National Facilities Direct

    The winter season poses a whole new set of challenges when it comes to facility management. Freezing temperatures, along with snow and ice, have the potential to disrupt operations and affect the safety of occupants. Taking a proactive approach with some preventative maintenance and proper planning can help you mitigate these risks, avoid emergency repairs, and ensure a safe and comfortable environment for visitors during the colder months. From HVAC maintenance to snow and ice removal, here’s a checklist of helpful reminders to help you plan and prepare your facilities for winter.   Maintain HVAC Systems   Preventative HVAC maintenance ensures your heating systems work when you need them most. While you most likely have a preventative maintenance plan in place, these basic preparations can improve system efficiency and help get your system ready for winter. Check and replace any air filters Clean ductwork Check for leaks Cal...

    It takes a lot to manage a facility. Whether it’s building operations like cleaning, security, maintenance, and grounds management or compliance and safety, facilities management touches just about every part of the workplace. As a result, even the best FMs can feel stretched thin from time to time. If it’s unclear why there is a rising backlog of uncompleted maintenance tasks, or it feels like there’s no time to focus on more strategic initiatives, it might be worth partnering with a facility management provider. Here are five signs you may need a facility management partner. 1. Rising Costs   Constantly paying for ad hoc repairs can get costly. If you notice that repairs and servicing costs always seem to be on the rise, then it might be time to consider an FM partner. They will work with you to understand your entire operation and develop a custom solution that extends the lifespan of your equipment or building’s infrastructure. In turn, this l...

  According to Apollo Technical, 86% of employees blame a “lack of effective collaboration and communication” as the leading cause of workplace failures. In the case of facilities management, communication is critical to keeping systems running smoothly. Smooth communication impacts not only facilities managers but also employees, customers, and ultimately revenue. When facilities management projects have tight deadlines and strict requirements, it’s important to have effective and efficient communication between managers and strategic partners. But keeping everyone on track and in order comes with its own unique challenges. Let’s take a look at some proven communication techniques to turn your next project into a streamlined triumph! 1. Start with the basics – documentation While it may sound simple, listening, taking notes, and documenting as much information as you can will help you prepare to lead your project, your team and your selected partners whe...

  Building relationships is essential for professional growth. Whether it be with co-workers, partners, or customers, establishing quality relationships makes our jobs easier while improving our organizational culture. But with more and more companies making the switch to hybrid work, fostering those relationships is now more important than ever. Below, we discuss the power of relationships in facilities management and illustrate how clear, concise communication paired with the use of technology can help organizations prepare for the unexpected. Relationships Build Trust No matter the size of the organization, a facilities manager is responsible for coordinating the many unique needs of the facility, the stakeholders, and often multiple vendors and partners. Each interaction creates opportunities to network and develop reliable connections. For organizations to function effectively and efficiently, facility managers need to foster relationships built on trust. ...

  Facilities management plays an important role in the success of an organization. The facility manager (FM) is responsible for coordinating the many unique needs of the facility, the stakeholders, and often multiple vendors and partners. They ensure the functionality, comfort, safety, sustainability, and efficiency of an organization’s physical locations. From the HVAC systems to the parking lot, the FM makes sure the facility’s structure and the supporting systems are operating properly. Because facilities management touches just about every aspect of the workplace, it requires a lot of oversight. The amount of tasks required to keep an entire facility or facilities operational is often too big of an ask for any one person. As a way to simplify and avoid costly downtime, many organizations turn to a facilities management provider to assist the FM. In this article, we discuss the benefits of partnering with a facility management company and the qualities to look f...

  As a facilities manager (FM), you know that every day brings a new set of challenges, all which demand a variety of innovative solutions. Whether it’s keeping assets maintained, balancing budgets and expectations, coordinating teams, or managing time, FMs have a lot on their plates. However, when working with a facilities management provider, you have the opportunity to streamline operations and communications with efficient, cost-cutting solutions that make your job easier. Here are three ways a facilities management provider can improve your organization. Reduce Operational Burdens and Increase Efficiency FM providers are flexible and have the resources to adapt their services to an organization’s specific needs. With experienced technicians on standby, FM providers can easily scale their services to manage projects with reduced response and resolution time. For example, an FM provider can help organizations standardize processes for how repair orders a...