Facility Management: October | November 2018

A MATTER OF IoT What can the Internet of Things mean for the industry and should FMs embrace it?

WORKPLACE CULTURE Leaders and communication GREEN FM Is your facility as efficient as it can be?

WORKPLACE SAFETY Fire safety compliance TIME MANAGEMENT Multitasking – help or hindrance?

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 $10.95 inc GST

FACILITY MANAGEMENT

SOLUTIONS FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

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Environments of Excellence The smarter our surroundings, the more we excel.

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Contents

FM WORKSPACE360

14 Finding fault FM looks at the new and innovative intelligent fault detection service for smart buildings from BuildingIQ.

OPENING FEATURE

16 A matter of IoT What can IoT mean for facilities management and should FMs be quick to climb aboard?

PROFILE

28 Not your average Jo FEATURES

HARD FM

32

38

Communication and performance

Plumbing the depths

CONTENT PARTNER FEATURES

22

Human communication is key to engaging your staff and improving employee productivity and performance.

Sometimes the unknown road can turn out to be the road best travelled. Joanne Veitch shares with FM her accidental yet interesting career in facilities management.

The tide is turning We’re all becoming increasingly environmentally aware. Sustainable credentials are now mandatory when it comes to specifying your fixtures and fittings.

24 Scrubbing up not so nicely

MAINTENANCE GREEN FM

34 A most efficient building Is your facility as energy efficient as it can be? Here are five actionable ways FMs can improve their building’s rating.

Working in any kind of office these days comes with a host of challenges, not least of which can be hygiene issues in the kitchen.

WORKPLACE HEALTH

26

Listen with your head and heart

Key control in commercial environments When it comes to implementing a mechanical key system, make sure you have all the necessary legal protections.

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Water conservation is a pressing issue in this day and age. So what does the future hold for our entitlement to water?

36

40 Close encounters of the car park kind Ensuring safe, secure and effective car park access is essential, and technology can help.

64 Hold the wrecking ball When faced with a deteriorating or tired property, demolition isn’t the only answer.

Emotional intelligence is essential for effective leadership.

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Contents FM REGULARS

08 10 13 66

Editor’s letter News New FM products Events

CASE STUDY

WORKPLACE CULTURE

WORKPLACE SAFETY

43

50

56

Protecting community assets

Say what? Leadership conversations

Fire safety and your facility

Shoalhaven City Council is taking the future into its hands and implementing new security systems to deliver high-quality, lowmaintenance solutions.

Savvy leaders can use communication to build trust and, therefore, highly functioning workplaces.

Fire safety in buildings is an issue that never lessens or loses importance. FM addresses the issue of fire safety compliance.

PROPERTY WATCH CONNECTIONS

46 Unearthly habitats In this next chapter, Marcus and Raoul discuss reinventing the perception of the facilities management industry.

52 Cultural importance

59

Company culture plays a significant role in employee productivity. Here’s how FMs can create a positive workplace environment.

Facilities systems When it comes to data and implementing facilities systems, there are key decisions to be made.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT TIME MANAGEMENT

ENERGY WATCH

48 Uninterruptible power supplies Regular inspection and – when necessary – replacement are an essential investment for a UPS to function correctly.

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54 Supporting the workplace relocation

62

The change manager plays an important role in workplace relocation and it’s one of support.

By performing multiple tasks as once, are we really getting more work done or is it surreptitiously hindering workplace productivity?

Multitasking: friend or foe?

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8 | EDITOR'S LETTER

T

he FM industry is brimming with people with interesting stories, who come from a wide range of educations and vocations and bring with them a breadth of experience.

And they often continue down equally riveting and diverse paths.

This colourful cast of characters makes facility management a truly intriguing and varied field to be involved in. You never know who’s going to come around the corner or what their FM journey will be.

Every now and then someone comes along whose story just needs to be told, to be shared with the world and with those like-minded individuals who will appreciate it and them for how unique they are. This month, I get to be the storyteller and tell all of you within the facility management community about one particular person whose FM journey is so diverting that it’s a story in itself.

Meet Jo Veitch, an influential and inspirational member of the industry, whose experience and contribution to it make her a credit to the profession.

Also in this is springtime issue we delve into the subject of communication within workplaces and its importance to effective leadership. Hint: it’s rather significant. Check out our feature on p32 on human communication and workplace productivity, and our article from regular writer Marie-Claire Ross (p50) as she investigates the necessity of conversations and trust on effective leadership.

And, in the lead feature, we prelude our upcoming technology month special (stay tuned!) with an in-depth look at IoT and why FMs should embrace it in all its new, and at times daunting, glory.

I hope you enjoy the issue – preferably while sitting in the sunshine!

Associate publisher Lachlan Oakley lachlan.oakley @ niche.com.au (03) 9948 4952

Editorial Managing editor Madeleine Swain Editor Tiffany Paczek tiffany.paczek @ niche.com.au

Advertising Business development manager Nirma Ledford nirma.ledford@niche.com.au (03) 9948 4992

Production Editorial design Keely Goodall Production manager Alicia Pinnock alicia.pinnock@niche.com.au Design and digital prepress Karl Dyer

Publishing Chairman Nicholas Dower Managing director Paul Lidgerwood Publisher and commercial director Joanne Davies Financial controller Sonia Jurista

Subscriptions Subscription enquiries Call 1800 804 160 or email subscriptions@niche.com.au

Tiffany Paczek tiffany.paczek@niche.com.au

Printing Southern Colour

PS: You may have noticed a slight change to our FM website recently – we have now become FM Media. We’re still FM magazine, but we’re also much more than that – we’re growing and changing to encompass new and exciting platforms. We wanted our name to reflect this, as we embrace various methods of communication and events. Stay tuned for what’s to come! www.fmmedia.com.au

Stock images courtesy of 123RF Cover photography: 123RF's Natalia Lukiyanova © 123RF.com FM online — fmmedia.com.au — twitter.com/FMmagazine_au — facebook.com/facilitymanagementmagazine — linkedin.com/Facility Management magazine

FM is a publication of HH & M Media Pty Ltd, a member of the Niche Group.

HH & M Media ABN 81 091 724 588 Niche Group ABN 20 097 172 337 1 Queens Road Melbourne, Victoria 3004 Tel: 03 9948 4900 / Fax: 03 9948 4999

CONTENT PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS A Facility Management content partner is an organisation with which we’ve entered into a partnership to collaborate on content for the magazine. In this issue, thought leaders from their respective organisations are:

PRIVACY POLICY

ASSA ABLOY’S STUART SMITH Stuart Smith is a product manager at ASSA ABLOY.

BILLI’S ADRIAN CUGNETTO

HUMANSCALE’S PETE STACEY

Adrian Cugnetto is the marketing manager for Billi Pty Ltd.

Pete Stacey country

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manager, Australia and New Zealand, Humanscale.

This issue of FM magazine may contain offers, competitions, surveys, subscription offers and premiums that, if you choose to participate, require you to provide information about yourself.

If you provide information about yourself to HH & M Media (the publishers of FM magazine), HH & M Media and Niche Group will use the information to provide you with the products or services you have requested (such as subscriptions). We may also provide this information to contractors who provide the products and services on our behalf (such as mail houses and suppliers of subscriber premiums and promotional prizes). We do not sell your information to third parties under any circumstances, however the suppliers of some of these products and services may retain the information we provide for future activities of their own, including direct marketing.

Niche Group will also retain your information and use it to inform you of other Niche Group promotions and publications from time to time.

If you would like to know what information Niche Group holds about you, please contact The Privacy Officer, Niche Group Pty Ltd, Suite 1418, Level 14, 1 Queens Road, Melbourne VIC 3004.

FM ISSN 1320-3975 Advertisers and contributors of editorial to FM Magazine acknowledge they are aware of the provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 and the Trade Practices Act 1974 in relation to false and misleading advertising or statements and other unfair practices and of the penalties for breach of provisions of those acts. The publisher accepts no responsibility for such breaches. FM Magazine is published bi-monthly. Opinions expressed by contributors are their own and not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. © 2018 HH & M Media Pty Ltd

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10 | NEWS ROUNDUP

A GREATER LEVEL OF AUTOMATION IS COMING TO AUSTRALIA

123RF’s titonz. ©123RF.com

Konica Minolta, a global provider of integrated business solutions, has partnered with Mobile Industrial Roots (MiR), a leading manufacturer of collaborative mobile robots, to bring a greater level of automation to its clients in Australia.

MiR develops and markets one of the most advanced lines of collaborative and safe autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that quickly, easily and cost-effectively manage internal logistics, freeing employees for higher-value activities. Hundreds of mid-sized through to large multinational manufacturers, along with several hospitals and nurseries around the world, have already installed MiR’s innovative robots.

MiR’s robots help companies increase the efficiency of their operations. These robots are used by companies to transport trolleys and foods in the manufacturing sector and move pallets in the distribution industry. Built-in sensors and cameras combine with market-leading technology so the mobile robot can collaborate safely with humans. No cages or designated human or robot areas are required.

AUSTRALIAN SPACE AGENCY RECOGNISED IN THE US The Coalition Government’s establishment of the Australian Space Agency has been commended recently in a resolution introduced into the US House of Representatives.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews welcomes the resolution and says the Space Agency will help drive the growth of Australia’s space industry and create new opportunities for businesses, as well as creating jobs.

“The resolution introduced to the US House of Representatives recognises the long history and partnership Australia and the United States share in space,” says Andrews.

“It recognises both this history and the value of ongoing cooperation between our two countries.”

The resolution: • “commends the Australian Government in constituting the Australian Space Agency recognises the value in US-Australia cooperation on space research, exploration and utilisation, including terrestrial research, commercial activities and human and robotic space exploration, and •

supports deeper cooperation with our Australian allies in contributing each country’s unique strengths and resources to mutual prosperity and security”.

•

Andrews says, “Excitingly, the Australian Space Agency will inspire our young people not just to dream of becoming an astronaut but to appreciate the importance of studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and understanding the opportunities it can lead to.”

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L-R Martin Keetels and Thomas Visti, image courtesy of Konica Minolta

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Martin Keetels, national manager of Robotics and Innovation, Konica Minolta, says, “Innovation and automation have a significant role to play in manufacturing and distribution environments in Australia. Konica Minolta is excited to bring another level of automation to its customers.

“With Australian businesses requiring greater efficiency to remain competitive in the region, and globally clients beginning to demand robotic technology, robotics will be a growth and productivity engine of Australia’s future economy. With more than 150 service engineers in-house and the equivalent number in the channel that can potentially service robots, Konica Minolta is in a unique position to prepare our clients for the workplace of the future.”

The partnership was made official on Keetels’ recent visit to MiR’s headquarters in Odense, Denmark. MiR CEO Thomas Visti hosted Keetels throughout a two-day visit to the innovative facility.

Keetels says, “I was incredibly impressed by the calibre of MiR’s management team and the market-leading robots. It’s a great combination to find in a partner and we are excited by what the future holds.

“Konica Minolta is committed to continued investment in this space through partnerships and by developing internal resources to deliver the best outcomes for its customers. Konica Minolta’s role is to work with robotics companies to support their growth by harnessing its capabilities of distribution, services and maintenance while our partners continue designing, manufacturing and supplying the robots.

“Konica Minolta’s robotics capability is just beginning with MiR, with many opportunities to extend across different industries and applications in the future.”

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New energy guide for Australia’s property industry Australian property owners – from residential to large-scale commercial – can immediately cut their energy costs and reduce their emissions, thanks to a timely new guide from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and the Property Council of Australia.

The comprehensive guide, ‘Distributed energy in the property sector – today’s opportunities’, analyses the nine most common distributed energy options for houses, apartments, commercial, retail and industrial property. It looks at a broad range of proven technologies, from solar PV and batteries to heat pumps, off-site renewables and demand management systems, and indicated which are best suited for different property types. Importantly, it also looks at the business case for investment, giving owners and managers helpful insights into the likely benefits and payback periods.

Examples include a $3 million drop in annual electricity charges for Townsville’s James Cook University following the installation of thermal storage, and an 11 percent drop in power consumption at Sydney Markets, which boasts Australia’s largest private sector rooftop solar array. An aged care facility is meeting up to half of its hot water needs thanks to a solar hot water system and Monash University in Melbourne is on track to substantially cut its gas consumption thanks to new energy efficient heat pumps.

CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth says, “This guide is about taking the hard work out of switching to clean energy solutions right across the property sector. Whether it’s individual homes, apartment developments

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12 | NEWS ROUNDUP

123RF’s Liu Fuyu. ©123RF.com

or commercial, industrial and office buildings, with the right approach it’s possible to immediately cut energy consumption, cut energy costs and cut energy emissions.

“Together with the Property Council, we want to make smarter, cleaner energy the standard when it comes to Australia’s built environment.

We’re confident that with more renewable energy and better energy efficiency measures, the property sector can achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with the potential to capture very significant energy savings in the process.”

Property Council of Australia chief executive Ken Morrison says, “Rising wholesale energy costs and uncertainty regarding policy and market settings has resulted in unprecedented costs pressures for households and businesses.

“Our industry leaders have shown they can deliver rapid improvements in the quality and performance of buildings and have taken action to mitigate rising electricity prices and reduce emissions by investing in clean energy technology.

“This guide is designed to drive an industry-

wide understanding of the opportunity as well as provide practical advice on business case preparation and implementation of clean energy technology for property,” Morrison says.

Highlights from the guide include: • For homes, all the technologies are in the lowest investment range, up to a maximum $25,000, with upfront costs expected to be recovered in less than nine years.

• While investment costs for large-scale commercial and retail properties can exceed $100,000, in the case of solar PV (photovoltaic) the payback period is four years.

• The highest upfront investment costs, potentially of more than $500,000, included thermal storage installations for commercial, retail and industrial buildings, which can substantially reduce exposure to peak electricity prices. However, the payback period of 15 years or less complements the relatively long lives of these large-scale and complex structures.

Copies of the guide are available at www.cefc.com.au.

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14 | FM WORKSPACE360

Finding fault FM Workspace360 looks at the new and innovative intelligent fault detection service for smart buildings. By TIFFANY PACZEK.

S

mart buildings just keep getting smarter. Every other day brings new changes, technologies and innovations, making these facilities in which we live and work ever more superior and efficient. Software company BuildingIQ has recently added to this frontier with the development of its Outcome-based Fault Detection (OFD) – an intelligent fault detection service for smart buildings.

Essentially, with OFD, building operators and facility managers can autonomously detect, prioritise and validate building system faults using BuildingIQ’s cloud-based 5i Intelligent Energy Platform. This is a platform of technology-enabled services that learns and evolves with a building, or a portfolio of a building’s needs. Deployment occurs only once, when building owners and operators engage with BuildingIQ, giving them the ability to select the services that best solve current problems and then easily add new ones to confront demands that may arise in the future.

Drawing on this, OFD is a closed-loop building energy management service that helps building and portfolio operators identify issues, prioritise repairs and validate any work performed. Through a combination of AI, energy analytics and human expertise, OFD was created to overcome many of the shortcomings that plague today’s fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) services.

These challenges include a deluge of daily faults that are cumbersome to prioritise and action, lack of accountability for fault validation, and the high cost of defining and writing rules that identify accurate faults due to a lack of documentation of how systems operate in reality versus the design documents.

“Outcome-based Fault Detection is a comprehensive solution that takes fault detection in a better and broader direction,” says Michael Nark, president and CEO of BuildingIQ. “It does this by embracing the key role played by facility experts and augments

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OFD is a closedloop building energy management service that helps building and portfolio operators identify issues, prioritise repairs and validate any work performed.

123RF’s Sergey Nivens ©123RF.com

it with machine learning and cutting edge artificial intelligence.

“OFD works whether data is good or spotty and leverages machine learning to take the burden of data analytics into the cloud. The result is building operators do not have to waste valuable time and resources scouring through tables of hundreds of daily faults.

Instead, with OFD, operators can focus on the things that truly need fixing, their tenants and the bottom line,” he says.

BuildingIQ developed the OFD as a fullservice offering. Vice president of Product and Marketing Steve Nguyen says, “Leading FDD solutions are built on a library of rules and sequences created for the building. In contrast, OFD is deployed and managed in the cloud by BuildingIQ, including diagnostics,

ticketing, work tracking and work validation.

OFD also relies heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and characterise faults.”

OFD is a service that sits on top of the 5i Intelligent Energy Platform, which rests between the huge transition in the building’s operations journey from energy visualisation to predictive energy optimisation. Its steps are as follows: ● baseline – understanding the building’s energy profile and how it acts in varying weather ● data consumption and trending – ingesting and storing any data provided by the building system or IoT-type devices (unlike a typical building management system (BMS), BuildingIQ stores up to 10 years of data for analytics)

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123RF’s Jakub Jirsak © 123RF.com

● rules-based detection – detecting logic●

●

●

●

based, value-based and trend-based alarms AI-based detection – uncovering the underlying system dynamics and relationships driving faults while learning to identify deviations from the expected operation triage/prioritisation – collaborating closely with client teams, BuildingIQ Network Operations and building experts take AI-based diagnoses and apply practical, system and building specific insights ticketing – ticketing assignment and tracking using either BuildingIQ’s own Facility Worksite service, or that of a client, is included planning/actioning with the BuildingIQ Mobile App – identifying opportunities for

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catalysing work in collaboration with experienced building engineers and facility managers at BuildingIQ, whether it is a monthly service visit from a controls contractor or a yearly budgeting process, and ● validation/accountability – validating all completed work by comparing data from the time period post-fix to the original data that generated the issue.

For facility managers, OFD can eliminate the large majority of false positives that plague traditional fault systems. Nguyen says, “The facilities team does not need to waste time figuring out which faults to action. Additionally, OFD can validate that a subcontractor, or others, has completed work simply by looking at the data. Finally, OFD benefits facility teams

and management by collecting and storing all historical information (analyses, best practices etc), which documents a history of the building in a central knowledge repository.”

An important innovation in OFD is the ability to work better than fault systems in poor data situations, due to its non-reliance on full data sets. “Using data analytics, BuildingIQ does not need complete data to identify issues within a building,” Nguyen explains.

“For example, OFD identifies a fault in a water pump where the electric engine suddenly drops or spikes in energy consumption.

BuildingIQ analytics can infer an issue with the water pump looking at the system as a whole and/or downstream equipment that is behaving abnormally without requiring a sensor on the pump itself.”

Nark says, “With OFD, we are able to address the somewhat ironic phenomenon of too much data coming out of buildings and not enough people or budget to take actions.

“OFD really extends the category with an end-to-end service offering that augments facility teams with a closed-loop service and demonstrable accountability. For once, facility teams are not going it alone.”

OFD required the invention of entirely new AI diagnostic tools designed to work both independently and cooperatively. For the correlation and inference maps, BuildingIQ had to invent the methodology for how to apply these AI tools to buildings and how to diagnose root causes, all without creating custom rules for a particular building.

Nguyen adds, “It is important to note that by eliminating the need to create rules, OFD is faster to implement with lower capital costs. OFD is a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering that is data-driven and employs the latest AI methodologies for buildings. This also means that as BuildingIQ continues to develop OFD capabilities, customers automatically receive the benefit through the cloud.” ●

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123RF’s Yulia Koltyrina. ©123RF.com

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LEAD FEATURE | 17

A MATTER OF IoT The Internet of Things; it’s one of the defining points of the current generation, but what can it mean for the facility management industry and should FMs climb aboard or jump ship? By TIFFANY PACZEK.

W

e’ve entered an age where the world is far smaller than it has ever been before.

Not geographically, obviously, but in the sense of the space between us as humans.

Technology and the innovations within it are connecting us in ways that, 20 years ago, regular folks wouldn’t have even dreamed of. The lives we live today would seem something out of a science fiction novel. But technology continues to progress at an unfathomable rate, bringing with it new ventures and bestowing abilities faster than we can get comfortable with them. As communications between us change, become more efficient and allow for interactions unique to our generation, technology also changes the world around us – specifically, the spaces in which we live out our lives. Our homes and workplaces are becoming increasingly connected and innovative, whether that’s by speaking to us, by listening to our desires and accommodating them or by turning our offices and buildings into interactive, responsive entities, they’re no longer the voiceless boxes they once were.

And, as buildings change, so too does the way in which they are managed. The Internet of Things (IoT) is bringing fundamental change to the facility management industry.

It is proving to be the new frontier – and FMs need to be brave enough to dive into this uncharted territory in order to embrace the future and the new chapter of FM.

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FM AND IoT Many industries in the modern world utilise IoT by some means and in its various forms. Indeed, most of us now use it in our everyday lives, even if we’re not necessarily aware of it. It’s almost become second nature to many of us. IoT can be specifically defi ned and understood as the interconnection of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data via the internet.

This phenomenon, which is unique to our time and is only widening its reach, is moving into the facility management sphere and changing the way we interact with buildings and the way their components interact with each other.

According to job management software company simPRO, those who work in the FM and building management industries – Australia’s army of tradespeople who monitor, maintain and fi x the billions of dollars worth of equipment that keep offices, factories and retail locations functioning – have become the ‘new frontline’ in IoT’s advance. Although in today’s fast-moving and ceaselessly progressing technological climate IoT is no longer at the vanguard of technical development, it has become a herald of this epoch, facilitating unique connections with the latest job management and service technology, and irrevocably changing the way building management and trade service facilities and professionals operate.

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123RF’s everythingpossible. ©123RF.com

simPRO says that, in order to remain relevant and keep up with the rapidly changing world in which they perform, these industries must embrace the next phase of business evolution. Through IoT, an immense online network has been created that allows previously unrelated technology to combine forces and speak to each other – and this creates new functions and generates new levels of convenience for facility managers. simPRO director Curtis Thomson says that IoT projects have moved well beyond initial trials and proof of concepts and are being actively rolled out by leading service companies and manufacturers.

Trade service companies are eager to engage with IoT as, when their systems are all connected and communicating, they have the potential to improve service delivery, cut costs and deliver improved customer experience.

“Think about IoT in terms of field service applications,” Thomson says. “Say, for example, you have an accelerometer fitted to the cooling tower on top of a building that could take vibration readings, log them to your database and alert you when the vibrations fall out of a range. Or you have sensors

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in the fi re detection or sprinkler systems all constantly monitoring and reporting back the current state of the equipment they are tasked to keep an eye on.

“Then, when an event occurs that falls outside of a tolerable range for that piece of equipment, a notification is raised, a job is created to investigate or an alert is sent to your customer.

“How could this impact your SLAs (service level agreements), or your costs, for that matter?” Thomson asks. “What will your customers think about this – your ability to log, report and respond to potential defects before they even can tell something is wrong, and in between maintenance cycles?”

It’s benefits such as this that are encouraging many companies determined to add IoT to their repertoire.

WHAT IoT BRINGS TO THE FM TABLE The field of FM is wide and many of its pockets can and will benefit from the use of IoT. Jonathan Eastgate, chief technology officer for simPRO Group across Australia, New

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LEAD FEATURE | 19

Trade service companies are eager to engage with IoT as, when their systems are all connected and communicating, they have the potential to improve service delivery, cut costs and deliver improved customer experience.

Zealand, the UK and the US, says something he sees a lot of is “questioning around machine learning to pre-emptively predict when a piece of equipment might either fail or require servicing”. For an FM provider, he says, that’s a value-add service they can offer to clients.

“It’s also potentially another, newer business model,” he points out. Assuming that, without the predictions and monitoring IoT offers, FMs would utilise a model based on “some sort of monthly recurring service charge” for their sites.

IoT offers a method of monitoring facilities that’s pre-emptive rather than reactive, improving the level of service to the client.

“We tend to use the phrase, ‘IoT is designed to make businesses work smarter, not harder’,” Eastgate says. “I think that’s really starting to resonate with people in the FM space, because, at the moment, there is a lot of manual visiting of sites, doing inspections etc.

“A lot of this can be replaced with IoT. For example, if you don’t have to go out and take a sensor reading every month because you’ve got access to the reading already – in fact, you’ve actually got access to the sensor reading from fiveminute intervals for the last 30 days – then not only are you reducing the amount of work you have to do, but you’re also getting much more information.”

Now, one could be forgiven for thinking that with all this technology and automatic reporting, IoT is reducing the need for actual humans and their presence in a job. This isn’t the case, says Eastgate; IoT isn’t taking staff jobs.

“We [at simPRO] actually believe it’s the opposite. We think that you move from having what traditional service staff would look like in an FM business to upskilling them. They become more technical. Because you’re providing a much higher level of service once you’ve implement IoT, there is potentially a lot more work for service and maintenance because you’re being proactive, not just reactive.”

ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE? As with anything new and innovative in this world, IoT is not without its uphill battles. A particular challenge it’s faced with

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is helping users accept and understand IoT, in all its forms and uses. Many people are inherently averse to change, and so getting them comfortable with IoT and all they can do with it can prove a struggle. And IoT is much more than just temperature and humidity sensors; there’s a multitude of things that can be done with it within the FM space. For example, Eastgate says that simPRO has a range of up to 40 different sensors in its portfolio and it’s involved with some interesting projects. One such project is in the UK, where it has sensors on a canister in a drain recording the fluid flow and is using the data to monitor and reduce fat build-up in drains.

“Not only can we monitor the amount of fluid flowing out of this particular device, but we can also monitor when the pump turns on and off, and then we can provide to local water authorities, for example, auditable logs around all of that data and how it works,” Eastgate explains.

“If they were to say, for example, ‘We don’t think that this unit has been working correctly for the last month because there’s been a fat build-up somewhere else in town’, then we can show them an auditable log that proves that the pump actually ran every 16 minutes and pumped 25 millilitres of the solution into the drain.”

And this is just one of the many things that IoT can do for the FM industry. It’s thinking outside the box, particularly outside of traditional facility management. And that, Eastgate says, is what excites him – “the ability to get knowledge and control of other factors in facilities that were previously unavailable or even thought impossible before; it’s a big opportunity”.

With so much connectivity within IoT and with privacy being such a talking point of late, one may wonder if security and privacy is as big an issue for FM as it seems to be in other IoT spheres. Not particularly, according to Eastgate.

“IoT has been developed in a time where security is of first and foremost importance, so it’s very easy to lock down IoT devices and networks to stop [security breaches] because it was designed and built with that in mind,” he says.

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20 | LEAD FEATURE

“The great thing about IoT is there’s no personally identifiable information being transmitted around any of these devices. Is there any reason that anyone would want access to that data? Probably not. There’s not anything worthwhile around knowing the temperature of airconditioning in a room, for example.

“The other thing is that information is being used in a way that it’s potentially not even identifiable to the site if that data was exposed, so I think the security concerns are pretty low.”

He also says that part of this depends on the method of IoT implementation. “Look at old-school building management systems,” he says. “There’s a lot of additional information in a BMS that’s being transmitted to other systems. I think BMS data would be more at risk at that level than IoT data, as it can be a two-wave transmission. The BMS can not only send data out for reporting purposes, but you can also use it to control certain aspects of the building – I think that would be more of a high-risk scenario.

“In IoT, a traditional installation is purely sending out sensor data from the building, not actually providing any control over it, so it’s then built around people response and not fi ring data directly into the systems. With that in mind, I think IoT is particularly secure,” he says.

BEHOLD THE FUTURE Despite the copious benefits, it seems that the uptake of IoT within the FM industry has been lagging somewhat. “There’s a lot of talk around IoT at the moment, but there isn’t a particularly strong adoption of it just yet,” says Eastgate.

And holding back is something he warns against. The FM industry needs to embrace IoT and all its offerings with open arms, in order to remain relevant in both the changing world and in the eyes of consumers. Eastgate likens IoT’s push into the building management sphere to phenomena like Uber or streaming video. Taxi companies and video stores saw businesses like these coming, he says, and by ignoring them they ended up suffering, or getting wiped out by them.

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“If those companies had actually embraced the [new] business model that was being exposed, it would probably be a very different scenario now. If taxi companies had looked at the way Uber and Lyft were starting to operate that style of service, then it probably wouldn’t have had such a big impact.

“Similarly in the FM space, I think there’s room for disruption there,” Eastgate says. “I mean, if FM providers don’t roll out this technology and then a company like Uber decides to roll out some sort of package that building owners, for example, could install in facilities, then that’s the potential for disruption.”

As Eastgate urges FMs to embrace the uptake of IoT, he’s noticed the attitude beginning to change. “[There is] a lot of setting the stage around how IoT is going to develop over the next couple of years,” he says.

“IoT’s interesting because talk around it has probably been in the marketplace for three or four years now. It’s only now that we’re starting to see some pretty good development in the way of hardware and software that people are realising can be adopted.

“That’s going to make it easier for these FM providers to actually start implementing it. Whereas beforehand, when it’s bleeding edge-type technology, it’s very difficult for them to justify the price to invest in those proof of concepts.

“Now I think we’re over that major hurdle and people are starting to understand that they can actually adopt this

123RF’s Vasin Leenanuruksa. ©123RF.com

What will change is that reactive service levels in buildings will reduce while pre-emptive maintenance will increase.

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technology out of the box and install it,” Eastgate says. And there’s a competitive advantage too, he points out. “Where there are FM providers who aren’t [utilising IoT], then this is an opportunity to grab on to, to use it, and to go in and win contracts as well.”

He advocates for FMs to assess their business models and make changes or additions to embrace the advances within the industry. Specifically, what will change is that reactive service levels in buildings will reduce while pre-emptive maintenance will increase.

“I think proactive maintenance will go up because people will address things before they become an issue,” he says.

“You’re always going to have reactive maintenance. Something will happen, and something will blow up or break. This will always be the case with any piece of equipment, but I think in a lot of cases, having access to data around the behaviour of that particular piece of infrastructure beforehand would catch a lot of that.”

It’s undeniable that IoT will play a fundamental role in FM and the future of the industry. Change is already on the

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doorstep. As Eastgate says, “It’s going to be an interesting time, isn’t it?”

Ten years from now, Eastgate predicts, “It would be an absolute expectation that almost every building will have some form of IoT in it. That’s going to scale up very quickly.

“What I think you will see is the level of service in buildings, and the way the building operates in general, will be a lot more simplified. You’ll have a lot less reactive maintenance, because with all of these systems and with the adoption of machine learning as well, people are going to be able to predict when, for example, an air-conditioning pump is going to start failing.”

And, as Eastgate says, while reactive maintenance will always be a necessity, the proactive response will mean less panic when things do go wrong, and IoT will be making inroads – as long as FMs get on board. ●

This article leads into FM’s technology month for the month of November, where we’ll discuss all things tech and delve deeper into key innovations and areas. Look out for technology month on www.fmmedia.com.au.

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22 | CONTENT PARTNER: HUMANSCALE

Content partner: Humanscale The tide is turning Facility managers and the tenants in the buildings they oversee have become increasingly environmentally aware. Sustainability credentials are now mandatory when it comes to specifying your fixtures and fittings, writes PETE STACEY.

T

ipping points are fascinating

and seen massive outpourings of support and,

things. More often than not they

in some cases, already effected genuine and

can’t be identified until some

tangible change.

time after they happen, maybe even years or decades later.

Meanwhile, here in Australia, and somewhat more prosaically, we have gone from seeing just

The move from a hunter/gatherer system to

a couple of brave early adopters on our streets

an agricultural one, and from agriculture to

sporting Apple’s cordless EarPods to suddenly

an industrial society, the various industrial

seeing them everywhere (and if anyone could

revolutions (including the one said to have

pinpoint the exact moment it was universally

started around 1969 fuelled by the rise of

agreed they were cool enough to wear, we’d love

nuclear power, microelectronics, biotechnology

to hear about it).

and the exploration of space), and the

But, more profoundly, here and across

correlation between the introduction of the

the globe one of the most pressing concerns

contraceptive pill and the sexual revolution

has become sustainability and the damage

are all examples of this. As was the televisation

human civilisation is doing to the planet

of the Vietnam War and the public’s response

on which we live. And we are now witnessing

to that, which had a significant effect on the

some clear tipping points in this space. Have

way confl icts would be covered by the media

you noticed, for example, the number of keep-

from then on.

cups proliferating in our cities? It’s a beautiful

But there are exceptions and especially

thing. The awareness of the heinous nature of

today with the rise of social media and the

our throwaway society has been growing for

24-hour news cycle. As a simple statement,

decades, but it does seem to be the case

thought or campaign can be proposed and then

that lately that awareness has reached new

travel around the globe in a matter of minutes,

heights. It’s not just the tie-dye clad hippies

we have seen groundswells of support leading

anymore, but the office workers, the average

to possible game-changing tipping points on a

people in the street, who seem to be fi nally

regular basis.

getting the message and starting to change

#MeToo, #timesup, Black Lives Matter and, in the US, the current response to the

their behaviour patterns.

There’s a good argument to be made

nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the

that one of the catalysts for this was

US Supreme Court have all spread like wildfire

Craig Reucassel’s ABC TV show, War on Waste,

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Pete Stacey country manager, Australia and New Zealand, Humanscale.

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1/10/18 4:30 PM

when The Chaser alumnus used the attention-grabbing tricks and manoeuvres of his previous televisual incarnations to really shine a light on such issues as singleuse plastic bags in supermarkets and, yes, the utterly unsustainable folly of single-use coffee cups everywhere.

And despite the response from some Australians to the removal of single-use plastic bags from our major supermarkets, it does seem as if change is really in the air. Green thinking is no longer niche and airy fairy, and wanting to

If you’re responsible for looking after all the elements of a building and also need to entice tenants to use space in that building, sustainable credentials are now no longer a nice-to-have, but have become an absolute priority.

Product certification – the Float table and the Diff rient Smart task chair.

Now we've gone even further with the raw materials used in the Smart Ocean task chair.

This ground-breaking chair is actually made from recycled fishing nets, so not only does it fulfi l all the criteria as a net positive product to gain Living Product certification, it even addresses the tremendous problem of plastic in our oceans. Each chair incorporates nearly a kilogram (two pounds) of recycled fishing net material, which has been transformed into nylon pellets to be used in manufacturing.

genuinely do something about reducing, reusing

But, while it may be taking some other local

and recycling the amount of waste we generate is actually taught from primary school onwards

pulled apart and thrown away – heading for

manufacturers a while to hop on board the

and is fi nally fi ltering through to the general

landfi ll and the end of not so useful life. But it

Living Product challenge, the Smart Ocean

adult population.

doesn’t have to be this way. There are products

task chair is not an anomaly. With Adidas’

now being made that can actually have what

latest shoes range being made out of the plastic

managers? Apart from the obvious need to

is known as a ‘net positive impact’. To fulfi l

bottles collected from beaches in the Maldives,

provide sophisticated waste removal systems,

the criteria of the Living Product Challenge, a

Uncommon Goods making yoga mats out of

which allow for careful segregation of recyclable

product must tick a whole raft of sustainable

recycled wetsuits and even Stella McCartney

materials, how does this affect the way

boxes in the areas of water, energy and material

producing backpacks out of recycled ocean

offices are specified and furnished? If you’re

usage, and the impact on place and habitat –

plastic, it’s seems that there really is a tipping

responsible for looking after all the elements

along with a series of less tangible markers such

point taking place. Would it be too much of an

of a building and also need to entice tenants

as the health and happiness of end users and

awful pun to say the tide is fi nally turning? ●

to use space in that building, sustainability

the inherent beauty and spirit of the product.

So what does all this mean for facility

credentials are now no longer a nice-to-have,

Humanscale has been making products

Pete Stacey is the country manager Australia

that meet the Living Product Challenge for

and New Zealand for Humanscale. He has

We’ve all seen the skips sitting outside

some time, and proudly had the first two

worked for the company for 14 years, four years

offices that are being refurbished or fitted out.

products in the world that ticked all of the

in the UK and 10 years in Australia .

Old chairs, desks, dividing walls, bookcases –

aforementioned boxes and achieved Living

but have become an absolute priority.

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OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 FM

1/10/18 4:39 PM

24 | CONTENT PARTNER: BILLI

Content partner: Billi Scrubbing up not so nicely Working in a contemporary large office space or even a smaller shared one comes with a whole raft of challenges, not the least of which can be hygiene issues in the kitchen, writes ADRIAN CUGNETTO.

L

et’s start with a true cautionary tale.

But when you work in an office building of

And it’s one that will send a familiar

20-plus storeys, or one with multiple short-term

chill into the heart of anyone who

tenancies, or even a co-working space with

has ever shared an office space

transient tenants, there are many different

or building with strangers. Once

challenges – varying standards of hygiene

upon a time, a colleague came rushing into the office and said, “Whatever you do, don’t use that

being just one of them.

What are the other challenges and stresses

dishwashing sponge in the kitchenette. I just saw

faced by the modern day worker in a typical

someone using it to wipe the floor…”

office environment? Over the last couple of

Yes, other people can be revolting. But we’re

decades we have seen a return to the open

stuck with them. When they’re our family and

plan office space, as well as concepts such as

friends, we can push back and spotlight their

activity-based working. Though the former

most unprepossessing habits. We can even

may seem contemporary, it actually isn’t that

indicate to our closer work colleagues when they

much different to those cavernous spaces of

behave in less than savoury ways – although it

the 1950s and beyond, when the typing pool

may require our highest levels of compassion and

or teams of other clerical workers were placed

tact to do so without initiating any bad blood.

in long rows chained to their desks, on which

If there must be open plan offices, activity-based working or shared kitchen spaces, then try to put in place elements that will mitigate the challenges.

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sat their typewriters and inboxes or their

Adrian Cugnetto is the marketing manager for Billi Pty Ltd.

telephones and Rolodexes. The only difference today is that there may be more plants around, less grid-like designs for the desk placement and colourful or ‘inspirational’ murals plastered across the walls to motivate the staff.

Oh yes, and a dust covered foosball table long since relegated to the corner.

And these open plan office spaces and co-working spaces both throw up issues of privacy. While physical security may not be the greatest concern, confidential telephone conversations or performing sensitive work tasks can become difficult. Do workers fi nd themselves having to always close their

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laptops when they leave the room or take extra measures to prevent eavesdropping when conducting private phone conversations? You may even have heard of workers heading for the safety of the emergency stairwell just to take a call…

Another challenge for workers in an open space is, of course, noise. While there are always people who thrive in a bustling environment, there are others who fi nd it distracting. When you’re trying to, say, compose an important email or write an article for FM magazine and all you can hear is a

Above all, make sure hygiene and sanitation are given proper attention.

Clean and welcoming kitchen and bathroom spaces are a must.

If there must be open plan offices, activitybased working or shared kitchen spaces, then try to put in place elements that will mitigate the challenges. Try and provide more breakout or chill-out spaces, opportunities for privacy and/or relaxation. Perhaps reconsider the hot desking approach, so that workers have a sense of belonging and engagement with the place where they spend such a major part of their lives.

And, above all, make sure hygiene and sanitation are given proper attention. Clean and welcoming kitchen and bathroom spaces are a must. Regularly replace towels and dishcloths,

particularly vocal member of your sales team

and make sure the dishwashing liquid is

negotiating with a reluctant customer over the phone, suddenly that literary gem that had

we can feel rootless and disengaged. Then it’s

always topped up. If you haven’t already, look

been formulating in the back of your mind can

only a hop, skip and a jump to Karl Marx’s

at installing a good fi ltered cold and boiling

disappear in a puff of smoke or drown in the

‘gattungswesen’ and the worker’s alienation

water system. This will remove the need for

cacophony of a “I can do that for you with a 15

from what they produce and therefore from

employees to be relying on kettles and fridges

percent discount, because you are one of our

their species essence – yes, it all gets a little

that they have to share with people they neither

most valued clients, after all”.

esoteric from here, but go with me.

know nor trust to treat such equipment with the

Activity-based working and hot desking

The takeout is unhappy workers. Stressed

high standards they expect.

bring their own challenges. Although in theory

workers. Workers who don’t feel valued, don’t

And then, if nothing else, at least any

workers appreciate being able to use spaces that

trust their colleagues, or their fellow tenants,

less than gruntled workers can simply head

are the best fit for the task at hand, humans can

and don’t care about the way they behave

to the kitchenette and pour themself a boiling

be creatures of habit and territorial ones at that.

when they’re at work. Now this isn’t to suggest

hot cup of tea or coffee on demand, when the

We like to have our own spaces, desks that we

that this directly leads to people using the

cheerful chatter from Sally in Sales all gets

know we can come straight to every morning

dishwashing sponge to wipe the mess they’ve

too much. Surely they’re owed that at the

and that we can personalise with pictures of

made on the floor, but it does point to practices

very least? ●

our children or pets. When this is taken away

and systems that facility managers and office

and we’re instructed to ‘have laptop, will travel’

managers should be aware of and try to

Adrian Cugnetto is the marketing manager

and sit at a different spot on any given day,

alleviate to the best of their ability.

for Billi Pty Ltd.

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OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 FM

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26 | CONTENT PARTNER: ASSA ABLOY

Content partner: ASSA ABLOY Key control in commercial environments When it comes to implementing a mechanical key system in your facility, make sure you have all the necessary legal protections in place, writes STUART SMITH.

S

ecurity systems have evolved

keys is essential for security. Of course, it’s

radically over the last couple

impossible to completely prevent illegal key

of decades and electronic

copying – unscrupulous people will always

systems have become far

attempt to make their own key blanks in

more prevalent. But most

order to circumvent security systems – but

commercial facilities still rely on mechanical

with watertight agreements in place, only

keying as their primary access control. Besides,

authorised service centres will be able to

even electronic doors and access control

supply or copy keys and key blanks, and

doors remain fundamentally operated by a

certain profi les or certain key platforms will

mechanical lock and have an override on them.

only be available through those authorised

Therefore, it’s imperative for facility managers and building owners to ensure

service centres.

What this means is that the short-term

they do their due diligence before specifying a

contract worker on the 15th floor can’t take

mechanical key system and determining which

the key temporarily issued to them to the

is the best one for their building.

nearest Mister Minit and make 50 copies for

There are several aspects that should be taken into account. The fi rst thing any building

all their friends.

So, when specifying a mechanical key

manager should know is how many keying

system, it’s vital that you always ensure that

systems they have and it’s imperative to

you have legal protection, but also an adequate

ascertain whether or not the keying systems

length of protection, over the keying platform

are legally protected by any form of intellectual

that you choose. There are different platforms

property. The second thing is how many keys

available and each one has its own technology

have been issued to those systems. With records

– its own unique features that are, typically,

from your service provider, perform a key

patent or design registered.

audit to determine how many lost keys are in existence and what your exposure to risk is.

The reason this is so important is that a

These have fi xed lengths, so ensure that if you are investing in a new keying system you have enough life and value for your money.

system that is fi rmly covered by a patent will

The last thing a property/facility manager or

protect against the unauthorised duplication

building owner needs to discover is that they

of keys. Control over who has which key

have purchased a new keying system that

and who is authorised to duplicate those

actually has no protection, or that there is

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Stuart Smith is a product manager at ASSA ABLOY.

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27/09/18 4:06 PM

protection, but it only covers the fi rst couple of

attempting to pick a lock, it becomes extremely

years – after which the system is uncovered and

difficult to override the cylinders with any sort

completely vulnerable to unauthorised copying

of mechanical method. And with high-security

by all and sundry.

cylinders, much of the protection is centred on preventing surreptitious entry.

Innovations

Importantly, it also protects against three-

Underscoring the importance of this, most of

dimensional (3D) printing – the evolution of

the current innovations in this space are around

which is giving rise to security issues in a whole

patent control and design, with the latest

range of areas, the potential production of 3D

systems seeing the addition of security features

printed guns just the most publicised.

to the mechanisms to prevent the bumping of

While it has already been witnessed in

When specifying a mechanical key system, it’s vital that you always ensure that you have legal protection, but also an adequate length of protection, over the keying platform that you choose.

cylinders or picking of the cylinders. The intent

Europe, the illegal 3D printing of keys has yet

is to make it as technically difficult as possible

to be a serious issue in Australia, though it is an

for anyone to override that cylinder.

increasing threat and it’s highly probable that

who is going to be working with the system on

there are people here already experimenting in

a daily basis, so the earlier they are involved

this space.

in the design and specification discussions

One of the most notable trends is towards having movable elements within keys.

the better.

It’s believed that the fi rst recognisable key lock system dates back to eighth century

How to specify

Assyria, and the keys used then are still

Currently, the most important thing is to

plan a master key system – so that there are

recognisable as a basic form of the ones used

work with a provider that will work with you

adequate codes created when the system is

today – the standard flat key with cuts in it.

to give you a unique system, a customised

being designed. It’s always helpful for a facility

But now what we’re seeing are keys with

system unlike any other. And it’s best to liaise

or key manager to understand what expansion

additional moving elements incorporated, such

with that provider as early as possible in the

they may need to have or cater for in the

as a spring in the tip of the key or versions with

specifying process. If a provider has been

future. This way, for instance, if they end up

movable ball bearings. This again increases

engaged by the original architects, the client

with a rogue employee who leaves the building

the technical difficulty of anyone duplicating

– whether the facility manager or building

taking a bunch of keys with them, the key

that key, let alone those who are doing so with

owner – should then meet with that provider

manager knows they are able to simply rekey

nefarious intent.

to really drill down into the requirements of

just that one floor, instead of, say, 50 floors in

the system. After all architects or builders

a building.

If someone is intending to use brute force and simply break or drill right through a lock,

may have cost parameters in place or other

these initiatives won’t stop them, but for those

considerations, but it’s the client, the end user,

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Together with the provider, they need to

And one headache less in any facility manager’s life is always a very welcome thing. ●

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 FM

27/09/18 5:15 PM

FEARLESS – BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF FM “I’m all about experiences – particularly in the ‘great outdoors’ – and I will take any opportunity to hike, mountain bike, snorkel, camp or travel. I secretly love fossil hunting and every time I return to visit the UK you can find me on Charmouth Beach in Dorset, chiselling away at rocks while my kids look for ammonites. I have just returned from a two-week trip cycling a few hundred kilometres across Outer Mongolia with seven other women, which was an unbelievable experience.”

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26/09/18 10:22 AM

PROFILE | 29

NOT YOUR AVERAGE JO Sometimes the journeys life takes us on unwittingly and unintentionally turn out to be the best ones, and no one knows this better than Joanne Veitch. She tells TIFFANY PACZEK all about her interesting, but accidental, FM career.

T

here doesn’t appear to be any one set path for the journey into facilities management, and Joanne Veitch has had one as varied and interesting as the best of them. For her, getting into FM was a self-proclaimed accident.

Growing up in England, she focused her A-level studies on law, business and French, although she admits she didn’t have a calling for any particular vocation. At university level she continued her business studies and, when she emerged on the other side of tertiary education, she was still unsure and the world was enduring a global recession – so jobs were scarce.

“So I went travelling for two years, just to get some world experience,” Veitch says.

Upon returning to England from backpacking around the world, she says, “I literally rang around recruiters to see who might want a business graduate. I wasn’t targeting any particular industry.”

It was through this that she was appointed to a large London law fi rm to work under the director of Facilities.

“I had no idea what FM was, so that was kind of how I ended up in it,” she says. “I’d never heard of the discipline, but I found the work extremely varied and interesting.”

After a few years in this role, Veitch says she still couldn’t see a particular career path within FM and was consequently considering where she might go from there. It was around this time that the law fi rm decided to outsource its entire facilities operation and she was assigned to work with the incoming facilities management fi rm, providing it with the information it needed to take over the operation – and at the end of it she was offered a role as a junior FM consultant.

“From there my career took off,” she says. “This was the time of outsourcing in Europe and I worked on multiple projects, initially in a supporting role and then eventually in leading outsourcing facilities services.

“My job took me all over Europe and I worked on some fascinating projects as an FM consultant.”

Throughout her long and colourful career, Veitch has experienced exciting and diverse projects.

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“I think the most interesting ones, for me, were the ones where I started with a fresh slate and was able to establish services from nothing, as opposed to going in and tweaking services or outsourcing them and then trying to improve them,” she says.

Veitch names among her most memorable assignments as working for a leading London newspaper, establishing services in huge new facilities for Xerox in Dublin, working with a leading Swiss chocolate company based in the Swiss Alps (“and, yes, there were bowls of chocolate in every room”), establishing facilities services for a network of data centres across Europe (“when the world was racing to build data centres prior to the burst of the dotcom bubble”) and being part of the bidding team to outsource FM services for CERN, the organisation for nuclear research and home to the world’s largest particle accelerator – a 27-kilometre underground tunnel.

Veitch says she’s found herself in situations where she’s asked herself, ‘How did I get here?’ One such scenario was when De Beers, the biggest diamond trader in the world, approached her, looking to outsource its facilities management.

“We were shortlisted to the fi nal two [companies], but before they proceeded with us, they wanted us to really understand their business. So they called myself and my boss into De Beers in London for a day, and they gave us tours of all their diamond floors. There were literally tables and tables of diamonds.

“Obviously, from an FM perspective it was very interesting – it had really high security and security cameras over every single diamond table – but the tour ended with us being inside the inner vault. They were showing us some presentations on diamonds – and they allowed me to hold a diamond the size of a tennis ball while they were talking.

“I said to our guide, ‘It actually doesn’t matter what you say, I won’t even hear you for the next hour!’ It’s moments like that where you just think ‘how funny’ – your job takes you to these situations that are really interesting.”

After 13 years working in outsourcing FM, Veitch says she felt the pendulum beginning to swing back to in-house management.

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30 | PROFILE

“Try as you may to stay away from FM it tends to suck you back in.”

“For the fi rst time in my career most of my clients were in the public sector – and the work continued to be interesting and varied,” she says. “Try as you may to stay away from FM it tends to suck you back in and, after three or four years of general management consulting, I was assigned to a role in the New South Wales Government, when the client saw benefit to my background in facilities management. From there I have been in asset management ever since!”

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

“There was a realisation that, in some businesses, too much had been outsourced,” she says. “I began to see a move to insource some skills back in-house, particularly the management of FM. “My last project in the UK was to project manage the insourcing of facilities management back in-house for a large ICT (information and communications technology) business with over 100 properties.”

And then Australia claimed her for its own. Veitch moved with her family to Australia seven years ago and, in her transition into the Australian FM industry, she decided to focus on project and program consulting, joining a boutique management consulting fi rm in Sydney.

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For someone who fell into FM and refuses to analyse her career too much, Veitch is proof that going with the flow can be immensely successful. That, and she’s stumbled upon a career that she truly enjoys. What does she love most about FM? “No two assignments have ever been the same. The work has been rich and varied in terms of clients, locations and the nature of the assignments.

“While I have generally had very specific asset and facility management roles, I have learned so much about different organisations and sectors,” she says. “For example, service levels for luxury cosmetics companies with high visitor traffic are very different to those of a critical high security data centre that is on 24-hour operation.

“I have met and worked with some fascinating people over the years. One minute I could be standing in the plant room

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of a hospital and the next inside the inner vault of the world’s largest diamond trader.” It’s a true melting pot.

Veitch’s experience in FM has not been without its challenges, though. She says being asked to review inhouse facilities services meant sometimes confronting a hostile reception from the existing team who feared change and outsourcing.

“To deliver any consulting project successfully you need to work collaboratively with the existing teams or stakeholders who are going to operate business-as-usual services after you have left,” she advises. “The key, therefore, has been collaboration with teams, listening and not arriving on-site ready to apply a one-size-fits-all approach.

“I was fortunate to work on several Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects in the UK, where FM is considered at the inception stage of a project and, in many cases, influenced the design of an asset,” she says. “I would like to see more of this approach.”

Indeed, she cites some of these PFI projects as among her greatest career achievements – namely, managing the set-up of ‘soft’ services under a PFI in Her Majesty’s Treasury in London.

“The project took about a year and the work was fascinating in terms of the huge and historical landmark building in which we were mobilising services, as well as the complexity of the

PFI contract and the national spotlight on this particular project,” she says. “It was an enormous challenge and there was a great sense of achievement when we opened the doors for business to the refurbished Treasury building.”

She advises new FMs and those looking to further their careers in the industry to make use of the tools, information and connections available through industry associations such as IFMA and FMA. “Community of practice is talked about a lot now and I think it’s really important to share and collaborate knowledge and be part of a community of practice, if possible,” she says.

Veitch’s career path has been surprising, interesting and full of variation. So what’s next?

“I am loving the work I am doing currently for the New South Wales Government in asset management,” she says.

“Infrastructure and facilities are key focus areas in government and there are some very exciting initiatives underway, of which I’d like to be a part.

“What I’m enjoying most is the positive impact the output of this work is having on the building occupants and services users – the people of New South Wales.

“I have never really been one for a five- or 10-year plan; I tend to take the opportunities that life and work throw at me, which so far has taken me on a very interesting journey – and I hope it continues to do so!” ●

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32 | FEATURE

COMMUNICATION AND PERFORMANCE Human communication is key to engaging your staff and improving employee productivity and performance, writes DOUGAL JACKSON.

F

or many leaders, the topic of ‘engagement’ is a biannual conversation – a retrospective snapshot of how effective their people and culture strategies have been in driving business outcomes. Smart leaders and facility managers, however, aren’t waiting two years to discover the need for change. They’re embracing proactive engagement measures to improve performance, including enhancing communication skills.

In 2016 Gallup released its ‘Q12 Meta-Analysis’, a comprehensive study examining the impact of employee engagement on business performance. As well as discovering a strong correlation between high engagement and better business outcomes, including profitability, productivity and shareholder returns, the study detailed two methods of measuring engagement.

The fi rst of these methods is reflective measures. These include pride, loyalty, intent to stay with the company and, most importantly, discretionary effort. These are all important and impactful insights, but like any reflective measure, by the time they’re reviewed it’s too late to do anything about them.

The second method of assessing engagement is through formative measures: the human connection. These include statements such as: ‘I know what is expected of me at work’, ‘I have recently received recognition or praise for doing good work’, ‘my supervisor (or someone at work) seems to care about me as a person’, ‘there is someone at work who encourages my development’, ‘the mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important’ and ‘I have a best friend at work’.

The results of these measures are driven by the connection between manager and team member. It’s a connection built on the foundations of human communication.

START BY CHANGING THE LANGUAGE The relationship between manager and employee can make or break the employee experience. More than ever, organisations are asking their managers to step up and lead, to go beyond managing tasks and processes, to engage with their teams in an innately human way in order to increase engagement and drive high performance cultures.

The teams of the very near future will be vastly different.

The ability to go beyond technical expertise and embrace human communication skills will be what keeps leaders relevant. This can be done by inspiring people to do their best work, helping them navigate inevitable change,

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increasing productivity, promoting innovation and keeping them safe, healthy and happy.

We can defi ne this approach as ‘speaking human’ – pushing beyond typically bland, jargon-fi lled corporate messaging to consider the way people naturally communicate. It’s an approach grounded in psychology and neuroscience using emotions, narratives, inclusive language and language that fosters connection.

At the core of good leadership is the ability to influence – to change or make something happen. Without influence, nothing and no one changes. And that’s as good as a death knell in this fast-paced business landscape.

123RF’s racorn. © 123RF.com

Choose any heavyweight throughout history and consider what makes them memorable. Whether it was Winston Churchill rallying England through war, Martin Luther King Jr taking a stand for civil rights or Steve Jobs making Apple relevant again, their ability to influence came from exceptional human communication skills. These leaders understood the power of language to inspire people and bring them together, and how to use words, imagery and narratives to evoke emotions.

CUT THROUGH THE NOISE Attention is everything. Without it, leaders risk wasting time and money developing well-intentioned, potentially brilliant strategies, programs and initiatives that fail before they ever get off the ground. Not because they weren’t good or necessary, but simply because no one paid them any attention.

The challenge is that life is busy and work is busier. It’s an increasingly connected world, with a barrage of priorities constantly competing for eyes, ears and minds. Emails, meetings, memos, posters, phone calls, messages and all kinds of asynchronous communications – Yammer, Slack and various message platforms – as well as all the socials, all clamour for our attention. People’s days are crammed with more and more communications, and their attention spans are stretched to breaking.

To survive amid the noise, people have become skilled at sifting through irrelevant or uninspiring information. This makes attention an incredibly valuable resource, and a fi nite one at that. And, like any other business resource, be it money, machinery, time or space, attention should be wisely invested in, carefully managed and never, ever squandered.

Leaders need to take an active role in cutting through the noise and earning attention. They need to draw people in, make them curious, make them laugh, surprise them, tantalise them with stories, visualise content to make it easier to consume, be relevant and interesting and, above all, make people feel something.

PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONNECTION The same communication tactics that help gain attention and influence people also lead to increased connection over time. By inspiring curiosity, fostering anticipation, engineering surprise and delight, simplifying and visualising content, embracing emotions and considering language, leaders can build engagement and better business performance as a result.

In an increasingly complex and challenging business and FM environment, it’s the distinctly human qualities of connection and the strength of pre-existing relationships that will be the difference between smooth sailing and choppy seas.

And this makes opportunities for connection an investment that will pay dividends in the future. ● > Dougal Jackson is the co-founder of Jaxzyn, an employee experience company working with savvy leaders of Fortune 500 and ASX listed companies. He, with Jen Jackson, is the author of How to Speak Human (Wiley). Find out more at www.jaxzyn. com and www.howtospeakhuman.com.au.

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26/09/18 10:24 AM

34 | GREEN FM

A most efficient building Is your facility as energy efficient as it can be?

EMMA ORTON divulges five actionable ways FMs can improve their building’s energy efficiency.

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s most facility managers know, ‘energy efficiency’ has become a powerful catchphrase as companies strive to be more environmentally conscious.

However, what many managers may not know is that creating a greener, more sustainable workspace has benefits that extend beyond simply limiting their negative impact on the environment.

Positive effects created by simple updates to more energy efficient products can reach as far as improving the work atmosphere for employees, lowering the overhead cost for running the facility and, of course, serving as a marketable yet genuine step by the facility to help ease the negative effects of energy consumption on our planet.

Here are five simple, affordable and actionable steps that can be taken by facility managers to improve their building’s energy efficiency:

1. CHECK YOUR BUILDING’S METERS Although checking meters and other measurable sources of energy usage doesn’t actually lessen the energy being used, it does help make facility managers more conscious of the energy they’re using. By checking the meters on a daily, or even twice-daily basis, it can often provide that extra incentive or reminder to switch off a light switch after leaving a room.

Studies have shown that by simply checking energy expenditures regularly, it can lead to very significant reductions in energy

123RF’s Andriy Popov. ©123RF.com

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usage levels – sometimes even by up to 15 percent. It’s also important to have different meters for different areas of the facility, as opposed to one for the whole complex, and to monitor each of them. This helps building managers see where exactly the energy is being used and if it can be reduced or made more efficient.

2. UPDATE OLD LIGHTS TO ENERGY AND COST-SAVING LED BULBS Often, the continued use of old, outdated lighting systems can add a staggeringly large amount to a building’s power bill. LEDs offer an easy way to cut thousands from a facility’s bottom line. LED lighting also offers a brighter and fuller glow – allowing workers a more illuminated space to work in.

LED lighting saves money and the environment by providing a brighter light while also using less energy – a win-win for building managers. LEDs also require less maintenance over time, which means fewer light bulbs being replaced in the future.

3. OPTIMISE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF EQUIPMENT WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE Cooling and heating systems, as well the various components that make up these intricate systems, can often get clogged or need small parts to be replaced. Because of this, it’s important to make sure that all of the building’s equipment is running in tip-top shape.

For example, an air-conditioner could draw a lot of unnecessary energy if its vents are clogged. Employees could keep turning up the system because they weren’t feeling the air, but in reality, the failure to emit air would be a result of the clogged vents – so the system would be consuming energy at an astronomically high rate but to no avail.

By simply implementing regular inspections of vents, fans, boilers, air-conditioners and other similar systems, a facility manager can ensure that all aspects of the building are operating at peak energy efficiency levels.

Always be on the lookout for dirt, clogging, blockages, leaks or any extreme or sporadic temperature changes – these are all signs that the system is not operating properly.

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123RF’s deniskot. ©123RF.com

Creating a greener and more sustainable workspace has benefits and ramifications that extend beyond the building, the employees and the wider environment.

4. EDUCATE EMPLOYEES ABOUT ENERGY-SAVING TACTICS A building manager could make great strides to improve the energy efficiency of their facility, but if the employees aren’t properly educated about the new equipment or policies, many of the updates will have little to no positive impact.

It’s a building manager’s duty to educate workers on new practices and to make sure that everyone’s on the same page when it comes to operating a more energy efficient facility.

Education can be as simple as a seminar introducing the new equipment, or a walkthrough of new cost-saving procedures. Signs are also a helpful and an easily accessible way to remind employees of changes that reduce energy consumption – and its benefits.

5. ASK A PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT THAT SPECIALISES IN MAXIMISING ENERGY EFFICIENCY Although some of these listed options require little to no new equipment, larger changes – like replacing an entire lighting system – may seem like a daunting task. Luckily, there are many companies, such as Conservergy, that offer free consultations and work with the facility manager to help pinpoint where the most money can be saved.

Conservergy also offers options for professional instalment – think of it as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for an energy efficient and cost-saving LED lighting system.

Through the implementation of these five simple and actionable steps, facility managers can help greatly improve their building’s energy efficiency. As stated earlier, creating a greener and more sustainable workspace has benefits and ramifications that extend beyond the building, the employees and the wider environment.

These five suggestions offer some easy solutions to lower facility costs, improve employee workspaces and help create a more energy efficient building. ● > Emma Orton works for Conservergy's marketing department and is passionate about energy efficiency and conservation.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 FM

1/10/18 3:00 PM

36 | WORKPLACE HEALTH

Lead with your head and heart Emotional intelligence is essential for effective leadership, and ROSE BRYANT-SMITH reveals five reasons why it’s paramount for successful management.

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nyone who pretends that emotional intelligence is a ‘soft’ skill has never managed a bullying claim, told an employee that their position is redundant or been involved in an industrial negotiation.

Many management tasks that are essential in today’s workplace require understanding of the emotional issues that employees and teams face. Resolving them takes strength, decisiveness, compassion, strategic thinking and integrity – and the importance of these skills shouldn’t be underestimated.

Emotional intelligence can be understood as the ability to recognise and understand your own feelings and the feelings of others, and to choose how to respond to them. In 1998 Rutgers University psychologist Daniel Goleman named five elements of emotional intelligence. These are: ● self-awareness ● self-regulation – the ability to constructively manage your own emotions, in order to act in your own long-term best interest ● motivation beyond money and status ● empathy for others, and ● social skills – such as managing relationships and building networks.

Other skills more recently discussed as important in leadership include cultural intelligence, which is the ability to adjust to

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different contexts, and contextual intelligence, which enables leaders to identify and work within implied norms.

These emotional elements of leadership are worth thinking about and developing like a technical skill. Here are five reasons for this:

YOUR BUSINESS WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE BY IMPROVING EMPLOYEES’ ENGAGEMENT Whatever your management style, being able to build relationships with your direct reports and the broader team is essential.

Inspiring and engaging staff will not only make the company a ‘nicer’ place to work, but it will also make it more competitive.

Inspired employees are twice as productive as satisfied employees, and three times more productive than dissatisfied employees (Bain & Company, 2015). Employees’ engagement with their manager and with the workplace is another indicator of productivity; organisations with a high level of engagement report 22 percent higher productivity (Gallup, 2013).

CONFLICT BETWEEN YOUR TEAM MEMBERS IS INEVITABLE Research conducted in 2016 by Dr Lindsay McMillan revealed that 20 percent of Australian workers had experienced major problems in communication with a co-worker

and 50 percent had experienced serious incidents of conflict at work. Conflict is distracting and stressful, and employees look to their manager to help them through it. Low-level interpersonal issues should be resolved by the employees themselves, but if the conflict continues you’ll need to intervene.

Hold the employees accountable for their conduct and how it is impacting on the team’s achievement of its objectives, and support them to resolve the issues between them.

CO-WORKERS MAY SUFFER PERSONAL CRISES OR MENTAL ILLNESS When you employ someone, you don’t just enjoy the benefit of their skills, experience, industry connections and work ethic. You

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123RF's Ion Chiosea. © 123RF.com

YOU CAN’T EFFECT CHANGE WITHOUT ENGAGING PEOPLE’S HEARTS AND MINDS Change initiatives designed to improve business performance commonly fail, and leadership and people issues are the most commonly cited reasons. A leader who is able to ‘read the room’ and support employees through their fears about the change will be far more likely to create a credible, guiding vision for the future. They can influence the team’s emotional state proactively, building optimism and enabling cooperation during the transformation process.

YOUR WORKFORCE CARES ABOUT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Many management tasks that are essential in today’s workplace require understanding of the emotional issues that employees and teams face.

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may also manage them through tough times in their lives as they experience personal issues such as illness, divorce or addiction.

For example, according to beyondblue, one in five Australians experience a mental health condition in any given year, and 45 percent will experience a mental health condition during their lifetime.

Employees’ behaviours in the workplace and their relationships with the rest of the team – including their happiness, ability to focus, constructive input into interactions and discretionary effort – can be significantly impacted by what is going on outside of work.

As their manager or leader, your guidance and support through difficult times can make a profound difference to the individual and the broader team.

As younger people join the workforce, the value of leaders’ emotional intelligence will only increase. In a 2017 study by the Levo Institute, 80 percent of the Millennial respondents reported that emotional intelligence is something they actively focus on as they develop their careers, and 87 percent of Millennials indicated a strong connection between their personal motivation to help the company succeed and the emotional intelligence of the company’s leaders.

Emotional intelligence is hard to learn and self-reflection can be uncomfortable, but they are both increasingly important in today’s workplace. Organisations with leaders who demonstrate strong character and emotional intelligence – including letting go of mistakes, showing empathy and genuine concern for the common good – have been found to have an average return on assets (ROA) of 9.35 percent over a two-year period, which is almost five times the ROA of organisations with low-rating leaders (KRM International, 2015). Leaders, can you afford not to build the emotional intelligence of your leadership? ● > Rose Bryant-Smith is a founding co-owner of workplace advisory firm Worklogic, and the author of Fix Your Team and Workplace Investigations. Worklogic works with companies and leaders across Australia to minimise bad behaviour in the workplace, address conflict and help teams to thrive. For more information visit www.worklogic.com.au.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 FM

27/09/18 11:32 AM

38 | HARD FM

Plumbing the depths When it comes to water, technical solutions assisting in conserving this precious resource have undergone continual innovation in recent times. However, what does the future hold for our entitlement to water? By PAUL ANGUS.

T

he plumbing system within your building effectively has two primary roles: to deliver water and take away waste. In doing so, it ensures our public health is fully protected and it’s why many believe plumbing is undoubtedly humankind’s greatest invention.

It’s not surprising to learn that decisive trends within plumbing are to be found in the field of efficient, future-oriented technologies and intelligent building services technology.

Digital data interaction and collection already play a pivotal role in our everyday lives. This is even more the case in your plumbing system, by integrating water resources management and effectively providing data on water quantity, quality, demand and consumption.

Smart metering and sensors connected to the Building Management System (BMS), can trigger automatic alerts to smartphones, tablet apps or in the form of an audible alert, enabling facility managers (and utility companies) to analyse consumption patterns and their operations more effectively.

Automatic systems even provide dynamic feedback that can assist in detecting leaks and can prioritise repairs.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE? Why do we often take for granted the very things that deserve our gratitude the most, assuming they will be there whenever we

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need them? This applies to our sense of entitlement to water. Having wholesome water on demand is one such luxury we all take for granted; however, we should never forget that water is a precious commodity.

We cannot know exactly what types of problems there will be in the future regarding the supply of potable water. But one thing is certain: we must use all the tricks we have up our sleeves in order to stave off a possible worldwide water crisis. The recent water crises in Cape Town, Sao Paulo and other cities around the world exemplify the impact that water scarcity can have, more than just the risk that the water supply within your building could run dry. Even here in the Australia, the current drought is affecting our agriculture, and jeopardising food production and supplies of water for energy generation. The social and economic implications of droughts are enormous.

Increasing water stresses, exacerbated by rising demand, population growth, urbanisation and climate change, emphasise the need to tackle water scarcity.

MAKING A SPLASH The technology to address the water problem is already here. For example, as a necessity astronauts continuously recycle water; urine, bathing water and even condensed humidity from the crew’s breath are filtered into drinking water. So why here on Earth do we continually waste so much water in our everyday lives? Closer to home, research is being conducted to extract water from air. It sounds a little far fetched, almost something you’d expect to be reading in a science fiction novel. Within the Moroccan desert, the world’s largest fog harvester traps dense fog and converts it into clean, fresh water. With a surface area over 600 square metres, the apparatus takes advantage of the fog that regularly settles over the drought-stricken Aït Baâmrane region for up to six months of the year. As much as 60 litres of clean, safe drinking water is reportedly captured per one square metre of netting. Solar-powered pumps, along with a system of pipes, deliver the clean water to 400 local residents, who

Paul Angus.

ordinarily struggle to gain access to safe water in this arid region.

The cost of clean water is a major obstacle for many thirsty people on Earth, so researchers are constantly seeking affordable solutions for small-scale, personal water purification. Desalination is an expensive and large-scale operation. However, with advances in technology, a joint research team from the University of Texas, Austin and the University of Marburg, Germany, have developed a low-drain water chip, which generates a small electrical field to desalinate seawater. Although still in its infancy of development, the water chip promises to offer a portable clean water solution capable of running on a regular battery.

HARD TO SWALLOW Still gravitating to the out-of-this-world and almost science fiction theme, recycling water in the form of rainwater, grey or black water isn’t anything new. However, Janicki Bioenergy has developed a means of producing clean drinking water from human faeces. Sure, read that sentence again and slowly digest (not literally) what you just read. You may remember watching Bill Gates drinking a glass of water extracted from the device and further explaining how it works with admiration, which makes it hard to disagree with the feasibility of the idea.

In addition to producing clean drinking water from human faeces, the device also produces electricity. Although the device is an extremely large piece of kit, it is also worth noting that the Janicki Omni Processor is not specifically designed to produce clean drinking water, despite this being its feature attraction. Janicki Bioenergy actually developed it primarily as a sanitation project designed to clean up cities around the world.

With the rapid advancement of modern technology, it’s only a matter of time before this device becomes more compact and readily accessible.

On the subject of recycled water, Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, an industrial designer who collaborated with NASA, devised the Orbital Systems shower system. His design is fairly

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123RF’s Chaiyapruk Chanwatthana. © 123RF.com

simple, but brilliant. It may sound a bit filthy to consider reusing water circling through the pipes and falling directly back on your face, but a state-of-the-art filtration system means that the water coming out of the shower head is clean enough to drink and is actually purer than general tap water. As the water is released from the shower, it flows down into the drain, through the filtration system and then is pumped back up to be used again. Because only a little heat is lost during this process, it only needs to be slightly reheated, which can also significantly reduce energy costs.

In a similar nature, think about the mechanical plant located in various plant rooms within your vicinity. The condensate is piped to the drain point and allowed to flow away to the sewer. Condensate could be potentially captured and reused as make-up water for cooling towers, up to 20 percent of the potable water currently used could be slashed from your utility bill. Although capturing condensate water isn’t anything new, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and likeminded building certification schemes are providing an incentive to building designers and owners to maximise all water that is effectively conveyed down the drain.

FLUSHED AWAY

Increasing water stresses, exacerbated by rising demand, population growth, urbanisation and climate change, emphasise the need to tackle water scarcity.

Over a year, the average person flushes more than 7000 litres of water down the toilet. With more than half of the world’s population using flushable toilets, this amounts to trillions of litres of water per year being wasted. British industrial design student Tom Broadbent is harnessing his research to change this with HighDro Power – an innovative system that transforms wastewater into electricity.

The device works by using the discarded water from everyday appliances like toilets, sinks and showers, which hits four turbine blades as it falls down the drainage pipework, powering a generator. Designed for the pipework configuration of high-rise buildings, rather than individual dwellings, HighDro Power could offer substantial energy and cost savings. The energy harnessed by the device can either be utilised inside the building – for example, to power building services systems

like air-conditioning, heating and elevators – or, alternatively, sold back to the national grid.

The opportunities are endless in regards to generating electricity from wastewater, but what about moving our mindset from within the building? As advanced and efficient solar panels are becoming, they are not as effective when clouds obscure the sun during the rain season. That could soon change thanks to a hybrid cell that can harvest energy from both sunlight and raindrops.

The key part of the system is a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), a device that creates an electric charge from the friction of two materials rubbing together, as with static electricity – it’s all about the shifting of electrons. TENGs can draw power from car tyres hitting the road or, in this case, the rolling motion of raindrops across a solar

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panel. The end result, revealed by scientists from Soochow University in China, is a cell that works, rain or shine! Best of all – it also rains during the night. Not so far into the future, we will gain from solar arrays working around the clock regardless of the weather, adding another huge boost to the potential of renewable energy.

DROP IN THE OCEAN Although potable water is still viewed as being relatively cheap in a majority of countries, further incentives other than financial aspects may be required to change perception and manage demand. Water is a basic human need, yet is divided very unevenly and, in many cases, we currently pay far less for water than it is actually worth. Advancements in technology, and increased water scarcity in the not-so-distant future, will change this for generations to come. ● > Paul Angus is an associate director – Hydraulic Services and Education Sector Lead (NSW and ACT) at AECOM, based in Sydney. Angus has strong commercial and technical capabilities in developing and delivering hydraulic design strategies and solutions. He specialises in providing a sustainable approach to system design, including water conservation, recycling and generating innovative engineering solutions.

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 FM

27/09/18 11:34 AM

40 | MAINTENANCE

Close encounters of the car park kind Car parks are a vital component of many facilities, but ensuring safe, secure and effective access is essential, writes ARIAN BAHRAMSARI.

ar parks are indispensable parts of the management of residential apartments. A car park area can be indicative of a facility’s efficiency, lifestyle, cleanliness and management discipline. Facility managers and building staff can encounter issues arising from the car park on a regular basis, for neglecting even just one seemingly minor problem can cause serious issues.

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1) Remote control access (fob/swipe)

CAR PARK ACCESS SYSTEMS

2) Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) or Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)

The most obvious problem related to car parks is their accessibility. Car park access needs to be reliable, fast, secure and convenient. Nowadays there are various access systems implemented in apartment car parks.

This is a common method to provide car park access for residents. To avoid the misuse of swipes, facility managers have the option of limiting the number of car park-activated fobs. Residents living in apartments with no allocated car park would not be given access and those who have a car park bay may get a limited number of swipes activated for car park access.

This technology utilises specific cameras to recognise vehicles’ number plates. The car park gate opens once a resident’s number plate is detected. Although this is a widely

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used system, there are some challenges associated with this technology. Generally, sensitivity and efficiency of these systems against environmental change and ambient light level are varied. Characters similar in appearance – such as ‘5’ and ‘S’ and ‘0’ and ‘O’ – are often incorrectly detected by the system. Therefore, a manual entry of multiple plate numbers for these variations is required under certain circumstances to avoid resident inconvenience.

Additionally, the cameras installed in this type of access system have a limited detection zone and coverage. Therefore, residents are required to pass through a specific zone and be positioned in the right spot in order for the cameras to identify their number plate. Facility managers may have the option to request extra cameras to be installed to widen the detection zone. For this method to work well, residents need to be provided with clear directions and instruction about their LPR or ANPR system.

3) Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) This is another form of access that is based on electromagnetic field technology.

Residents’ vehicles will be equipped with an RFID tag or transponder. An antenna installed at the gate generates an electromagnetic field, activates the tag, verifies its numeric code and opens the gate. Unlike remote control access tags, RFID tags do not require a battery to operate. New RFID technology systems are equipped with Bluetooth, Zigbee or GSM modules (battery/wired), and they also offer the use of a smartphone to grant the access.

Facility managers may consider having a combination of different access systems, which means if one access system is down or faulty, the other one can still provide access for building occupiers.

5) Biometric recognition system These systems are set in highly secured and restricted car parks. They typically use a resident’s fingerprint to generate a unique identifier that is not duplicable.

COMMON PROBLEMS IN RESIDENTIAL CAR PARKS Misusing access passes

4) Boom gate Boom gates are one of the most widely used access systems in building car parks. Boom gates can be combined with or added to any form of access system such as control spikes (tiger teeth), swipe systems, LPR and RFID. It is highly recommended to fit boom gates with additional safety features such as photoelectric beams or inductive loops for vehicle detection.

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There are situations when you may find residents passing their access card back to a second person to gain access into the building. Facility managers may consider putting an anti-passback feature in place, which establishes a set entry and exit sequence for residents. Whenever the configured sequence is not observed, an alarm will be sent to the facility manager and the second access may not be granted.

Occupation of another resident’s car space This may be the most common issue relating to residential car parks. The very first step for facility managers is to make sure that car park spaces and levels are marked, labelled and easily visible. If labels have worn off or levels are not clearly marked, it is quite easy for residents to make mistakes.

The next step would be to ensure residents are aware of their entitled parking space, number and boundary.

Some residents may assume their car park number is the same as their apartment number or may not be aware of similar sub car park levels (e.g. level 4 and level 4A). Finally, if all options are exhausted, facility managers can liaise with their owners’ corporation and committee to install collapsible barriers in car park bays. These automated barriers are controlled via a remote control and can communicate with the lot owner if their car bay is occupied.

Car park speed limit To ensure the safety of all residents and minimise car accidents, facility managers are required to check speed limit signs in their car park. Normally, the posted speed limit is five to 10 kilometres per hour in a car park area. Down the car park ramps, deployed speed humps can reduce travelling speeds too.

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42 | MAINTENANCE

Car park height allowance Facility managers need to make sure that height restriction bars and signage are installed and visible at the car park gate. If a vehicle is broken down inside the car park and needs to be towed away, facility managers must ensure that lifting or towing the vehicle does not exceed the permitted height.

Securing essential services in the car park Existing building infrastructure in car parks is to be protected by safety bollards or concrete wheel barriers. Facility managers can minimise the risk of any collision damage in car parks by installing safety barriers.

Visitor car park management Visitors to a car park are one of the areas that can create many annoyances for building staff. There have been situations where residents park long-term, or even rent out their own car spot and park their car in the visitor car spot. It is vital to have a clear rule introduced and define the meaning of ‘visitor’

for everyone. Facility managers may require residents to obtain approval for occupying the visitor space longer than the specified time-frame. Experience says that covering the visitor car park area can be helpful in managing this section of the building. Having a means of tracking repeat offenders, such as using a spreadsheet, can also assist facility managers to identify a potential problem.

Car park access needs to be reliable, fast, secure and convenient.

How to reduce incidents

CHOOSE WISELY

which means if one access system is down or faulty, the other one can still provide access for building occupiers.

Car park management is a critical component of any building management sector, for it indicates the efficiency and competence of the building. By making informed decisions regarding car park access, facility managers can ensure that they are creating a safe and secure space for building dwellers. ●

Nowadays, modern car park access systems provide easy and convenient access.

Facility managers may consider having a combination of different access systems,

> Arian Bahramsari is a facility manager at Facility Management Victoria Pty Ltd, based in Docklands, Melbourne.

Facility managers can minimise car parkrelated problems via consistent communication with residents and by conducting OH&S audits. For instance, it is worth posting some notes or information about the risks associated with walking along car park ramps (if this is applicable) or stopping at the gate to avoid tailgating into the car park.

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CASE STUDY | 43

Protecting community assets Shoalhaven City Council is taking the future into its own hands and implementing new security systems to deliver high-quality, low-maintenance solutions.

S

hoalhaven is located on the south coast of New South Wales, approximately 160 kilometres south of the Sydney CBD, with a population of almost 103,000. Shoalhaven City Council is looking towards a safe and sustainable future, and its stated vision for the year 2023 is to “work together in Shoalhaven to foster a safe, attractive place for people to live, work, stay and play, where sustainable growth, development and environmental protection are managed to provide a unique and relaxed lifestyle”.

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As it serves the current and future needs of its community, the Council is rolling out new surveillance systems that protect its key assets. With this goal in mind, Shoalhaven City Council has worked with Panasonic to install video surveillance across 10 sites, including community centres, animal shelters, aquatic and leisure centres, water reservoirs and sewage treatment plants. A further five sites are expected to be added in 2018 to 2019, including two major upgrades at sewage treatment plants in Bomaderry and Nowra.

In the area of asset protection, the Council has increased the capabilities, quality and reliability of its video surveillance systems at key sites, by moving from analogue technology to Panasonic Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, which provide high-quality image capture and are backed by network video recorders for high-volume data recording.

Simple internet cable installation makes it quick to get the systems up and running.

Stuart Dryburgh, communication technician at Shoalhaven City Council, says, “Previously we had fewer analogue cameras, but more

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44 | CASE STUDY

maintenance. With IP, not only is the visual quality a huge step up, but we have more cameras and less maintenance, which frees us up for other important Council tasks.”

With the costs of data storage and the associated burden on network traffic an important consideration when expanding a surveillance network, the Council is benefiting from installing network video recorders for local storage on large sites.

This allows Shoalhaven City Council to cost-effectively meet Environmental Protection Agency requirements at locations such as the Ulladulla Waste Depot, where vehicle and weighbridge information must be backed up for 12 months once collected.

Dryburgh explains, “Where our analogue systems could only store around three weeks of footage, we can now store 44 terabytes and about 500 days of 24/7 recording.”

The Council has also begun transitioning to H.265 high data compression technology as it updates its sites. At the Bay and Basin Leisure Centre in Vincentia, H.265 cameras provide the crisp imaging and fast motion detection needed for monitoring around the clock in the 24-hour gym facility, while the built-in smart technology compresses images to reduce the load on storage

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infrastructure. IP cameras are also installed throughout the aquatic centre to provide a secure environment for customers, with two six-terabyte video recorders allowing for the retrieval of any footage that needs to be reviewed by police or other authorities.

Dryburgh says that feedback from staff at the centre had been very positive.

“When we first started putting in the IP cameras, management saw the difference and were keen to have the technology throughout. The older cameras could miss important vision, particularly with motion – now they can see the site much more clearly and have 24-hour backup.”

Systems already currently installed in Shoalhaven sewage treatment plants provide 24/7 plant monitoring so staff can view ladders and sewer inlets, as well as covering after-hours security. The Bombaderry and Nowra sewage treatment plants will be the next locations to receive the benefits of an H.265 installation.

Ranjit Sohoni, product marketing manager, Security Systems, says, “We’re pleased to be able to support Shoalhaven City Council with reliable, future-proof security solutions as they work to ensure that services and infrastructure continue to meet the needs of the local community.” ●

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27/09/18 12:42 PM

46 | CONNECTIONS

Unearthly habitats In this latest instalment from GRAHAM CONSTABLE, Marcus and Raoul discuss reinventing the perception of facilities management into something astronomical.

R

aoul and Marcus strolled along Marina Boulevard; Ghirardelli Square and the temptation of a chocolate lava ice-cream sundae lay behind them. The Golden Gate loomed large in the distance, its momentous spans holding aloft a steady stream of Detroit, Aichi, Nishi-ku, Dearborn, Fuch, Minato, Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt, Stuttgart and Munich endowed movement.

“You sure you don’t want a sundae, Marcus?”

“No thanks, not after that feed!” Marcus pointed to the bridge. “What an engineering masterpiece, Raoul.”

“Have you been to the visitor centre? Quite a story.”

“I bet it is.”

Raoul pressed, “We’re heading that way – it’s only a 30-minute walk.”

“Maybe next visit. I may want that sundae in a few minutes.”

Raoul grinned. “OK, that’s cool!”

Raoul led them to an empty park bench in the Marina Green Park where he quizzed Marcus. “Back in Scoma’s you mentioned the Space Station’s operation has relevance for the future of your industry. I understand the collaboration thing and having purpose, but otherwise, how so Marcus?”

“I mentioned three features; have you forgotten?” Marcus teased.

Raoul feigned embarrassment. “It must be the wine!”

“Well, you set them for me as goals.”

Marcus grinned. “It’s innovation.”

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“Just testing,” Raoul laughed. “So why innovation?”

“Consider the term ‘innovation’ and instead think change, novelty, deviation… Something around leading or cutting edge…”

“OK, but the relevance?”

“The relevance is in the thinking. For example, how do we do things differently in our profession? What cutting edge projects are there to entice new blood into our ecosystem, to attract the bright, the young, the tech savvy, the entrepreneurially minded? Compare this with some of the more traditional entry routes to date.”

“Are these ‘traditional’ people not contributing?”

“Yes… yes of course.” Marcus was a little uneasy with his clumsiness. “Look, you once told me ‘artificial intelligence will erase jobs, but not humanity’. Remember?”

Raoul nodded. “I meant it too.”

“Of course.” Marcus sighed. “With that revelation comes the potential for those traditional entry routes to disappear for good.

What then? Actually, more importantly is the question: ‘who then’?”

“You’re saying the pipelines will disappear?”

“If the tech soothsayers are to be believed, yes. We need more than ever to stimulate interest in those people otherwise wanting to be… well…” Marcus paused. “Raoul, I’ve heard a few times recently the statement that ‘our kids today will be doing jobs in the future that have yet to be invented’. Where does that come from?”

“Some famous futurist no doubt.”

“I’ve searched and cannot find the source.

Nowhere to be found.” Marcus shook his head. “Maybe nobody actually said it. Maybe it’s a modern myth!”

Raoul mused, “It’s quite a catchy statement.”

“I agree.”

Raoul continued. “It’s a bit like our President Kennedy’s inspiring ‘…inventing technologies that haven’t been invented with materials…’” “ ‘…that haven’t been discovered yet’.”

Marcus finished. “Sure, but that was actually part of an articulated vision.”

Graham Constable.

“Go on, Marcus.”

“Let’s take a step back from this more recent rallying mantra. We need to motivate the brightest to seriously consider our industry as a future career. There’s substance in this opportunity. It exists now – a Pandora’s box, if you like. In my current focus the Space Station is one of the coolest, remotest, most challenging workplaces there is.”

“Not least of which is how to get to it!”

Raoul smiled. “Well said my friend.”

“I’ve only just started!”

“So, tell me what would entice the youngest and the brightest? Why, the Space Station.”

Marcus quickly responded. “It’s everything about it that challenges us and, in my view, represents the epitome for our profession.”

“Are you suggesting facilities managers should become astronauts?”

“Not entirely, but then, why not?” Marcus stood up and faced Raoul. He was animated.

“I mentioned before the scale of the global collaborative effort behind the vehicle, so it’s not just about the astronauts, as amazing a job as that may be. Why shouldn’t facilities managers embody the skill sets required to meet the challenge of developing this engineering marvel, of designing in the supportability smarts and the logistics infrastructure to supply and maintain it?”

“I’m impressed with your grasp of the challenge. Some of what you say, however, is within the operational domain.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Remember, it’s in the thinking. Raoul, my background is communications engineering. I’ve modelled organisational development and I help people with critical thinking and complex problem solving through strategy gamebased programs. I have developed strategic asset management plans and procured and managed supply chains. I have been a facilities manager.” Marcus paused. “Oh, and I was a satellite operations officer once.”

“OK, I get your drift.”

“I haven’t heard that expression in a while!” Marcus sat back down, chuckling.

“Let me give you an example of what I mean. I have learned the performance

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of mission productive work is viewed as critical to sustaining human presence on space stations and, by extension, the moon or Mars. ISS crews split their working time between productive activities and – guess what? – station maintenance, largely within the Environmental Control and Life Support System, which as you may surmise is pretty important, yes? The standards for space station productivity are reportedly defined by the design, and research has shown these standards have not been met due to additional crew time being required for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.”

“Is this the supportability thing you mentioned?”

“These extra maintenance-related demands potentially impact the overall mission goals because crew time for mission work may be reduced. Supportability encompasses reliability, sustainability (in the true sense), durability, maintainability and so on. If I was looking at the industry for my career, these are the challenges I would want to be working on, drawing on the exponential technologies that are developing (as we speak) and seeing a place for me in humankind’s off-world expansion.”

Raoul sat quietly, pondering Marcus’ suggestions as he gazed at the lights of Sausalito across the Bay. Marcus wondered if his friend thought him deranged. Finally, Raoul asked Marcus a question.

“If you were entering this new world – as you put it – where would you start?”

“What I described is asset and facilities management at its core, but with an extraordinary purview: man’s exploration of space.”

Raoul expanded his question. “OK, so I’m one of the young, tech-savvy, ‘entrepreneurials’ you are looking to attract into your industry. Entice me.”

“For starters, placing the opportunities under the traditional banner of FM is not the way. I would be placing the challenge of space exploration and off-world habitation as your entry point. In particular, asking you to solve a problem like any other entrepreneurial or start-up minded person. Uber is not just

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“How do we do things differently in our profession? What cutting edge projects are there to entice new blood into our ecosystem, to attract the bright, the young, the tech savvy, the entrepreneurially minded?” an alternative taxi service. Amazon is not just a logistics company. Microsoft is not just a software developer. Google is not just a search engine. SpaceX is not just into developing cheap rocket launchers. UPS is not always going to be a courier company.

I understand they view doing what they are doing as a means to another goal. Something maybe even more imaginative.”

“Reinvention!”

“Extrapolation. By the way, notice I substituted the term ‘goal’ for ‘end’, because there is no end. It’s like an ‘over-the-horizon’ vision. I hear UPS is big into 3D printing. Who needs a courier when you can print an order near your delivery point? The goal here?

Maybe it’s to become the world’s foremost expert on 3D printing. Remember I told you about 4D printing? I may be wrong, but UPS is well-positioned to capitalise on this emerging technology and future opportunity.

Who knows where that’s going to end up!

Likewise, for the others.”

“So, in essence…” Raoul said.

Marcus finished, “FM is not a label, it’s a means to other goals. Always has been, except now I’m suggesting a bigger canvas – the industry as an enabler of exploration in a hostile environment! To enter is to explore.”

“First things first though, eh?”

“Sure, there’s the supportability challenge to solve. It impacts all off-world habitats and missions. I was informed by the ‘go-to guy’ at NASA for this topic that the supportability challenge can be broken down into three areas: programmatic, design and operational maintenance lessons. All require the same level of intense collaboration across design, function, need, operations and planning to

address. And all require energy and ideas.

A number of private enterprises are into this challenge. NASA is now actively collaborating with the private sector under the US National Aeronautics and Space Act and US National Space Policy. There has been some extraordinary thinking and early invention.

Inflatable habitat and mission modules attached to the Space Station is one cool example.”

“That is cool. Hey Marcus, what time is your flight tomorrow morning?”

Marcus looked at his watch. “I could talk about this for hours Raoul, but you’re right, I should get back to my hotel and get some sleep.”

Raoul nodded. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your hotel.”

“Raoul, when you get the chance, look up the ‘ISS toothbrush hack’.”

“What was that you said?”

“Google ‘NASA, toothbrush hack’ – on the ISS.” “OK . Sounds interesting.”

“It’s an outstanding example of teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, planning, resilience and implementation. Remember I told you at dinner about NASA’s ‘failure is not an option’ culture?”

“I do.”

“Well, the ‘toothbrush hack’ is a great example of resolving a potential show-stopper.

Have a read. I had this presented to me; it cemented my interest and motivation in all this, and in the future possibilities of our industry.”

Marcus paused, grinned and then pointed to Ghirardelli’s. It was still open. “Shall we?”

Raoul laughed. “Why not. My treat!”

“I’ll go for the Lava then!” As they approached, Marcus asked his friend, “Do you think I’m dreaming, all these ideas of mine?”

Raoul patted Marcus on the back. “Ideas are acorns, the lifeblood in my business, Marcus. Why not in yours!”

“Thanks. I’m hopefully speaking with some of the commercial enterprises I mentioned before, who are entering this challenging area. I may well be out here again soon!”

“Great. Let me know – come stay with us next time! Bring that coding son of yours. I want to meet him!” ●

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27/09/18 11:44 AM

48 | ENERGY WATCH

Uninterruptible power supplies The regular maintenance of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) is vital because interruptions can really impede progress.

Without that ingredient of regular inspection and, where necessary, replacement of parts, investment in a UPS system is a waste of money, writes PETER ALLPORT.

FIGURE 1 – The basic architecture of an ‘in-line’ UPS

FIGURE 2 – The function of the automatic bypass is to provide power in the event of a malfunction of the UPS

T

he importance of regular inspections of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) equipment for missioncritical applications cannot be overstated. Mains power failure incidents are unpredictable and often it can be as long as a year between disruptions, and so it’s vital to be assured that the UPS is functioning correctly.

In short, without check-ups on the state of health (SOH) of batteries and electronics, you may well find that when the mains power is interrupted, the UPS won’t take over the task of supplying essential power to the critical functions in your organisation.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF A UPS The diagram in Figure 1 is helpful in comprehending the basics of operation. No specialist knowledge is required and it is beneficial in understanding the important

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areas of regular inspection, testing and, where indicated, component replacement.

The diagram illustrates a UPS typical of larger installations, technically described as an ‘in-line’ system.

Normally, mains electricity supply is alternating current (AC), as shown graphically at the input to the UPS, under mains availability conditions. The sine wave nature of voltage and current (AC as supplied by the electricity network) has to be mimicked by the UPS when mains power fails.

The power for your facility, in the event of an interruption to the mains power, will come from a battery bank, as shown in the diagram. The charge for the battery bank is supplied during times when power is available from the network.

Batteries store direct current (DC) energy and require DC energy to charge them. The diagram shows a ‘converter’ block, basically changing

the AC supplied by the network to DC for battery charge replenishment (see Figure 1).

The last section of importance is the block labelled ‘inverter’, where DC from the battery bank is changed (inverted) back to AC. Something has emerged that you may not have been aware of: the in-line system illustrated is operating as a UPS, even when mains power is available. In other words, the batteries are being continually charged (trickle-charged) and the inverter is always supplying AC to your critical loads.

The great advantage of the in-line architecture is that there is no switchover time in the event of a network failure, when, during the period, even if very short, there is no power for the critical loads. Apart from the danger of loss of data in IT operations, there is also the risk of damage to essential services motors.

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BATTERIES

WHAT CAN AND DOES GO WRONG (BATTERIES) Now that the structure of an in-line system is clear, you would think that if there was a failure of the UPS you’d be aware of it the moment it occurs. But that is not the case – you will, in all likelihood, be blissfully unaware that you have lost your critical power back-up. Figure 2 shows the diagram from the first figure overlaid with an ‘automatic bypass circuit’ (shown in red). This bypass is automatically activated if there is a failure in the UPS, switching the critical load directly to the network mains (see Figure 2).

In Image 1, the Salvador Dali-like melting batteries tell a story. This photo, taken of a UPS in a hospital, makes the point of blissful ignorance glaringly obvious. Fortunately, there had been no interruptions of mains power when a service team was called to do an inspection of the system.

Batteries are an obvious area of concern and further down there is a brief description of typical tests conducted as to their SOH. There are other critically important areas as well.

CAPACITORS In both Figures 1 and 2, the capacitor bank is shown ahead of the battery bank. Capacitors are essentially very short-term electric charge-holding components, and very similar to batteries. For example, they spill electrolyte when they get hot, causing a lot of damage.

The function of capacitors is to ensure smooth trickle-charging of the batteries during normal operation of the UPS. In Image

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2 the breakdown of capacitors is shown.

Electrolyte has spilled, creating a fire hazard.

There’s an old saying ‘familiarity breeds contempt’, and this is very true for batteries. The common battery in UPS systems is a lead-acid cell, which doesn’t require regular inspection or topping up on the level of the acid-water electrolyte. This is the valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery. It is the usual battery for motor vehicles, where it is treated with benign neglect until a roadside replacement takes place. This is no way to treat such a critically important part of a UPS, however, as it’s required to keep things going for periods as long as half an hour. Battery banks in UPS systems comprise paralleled strings (a string is simply a number of batteries daisy-chained in series to provide the required voltage). The strings are bundled together (paralleled) so that the battery bank can deliver not only the required voltage but also the power.

The VRLA batteries require frequent testing and, by the time 80 percent of capacity has been used, this should be at yearly intervals.

Part of a battery maintenance practice can include amp-hour data and, in any event, the measurement of open circuit voltage and battery impedance. This latter parameter measures the resistance to current flow through the battery, and the resistance increases over time. A build-up in the value of the impedance parameter is an excellent predictor of battery failure. The combination of the open circuit voltage test and impedance provides the decision level for battery replacement. Record keeping is therefore essential and an integral part of a maintenance program.

POWER ELECTRONICS

BYPASS CIRCUIT

The converter (converting AC to DC) and the inverter (converting DC to AC) are examples of power electronics. Both use up power, can get very hot and can fail as a result. This is particularly the case for the inverter, which is basically a group of very fast operating switches – they can typically perform 4000 or more on-off operations per second. These electronic switches use significant amounts of power and consequently require cooling.

To achieve this, the individual switches (transistors of a special type; a popular one being the ‘insulated gate bi-polar transistor’ [IGBT]), are mounted to finned metal sections using special electrically-insulating, thermallytransmitting washers and silicone grease and a torque wrench to seat them, so that there is maximum contact area for the heat to flow from the transistor to the heat sink. Fans blow air over the metal heat sink sections so that the electronic switches operate in a thermally stable environment.

In the event of a failure in the UPS, no matter what its cause may be, the automatic bypass circuit has to supply power to the critical load.

In effect, the UPS is taken offline, but in the process it automatically switches the bypass circuit to ‘on’, thus maintaining power for the critical loads. This particular test is conducted in consultation with the client because it involves a short disruption of supply.

top left: Image 1 – The result of not regularly testing batteries can be catastrophic failures top right: Image 2 – The middle capacitor has spilled electrolyte and presents a fire hazard bottom left: Image 3 – The left-hand and centre transistors show signs of serious overheating

RELYING ON YOUR UPS SYSTEM Irrespective of the make of your UPS system, they all need maintaining. However, the age of your UPS does make a difference, for the older the UPS the more important is regular inspection and service. The absence of power failures notwithstanding – in fact, even more so – makes a regular, thorough examination essential. ● > Peter Allport, national service manager, Power Parameters Pty Ltd.

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50 | WORKPLACE CULTURE

Say what? Leadership conversations Communication is a vital tool in any workplace. MARIECLAIRE ROSS reports on how savvy leaders use it to build trust and, therefore, highly functioning workplaces.

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ave you ever started a new job or worked with a new team and realised that you needed to build trust fast?

Building trust and managing it longterm is one of the primary skills of a high performing leader.

Leaders often talk about the need to build trust, but few have a clear strategy that they follow on a regular basis. To get it right requires a variety of skills ranging from demonstrating a list of trusted behaviours right through to using some techniques to build trust quickly in teams.

These are both important, but are not enough on their own. What I have discovered is that leaders struggle to build trust if they are poor at communicating the vision, the accountability requirements, expectations and their own point of view. Essentially, leaders must have the right foundational communication skills in place first.

TRUST IS ENABLED THROUGH COMMUNICATION Every communication we make is an action, a cause set in motion, and all communication has some kind of effect on ourselves and others. What we say or don’t say can either build trust or deplete it. Poor communication from senior leaders is a major cause of lowtrust cultures. Here are nine communication skills every leader needs to master to powerfully build trust with others:

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Know thyself and be congruent “Trust is the conviction that the leader means what he says… A leader’s actions and a leader’s professed beliefs must be congruent, or at least compatible.” – Peter Drucker.

One of the most powerful human drivers is to live in alignment with who we believe we are and who we want to be. When our words and actions don’t match it creates an integrity gap, and the bigger the gap the more likely you will be to act in ways that go against what you’re trying to achieve. Employees will subconsciously distrust your intentions.

People need to be able to read you and see consistency in your behaviours to feel comfortable around you.

Be clear on who you are. What do you stand for? What are you against? What frustrates you? Knowing this makes your intentions and expectations clear. This builds authenticity because people see that your energy matches your intention.

Set clear expectations of who you are and what you need People feel more comfortable with a leader when they know what they are doing and why. Once you know yourself better you can tell others: ● how you like to work ● how you like to be communicated with, and ● what you plan to do so that anyone can understand it.

It’s also important you find out the same information from each direct report. And tell them what you expect from them and how you will measure their performance. Making sure there are no surprises between what you want and expect goes a long way towards increasing trust.

Engage for impact People love it when a leader has a big, exciting vision for the organisation that pushes everyone forward. It gives them the confidence that the business will survive long-term because leaders know what to do.

Leaders need to regularly communicate: ● where the business stands ● why work matters

Marie-Claire Ross.

● what’s coming up next, and ● how they plan to get everyone there.

Leaders who are good at uniting everyone know the best way to communicate with each individual at an emotional level to encourage buy-in. They reframe the risks so the risk averse can feel safe, they align the interests of those in other departments and they focus on values to encourage alignment of thinking.

Be explicit “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

– George Bernard Shaw.

Workplace communication is about reducing ambiguity and uncertainty. The quickest way to get people to fear you (and not trust you) is to provide vague information. When people have to guess what is expected of them or where the company is going they get stuck and often become uncooperative.

Communication often gets misunderstood because of too many assumptions, such as what people know, what they’re able to do and the presumption of a non-existent discussion.

Express what you want and mean with specific actions. For example: ‘Please email me a report on the top five facilities management software suppliers by their value proposition and customer ratings on Google by Friday 5pm 30 September.’ Avoid implicit communication that expects people to be spookily accurate mind readers, such as: ‘Please email me a report on facilities management software companies.’

Be an active listener (and keep quiet) Really listening to employees shows that you are present and focused. This demonstrates that you care more than any words can alone.

It gets you out of your head, so you’re more able to help people and understand what is going on. It encourages you to live in reality.

Great leaders know that really important information surfaces when they keep quiet. It is when transformation occurs.

Asking someone a question and then waiting to hear a reply seems pretty obvious.

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Connect individually with team members

123RF’s Hongqi Zhang. © 123RF.com

Yet some leaders don’t wait for a response; they jump in with another question, statement or answer. Listen to people and probe for further information. Repeat back the main points of what people say to show that you heard them.

Reflect feedback, not failure Workplace communication is really about feedback, not failure. It’s about being curious and unattached to the outcome.

Master communicators are open to hearing feedback both good and bad. They listen when it is about him or herself or work.

They avoid jumping to conclusions about what the person is saying and they don’t judge or blame. They create a safe space where people share information and express their opinion.

Furthermore, they educate direct reports to focus on solutions, not problems.

This empowers people to provide information in a more positive and informative manner.

The result is joint problem solving where you co-create an improved situation (and increase accountability).

Use sincere enquiry (to understand needs) “The minute we begin to think we have all the answers, we forget the questions.”

– Madeleine L’Engle.

High-trust leaders lead by asking questions. They empower those around them to think for themselves and solve problems.

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This also ensures that they break through the fog and avoid hasty assumptions. A lot of people speak using vague phrases and generalisations (for example, ‘None of our customers like the higher price’). Hightrust leaders are attuned to fluff and vague corporate speak. They know how to ask questions that gain specificity and improve accountability.

Avoid asking ‘why’ questions that sound like you are making the other person wrong.

Instead, ask outcome-based questions (‘what’ or ‘how’) that focus on results, such as: ‘What specifically do you mean by that?’

‘What would you do if you were in my role?’

Build in accountability To encourage your direct reports to be accountable means you need to be accountable. Acknowledge your mistakes, as well as your successes. Always follow through on what you said you would do. If you want your employees to be accountable, you must make sure you are accountable, too.

Improving accountability means having clear consequences for poor performers – hold people accountable when they drop the ball. Demonstrate accountability by putting in processes to: ● evaluate every project (what was good/ bad?, what can be improved?) ● track weekly results/deadlines/ accountabilities, and ● articulate clear action steps at the end of each meeting.

Of course, you can’t build trust with people if you’re unable to connect with them. Each individual differs in their propensity to trust others. Sophisticated managers understand not everyone is the same. They take the time to understand each team member in terms of their dreams, fears, values, challenges and goals. After establishing common ground, they align the individual’s self-interests to the broader goal of the organisation and team.

This may seem like a lot of work – and it can be. But it is less work, long-term. When a leader puts the interests and well-being of their employees above their own they become a trusted leader, one who is followed in a heartbeat, during both bad and good times.

TRUST IN COMMUNICATION Creating a high-trust culture boils down to every employee knowing they can rely on every person around them. It means everyone is committed to performing at a high level and helping their peers achieve as well.

Leaders who lead with trust follow through on promises and hold others to account. They return phone calls and they meet up with people for coffee. They communicate honestly and frequently. They help employees see the meaning behind their work and that they matter.

They create a safe environment for people to speak up and be themselves. The outcome is a fun, more enjoyable workplace where everyone works together to reach their goals.

How will you communicate today to build trust with your colleagues? ● > Marie-Claire Ross is the chief corporate catalyst at Trustologie. She is a workplace sociologist, author and consultant focused on helping leaders put the right processes in place to empower employees to speak up about issues, challenge each other and share information. If you want to find out more about building trust, download the free insights paper ‘Building Trust – How HighTrust Companies Deliver Faster Results, Increase Profitability and Loyalty’ at http://bit.ly/buildingtrust2016.

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52 | WORKPLACE CULTURE

Cultural importance Company culture plays a significant role in employee productivity. PAUL FINDLAY explains why it’s so important and how FMs can create a positive workplace environment.

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company’s culture is like a fingerprint – a unique identifier.

It is a factor that is distinctive to every business and an attribute that can breed a winning team.

While achieving an award-winning culture in your business can be a steep task, investing in it can deliver extraordinary outcomes.

As Jim Collins, of Good to Great fame and a legend among business consultants, once said: “In determining the right people, the good-to-great companies placed greater weight on character attributes than on specific educational background, practical skills, specialised knowledge or work experience.”

While many could read Collins’ wise words as being a key consideration in future recruitment, the management team of training and development provider PD Training (PDT) believes it should also be a key consideration for team development.

This particularly applies to industry sectors like facilities management, where for variously- and multi-skilled teams working in high-rise environments or across multiple sites, being empowered by positive company culture is crucial.

It is a philosophy that has been a cornerstone of PDT’s business since its inception, and one that has been behind its business and awards success.

It was this thinking that saw it recently win accolades in the ‘Training and Professional Development’ and ‘Recruitment and On-boarding’ categories at the HRD Employer of Choice Awards.

While the team generally comes with some level of soft skills, or EQ (emotional intelligence quotient), the company also invests in its people to further develop their skills in managing disruption and change, displaying courage, increasing collaboration, engaging and developing people, solving problems and displaying resiliency.

Not only has this resulted in enhanced productivity by individual team members, but it has also cultivated a contemporary working culture full of gratitude, team synergy and overall contentment.

development programs to understand what evidence-based materials were consistently adopted and delivered real impact.

Then it undertook a meta-analysis of behaviours, attributes and surveys of workplace performance and psychometrics in a multi-year study with over 40,000 data points to develop statistically reliable ways to monitor personal growth and predict corresponding improvements in workplace performance.

DISPELLING THE MYTHS Now, there are those who say that the uniquely humanistic qualities that constitute the desirable soft skills of the workforce of today and tomorrow are unable to be taught.

Entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson claims, “You can learn expertise and gain experience, but attitude is inherent.”

This is one area where I disagree with Branson, and many other business leaders, based on what I have witnessed from members of our team and many others who have participated in the various training programs focused on the non-technical skills required for the workforce.

PDT has taken a unique approach to the content, activities and tools that help people enhance their soft skills. Some would say it has flipped the paradigm of how soft skills are approached by the human resource (HR) and organisational development (OD) industry.

A DATA-LED APPROACH The analysis of available data is both a powerful and an essential way of tracking the development of a winning team.

Based on the reality that any HR or OD investment needs to be accountable and demonstrate real return on investment, PDT analysed thousands of data points from participants of more than 200 professional

123RF’s Anna Bizon. © 123RF.com

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PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE ADVANTAGE PDT’s data-driven approach to training has created many powerful benefits and created an award-winning, high-performing team with a positive workplace culture. These include: Greater workplace courage – Courage was the first virtue Aristotle spoke about, as it makes the other virtues possible. In addition to being an important human virtue, it is also powerful for business as it promotes

innovation. From experience, PDT has noted that by helping staff find their courage, they have the confidence to share their opinions and that there is less resistance to organisational change.

Increased collaboration – Studies have shown that just the mere perception of working collectively on a work task can supercharge employee performance. In fact, participants in a recent Stanford University

This particularly applies to industry sectors like facilities management, where for variouslyand multi-skilled teams working in highrise environments or across multiple sites, being empowered by positive company culture is crucial. study who were put in a collaborative environment stuck at their task 64 percent longer than their solitary peers, and also reported lower fatigue levels and a high success rate. PDT has noted a similar experience. Through providing tools to enhance collaboration, it has observed its employees work faster, do better work, be more innovative and have greater workplace satisfaction. It’s clear that businesses that embrace a collaborative strategy are more likely to outgrow competitors and improve their profit.

Resiliency – Resilience has become a growing focus area for employees in efforts to improve corporate wellness. A recent research report for Conduent HR services found 22 percent of companies have a resilience program, and 28 percent are set to offer a program soon. The resilience program PDT uses helps to build and maintain resiliency, assist employees to rebound from setbacks, push through difficult situations and embrace change.

There is a range of other benefits the company has witnessed through its focus on enhancing teams’ soft skills such as better decision-making, more effective communication, inspiring trust and valuing diversity.

But ultimately the result of its investment in soft skills is a positive team culture that has helped achieve and sustain a more productive, innovative and proactive workforce. ● > Paul Findlay is CEO of PDT, an Australianowned professional development training company that operates in 10 countries.

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54 | CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Supporting the workplace relocation The change manager plays an important role in workplace relocation and it’s one of support, writes KAREN SKILLINGS.

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n the final months leading up to workplace relocation the change manager will work with the relocation work team to review their assignment of tasks, their moving plan and their preparedness for day one and week one in the new place of business. The key focus areas that the change manager will support include: transfer of knowledge, gap analysis (change readiness), business continuity, review of volume of preparatory work and relocation in focus topics.

TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE The change manager will help transfer knowledge to staff and support the relocation work stream through change readiness activities. These activities could be delivered face to face or support guides for the new environment that could be made available on the project intranet page. The change manager continues the transfer of knowledge to staff and the managing of employee expectations about the relocation process by working with the business unit managers and move champions/ change leads. They provide reassurance to all groups, particularly those in mission-critical areas and ensure that rollback plans are in place, should there be any major issues.

The change manager will promote an understanding among employees that there will always be some ‘teething issues’ when moving into a new work environment; they’ll provide an approximate timeline for this and specify that these will be dealt with promptly, i.e. through first day support staff.

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GAP ANALYSIS Through the gap analysis work that the change manager has been carrying out over the past months, there will be a number of new processes and support practices for day one planned. The change manager has worked to endorse the longevity of the new workplace by encouraging employees to interact with it, to understand the underpinning design principles and to find ways to optimise the new facility’s performance. By this time, there has been ample development of new workplace procedures for sustainability. The gap analysis work should have been strictly undertaken each fortnight throughout the change program with all work stream leads and their teams attending.

UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS CONTINUITY NEEDS FOR THE RELOCATION The change manager will introduce the business continuity process in a meeting before sending out a questionnaire. The business continuity questionnaire should be reviewed by the change, relocation and IT work streams and integrated into the relocation planning. The change manager will identify any business risks identified during the change program. The relocation change manager will send out the business continuity questionnaire to the move champions for them to complete.

This questionnaire focuses on teams that cannot move at the same time as their colleagues on relocation day and asks move champions to consider it and inform in the areas where there are restrictions.

The questionnaire can be broken up into eight or more topics (these will be relevant to your business) and to capture the possible restrictions and the known business restrictions during a standard day.

On return of your business continuity questionnaire, and for those teams with restrictions, the relocation workstream will set up a meeting to discuss each team’s requirements in detail. This information will be documented and included in any command centre processes, with all command centre

Karen Skillings.

staff (including the external providers) being aware of the agreed relocation scenarios for teams.

An example business continuity questionnaire can be seen on opposite page.

VOLUME OF PREPARATORY WORK COMPLETED The change manager will work with relocation and workplace services teams in the last months to ensure the volume of preparatory work for the new workplace has been completed. Discussion points and impacts will be worked through and signed off as completed.

The change manager will check that the volume of housekeeping, design and process change information has been communicated to employees (as it will be considerable) and that there are no communication voids. They will engage staff in the planning for their areas once they understand the context of what is required of them and will help the relocation team and staff dedicate time and a planned approach to tackling things in the right order.

The change manager will support the communication that it is the responsibility of all staff to assess the housekeeping and process changes required, and that it is everyone’s responsibility to plan for the required logistics on day one at the new workplace.

RELOCATION IN-FOCUS THEMES The change manager will workshop the relocation team to determine the topics on which the business will need information.

These topics may include: One week to go communication support: ● intranet and other information repositories such as FAQs are updated ● conduct a final pre-move briefing with teams (including with business unit managers and move champions/ change leads) ● issue instructions, checklists and any lastminute reminders regarding pack-up day and day one ● ensure all final clean-up activities have been organised

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Project name:

[Insert name]

Move coordinator:

[Insert name]

are ready, including temporary signage, ‘welcome to your new desk’ and UAT (user acceptance testing) sheets, floor plans and orientation aids ● issue last mover bulletins, and ● update issues log.

Business unit:

[Insert name]

● respond to any employee or business unit

manager/move champion requests ● make sure all first day support materials

Tell us about your team Working hours:

Please state the business hours your team is required on-site.

Monday to Friday:

[Insert standard business day times]

Last day pack-up support: ● issue final email reminders to employees first thing in the morning ● review and answer all email and phone queries ● update FAQs as new questions arise ● update issues log as required, and ● draft email to notify project sponsor (or whoever is deemed appropriate) that all preparations have been finalised and the business is set to move as planned.

After hours:

[Insert hours]

Weekends:

[Insert hours]

Staffing numbers:

Please provide the number of staff required to do the team’s work outside normal business hours.

After hours staff:

[Insert amount]

Weekend staff:

[Insert amount]

Work location:

Where do your staff work from? (Including building, floor and restricted areas.)

First day/week in the new workplace: ● assist with speciality operation centres and check with them that everything is going well ● check all desks have a UAT sheet or a ‘reminder what to check’ sheet ● review and answer all emails and phone queries ● update issues log as required ● draft email to notify project sponsor and PCG that the move was successful ● email employees a ‘welcome to new workplace’, including links to relevant information areas, and ● assist business unit managers and move champions/change leads with settling-in tasks such as: • coordinating unpacking of team items • coordinating flattening of boxes or consolidation of crates (and ensuring they are put in the right area) • ensuring teams check PC/printing/ phone etc • checking employees have tested security access, and • collating any issues and work with project team to resolve.

Monday to Friday:

[Insert location]

After hours:

[Insert location]

Weekends:

[Insert location]

Security access:

Does you team’s work locations include any secure access?

If yes, please provide details. [Insert details]

Office equipment:

Is there any special IT or office equipment that needs to be relocated?

If yes, please provide details. [Insert details]

Handover documentation and internal briefing: ● complete handover of operational process and procedures relevant to the facility ● develop and deliver presentations to key internal groups, including move champions and change leads, and ● communicate to staff how to resolve issues post-project closure (i.e. through Workplace Services and IT).

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Is there any IT or office equipment that must run 24 hours?

If yes, please provide details. [Insert details] Dependencies on your team:

What dependencies/interdependencies do others have on your team?

[Insert examples customised to your company]

Business continuity plans:

Please identify any business-critical IT or activities in your team’s business continuity plans that need to be considered and detail them here: [Insert details]

Relocation restrictions:

Is there a day of the week/month/year that renders your team unable to relocate? If yes, please explain why. [Insert details]

VALIDATING THE SUCCESS OF THE RELOCATION The change manager will work with the relocation work stream to validate the success of efforts in the relocation planning by reviewing the acceptance level and measurement of settling-in issues and the number of Command Centre issues logged.

If both of these two validations prove successful, then you can say your relocation was well-planned and executed. However, don’t forget that in planning a relocation there are over 80 distinct activities that should be undertaken to ensure you don’t miss anything; planning is 80 percent of the work.

Gauging the success of the relocation program and validating the success of the efforts can only be done if the staff and their leaders have a thorough understanding of the changes and their likely impact. This takes time – so make sure it’s done well before the month of the relocation. ● > Karen Skillings is the principal of Skillings Education and an expert in information management, change management and relocations. An accomplished author, she has several publications to her name and has developed nationally recognised training programs.

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56 | WORKPLACE SAFETY

Fire safety and your facility Fire safety in facilities is an issue that never lessens or loses importance. MATT SULLEY addresses the topic of fire safety compliance.

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uilding fires can have a catastrophic impact. Not only do they present a serious threat to people’s lives, but they can also have devastating consequences for a business if property loss and damage take place.

Expensive equipment and important data may be permanently destroyed and the business may need to close down or may experience lengthy downtime if repairs or rebuilding are required.

Fire safety is an ongoing responsibility for facility managers and should be high on their priority list. Keeping buildings and occupants safe doesn’t start when a fire is detected; it requires constant vigilance to ensure the building’s mandatory fire protection systems comply with Australian Standards and statebased legislation.

While fire protection considerations and responsibilities can be overwhelming for facility managers, having the right processes in place, including scheduling regular tests, services and maintenance, can help take the stress out of maintaining fire safety requirements.

While it may not be entirely possible to prevent a fire, every effort should be made to protect occupants and minimise damage to property should a fire occur. In the event of a fire, every second counts, and the earlier the fire is detected, the faster occupants can evacuate to safety.

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Wormald fire safety planning.

FIRE TESTING AND COMPLIANCE Fire safety compliance and the testing of systems and equipment is one of the biggest issues currently facing facility managers.

While there is a legal requirement for buildings to have a working fire system in line with Australian Standards and legislation, the difficulty facing many facility managers is to keep on top of their ongoing compliance responsibilities.

The testing of fire systems and equipment must pass within specific tolerances with the

results recorded in a dedicated logbook. In theory this sounds straightforward; however, the testing process can be challenging due to the industry’s residual reliance on paperbased record keeping. This manual process is particularly difficult for facility managers who manage multiple sites and require complete visibility over the testing records for each building.

To help address this growing challenge, Wormald has introduced new online technology that gives facility managers unprecedented

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DEFINING SOLUTIONS FOR DIFFERENT FIRE CLASSES Hazards will vary depending on the nature of the business or property, but they can include electrical equipment, kitchen or heating appliances, flammable liquids and combustible waste material. Identifying potential hazards will inform your fire safety plan.

Fire safety systems and equipment are primarily for the protection of people and property. When reviewing the building risk profile there are three key types of facilities that require different classification considerations.

Commercial offices including multistorey high-rise buildings – the primary fire safety objective is to look after the building occupants and ensure they can evacuate the building quickly and safely.

Heavy industrial sites – these highrisk industrial facilities may contain fuel terminals and chemicals that can cause large explosions. These sites require specialist solutions for chemical fires and emergency equipment such as breathing apparatus.

Storage warehouses – sites with stored goods that are highly flammable can cause large fires due to the volume of items that are stacked high and require fire safety solutions that can address different materials.

OTHER FIRE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

real-time visibility across their preventative fire safety maintenance and services records, including instant updates on a building’s annual fire testing status. This is a major step forward in an industry that is highly regulated.

As facility managers continue to grapple with increasing responsibilities and subcontractors to maintain modern building sites, intuitive real-time visibility can provide invaluable peace of mind and instil a level of trust that vital emergency system testing is being completed.

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1) Installing adequate fire protection equipment Fire protection equipment can include basic fire extinguishers, fire hose reels and passive fire solutions, or more advanced fire detection and suppression systems. There should also be smoke alarms, fire blankets and emergency warning systems installed in every facility.

Most buildings will have fire hose reels installed. These provide an accessible and controlled supply of water to help combat a potential Class A fire risk, such as a fire started by burning wood or paper.

Additionally, fire sprinklers, water spray, mist or deluge solutions can be tailored to

suit the requirements of a specific building.

They can automatically detect and suppress a fire, as well as transmit an alarm to alert the building’s occupants and the fire brigade.

Several fire doors will also be in place, which can help to contain fire and stop flames spreading throughout a building. It’s therefore essential that building occupants understand the importance of keeping fire doors closed at all times. Many buildings will also have a range of fire extinguishers such as powder, carbon dioxide, water, foam and wet chemical to work on different types or classes of fire.

2) Servicing and maintaining equipment Complete reliability is essential when it comes to fire protection systems and equipment. As with any safety equipment, regular inspections will ensure equipment functions effectively if and when needed, and meets compliance with relevant legislation and applicable Australian Standards.

3) Having an evacuation plan It is absolutely vital for facility managers to have fire safety and evacuation processes firmly in place. Evacuation plans and routes must be shared with occupants and exit signage should be clearly marked. With building occupancies likely to grow or change on a regular basis, having a system in place for educating newcomers is also essential.

If you don’t have an existing fire safety and evacuation process, or it needs to be updated, start by conducting a thorough assessment of the building’s specific contents, occupancy, operation and fire hazards as a first step to determine the most appropriate process.

4) Staff training Everyone working within a facility should know how to respond during a fire emergency and how to use the on-site fire equipment. Responding appropriately in the event of a fire can substantially reduce the impact of a crisis. A confident team that is able to do so is an invaluable investment and can substantially reduce the impact of a crisis.

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58 | WORKPLACE SAFETY

Fire safety checklist Conduct an audit ● Hazards will vary depending on the nature of the business or

property, but can include electrical equipment, kitchen or heating appliances, flammable liquids and combustible waste material. ● A fire protection specialist can help to identify hazards and

recommend the most appropriate fire protection solution for your facility.

Tailor your fire protection systems and equipment ● The right fire protection solution for your facility will depend

on a number of factors, including: Wormald fire safety training.

Ú legislation and standards Ú size and type of building Ú materials being handled on the premises, and

Wormald fire safety equipment.

Ú purpose of the building (e.g. offices, materials storage,

manufacturing, residential).

Service and maintain your equipment ● Regular testing can validate the functionality of the systems

and equipment and help to uncover any faults or issues that may cause malfunction. ● Australian Standard AS1851-2012 – ‘Routine service of fire

protection systems and equipment’ recommends that fire protection systems be regularly inspected.

Know the rules ● Keep up-to-date on national- and state-based fire safety

regulations and standards in relation to fire protection equipment, maintenance or training.

5) Fire safety standards Australian legislation and standards relating to fire safety do change regularly and also vary across the Australian states and territories. If you are in New South Wales, for example, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations (2000) demand that each year an annual fire safety statement (AFSS) is prepared by a building’s owner or their authorised representative, then submitted to the respective local governing authority. Nationally, smoke alarms must be compliant to Australian Standard, AS 3786-1993 Smoke Alarms. Visit Standards Australia for the latest information.

● Develop a fire prevention plan in accordance with Australian

Standard AS3745-2010 – ‘Planning for emergencies in facilities’.

Signage is essential ● Fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment must be

clearly marked. ● Emergency exits signs must be visible so that in the event of

an evacuation, people can be directed to escape quickly.

Train staff ● Everyone working within a facility should know how to respond

to a fire emergency and how to use the fire equipment on-site. ● Fire safety training can be included in staff induction where new

employees are briefed and trained on what to do in the event of a fire. ● Fire wardens should be fully trained on their responsibilities,

6) Fire protection specialists Fire protection specialists can provide professional advice, helping to take the stress out of maintaining fire protection systems and provide peace of mind for management.

Wormald is a leading provider of fire protection solutions in Australia and has been helping to protect people and property for more than 125 years. For more details visit www.wormald.com.au or call 133 166. ●

the fire equipment and the emergency warning and communication systems in their premises. Remember to replace wardens when they leave, and make sure all occupants know who their area warden is.

Don’t be complacent. Fire is a serious matter and those responsible for managing a building must keep on top of fire safety. Fire protection specialists can take the stress out of maintaining fire protection systems and provide assurance and reporting assistance to facility managers and organisations. Visit www.wormald.com.au.

> Matt Sulley is national manager, Wormald.

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PROPERTY WATCH | 59

Facilities systems

Rodney Timm.

When it comes to data and implementing facilities systems, there are key decisions to be made, reports RODNEY TIMM.

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ig data and the exponential price performance growth in processing capacity are changing every aspect of our commercial and social lives. And with the Internet of Things (IoT) beginning to make real impacts on the built environment, ever-increasing amounts of property and building data is now available for processing. Fortunately, with enhanced interoperability, our expectation of having diverse systems and processes linked is now attainable.

Most occupiers and owners of property are also now realising that, although facilities information management may not be a core function, it is essential to underpin the ongoing ability to compete successfully in business. But there is still a reticence to rely on service provider systems and many property owners’ decisions are focused on investing in their own systems. This thinking is usually a result of bad past experiences, the fear of losing control of their portfolio data or the complexities of having multiple

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service providers deliver various facilities functions. Having a clear understanding of the key decision-making issues may assist in determining the optimal suite of facilities management systems.

PROPER PLANNING 123RF's

Property and facilities assets arealexandersikov. datarich. There are many data fields that can Š 123RF.com contribute to the effective operational, tactical and strategic management of a portfolio of accommodation facilities. For example, data may be related to complex lease arrangements, the physical and operational condition of assets, the servicing requirements of the assets and various aspects related to the portfolio financial metrics. Aspects of each of these may be essential to underpin key facilities decisions.

But not all data is born equal. Data pertaining to equipment functionality is likely to be important and time sensitive, demanding real-time review with immediate processing to report malfunctions. Other data may only

be needed once a month and still convey meaningful and actionable messages.

Underpinning the systems decisions are the processes and the discipline required to ensure that only the relevant data and information is captured. This means carefully choosing a combination of complementary analytics solutions with access to the right tools to propel value-driven outcomes. By only uploading data and information that is essential it will make a difference to the operations and planning of the portfolio.

The temptation, overawed by the data manipulation capacity of systems, is to collect too much data.

Beware of the temptation to attempt building and implementing a bespoke, custom-made system developed from scratch, particularly if property and facilities management is not core to the business. This process is long, arduous and always costs significantly more than the initial estimate.

In addition, it will require a large time commitment from management and still never

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Data pertaining to equipment functionality is likely to be important and time sensitive, demanding real-time review with immediate processing to report malfunctions. meets the initial system expectations. Millions of dollars have been spent on these types of journeys, most often without the systems ever being switched on.

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT As property information systems industries have matured, some key principles have emerged. For example, data should only be input once. Data transfers should be designed to be accessible, even in the form of simple downloads, across multiple systems. In some applications, there is still the temptation to upload data separately into complementary systems and spreadsheets. This approach results in double handling data, increased costs and data integrity issues. Data needs to be captured consistently and reliably. This means all team members need to be trained consistently and regularly as systems evolve.

When selecting any proprietary system, it is best to limit customisation requests from the vendor. Changes and modifications required to suit bespoke property processes or habits that have evolved over many years may not be the best outcome. Industry systems are designed to meet ‘best practice’ requirements, so it’s advisable to change the internal process to suit the system, rather than the other way around. Facilities and property management are simple processes, and industry practices usually work the best.

Think carefully about the need for seamless or real-time transfer of data between different systems. Systems analysts will promise that this can be done via many different file formats – the reality is that data mapping and uploading always seem to come up with surprises. If data needs to be transferred between systems rather than attempting to have all data fields linked in real time, be prudent and transfer data at aggregated levels and at set daily intervals. Data transfer can be a particular challenge if the facilities systems need

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to interface with corporate-wide financial management systems.

Be prepared to let go of the data. Unless the portfolio data is top secret, transfer the data responsibility, but not ownership to a feefor-service provider who will manage the data and have it available as required. In addition, online and regular reporting requirements will provide comfort in the knowledge that the data is up-to-date, accessible and safe.

During the transition to a new or enhanced system, portfolio data can usually be uploaded from the existing databases. The planning of this process needs to be undertaken rigorously to ensure the uploaded data fields can occur as required. But also ensure that there is an obligation that all data is verified against source documentation, and that this is priced accordingly to ensure there is data integrity. As part of the process, also do some parallel test runs. The best time to test the data integrity in a new system is when both systems and processes, the old and the new, operate in parallel for a number of months.

THE FUTURE When considering any facilities systems implementation, the possibilities of the future should not be ignored. There is ongoing debate as to the extent that the IoT and smart building technologies will be used to manage and control the management of assets, as well as user and occupier experiences. In the built environment, the use of IoT is still at an immature stage.

But there may be a surge in adoption as a number of converging forces, including product supply businesses, constantly identify new ways to leverage sensors and smart analytics to make improvements in current products and services.

As the costs to implement and use IoT technologies start to reduce rapidly, these will become the norm for new buildings and will be able to be linked into facilities

systems. These are future opportunities that should not be neglected. For example, in specific sectors such as energy, with the continued increases in demand and pricing, but with ageing energy infrastructure grids struggling to handle the demand, IoT will provide a timely sector advantage.

Despite all the hype and possibilities around emerging facilities systems and smart buildings, preparing the financial business case will be a challenge if performance improvement is not understood and is not easy to quantify. With the future value proposition based on enhanced building service reliability and the appropriate use of maintenance expenditure (which both lead to improved working environments and greater workplace productivity), the advantage of these outcomes may be complex to quantify objectively. The return on investment should, in a way that is self-evident, demonstrate the insights provided by systems and technologies that enable the facilities manager to address problems directly, in real time, before the degradation of a capital asset commences – thus minimising operating downtime and repair costs.

The key to having facilities systems implemented within a specific budget and time frame is managing expectations and demands with incremental implementation. Taking a giant step to a complex system that requires customisation may result in significantly greater costs and time to implement. Simpler systems using defined processes, even if these do not replicate current processes, will cost less and present fewer challenges to implement. Work on a plan that permits ‘best of breed’ facilities systems modules to be implemented on a staged basis, supported by teams empowered to learn the steps incrementally as the facilities functionally matures. ●

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62 | TIME MANAGEMENT

Multitasking: friend or foe?

By performing multiple tasks at once, are we really getting more work done or is it surreptitiously hindering workplace productivity? DR AMANTHA IMBER explains how focusing on one task at a time could actually improve your performance.

S

everal years ago, I did a work styles test and it revealed that one of my strongest skills was being a ‘time optimiser’. I wore this title like a badge, and for the following year it defined the way I worked.

I would frequently switch tasks; for example, when I was working with suboptimal internet. If the page I needed was taking more than a second to load, I would ‘optimise’ my time by changing tasks so I wouldn’t waste five or 10 valuable page-loading seconds.

I would then switch back 30 seconds later once I was sure the page would have loaded up. ‘Efficiency’ was my middle name.

At the same time in my life, I worked very long hours. I’d often arrive at the office before 8am, and while I would leave by 6pm, I’d log straight back onto my laptop almost every

evening. There always seemed to be tasks left to finish.

However, over the same time period, I would often get to the end of a day and think to myself, ‘What have I actually achieved today?’ Many days felt like a hurricane of tasks, but yielded a lack of meaningful progress on projects that mattered.

I knew something had to change.

David Meyer, a psychology professor from the University of Michigan, argues that multitasking actually makes us less productive, not more. To start with, the term multitasking is actually misleading – it implies that we are doing two tasks in parallel. However, the reality is that our brains are unable to pay conscious attention to two things at the one time. Try thinking of a pink elephant and adding up 16 and 32. It’s impossible.

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A more accurate name for multitasking is ‘task switching’. Meyer describes that two things have to happen every time you switch tasks. First, ‘goal activation’ needs to happen.

Your brain says to itself, ‘I am going to stop focusing on this task and, instead, focus on that task.’ The second step is ‘rule activation’.

This is your brain shutting down the rules for the task you are currently completing and opening up the rules for the task you are about to switch to.

In research conducted into task switching, Meyer, his University of Michigan colleague Jeffrey Evans and Joshua Rubinstein of the Federal Aviation Administration, uncovered a big reason as to why you may want to stop multitasking. They discovered that the simple act of constantly switching tasks costs us up to 40 percent of our time.

The term multitasking is actually misleading – it implies that we are doing two tasks in parallel. However, the reality is that our brains are unable to pay conscious attention to two things at the one time.

To extrapolate that into a typical workday, if you happen to be a rampant multitasker, like I was, you are unnecessarily expanding your workday. And if you only work an eighthour day, the bottom line is that if you start focusing on one task at a time, you could leave work at around 2.30pm instead of 5pm and achieve the exact same level of output.

So if you would like to start working a day that is a little over five hours rather than eight, simply focus on one thing at the one time. ● > Dr Amantha Imber is the founder of Inventium, Australia’s leading innovation consultancy. Her latest book, The Innovation Formula , tackles the topic of how organisations can create a culture where innovation thrives.

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64 | MAINTENANCE

Hold the wrecking ball When faced with a deteriorating or tired property, demolition isn’t the only answer. With a little maintenance, renovation and TLC, the old can be as good as new – and even increase in value, writes DYAN SISOUW.

F

or any type of property, renovation and maintenance are an oftoverlooked solution, but should certainly be considered before automatically going for the ‘knock down, rebuild’ option.

While renovating does involve waste, it can be the more resourceful alternative, which will have benefits on cost and the environment if done correctly and efficiently.

If you’re considering holding onto an asset and redeveloping later, you need to be confident that you possess an asset that has a rental uplift through the property location.

This involves stipulating in the contract the terms for rental increases each year, even if it is a long lease. As the redevelopment

cannot increase value, you will rely on capital growth and rises in rent to make the investment worthwhile.

These types of assets must not be in need of major refurbishment. If they are, trying to find a tenant will prove incredibly challenging.

But what is the best way to reposition an asset with refurbishments?

COSMETIC RENOVATIONS Renovating is the best option if you are looking to increasing the value of the property in the short-term.

Keeping renovations strictly cosmetic is the best way if your budget is tight. This can sometimes make all the difference when trying to attract potential tenants through the

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door. Don’t simply try to attract tenants with free-rent periods or nice-looking fixtures; pay attention to the basic condition of the property. If it’s acting as a deterrent to prospective tenants, this could be a sign that cosmetic renovations are necessary.

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY While cosmetic improvements to a property are important for aesthetic purposes, implementing cost-effective solutions that improve the property’s energy efficiency is another method to consider.

Unlike cosmetic improvements, energy efficient additions will be less obvious when walking into a property, but they can lead to a higher NABERS rating, even via such simple measures as replacing the lights with LED alternatives.

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NABERS ratings measure the performance of buildings and their data shows that the number of properties certified and receiving six-star ratings is increasing dramatically each year.

Property owners should be mindful of this, as they need to be keeping up with the status quo and be working towards improving energy efficiency.

CREATE NEW FEATURES We are now seeing more building owners incorporate end-of-trip facilities into office buildings. These facilities include showers and secure bike storage, as people often cycle to work and/or exercise before business hours or during their lunch break.

These facilities are particularly attractive to companies that promote a healthy work/life

balance, which is gaining importance in the health and well-being dialogue.

There are other extremes with changing the position of an asset, which include replacing the façade of old buildings and completely refurbishing ground floors and lobbies. While this may prove costly, it usually fits in with longer-term investment strategies, but owners should be careful not to overcapitalise given the market in which they are situated.

Looking at all options is one of the first things investors should do when purchasing an asset and, depending on the type of property and their preferred strategy, renovating correctly can provide a significant improvement in rent and property value. ● > Dyan Sisouw is the director of EnviroScope.

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66 | EVENTS

123RF’s Blurry Bla Bla Visit ©123RF.com

INTERNATIONAL FACILITY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2018 WHERE: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore WHEN: 2 October

www.ifame.com.sg

CORROSION AND PREVENTION CONFERENCE WHERE: Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA WHEN: 11-14 November

conference.corrosion.com.au ___

___

AUSTRALIAN DATA SUMMIT SMART CITIES WEEK CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION WHERE: Washington DC WHEN: 2-4 October

www.smartcitiesweek.com

WHERE: Novotel Sydney Central, Sydney NSW WHEN: 19 November

akolade.com.au/events/australian-data-summit-2018 ___

___

NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONFERENCE IFMA’S WORLD WORKPLACE WHERE: Charlotte Convention Centre, North Carolina, US WHEN: 3-5 October

worldworkplace.ifma.org

WHERE: Sofitel Wentworth, Sydney WHEN: 19-20 November

www.eec.org.au ___

___

AUSTRALIAN FUTURE OF AGED CARE SUMMIT INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF HOSPITAL ENGINEERING (IFHE)

WHERE: Mecure Sydney, Sydney NSW WHEN: 27 November

WHERE: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre WHEN: 6-11 October

akolade.com.au/events/3rd-australian-future-of-aged-care-summit ___

event.icebergevents.com.au/ifhe-2018 ___

SMART BUILDINGS SUMMIT

LIVING FUTURE SYMPOSIUM 2018

WHERE: Swissôtel Sydney, Sydney NSW WHEN: 28-30 November

WHERE: Abbotsford Convent, Victoria WHEN: 10-11 October

smartbuildingsummit.com.au ___

living-future.org.au/symposium-17/ ___

AUSTRALIAN ROSTERING AND SCHEDULING SUMMIT

LECTURE: A NEW AGE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

WHERE: ParkRoyal Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW WHEN: 28-30 November ___

WHERE: Plaza Ballroom, Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria WHEN: 15 October

TOTAL FACILITIES 2019

www.eventbrite.com.au

WHERE: ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour NSW WHEN: 20-21 March 2019

totalfacilities.com.au

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2019

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ENTRIES OPEN 5 OCTOBER 2018 fmmedia.com.au/fmawards We’re looking for Australia’s most innovative projects executed by facility managers and teams in the following areas:

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