Only a short decade ago, facility managers were just starting to think about computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS). Today, just about everyone is using some type of CMMS to improve efficiency. While these systems can always be relied on to churn out and track work orders, they are capable of so much more. With a little extra attention, you can transform your CMMS into one that helps you cut costs, streamline your operation, and stay consistently ahead of the preventive maintenance curve. Even better, investment value can be reached sooner than you might think!
Is your CMMS letting you down? Computer maintenance management systems are only as good as the information in them, and busy professionals don’t always have time to keep input current. Erik Piller explains how we can help by updating your CMMS with fresh, reliable data and giving you a preventative maintenance roadmap for equipment and building systems.
Matt Munter explains the surprisingly simple formula behind a facility condition index and how FCI results can drive smarter repair and replace decisions.
Already made the decision to move forward with a facility condition assessment? Matt Munter describes how to get the most from your FCA investment. Learn what you need to do at the beginning, middle, and end of the process to maximize FCA value and ensure the most accurate results.
Already planning a facility condition assessment? Take advantage of the opportunity and use the FCA to improve your maintenance management system at the same time. Matt Munter explains how an FCA’s value can be maximized by including a comprehensive equipment inventory to update system data and set a better preventative maintenance course.
As essential components of due diligence, property condition assessments are critical to successful commercial real estate transactions. Join EMG’s Greg Bailey to learn more about what goes into the comprehensive overviews PCAs provide and how they can help you better plan for both the short and long term.
Commissioning, recommissioning, retro-commissioning, and continuous commissioning, huh? EMG’s Rich Compton takes the mystery out of commissioning services and explains why an experienced, objective third party is so important to the commissioning process.
Whether it’s the age of your equipment or lack of maintenance, operating systems can easily slip into underperformance or stop performing at all. Don’t be caught by surprise when your energy costs escalate! EMG’s Rich Compton explains that professional building commissioning is a much more cost-effective solution than putting a band-aid on what isn’t working.
When it comes to commissioning a commercial building, we’ve heard all the reasons for delay. It’s going to cost too much… We don’t have the time… We can patch things together for now… We’ve been given the run-around before and don’t know which provider to trust… While we certainly appreciate these concerns, the benefits of commissioning, retrocommissioning, and recommissioning are clear and undeniable. By addressing some common worries, we will hopefully encourage owners, managers, and operators to take a major step forward toward saving money, creating or maintaining an efficient building, increasing property value, and providing a healthy and comfortable environment for all.
WE WERE FEATURED IN A JANUARY 14, 2019 MICHIGAN LIVE ARTICLE "UP TO $1 BILLION BOND PROPOSAL COULD GO BEFORE ANN ARBOR SCHOOLS VOTERS" BY JOURNALIST LAUREN STRINGER. THE ARTICLE COVERED OUR WORK ON AN EXTENSIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT (FCA) COVERING ALL 35 FACILITIES IN ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Mike Anderson, Senior Project Manager, Bureau Veritas, has a unique point of view when it comes to delivering value to Starbucks as a strategic partner. He has worked on large-scale Starbucks programs as an outside project manager at Bureau Veritas. And Mike also led Starbucks programs as an in-house employee for four years. I sat down with Mike to learn more about his experiences on both sides of the house and what it takes to be a valued Starbucks vendor.
Ron Stupi is President of Bureau Veritas Building and Infrastructure, which is the country’s largest technical assessment and project management enterprise in the commercial and government-owned real estate sectors.
As investors and developers in CRE and infrastructure plan for 2019, which issues and trends should they be examining today?
Finding ways to improve asset performance is every investor’s golden fleece, starting from the design stage, through technical inspections during construction, to the time environmental and technical evaluations are made prior to a potential sale.
Today’s hotel facility managers must be savvy in pursuing and learning how to manage the technological advancements to yield the best results for their properties. By doing some of the behind-the-scenes analysis and leg work, new technology can help hotel facility managers improve their overall bottom line, improve operational efficiency, ease the burden on employees, and add to the guest’s personalization experience.
Jim Bartlett, Senior Vice President is a Vice Chairman of ASTM Subcommittee E50.02 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action; and serves as Co-Chairman/Technical Contact for the E3026-15 Visual Moisture Assessment (VMA) Standard Guide.
We all know those hotels – the ones with the leaking faucet, the groaning A/C that never quite cools the room, or the scary ceiling mold. We’ve either been unfortunate enough to wind up in one, or we’ve read a bad review and stayed far away. No building engineer wants to put this kind of face forward, but it can be tough to stay consistently on top of preventive maintenance. New problems seem to hit you almost every day, and budgets are never unlimited.
If you’re tired of holding things together with glue, duct tape, and hope, it’s time to start thinking about a better way to handle preventive maintenance. By following these 5 tips, you’ll be well on your way to generating more Trip Advisor bubbles, upping your RevPAR, and looking like a management superstar to your facility’s owners.
Ever since the 2016 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements were released, there has been much conversation in the surveying community about the role of the Professional Surveyor in addressing title exception documents on an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey
You’ve been thinking about an open store remodel for months, maybe years, but worry that dust, noise, and chaos will drive customers away and negatively impact your bottom line. You delay and delay again, struggling in a space you’ve outgrown or that no longer serves your needs. Sound familiar? It does to us. We hear these concerns all the time.
While open store remodels aren’t invisible, disruption can be kept to a minimum by following a few proven best practices. Whether your “store” is retail or a restaurant, bank branch, or other facility, business doesn’t have to slow to a frustrating crawl. Everyone on site can stay safe, and your project can move forward on track and on time with your revenue stream intact.
Assembling your Capital Plan, sometimes referred to as a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), is an essential roadmap for Facility Managers to effectively predict and budget for required building repairs and component replacement over a fixed time. The process begins with these three steps:
Research shows that buildings whose mortgages include underwriting for energy efficiency see increased net operating income, reduced energy consumption, or increased energy savings. (IMT.org)
Mandatory use of HUD's CNA eTool became effective 11/1/2017 for FHA multifamily mortgage insurance applications.
Our team has participated in the testing of the eTool since 2014. Our HUD specialists attended CNA eTool training sessions hosted by HUD across the country to help us prepare for this implementation. We understand the various ways it will impact you.
TRUST US FOR YOUR GREEN PCA/HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING ASSESSMENTS (HPB)
WE ARE AN APPROVED FREDDIE MAC MULTIFAMILY GREEN ADVANTAGE AND FANNIE MAE PRE-QUALIFIED HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDING (HPB) CONSULTANT
On September 16, 2017, the Agency for Health Care Administration in Florida adopted the Nursing Home Emergency Power Plan (59AER17-1) rule due to widespread and life-threatening power outages in Florida caused by Hurricane Irma.
Do you want your Capital Plan approved? In this blog, we will move your organization one step closer to that goal! Our last blog, Score Big with Your Capital Plan presented steps to create a scoring system to rank your Capital Projects. With a scoring strategy in place, your next step is to set a razor sharp schedule and budget to move forward. Adding these two tactical elements to your capital plan document helps bring it to life and enables your stakeholders to quickly assess whether the plan is practical and will be successful. We've organized our advice into 6 helpful tips.
In Part I of our blog series on multi-family green financing, Kaustubh Chabukswar, addressed questions about why green financing is red hot, greenwashing, and more. In part II, we look at differences between the various green financing programs; dig deeper into Form 4099.H; and discuss what could throw a green financing transaction off-course.
Last year, Fannie Mae made $3.6 billion in green loans to multifamily property owners. That growth is nothing short of remarkable, considering its pilot program was tested in 2012 starting with $55 million. We were the only consulting firm asked to participate in the pilot, and we have grown right along with the green financing movement. With green reaching a fever pitch in 2017, I sat down to talk with Kaustubh Chabukswar, We are multifamily green financing and energy expert. I wanted to better understand what’s happening in the market and if the shift towards profitable sustainability is here to stay.
Commercial Real Estate professionals tend to think that if a building is relatively new, then there shouldn’t be many serious issues of concern. In the complex world of building materials though, newer is not always better. Over the years, our industry has witnessed building materials such as fire-retardant-treated plywood, polybutylene, and ABS piping, EIFS and engineered wood siding, oriented strand board, and Chinese drywall added to a growing list of items prone to poor performance and/or failure. The latest and possibly most dangerous addition to the list may be certain Aluminum Composite Materials (ACM) used in exterior cladding applications.
Because of a misconception that The Joint Commission’s survey only focuses on healthcare and medicine, hospitals often miss the environment of care and life safety standards included in the survey. Here’s a helpful summary of the survey to ensure your facilities director is ready to help you pass all the standards—not just the most widely known. If you’d like more information, you can also download our free The Joint Commission Survey Summary Tip Sheet.
Buildings need continual repair and maintenance. But you can’t play favorites. How do you determine which building(s) in your portfolio receive the time, attention, and dollars that they deserve (and need)?
American with Disabilities Act (ADA) litigation is on the rise. Accessibility lawsuits stemming from the ADA, as well as state and local accessibility laws and statutes, are on the rise nationally. Serial plaintiffs are finding more ways to create a backlog of accessibility lawsuits across the nation. It’s not uncommon for one plaintiff to be responsible for hundreds of "drive-by lawsuits."
From Acquisition to Disposition, the real estate due diligence process has a lot of moving parts. Add in an ALTA Survey and a few Table A Items and you've possibly stirred up some confusion.
Boots on the ground or eyes in the sky? Don’t shoot! It’s not a spy. Drones are here to rewrite how we monitor construction sites. Would you rather send out a drone to capture images or tether a human to a steep sloped roof while juggling a camera? OSHA seems to be in favor of drone use. We say, bring on the drones, but with a few caveats. It’s a new technology so it’s wise to be somewhat skeptical.
When we received the call from a national hotel brand stating concerns about moisture challenges at multiple locations which included: roof, window, elevator shaft leaks, interior plumbing issues, and water intrusion in guest rooms, our Architectural & Engineering (A&E) team jumped into action.
We know you’ve heard about Pokémon GO from someone in your inner circle. While teenagers think it’s just a fun game, we have first-hand stories from our colleagues and clients that it is a revenue generator!
The date was January 26, 1992. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by George Michael and Elton John was the Number 1 song; the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI by a score of 37 to 24; and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect after legislation was passed in the House of Representatives on July 26, 1990. For those with disabilities, it was an unforgettable day. They would be able to go to work, school, the bank, movie theaters and more because there wouldn’t be physical barriers preventing everyday activities. Former President George H.W. Bush likened the enactment of the law to the fall of the Berlin Wall. He said, “And now I sign legislation which takes a sledgehammer to another wall, one which has for too many generations separated Americans with disabilities from the freedom they could glimpse but not grasp.”
Since the adoption of the 2016 ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements, one of the most confusing changes is Optional Table A Item 11. I will try to clarify some of the more common misconceptions on this issue. Most clients want/need some aspect of utilities to be shown on a survey.
There may not be “a whole lot of shakin’ going on” when it comes to seismic standards, but recent ASTM updates to the Standard Guide for Seismic Risk Assessment of Buildings (E2026-16a) and the Standard Practice for Probable
Maximum Loss (PML) Evaluations for Earthquake Due-Diligence Assessments (E2557-16a) could still significantly impact you and your business.
We've gathered our top 6 expert considerations that will help you prepare for a successful remodel program.
From retail facilities to hospitality, to convenience stores, to self-storage facilities and more - these 6 points will ensure that your project stays on track.
Some of the changes to the 2016 ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements served as clarification to the previous (2011) Standards. Some unfortunately, caused more questions. Although, that might just be attributed to things changing after we had been used to it being a certain way for years.
It goes by many names: Facilities Manager, Real Estate Strategic Manager, Facilities System Specialist, Properties Coordinator, Director of Construction. I could go on. Despite the different titles, the essence of the job is the same—to oversee and maintain existing assets, assuring the hotel building(s) and its systems work together perfectly for both guests and employees. It’s a huge job whose complexities could have anyone reaching for the Excedrin.
In January 2016 the HUD Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide was revamped with a refocus on HUD's dedication to affordable housing and energy reduction.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your company’s parking lots are often the first customer touchpoint. Do your lots appear as inviting expanses of carefully-tended blacktop, or are they full of potholes? Be sure your lots reflect the pride of your Company Brand.
Roof repairs can be costly, and replacements involve a significant capital investment. We have completed hundreds of successful roofing projects. Obtain valuable insight into what wears them out and how to spot problem areas.
In December 2015, ASTM Subcommittee E50.02 (Real Estate Assessment and Management) approved revisions to the Standard Guide E2600 for Vapor Encroachment on the property involved in real estate transactions. This was the first update in 5 years.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 50 million Americans have disabilities, many of whom need special accommodations when shopping and lodging. The federal government isn’t leaving it to retailers, hotels, and shopping centers to decide what to do. There’s some pretty extensive and complex legislation to ensure the special needs of disabled citizens are met, and lately the Department of Justice and opportunistic third parties are keeping very close eyes on which companies and brands are complying. Want to retain your stellar public image? Keen to minimize or avoid costly lawsuits? Committed to corporate compliance? These are all great questions, and if you answered “yes” to one or more of them, keep reading!
Naturally occurring. Odorless. Colorless. Tasteless. And responsible for an EPA-estimated 21,000 deaths per year. Radon – a cancer-causing gas that creeps into building foundations, cracks in walls, and even water supplies unnoticed – can have deadly consequences to tenants and occupants and to the companies that manage and own the properties. Radon is everywhere, and it’s a real and growing problem.
Have you ever seen your utility bills and thought about how it’s harming your pocket? Have you heard about companies that commit to ‘energy-saver’ programs or have you been wondering how your building can be more energy-efficient?
Energy audits are a way of understanding – and suggesting improvements for – a building’s energy consumption. The intention is actually quite noble; the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission is to “ensure America’s security and prosperity.” (And of course there’s the fact that energy efficiency helps reduce overall operating costs, so you save money.)
In July, 2014, the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) announced that it has updated its national seismic hazard maps for the continental United States. This mapping is a graphic representation of the best and most current understanding of where future earthquakes will occur, how often they will occur, and how hard the ground will likely shake as a result (known as Peak Ground Acceleration, or PGA). According to the USGS, the new hazard maps are to be made available in late September, 2014.
Much like buyers, sellers, and lenders for homes need to know the condition of those properties, buyers, sellers, and lenders of commercial properties need to know the condition of those properties as well. A PCA is very similar to a home inspection but on a much larger scale. You’ve probably known someone to have a home inspection done – or perhaps you have had one done yourself – so you know the basic drill.
A Phase what? Environmental who? Nowadays, most people’s reaction to a “what is” question is “Google it!” (or “Bing it!” - I don’t discriminate). The problem is, if you are searching this question, the answers you find will likely leave you more confused than when you started…unless of course, your search landed you here. In which case, high-five Google! (or Bing!)
Ah, summertime. The sun radiating off the pavement, the burgers sizzling on the grill, and the neighborhood pool beckoning to both kids and adults alike.
But if you happen to own or operate that public swimming pool, beware. There is danger lurking in the depths. Namely, the threat of pool entrapment. Pool entrapment occurs when a person’s limb, hair, or body becomes caught in the strong suction in and around swimming pools or spa drains. And the statistics are alarming. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, there were 28 reports of injuries between 2009 and 2013. Most of the victims were children under 15 years old, and most of the entrapments occurred in public settings.
What is AB 1103?
Assembly Bill 1103 -- also known as the Nonresidential Building Energy Use Disclosure Program -- is a mandated energy benchmarking program approved by the State of California. Owners of non-residential buildings are required to benchmark and disclose their building’s energy use upon the sale, lease, finance, or refinance of the whole building.
Silent, stealthy, and potentially deadly. Like a ninja creeping through the night, the victims of carbon monoxide do not hear it, smell it, or even taste it coming. I read an article recently in Lodging Magazine about this “silent killer”. The article told the tragic story of three people who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after staying in the same hotel room a number of weeks apart.
With thousands of reports delivered and a 99.9+% reliability rate, we’ve learned a few things about what it takes to get deals done on time. Below are the top 11 Tips our Clients have found most helpful for their portfolio projects
