Port Elizabeth station in the morning.

Rail travel also offers significant time savings due to the avoidance of traffic congestion, and the regular travel schedule of trains.

“Travelling by train is more energy efficient than both road and motor vehicle transportation modes. In addition, converting road users to rail users will lead to a proportional reduction in road accidents, which will have a major economic cost reduction. It will also reduce road-based carbon emissions,” concluded Pienaar

in various public spaces.

Access to the 12 000m² parks will be offered from Dock Road (V&A Waterfront), Fort Road (near the Promenade), Ebenezer Road (starting in Green Point and entering the Waterfront near Dock Road) and Alfred Street (De Waterkant).

A four-story public parking facility is being constructed beneath the park with entrances via Alfred Street or Dock Road.

When it is complete, the parking facility will offer 1 206 bays for public residential and tenant use.

STOPPING FIRES BEFORE THEY START!

ASP Fire is able to conduct fire-risk assessments and Rational Fire Designs for shopping centres.

Fire plans have to be resubmitted for approval whenever a tenant changes, or if the internal layout of a shop changes.

Most tenants are not aware of the specific requirements for automatic fire detection and alarm systems and their obligation to install them.

Ceiling void smoke detection, void fire protection and the activation of smoke extraction systems by tenant fire panels are areas often ignored when shopping centres are built.

+27 11 452 2169 michael@aspfire.co.za

www.aspfire.co.za Chat to us on LinkedIn

TECHNOLOGY FM MARKETING

THE 5 BEST LEAD GENERATION PRACTICES FOR FACILITIES MANAGERS

With the advent of the internet, lead generation has become the single biggest challenge in the Marketing of Facilities Management. This article is part two of a two-part series covering the marketing of Facilities Management. If you have not read the first article, I recommend that you go back to the July/August edition of Facilities Management magazine and read “The 3 Biggest Challenges in Marketing Facilities Management” which will set the scene for the content that follows.

By Andrew Mason www.workplacefundi.com

I

f you read to the bottom of this article you will a link to slideshare.com where you can access an accompanying slide deck for these two posts entitled 5 Best Practices of Lead Generation for Facilities Managers.

In the first article we looked at the three most significant challenges in marketing Facilities Management; 1. Buyers find sellers, not vice versa 2. People only buy from people they trust 3. Interruptive marketing doesn’t work In this article, we will go into depth on the five best practices to engage with prospective Facilities Management Customers and

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consequently generate better quality leads that lead to more sales. The content is based on research done by the Building Services Group (BSG).

So how do we do that?

1. Build an ‘Independent’ lead generation engine The ubiquitous availability of information and resultant upliftment in the understanding of Facilities Management in your potential Customer has meant that the traditional lead generation role of marketing more often than not falls onto the sales team. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of leads required to

“

The principal objective of this Customer journey is to build trust over an extended period by asking and answering questions in a transparent and unpressurised manner.

generate the necessary sales would need an army of salespeople which is both expensive and unsustainable.

Salespeople should not be out there drumming up leads, that is the role of marketing. The role of sales should be to focus on more value-adding and relationship building activity when the Customers have been ‘warmed’ up by marketing are ready to engage, on their terms. So, if marketing can’t drum up the leads and sales are not going to do it, how does it happen?

In the first article “The 3 Biggest Challenges in Marketing Facilities Management” I highlighted that the advent of Google has meant that your potential Customers do not want to engage in the early stages of their search for the right provider. Until they have educated themselves on the subject they want to remain anonymous. This means that as a service provider your online presence is key to attracting engaging and retaining the Customer interest in the initial phases.

From a marketing perspective, this interaction should be treated as gold dust.

You should not pass up the opportunity that this engagement affords regarding who is interacting with your online presence, what they are looking at and what interests them.

Contrary to what might appear to be Orwellian type tactics of spying on our potential customers, you need to deploy a lead generation engine which takes your Customers on a journey without an intrusive amount of human intervention.

The principal objective of this Customer journey is to build trust over an extended period by asking and answering questions in a transparent and unpressurised manner.

2. Understand your Customers and their needs through the buying cycle The BSG study indicated that the majority (59%) of respondents say that they began

their procurement process either because the current service provider’s contract was expiring or because they felt that the current supplier was delivering poor value for money.

This should be a shot across the bow to all incumbent service providers, unknown to us; our existing Customers are often engaging with our competitors long before the end of our contract. Moreover, this is often happening before we are even aware of any dissatisfaction with our service.

In a post on www.workplacefundi. com “The 3 Common Causes for Contract Losses” I reported that ”72% of Lost Clients said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their service….. but they still defected” From a supplier’s perspective, we need to understand where our Customers are in their buying journey. The relationship with the Customer needs to be sustained over what can be an extended period. Typically, this journey may be as long as 24 months or more. This is not easily done and requires passive persistence.

One should be aiming to achieve elevation to the vaulted status of what author David Maister referred to as the ‘Trusted Advisor.’

This journey should start with an essential awareness of Facilities Management and of your organisation together with what are the challenges within the Customer environment.

It is about providing information that allows the Customer to understand their issues without necessarily offering or trying to sell them a solution.

From Awareness, we want to move to Consideration where the Customer is deepening their search for potential suppliers and exploring needs and solutions. This may well culminate in the Customers assessing all viable suppliers and deciding to test the market.

This ends up in the Decision stage leading to understanding the fit with potential partners and contracting with the preferred Supplier.

....Continued on page 10 Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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3. Developing invaluable content that meets Customer’s needs With Customers preferring to research online before engaging with suppliers we need to ensure that our website, blogs and social media presence provides both the content and customer experience that move customers along their respective journeys from the onboarding to hopefully becoming a brand advocate of our organisation.

There are two elements to Customer eXperience (CX) — Empathy and Curiosity. We must be interested enough to understand a Customer’s pains, motivators, needs and wants, but be curious enough to come up with ways to help them meet those expectations in order to achieve success.

It all comes down to meeting the customer needs. The first steps in any interaction are 1. Awareness Our job is to help the prospect through the buying process by providing value and relevance and timely content that is both

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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educational and informative to help prospective Customers understand their problems and the potential ramifications of those issues on their business. The focus must be on helping them and providing additional information on the topic and the solution, without talking about how we can solve their problems for them.

Typically, this content will be things like free white papers, e-book’s guides checklists and videos 2. Consideration This is increasingly about engaging in a conversation and exploring their needs through alternative solutions. The stage is much more interactive and typically may include things like webinars, FAQ sheets and potentially service specifications, service level agreements and case studies.

3. Decision The decision process is about advising and nurturing Customers to help them with their buying decision and providing information to reassure them.

Typically this would involve things like Customer testimonials, including potential costsaving indicators and returns on investment.

4. Leverage the content to generate leads

“

In the area of lead generation, most FM suppliers still expect their salespeople to source their opportunities or use “interruptive” techniques, such as telemarketing, to generate appointments for them which we know from the research in the first article not only doesn’t work it is in fact counterproductive.

The inbound nature of content marketing means that there is potentially valuable intelligence available to the sales team.

The monitoring of your Customers and how they interact with your website means that you know who is visiting your site where they are going, what pages they viewed how long they have remained on those pages thereby indicating how interested they may be in that topic.

If the website is set up correctly, you can encourage engagement with the ability to add comments to Blogs and News items on the site. Also, participation on social media can provide valuable insight into where the customer is on their buying journey and what is of interest to them.

All of this can occur before the first face-to-face engagement providing Customers with valuable information to engage in a face to face interaction which is very focused on their needs and objectives. Armed with this preknowledge ensures that the initial sales conversation becomes a continuation of the process, not the beginning. This, in turn, leads to better quality discussions and a two-way relational conversation, not a sales pitch. This results in better and earlier development of a quality relationship.

By only engaging this far down the customer journey means that we can ensure that we are making the very best use of our limited sales team and that the Customer has qualified themselves as a quality prospective lead.

5. Measure and optimise results The empowerment of the buyer facilitated by the Internet has meant that the customer controls the buying process.

This does not mean however that the seller is entirely powerless.

The information gleaned from how the Customer has interacted with your website allows you to better understand your Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) through improved analytics on issues such as Page use, social media reach, keyword rankings, landing page conversions, bounce rates etc.

This enables better lead and sales conversion rates and both the number and quality of the appointments lead to better and more focused proposals.

Ultimately leading to an increase in value delivery to the Customer.

Conclusion This research has highlighted the need for suppliers to adopt a more customer-centric approach throughout the buying process.

In the area of lead generation, most FM suppliers still expect their salespeople to source their opportunities or use “interruptive” techniques, such as telemarketing, to generate appointments for them which we know from the research in the first article not only doesn’t work it is in fact counterproductive.

These techniques are unpopular with Customers and are damaging to our company’s marketing efforts. We need to move away from interruptive marketing, to a place where Customers can find us and engage with us at a scale that allows us to nurture that relationship over what may be many months before the Customer decides to engage face to face.

Maintaining armies of telesales people, together with the outbound email marketing campaigns need to be a thing of the past.

The Customer has taken charge of the buying process, and it is buyers that find suppliers, these days, not the other way around. So, suppliers need to make sure that they can be easily “found”.

FM suppliers and service providers need to respond by adopting a more Customer-friendly approach to lead generation by using content and inbound marketing to attract new buyers.

Therefore, the essential thing for suppliers to take away here is the need to define their value propositions clearly and succinctly, to stand out from the crowd, and position themselves as thought-leaders during the evaluation phase and turning traditional marketing on its head to develop a trusted relationship Then, once in the bidding process, a suppliers’ success becomes highly dependent on their depth of understanding of a Customer’s needs.

In many respects, this is a “back-to-basics” approach, but it does hold the key to sales success.

By publishing the right content in the right place at the right time, our marketing becomes relevant and helpful to our customers, not interruptive.

Inbound marketing attracts qualified prospects to our business and keeps them coming back for more … because they want to!

If you want access to the slide deck that accompanies this article visit https:// www.slideshare.net/IngatheWinga/5-bestpractices-of-lead-generation-for-facilitiesmanagers?qid=69fb66e5-1ae9-45a2-bbf3c4f9ea0824ae&v=&b=&from_search=2 n

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

WASTE REDUCTION: THE LAW. Historically, waste management in South Africa focused primarily on endof-pipe technology, such as landfilling for generated and hazardous waste and incineration for medical waste. An indepth look into the legislature that governs the processes of waste management is necessary.

By Lerato Mashiane

T

he Government of New Zealand enacted a law in 2008 ( the Waste Minimisation act) which encourages a reduction in the amount of waste generated and disposed. The aim was to reduce the environmental harm of waste and provide economic, social and cultural benefits for New Zealand. In 2011 Australia also introduced the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act to achieve the same results.

In South Africa the promulgation of the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998) NEMA which aims to give effect to section 24 of the constitution - to secure an environment that is not harmful to the health and wellbeing of the people of South Africa - and the Natural Environment Management Waste Act (no 59 of 2008) (NEM:WA) which aims to, amongst others, implement the principles of the waste hierarchy.

Waste management in South Africa has evolved to include additional requirements such as waste minimisation and recycling.

The NEMA and the NEM:WA are guided by the integrated environmental management principles that aim to ensure negative environmental impacts are prevented, mitigated

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and regulated. They provide a range of tools and measures to monitor and manage activities that generate environmental impacts.

In 2008 all organs of state within South Africa were bound to achieve the objectives of the waste management hierarchy. Among other things the NEM:WA set to achieve the following objectives: • Minimising the consumption of natural resources.

• Avoid and minimise the generation of waste • Reduce, re-use, recycle and recover waste.

• Treat and safely dispose of waste as a last resort.

To achieve the objectives of the act, the South African government was obligated to develop a National Waste Management strategy in 2011. The objective was to promote the waste management hierarchy and ensure effective service delivery, whilst growing the waste economy by improving job creation and business development.

The government then promulgated an official notice that provided a list of waste

“

In 2016 the South African government made a few legislative changes.

The National Pricing Strategy for Waste Management (NPSWM) was published.

Notice was given to various industries (paper, packaging, electrical and electronic and lighting) in terms of the waste act to prepare and submit an industry waste management plan (IndWMP) for approval.

management activities that may have a detrimental effect on the environment and which require a waste management license to be issued prior to undertaking the activity.

In 2016 the South African government made a few legislative changes. The National Pricing Strategy for Waste Management (NPSWM) was published. Notice was given to various industries (paper, packaging, electrical and electronic and lighting) in terms of the waste act to prepare and submit an industry waste management plan (IndWMP) for approval.

The National Norms and Standards for the disposal of waste to landfill and the landfill ban for all types of light bulbs came into effect.

The National Pricing Strategy for Waste Management was published under the framework within which waste management charges are set in South Africa. The NPSWM recognises that there is currently an underpricing of waste services.

This does not encourage waste generators and holders to reduce waste but rather perpetuates the use of landfill which is perceived as the cheapest method of waste disposal. The NPSWM contains a methodology and approach for waste management changes applied in South Africa. It outlines possible waste management changes or economic instruments that may be applied in accordance with overall fiscal and taxation policy of South Africa.

There is still uncertainty within the industry if the strategy would have a positive effect, as under the current voluntary levy.

Material specific organisations receive their operational budget directly from industry.

The NPSWM makes provision for both, a taxed-based levy that would pay directly into the fiscus, and a direct payment to the Pro system.

Many stakeholders are concerned that if the taxed-based levy is implemented the funds would not be used for waste management as National Treasury is clear that it does not ring-fence funds.

Furthermore concerns have been raised with regards to the administrative costs associated with the newly-formed waste management bureau that is tasked to disburse the fees collected (to Pros) and implement, monitor and evaluate the effects of IndWMPs.

Waste Information Information forms the core part in managing waste and monitoring the success of different policy interventions.

The establishment of the waste information systems could not be left out of the Waste Act. Within the Waste Act, ministers and MECs to establish waste information systems that are meant to record, collect, manage and analyse any information concerning waste. Over and above that the systems created with the view to inform planning, educating the public as well as assessing the status of generation, collection, recycling, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste.

The information can also be used to gauge the impact the Waste Act has in minimising waste. However, access to to information in these systems will be in accordance with the Promotion of Access to information Act, 2000.

The Waste Act gives compliance powers to the Minister of Waste Affairs, particularly because waste disposal to land can have a detrimental impact on water resources including surface or groundwater.

The powers to request a waste impact report have been given to the environmental management inspectors (EMI) commonly known as the ‘green scorpios’ as well as the waste management officer in case they have reason to believe that any of the provisions of the act were contravened or violated such a request must specify the kind of information required as well as the time period within which the report must be submitted.

In the Act there are various sections where non-compliance constitutes an offence.

The penalties for each offence are set by the magistrate, however, the Act gives the maximum of 10 million or maximum of 10 years imprisonment or both. Penalties vary depending on the extent and severity of the offence.

There are 26 regulations within the Waste Act pertaining to the management of different waste streams, waste information management contaminated land assessment, planning and provision of waste services etc.

The MEC also has powers to pass regulations but must have accord with the minister on the regulation.

The Minister and the MECs must consult and involve the public before exercising any of their powers. A consultation with the affected departments and municipalities to make sure their views are taken into account. This means the minister and the MECs must ensure that there are processes in place within their administration for the managements of the public participation processes.

Anyone can apply to be exempted from any of the provisions of the Waste Act to the relevant authority (the Minister and MEC). In doing so they will have to provide reasons for not complying and the decisions will be taken by the authorities about whether to grant that exemption or not.

An example of this would be when a person or an organisation feels that they cannot conduct a fruitful public participation process because the community is located far away from activity (landfill site, contaminated site, waste treatment facility etc).

The applicants can also appeal any decision granted by the authority, for example, if the minister refuses to grant a license to a particular applicant for the establishment of a waste disposal site and if the applicant is not happy with the decision they can take the matter further.

The National Environmental Management; Waste Act presents South Africa with an opportunity to change the current waste management practices with a view to protect the people and the environment. The legislation framework requires some work on the part of the authorities to ensure that all the stakeholders have the same understanding.

There is an added opportunity for the continuous improvement in the application of certain elements of the Act. The Act can be implemented on an incremental basis as the capacity is built. The general public must also be involved in the implementation of the Act by being responsible citizens and doing their part and also contributing to all the processes through the public participation platforms that have been provided. n

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

13

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FM MANAGEMENT

THE BROOM DOESN’T WORK

By John Bowen

www.thatconsultantbloke.com

I

t was a dry, if cold, morning with barely a gentle breeze to disturb the bare trees and there was no excuse for our forecourt not to have been swept before seven thirty when the building starts to come alive for the day. It clearly had not been swept though and my enquiry as to why not was met with the response that forms the title for this blog; “The broom doesn’t work”. Moments like this are priceless for me. I have long had a keen sense of pleasure from the ridiculous things that life brings and with this for a start it looked like it was going to be a good day.

The words came from our current graduate on the management training scheme who was with us for three to six months to see how life was at our particular part of the corporate coal face. Now managers in this environment are supposed to be able to do anything relevant to the business and it is not uncommon to find one wielding a broom at some point during the day, so our graduate was doing nothing unusual here, but how could a broom not work? This was going to be my first problem of the morning and so I asked to be shown the faulty item.

Now brooms are simple aren’t they?

A handle, a head and on the latter some bristles so if you hold the handle and push the bristly part across the floor you should be fine. Maybe…. but the humble broom comes in different sizes and styles and with a variety of stiffness in the bristle department for, like so many tools, there is one for almost every job. As long as you use the right broom for whatever sweeping job you have to deal with you should be fine, so I was curious about my young colleague’s problem, but my assumption that they were probably using the wrong broom for the job proved to be wrong.

One look at the broom told the story; it was the right broom for the job, but it was filthy and clogged with dust and fluff and it was the work of a moment to pull off the fluff and tap the head on the edge of the bin to knock out the dust and it

“

Moments like this are priceless for me. I have long had a keen sense of pleasure from the ridiculous things that life brings and with this for a start it looked like it was going to be a good day.

was again in back to full working order. Or was it, for with most brooms, but not all, you will get a different result if you push it to the one that you get when you pull it and when I enquired as to whether or not my colleague had had any training in the use of the contents of the broom closet I was treated to a withering look of contempt. It seemed that the concept of training someone in how to sweep was a ludicrous one.

But this is a fundamental issue for any organisation because all people employed need to be doing their jobs to the best of their abilities and it doesn’t matter how simple a task might seem having people who can do it correctly and efficiently is important. That also requires people in supervisory roles knowing how things should be done so that they can see where problems are arising. Keep your front line working at its peak and in any organisation it will bring efficient results and a happy workforce. n

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

15

RECYCLING

PENNY SAVING RECYCLING

Recycling is an activity that needs both financial and logistical support especially in the early stages of an initiative if it is to be successful and sustainable. With the increasing growth of e-waste, recycling has become a problem and a fiscal opportunity.

By Lerato Mashiane

M

ost businesses still do not understand the use or need for recycling in their organisations. It is very useful to define first what recycling is and why it is important to an organisation and society as a whole. There are different solutions that have been formulated to tackle the waste problem faced by this generation Recycling is just one of the ways waste can be reduced. Recycling can be defined as the process where discarded products and materials are reclaimed, recovered, refined or re-processed and converted into new or different products. The recycling term is often used in a wider sense to describe the complete cycle, from collection to the production of new objects, or secondary raw materials, from reclaimed material.

Other waste minimisation methods include Re-Use (using an item for the same purpose it was originally used for) or repairing an item which was unserviceable because of damage or malfunction. Shifting a culture from the disposable to the reusable has also worked well in general. The cycle experienced by the bottled water industry offers a great case in

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

16

point where water became the second largest beverage category, behind only carbonated soft drinks. After peaking round 2007, however, the industry contracted by 1% in 2008 and 2,5% in 2009.

Environmentally conscious (as well as cashstrapped) consumers had turned to tap water and refillable bottles.

The other way of reducing the amount of waste produced is to divert certain waste material or substances which have been discarded by one generator to another manufacturer, who can use them as raw materials in a different process. This is called waste exchange. Waste material that can be successfully exchanged can come from various sources. For Instance, in the manufacturing of plastic there is a significant amount of head waste along with a small quantity of off-spec product.

The waste material can then be sent to recycling facilities where underprivileged individuals can produce new products out of that waste.

Alternatively, waste can be reduced by composting the rapidly biodegradable fraction of the waste stream and use the

“

The other way of reducing the amount of waste produced is to divert certain waste material or substances which have been discarded by one generator to another manufacturer, who can use them as raw materials in a different process.

compost to enrich the soil for growing plants. Biodegradable/organic waste decays and eventually goes back to the soil and nature it includes garden refuse for example, garden clippings and animal, fruit or vegetable leftovers resulting from the handing, preparation or cooking of foods .

Biodegradable waste includes the ‘wet fraction’ or putrescible fraction (materials that rot) of the general waste stream.

If the ‘wet fraction is separated at the point of generation from the ‘dry fraction’ (largely the recyclable packaging materials) the ‘dry fraction remains’ clean and therefore more valuable for recycling.

There are a number of ways that financial and logistical support may be provided for example, direct cash payment in return for materials delivered or collected, i.e at a buy back facility.

The government can provide subsidies for the collection and transportation of materials for recycling. Or there may be tax incentives including tax exemptions for recyclers who purchase new recycling equipment, low interest loans for purchase of recycling capital equipment, landfill charges or taxes and raw material charges.

Enhancing market conditions for recycling by ensuring the supply of recyclable material and simultaneously stimulating demand for products made from recycled materials.

The emergence of E-waste However, there is another form of waste that is rapidly increasing around the world and has garnered the attention of many environmental groups globally. Every year billions of electronic goods are produced in the world and exported to various countries.

The environmental issue arises when those electronic devices/products no longer serve the purpose they were intended. These products are then termed e-waste and 90% will end up in a landfill. Only 10% is treated in recycling facilities then adapted for a different purpose.

The recycling of e-waste is becoming a growing trend which was initiated to protect human and environmental health mainly because of the environmental pollution impacts of e-waste. Electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling or disposal are also considered e-waste.

E-waste contains valuable components, such as precious metal and various plastics.

Many have discovered that there is an added economical incentive to processing e-waste adequately.

All economic activities (including waste

management activities, such as landfilling or recycling of these incur both benefits and costs. However, certain of these benefits and costs, such as environmental or social externalities, are intangible or difficult to quantify and are therefore not typically accounted for in policy and decisions made in most businesses.

E-waste is also known to contain a wide variety of toxic waste or hazardous components that may constitute a serious risk for human health and the environment if they are released during processing, recycling or disposal.

Economic valuation refers to the process by which economists quantify (in monetary terms) the unaccounted for benefits and/ or costs of economic activities or policy ations. The information generated through this process can then be used to contribute towards improved decision making, in conjunction with other relevant information.

It would be ideal to assume that 100% of all waste generated could be recovered. a recycled product does not always replace a resource of equal value. The level of processing of the recycled product or the origin of the product determines its value.

Various projects and recycling methods have been established to deal with the growing tech industry. For example, the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition (SVTC) and Computer Take Back Campaign - a diverse organisation engaged in research advocacy and grassroots organising to promote human health and environmental justice in response to the rapid growth of the hightech industry.

The Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative (MPPI) is another example of initiatives developed to address the environmental

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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RECYCLING

issue. The MMPI is an initiative between the Basel convention and 12 mobile phone manufacturers and other stakeholders to develop and promote the environmentally sound management of end-of-life mobile phones.

In addition to the other initiatives, the UN launched The STEP initiative (Solving the E-waste Problem) at the “Electronic Goes Green� Conference in Berlin to build an international platform to exchange and develop knowledge on WEEE systems among countries to enhance and coordinate various efforts around the world on the reverse supply chain.

The e-waste problem has been tackled on a global scale. In 1989, during a diplomatic conference in Basel, Switzerland, a global agreement aiming to limit the export of hazardous waste including e-waste to developing countries was adopted.

The Basel Convention was mainly created to prevent the economically motivated dumping of hazardous waste from richer to poorer countries. However, in a meeting in 2006, the parties to the Basel Convention agreed to accelerate the effort to solve the global e-waste problem as it was emphasised as a particularly urgent matter.

Appropriate Technology In developing countries, problems develop when unsuitable methods and equipment (inappropriate technology) are chosen for waste collection and recycling systems. The technology must be appropriate. It must adequately address the specific needs of a developing country rather than just be translated unchanged from a developed country, for example, installing imported equipment where spare parts are not readily available.

Recycling must make use of manual labour wherever possible rather than make too much

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

18

use of machines: labour intensive methods create employment and can optimise the overall system. It must take into account the socio-economic and cultural factors that determine the way the public behaves for example, equipment should not be provided to a community where there is a lack of local capacity to maintain the equipment mechanic.

In many countries there are insufficient recycling collection systems, therefore the option of recycling is seldom practiced. The majority of e-waste recycling innovation is concentrated in Asia.

The e-waste generated in first world countries is often sent to third world countries where less privileged people use rudimentary methods in the hunt for precious metal. A large fraction of e-waste generated in the world is treated as general municipal solid waste and is then incinerated in waste incineration facilities or dumped in landfills.

The commoditization of e-waste is evident in a certain level of specialisation of commercial entities in different parts of the world. The international Labour Organisation published a report on the flow of e-waste streams from developed economies such as Europe and the U.S to Asia in particular to China and India.

Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries may cause serious health and pollution problem. Media reports have confirmed that there is a growing economic interest in dealing with end-life electronics is occurring alongside and spurring on global innovations.

The best option both from an environmental and a recovery efficiency point of view is to recycle the e-waste in modern recycling facilities using state-ofthe-art technologies with efficient control

systems.

Only 10% of e-waste is treated in recycling facilities adapted for its purpose. Even if all end-oflife treatment processes creates emissions of hazardous compounds, that may have negative impacts on human health and the environment, some processes are worse than others.

Regulations In South Africa there is no law requiring recycling however, future recycling targets might be regulated by law.

Targets should set realistic levels of timeframes and be agreed in consultation with the key role players in the recycling chain.

A phased approach should be adopted to achieve the following: Inclusion of recycling options in integrated waste management plans which should be an element of an integrated development plan, required of every municipality by law.

Requiring business and industry to produce recycling plans as part of their broader environmental strategy.

Municipality and other government departments adopting a procurement (purchasing) policy that requires a certain proportion of the products they purchase to contain recycled material for example paper lubricating oil, traffic cones, enveloped plastic desktop, refillable ink cartridges.

There could be a registry of recyclers operating within the municipal area. Municipal support for recycling initiatives in the form of bylaws that facilitate the location, operation and use of such facilities. n

FM BUILDINGS

RETRO-COMMISSIONING Common systems and facilities that can benefit from retro-commissioning services include: • Existing Buildings • HVAC Systems • Electrical Systems • Clean Room Applications • Health Care Facilities • Education: K-12 & Higher Education • Commercial Buildings • Industrial Process • Paint Booths • Industrial Automation Systems

Retro-commissioning helps boost energy savings As a facilities manager, you may know that your building could benefit from energy savings by having your facility retro-commissioned, but this one benefit also may not be enough to convince you to invest in retrocommissioning. This isn’t uncommon, according to Richard Starr, president and CEO of Enterprise HVAC Service and Control in Twinsburg, OH. As quoted in the same article by The ACHR News, Starr says, “Energy savings alone does not move very many customers to act. Even in California, where electrical rates are second only to Hawaii, it is a lack of comfort or IAQ concerns that move them to spend money on repairs and improvements.”

The good that happens from investing in retrocommissioning

I

n this article, we explore the true benefits of retro-commissioning, from energy savings to improved occupant comfort, reduction in maintenance costs, and more.

What is retro-commissioning?

Retro-commissioning is simply the application of the commissioning process (testing a piece of equipment, facility, or plant to verify that it functions according to design objectives or specifications) for existing buildings.

Bringing in a trained consultant to perform retro-commissioning services can help resolve problems that occurred during the building’s initial design or construction, or address problems that may have developed throughout the building’s life.

The end goal of a successful retrocommissioning consultation (and appropriate follow-up steps) is to improve a building’s operations and maintenance (O&M) procedures to enhance overall building performance.

When a building owner does invest in retro-commissioning services, several of the problems that are uncovered are more likely to motivate them to make improvements, such as improper air pressures, a lack of proper air changes per hour, building controls that are not calibrated properly, among several others.

Again, according to Starr, “Retrocommissioning helps building owners and managers create environments that are conducive to productivity, safety, and good health. As a result, the building operates more efficiently, there is less liability in terms of mould and IAQ problems, and there is the potential for higher rent revenues.” n

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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FM TECHNOLOGY

IOT. TAKING THE LEAP South Africa has a good number of commercial buildings that were constructed nearly 40 years ago— meaning they’re old and in fairly poor shape.

While services like retro-commissioning are incredibly useful in helping these buildings become more energyefficient and comfortable for occupants, Internet of Things (IoT) technology should also be considered as a major player in transforming your building automation system (BAS) to ultimately work for your building, employees and bottom line.

Why your facilities manager may be hesitant to make the switch to IOT Even if a facility may be old, your facilities manager can argue that it is still (mostly) fully functional, and would not require a total upgrade to IoT technology to manage its operations. If a building’s HVAC, lighting, fire protection, and other systems operate just fine without connecting to an external network (aka IoT), then why mess with a system that isn’t broken?

There is also a misconception that IoT is designed to replace BAS rather than support it, which simply isn’t true. As Dave Fisher of Polarsoft puts it in this article, “[Buildings] have expensive, energy-using equipment, and lots of it. That equipment contains many individual microcomputerbased control devices that control and manage all kinds of different physical, mechanical equipment, lighting, security, lifesafety, laboratories, etc… What we would

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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like to do is to allow programs outside of the facility to have access to information, and possibly even provide high-level goals, to controllers within the facility. In other words, to allow external programs to make use of our treasure of information [for purposes like] data mining, maintenance, optimization, planning, etc. “

How IOT can improve employee satisfaction, retention and productivity Even if a building seems to be doing “just fine” at a surface level (comfort, maintenance, energy usage, etc.), it’s probably failing to meet goals of providing a healthy, safe, sustainable, and pleasant working and/or living environment for its occupants. By implementing IoT technology into your BAS, you can improve all of these aspects of your building and then some.

Comfort Levels By integrating IoT software into your BAS, you can more easily (and remotely) control temperature and humidity in your facility to coordinate with the schedule, preferences, and other needs of occupants—setting the stage for a consistent work environment for optimal productivity.

“

Even if a facility may be old, your facilities manager can argue that it is still (mostly) fully functional, and would not require a total upgrade to IoT technology to manage its operations. If a building’s HVAC, lighting, fire protection, and other systems operate just fine without connecting to an external network (aka IoT), then why mess with a system that isn’t broken?

Maintenance There will be times when your mechanical or electrical equipment fails. With IoT, facilities managers are made aware of these malfunctions early on so that your maintenance team can get on the issue right away, leaving little-to-no downtime for your facility. This will save you time, money and resources in the long run.

Energy Consumption Believe it or not, buildings account for 40% of global GHG emissions [https:// www.iotforall.com/iot-building-automationsystem/]. But, according to a study conducted by Texas Instruments, as reported by Telit, advanced HVAC and lighting IoT solutions helped cut energy use by 40%—just from sensor controls alone. This proves that integrating IoT into your BAS can make a significant impact on energy consumption.

IOT product spotlight: ascent compass by alerton Alerton is an industry leader in building automation, with solutions for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment, as well as integrating fire, life safety, lighting, and access management, among others.

Ascent Compass Ascent Compass allows users to monitor and control facilities on- or off-site at any time. It incorporates the latest browser technology and is truly the marriage of current technology and building automation. Ascent offers users an unparalleled user experience with its powerful, user-friendly interface which is advanced yet intuitive, saving you time for employee training and troubleshooting.

Features & Benefits: • OmniZoom makes data easier to view and manage functions on any size display screen • Ability to fully manage schedules from web user interface allows easy access to manage building’s upcoming activity • Embedded DataViewer reduces time spent viewing system data and troubleshooting • Enables drop-in apps to keep up with your facility’s continuous upgrades and operational improvements. n

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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FM BUILDINGS

FURNITURE IN THE OFFICE Whether for remodelling an entire building or simply refreshing the lobby, most companies buy new furniture about every 10 years. In an effort to attract and retain tenants or satisfy employees, facility managers often are under pressure to incorporate the latest workplace trends and curate inviting and productive environments.

W

hile remodelling is exciting for all stakeholders, these projects can be challenging when a commitment to environmentally sound practices are part of the equation. A consideration to reuse, repurpose, or recycle existing furniture can help an organization adhere to sustainability guidelines that may exist for the project and the organization overall.

Everything old is new again The easiest and least expensive option facility managers can entertain is repurposing existing furniture to update a space. Small changes can make a big difference. Simply

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

22

moving furniture to new locations in a facility can do the trick. Before embarking on a purchase of all new furniture, evaluate current inventory of product.

Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is all it takes to find a new spot for furniture that will improve the facility dynamics.

If keeping furniture out of a landfill is a goal, refurbishing is also a good alternative to throwing away the old to buy new. While not always the most cost-effective option, recovering furniture with new fabrics, for example, can give an organization the update they need.

If wear and tear is the issue, check with the manufacturer to see if parts can be purchased to refresh the product.

“

Maintaining up-to-date facility interiors can be a real challenge that can affect the bottom line. Balancing the need for current furniture with environmental stewardship can be tricky, but it’s achievable.

Furniture on a mission If repurposing or refurbishing isn’t a viable option, the old furniture isn’t necessarily destined for the local landfill. Finding a new home for used furniture can be as easy as asking tenants and other building occupants if they have a favourite non-profit organization— one which might welcome a furniture donation for its offices. Donating old desks, chairs, and other furniture is not only an environmentally sound plan, it’s a way to give non-profits new spaces they could otherwise not afford. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Facility managers should keep in mind, however, that their company may need to pick up the cost of transporting and installing the furniture in its new home. If a non-profit doesn’t have a budget for new furniture, it’s likely that it won’t have the money for moving expenses either. These types of donations can pay off, however, through the good will they bring with current tenants, staff, and the community as a whole.

While most office furniture cannot be recycled in its current state, pieces can be deconstructed and recycled as parts (e.g., bolts and screws, frames or plastic wheels, arm rests). In fact, some manufacturers will help you identify parts that can be sold as

“reclaimed” like wood and metal, which can be sold on the secondary market and avoid the landfill.

For sale Another option for handling used furniture is to sell it. Small businesses, start-ups, and non-profit are often looking for an odd chair or table for their office space. With the ease of promoting events on social media, attracting potential buyers to a warehouse sale is simple. Alternatively, used furniture wholesalers will buy used furniture and sell it themselves, taking the hassle out of selling it directly to customers. One thing to keep in mind that wholesalers deal in volume, and a small mix-and-match furniture opportunity is a hard inventory to sell.

Maintaining up-to-date facility interiors can be a real challenge that can affect the bottom line. Balancing the need for current furniture with environmental stewardship can be tricky, but it’s achievable. In the end, whether choosing to repurpose, refurbish, recycle, or donate its used furniture, facility managers can rest assured that the furniture’s fate doesn’t have to be a lifetime in a landfill. n

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

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FM CONFEX – CAPE TOWN

FM IN ACTION The Western Cape Facilities Management Confex took place in Cape Town recently at a new venue in Rondebosch.

T

he Confex was well attended with delegates from all types of facilities. These included representatives from Edcon, Sanparks, Homechoice, FNB, Nedbank, to name but a few.

The day started with a talk delivered by our MC and industry guru Cliff Hocking who gave a talk entitled, What next for FM. Cliff Hocking gave his insights in the changes in the evolution of the role from a focus on hard services to a more strategic role in business management.

Sarah O’Carroll from Cape Green gave a talk entitled Sustainability FM and the environment This was a great talk and largely focussed on how green procurement is smart procurement when looking at the areas of energy, water and waste.

Richard Murphy of Matrix Consulting had everybody concentrating hard when he delivered his talk on commissioning a new

Oct / Nov 2018 FM

24

building, giving the benefit of his invaluable knowledge and experience in this topic. This talk was backed up with a great many slides to emphasise the challenges of taking over a new building.

Other talks included IoT, Drones and Hi Tech delivered by Stu Chalmers of IoT.nxt and building and staff security, with clever ideas on access control and monitoring from Jonathon Kahn. Practical Yasmin Ahmed of Yasdee Property Management gave a great talk on Sustainability in the FM Environment.

Yasmin has a great deal of experience in this area, having worked for some large corporates who set high standards for improved sustainability. She gave some really practical, useful ideas about the topic, backed up by her own experience in their implementation.

Our thanks must go to our exhibitors whose support is much appreciated by us and the industry and without whom, we would not be able to hold these events.

“

Our thanks must go to our exhibitors whose support is much appreciated by us and the industry and without whom, we would not be able to hold these events.

Today’s decision makers need to stay abreast of the latest industry trends and developments, no matter where they are.

They need the right information at their fingertips to ensure the optimal and efficient use of resources.

Facilities Management incorporating Urban Green File provides cutting-edge information on the latest issues and procedures regarding facilities management. Our audience is the INCORPO

facilities-management solution providers and consultants such as mechanical engineers,

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