Navigating Facility Management

Lively conversations about managing emergencies, facility inspections, tackling staff shortages, and coping with supply chain issues were shared in a Year End Reflections Facilities Roundtable, hosted by Facility Executive, and moderated by David Trask from ARC Facilities. This blog post is a summary of key takeaways from the session, and we hope you find it useful as you plan for the coming year.

Panelists included:

• Shalita Myrick, Principal Facilities Project Manager, MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Jonathan Hunley, System Director of Infrastructure, Bon Secours Mercy Health
• Ramon Owens, Facilities Director, Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
• Chance Sullivan, Assistant Director of Facilities and Services, University of Rochester

Takeaway 1: Staff shortages and leveraging technology in facilities management

Labor shortages are impacting virtually every industry...

Panelists see tremendous value in leveraging technology to make the existing workforce more productive and to fill the gaps in recruiting and retention.

Shalita Myrick stressed, "We need to make the current workforce more efficiently productive by leveraging systems and data available to us to get accurate views of the health and risks in our operations."

Chance Sullivan pointed out the significance of recruitment and retention, saying, "People want to be supported and they want to know that they're also getting that support by staying up with technology and improvements to day-to-day operation." He communicated how creating an ascension program and providing support for upskilling could contribute to employee retention and satisfaction.

Takeaway 2: The importance of succession planning and capturing institutional knowledge

Succession planning and capturing institutional knowledge must be seen as concurrent actions.

Cross-functional training and investing in systems that can help maintain the accuracy of information and data are critical.

Jonathan Hunley noted, "When retirements are coming and there's a lot of institutional knowledge going out the door, it's hard to get people in the door." He underscored creativity in succession planning and cross-functional training in preserving institutional knowledge.

Shalita Myrick added, "We have to look at succession planning to say just because they're the next in line, are they truly the best for the role?" She suggested organizations must reassess roles and responsibilities to ensure they are recruiting the right talent and filling positions effectively.

Takeaway 3: Coping with supply chain issues and facility inspections

Supply chain issues have slowed the availability of replacement parts and equipment.

Panelists discussed the impact of supply chain issues on facility operations.

Ramon Owens suggested, "Get your pipes inspected by your local plumber, your electricity inspected by your electrician, and your HVAC system assessed by an HVAC company." He stressed conducting regular inspections to maintain facility health and minimize potential issues.

Jonathan Hunley pointed out the need to plan for risk, "Facility condition assessments are really a calculation of risk."

Shalita Myrick concurred, "We are constantly collaborating with IT and our environmental health and safety folks to ensure that what we're doing internally in facilities management is known, and our alert and notification systems are effective and reach all parties without delay or error."

Takeaway 4: The influence of advancing technology in facilities management

Who isn’t talking about applying artificial intelligence to boost customer service.

Everyone agreed that these technologies can optimize operational efficiency and improve the management of work orders and building information.

Chance Sullivan said, "There's a million technologies available for facilities teams. What we're trying to do is knock down those walls to increase communication to make better decisions." He encouraged organizations to leverage technology to improve communication and decision-making.

Shalita Myrick stressed the use of predictive maintenance technology, "Capitalize on every opportunity you can to advocate for, plan for, and budget for predictive maintenance technology."

Conclusion

The good news is that organizations are investing in technology to improve data collection, processing, and work order management. Predictive maintenance technology and fault detection diagnostics are seen as the future of facilities management.

At the same time, organizations need to be prepared for changing conditions in their facilities, such as natural disasters or cyber-attacks. Risk assessments, collaboration with other departments, and being proactive are important strategies.

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