Held on May 8th and organized each year by Global FM, World Facilities Management Day exists to recognize and celebrate the work of FM professionals who keep our workplaces, schools, hospitals, plants, mills, and other facilities safer, healthier, and more effective behind the scenes.
What is facilities management? Nivedha Sridhar of Facilio describes it like this:
“Facility management (FM) entails tools and services that ensure the sustainability, safety, and efficiency of built environments like grounds, real estate, infrastructure, and buildings. As an organizational function, FM integrates people, processes, and places to boost core business productivity and peoples’ quality of life.“
Facilities management is important to your organization’s bottom line. It can help drive strategic facility planning, handle day-to-day operations, improve health, safety, and building security, and keeping your facility fully compliant.
Read here for more information about facilities management.
This week, attend events, webinars, workshops, and get a chance to network with other FM professionals all over the world.
For more information from Global FM, watch this video from John Carillo, CFM, Chairman of Global FM:
These comments from industry leaders regarding World FM Day highlight the importance of recognizing FM professionals:
“May 8 marks World Facilities Management Day, an annual occasion to recognize the vital role that facility managers play in the success of businesses and industries worldwide. Facility managers are responsible for maintaining an organization’s most valuable physical assets, from buildings and equipment to technology and infrastructure. Without their tireless efforts behind the scenes, buildings could crumble, equipment could fail, employees could face workplace risks, and customers may not receive the goods and service they need.
As the business world continues to evolve, the demand for skilled, agile facility managers has only grown. Facility managers must now contend with new priorities like employee wellbeing, automation, sustainability, and remote work models. They must optimize building operations, ensure physical and cyber security, and reduce environmental impact – all while staying within tight budgets and meeting the needs of increasingly discerning customers.
Facilities management is truly one of the most critical and challenging roles in any organization. Implementing technologies like Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) can bring about a holistic transformation. It makes maintenance work much easier by simplifying and automating all maintenance processes: digitizing maintenance workflows, streamlining work order and asset management, tracking spare parts inventory, etc. With technologies like CMMS, facilities managers can better prioritize tasks, optimize resource allocation, and demonstrate the immense value they bring to an organization.
This World Facilities Management Day provides an opportunity to shine a light on these unsung heroes and celebrate their incredible contributions to the success of businesses worldwide.”
“We celebrate World FM Day (WFMD) on May 8, 2024 and encourage all of our colleagues, client organizations, and suppliers/vendors associated with the FM industry to recognize the critical work that FM Professionals contribute to the Built Environment. WFMD is the opportunity to recognize the behind-the-scenes heroes that keep our workplace safe and productive, while providing for a healthy environment. We also acknowledge the opportunities that FM provides for careers and ongoing professional FM Development. Please join Global FM to inspire, integrate and innovate!”
John Carillo, CFM, IFMA Fellow, Chairman, Global FM
Midweek with Maintenance World
Looking for a midweek break? Keep up with the latest news brought to you every Wednesday by the Maintenance World crew.
Because maintenance departments are often recognized as caretakers of company safety initiatives, they're inundated with all things safety: messages, procedures, meetings, checks, equipment, training and permits, etc. Despite their good intentions, however, some maintenance professionals still get hurt on the job. To understand why, we need only to draw a parallel with automobile accidents.
Because maintenance departments are often recognized as caretakers of company safety initiatives, they're inundated with all things safety: messages, procedures, meetings, checks, equipment, training and permits, etc. Despite their good intentions, however, some maintenance professionals still get hurt on the job. To understand why, we need only to draw a parallel with automobile accidents.
We now have the ability to automate many of our standard maintenance processes, analyse in detail various parts of our businesses, and the performance of our equipment. We are able to plan shutdowns, technical change projects and operational maintenance procedures down to a very fine level of detail. As maintenance management generally makes up around 40 - 50 % of operational budgets, the savings made possible from increased efficiency and reduction of waste are staggering.
We now have the ability to automate many of our standard maintenance processes, analyse in detail various parts of our businesses, and the performance of our equipment. We are able to plan shutdowns, technical change projects and operational maintenance procedures down to a very fine level of detail. As maintenance management generally makes up around 40 - 50 % of operational budgets, the savings made possible from increased efficiency and reduction of waste are staggering.
Trelleborg has developed a product, that can withstand a jet fire - the cause of the Piper Alpha disaster. The product is already in use on several platforms, primarily in the North Sea. To date, some NOK 7 million in development costs- has been invested annually. These costs are shared by the project sponsors, comprising the Norwegian government and a number of oil companies. Continued development is not expected to be as costly and will focus more on handling other derivatives, such as gas and oil, and possibly being able to offer a material in other colors for customers who wish to customize their equipment using their own color schemes.
Trelleborg has developed a product, that can withstand a jet fire - the cause of the Piper Alpha disaster. The product is already in use on several platforms, primarily in the North Sea. To date, some NOK 7 million in development costs- has been invested annually. These costs are shared by the project sponsors, comprising the Norwegian government and a number of oil companies. Continued development is not expected to be as costly and will focus more on handling other derivatives, such as gas and oil, and possibly being able to offer a material in other colors for customers who wish to customize their equipment using their own color schemes.
Industry pacesetters use real-time equipment data to prioritize and optimize their maintenance resources. The process is straightforward in concept: use real-time data to determine the equipment health, but only inform the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) when maintenance is actually necessary. From there, the CMMS automatically produces the work order and uses the workflow that is already familiar to all maintenance personnel.
Industry pacesetters use real-time equipment data to prioritize and optimize their maintenance resources. The process is straightforward in concept: use real-time data to determine the equipment health, but only inform the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) when maintenance is actually necessary. From there, the CMMS automatically produces the work order and uses the workflow that is already familiar to all maintenance personnel.
For most companies, gone are the days when users were forced to conform to a rigid framework dictated by the CMMS vendor and strictly controlled by the Information Systems department. Users today enjoy freedom to customise the content, look and feel of their CMMS environment on a variety of devices, from handhelds to desktops. With modern computers and software, users are overwhelmed with choices.
For most companies, gone are the days when users were forced to conform to a rigid framework dictated by the CMMS vendor and strictly controlled by the Information Systems department. Users today enjoy freedom to customise the content, look and feel of their CMMS environment on a variety of devices, from handhelds to desktops. With modern computers and software, users are overwhelmed with choices.
Digital measurement technology certainly has taken the test industry forward, mostly with giant strides. The exact opposite may be true, however, when it is applied to testing for aging-related failure modes such as intermittency or no fault found (NFF). Digital abstraction devices, perfect for parametric testing, rarely synchronize to real-time, randomly occurring, anomalous, or intermittent age-related failure events. This shortcoming is especially acute when large numbers of circuit nodes require testing.
Digital measurement technology certainly has taken the test industry forward, mostly with giant strides. The exact opposite may be true, however, when it is applied to testing for aging-related failure modes such as intermittency or no fault found (NFF). Digital abstraction devices, perfect for parametric testing, rarely synchronize to real-time, randomly occurring, anomalous, or intermittent age-related failure events. This shortcoming is especially acute when large numbers of circuit nodes require testing.
The force acting on a general purpose relay is near the fulcrum of the arm. With a force guided relay, the force acting on the relay is about as close to the contact point as one can reasonably get.
The force acting on a general purpose relay is near the fulcrum of the arm. With a force guided relay, the force acting on the relay is about as close to the contact point as one can reasonably get.
Most efforts to decrease the frequency and severity of injuries to miners have stressed miner training and work procedures, improved work environments and safety and environmental control equipment, improved personal protective equipment, improved equipment control and display design, enhanced lighting and visibility-related research, and organizational issues. However, the industry has paid much less attention to the design of the mining machine itself with respect to maintenance cost or safety for the maintainer.
Most efforts to decrease the frequency and severity of injuries to miners have stressed miner training and work procedures, improved work environments and safety and environmental control equipment, improved personal protective equipment, improved equipment control and display design, enhanced lighting and visibility-related research, and organizational issues. However, the industry has paid much less attention to the design of the mining machine itself with respect to maintenance cost or safety for the maintainer.
The cost per kWhr, the "cost of producing electricity", is the cost of the energy which is taken out of the steam by the turbine generator system and converted into electricity. The following paper discusses calculation methods for determining this cost -- a critical step in the process of evaluating cogeneration feasibility.
The cost per kWhr, the "cost of producing electricity", is the cost of the energy which is taken out of the steam by the turbine generator system and converted into electricity. The following paper discusses calculation methods for determining this cost -- a critical step in the process of evaluating cogeneration feasibility.
I was asked recently to give a second opinion on the cause of failure of an axial piston pump. The hydraulic pump had failed after a short period in service and my client had pursued a warranty claim with the manufacturer. The manufacturer rejected the warranty claim on the basis that the failure had been caused by contamination of the hydraulic fluid. The foundation for this assessment was scoring damage to the valve plate.
I was asked recently to give a second opinion on the cause of failure of an axial piston pump. The hydraulic pump had failed after a short period in service and my client had pursued a warranty claim with the manufacturer. The manufacturer rejected the warranty claim on the basis that the failure had been caused by contamination of the hydraulic fluid. The foundation for this assessment was scoring damage to the valve plate.
A laptop computer with PLC programming, communication, and operating programs is a necessary tool in today’s modern plant. Engineers, production supervisors, maintenance supervisors, maintenance technicians, electricians, instrument technicians, and maintenance mechanics all need to have PLC and computer knowledge, training and skills in troubleshooting.
A laptop computer with PLC programming, communication, and operating programs is a necessary tool in today’s modern plant. Engineers, production supervisors, maintenance supervisors, maintenance technicians, electricians, instrument technicians, and maintenance mechanics all need to have PLC and computer knowledge, training and skills in troubleshooting.
As a result of recent audits and reviews of various medium to large-scale industry. I have found the following to be a general observation regarding systems of work. As technology for maintenance has moved forward there has been an increasing demand on the time of the maintenance-planning department. All are key to progressing the maintenance delivery systems towards world-class status. Organisations may use various positions to analyse this function.
As a result of recent audits and reviews of various medium to large-scale industry. I have found the following to be a general observation regarding systems of work. As technology for maintenance has moved forward there has been an increasing demand on the time of the maintenance-planning department. All are key to progressing the maintenance delivery systems towards world-class status. Organisations may use various positions to analyse this function.
Historically, maintenance textbooks have defined a shutdown as "an unplanned equipment failure event that causes an operational production line, process, area or section of a plant to be temporarily turned off or closed for emergency repair, and resumed to operational status immediately following the repair of the failed equipment." Turnarounds are defined as "a planned event that required the closure of an entired operational plant or facility to perform one or many pre-planned technology or system upgrades, equipment upgrades, and maintenance restorations, within a defined time period."
Historically, maintenance textbooks have defined a shutdown as "an unplanned equipment failure event that causes an operational production line, process, area or section of a plant to be temporarily turned off or closed for emergency repair, and resumed to operational status immediately following the repair of the failed equipment." Turnarounds are defined as "a planned event that required the closure of an entired operational plant or facility to perform one or many pre-planned technology or system upgrades, equipment upgrades, and maintenance restorations, within a defined time period."
Priority, as defined in the Franklin Dictionary, means "coming before in time, order, or importance." When prioritizing maintenance work, one must consider its importance to the entire company in question. My experience shows that, in the real world of most maintenance departments, you can classify priorities in two groups: Emotional priorities and real priorities.
Priority, as defined in the Franklin Dictionary, means "coming before in time, order, or importance." When prioritizing maintenance work, one must consider its importance to the entire company in question. My experience shows that, in the real world of most maintenance departments, you can classify priorities in two groups: Emotional priorities and real priorities.
Cutting costs has become a high priority, due to the recent economic conditions. Maintenance shutdowns are a major part of the annual budget at most mills, and are usually a target for cost reduction. Maintenance shutdown costs can be reduced by 30-50 percent from historical levels, with start up after the outage occurring smoothly and predictably. Using simple and effective shutdown management techniques can result in such improvements, creating savings equal to several weeks of additional production each year. This can be done without sacrificing any work, or canceling any scheduled downtime.
Cutting costs has become a high priority, due to the recent economic conditions. Maintenance shutdowns are a major part of the annual budget at most mills, and are usually a target for cost reduction. Maintenance shutdown costs can be reduced by 30-50 percent from historical levels, with start up after the outage occurring smoothly and predictably. Using simple and effective shutdown management techniques can result in such improvements, creating savings equal to several weeks of additional production each year. This can be done without sacrificing any work, or canceling any scheduled downtime.
Hidden from view in a typical coal-fired power plant is a battle that never ends. Coal attacks steel and alloy components when the fuel is transported about the plant. Predictably, over time, the abrasive nature of coal will prevail against any metal surface because metal will eventually erode. The only opportunity for metal surfaces to have a fighting chance is to advance the secret weapon: ceramics.
Hidden from view in a typical coal-fired power plant is a battle that never ends. Coal attacks steel and alloy components when the fuel is transported about the plant. Predictably, over time, the abrasive nature of coal will prevail against any metal surface because metal will eventually erode. The only opportunity for metal surfaces to have a fighting chance is to advance the secret weapon: ceramics.
