IMAGINiT Building Solutions Blog

IMAGINiT to Attend and Exhibit at ARCHIBUS User’s Conference

We hope you’ll join us this spring April 8 – 11 in Boston for the annual ARCHIBUS Nexus Conference.

Learn Real World Applications of 3D Scanning in Traditional Facilities during our case study presentation. We’ll discuss data collection techniques, including ROI and how to maximize the use of point cloud data across your organization.

Stop by the IMAGINiT table and learn more about scanning tools, integrating point clouds with facilities management, and how to take advantage of model data.

[Infographic] 2017 BIM and FM Gap Insights

Do your facilities have a ‘check engine’ light?

by Peter Costanzo
Director, IMAGINiT Facilities Management

As the world becomes more connected, I question the value of my blender communicating with my refrigerator. However, the ability to put sensors on old and new equipment and spaces in a portfolio gives facility managers the equivalent of a “Check Engine Light” and the ability to proactively manage issues staying ahead of problems, increasing customer satisfaction and reducing costs.

I recently came across a study published by Schneider which takes the hype out of IoT and presents some practical advice. While there is a form to fill out, the data in the study is worth providing your contact information for.

7 Things to Consider When Deploying an Integrated Workplace Management System

Your organization has decided to take the plunge and implement an integrated workplace management system (IWMS). Based on our experience working with numerous companies, there are several steps you can take to ensure that your IWMS deployment provides positive impact to the organization. Here are seven best practices to consider:

1. Find an executive sponsor. If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good idea to find an executive sponsor for the project. This individual is responsible for endorsing the implementation, as well as obtaining resources and removing project obstacles if necessary.
   
   
2. Enlist support from the IT team. The IT team is an important player in the IWMS implementation process. Getting their buy-in early is essential. The IWMS must fit into the organization’s existing IT infrastructure and it will likely integrate with other systems that are critical to operations.
   
   
3. Identify champions in each IWMS area. Workplace management covers many different disciplines ranging from real estate to space planning and management, move management, asset management, environmental and risk management, building operations, and more. It’s a good idea to find an individual in each area who will act as a champion for their part of the IWMS.
   
   
4. Focus on the data first. Data is the key ingredient that makes an IWMS successful. Be sure your team understands what information is essential to fulfill your goals, otherwise, your system may become bogged down with unnecessary data.
   
   
5. Use a staged deployment process. Implementing the IWMS in a phased way is helpful. It makes the deployment less overwhelming and the team can build momentum by demonstrating successive wins to the organization. This reinforces the system’s return on investment.
   
   
6. Decide which systems will be integrated into the IWMS. The ultimate goal of an IWMS should be to create a “single source of truth” for facilities management information.
   
   
7. Work with an expert. IMAGINiT’s facilities management team has worked with hundreds of clients in a variety of industries. The lessons we’ve learned in the field help clients avoid problems that are common in IWMS deployments. The result is shorter, smoother implementations which means your organization can be on the road to return on investment sooner.

Checklist: 5 Characteristics of a Successful Facilities Management System

To achieve the goal of reducing costs and increasing profitability through effective facilities management, you need a system that does more than just generate work orders or track space. This checklist provides ideas and thoughts on what a successful, long-term solution looks like.

Best-in-class facilities management systems provide the ability to:

1. Generate reports for senior management. Executives want to know how different functions, including facilities management, affect the bottom line. The C-suite are interested in data and analytics that help them make educated decisions. Examples include return on investment of a particular asset or class of assets, total costs per SF for different leases, and space management.
   
   
2. Integrate easily with other systems. Facilities management covers a wide range of disciplines. To present a comprehensive view of the organization, a facilities management system should integrate with other systems like work order management, energy management, telecommunications, and financial systems, as well as the company directory.
   
   
3. Communicate with existing building data. During building construction and renovation, architects and construction firms often provide owners with electronic drawings. These files include valuable information about the existing conditions which can be useful for facilities managers. The best facilities management systems communicate with this type of building information, so it’s accessible in one place.
   
   
4. Support the mission of the facilities management team. Facilities teams are usually tasked with space and asset management. It’s essential that the facilities management system support those needs, while also offering opportunities to expand the system over time through integration to additional systems and more.
   
   
5. Offer access from anywhere. Modern facilities management systems allow users to access information from mobile phones, tablets, and traditional desktop or laptop computers. Ease of access is extremely important, given the nature of facilities managers’ work. They are always in different parts of the building, investigating different issues. Be prepared for the future. With the increasing access to data generated from internet-enabled items, a long-term solution needs to be able to integrate IoT (Internet of Things) data into reporting, capabilities and functions needed. Being able to integrate a smart meter into your facilities system, for example, could allow you to more closely monitor energy usage by floor, or even by office.

A best-in-class facilities management system not only supports the day-to-day work of the FM team, it also generates a clear return on investment for the organization through integration, analytics, easy information access, and more. IMAGINiT’s facilities management team has extensive experience helping organizations derive the most value from their FM data. We’d be happy to talk with you more about your facilities management system needs.

Four Reasons to Bring in a Partner to Help Set Up Your Facilities Management System

If your organization has decided to invest in a facilities management system, you may be tempted to do the implementation on your own. Working with a partner, however, can often save time and deliver better results. Here are four reasons why it's a good idea to bring a partner in to help set up your facilities management system:

1. No "one size fits all" approach exists for implementing an FM system. Every organization has unique needs. As a result, there's no single formula that can be used to guarantee an effective implementation. Working with a partner (ahem, like IMAGINiT Technologies, ahem) can be helpful. A good partner will evaluate your situation and apply lessons learned from different clients. This ensures each implementation is optimzed for the individual organization's needs.
2. Hit the ground running from day one. System configuration and integration with other IT programs are two keys to a successful FM system implementation. Both of these activities can be challenging if you aren't familiar with the facilities management system's intricacies and requirements. Working with an experienced partner can eliminate unnecessary time spent struggling with configuration and integration. As a result, your FM team can hit the ground running with your new system from the very beginning.
   
   
3. A structured approach to data collection is essential. When implementing an FM system, the first step is to collect data. This includes field verifications, asset inventories, and more. A seasoned partner can help you gather the necessary information in a structured way. This is an efficient way to get your system up and running quickly and effectively.
   
   
4. Experienced partners understand best practices that can be integrated into the implementation. A facilites management system that is implemented with best practices can generate positive return on investment by reducing asset lifecycle costs. Implementation experts understand what is necessary to give your entire organization timely access to facility, property, and asset information.

If you'd like to learn more about the ways a partner can help you get your FM system off on the right foot, contact us. We'd be happy to share our experiences with other organizations and discuss how we could assist you.

Where’s My Equipment? How Information Silos Increase Asset Management Costs and Risks

Facilities managers know the problem all too well. Some assets have multiple custodians who track and manage asset information. Unless these stakeholders have a way to coordinate their efforts, however, it can result in insufficient resource planning, competing priorities, duplicate (and sometimes inconsistent) information, and cumbersome asset management practices.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

• Without access to accurate information, facilities managers find it difficult to get the right assets to the right place, at the right time, and in the right condition.
• Since no one has clear visibility into all the assets that the organization owns, teams end up buying equipment that is redundant and unnecessary.
• Data related to equipment condition isn’t maintained in a consistent way. As a result, assets aren’t maintained properly, reducing their useful life and increasing maintenance costs over the lifetime of the assets.

Fortunately, these challenges can be addressed using proven methodologies. Enterprise asset management uses analytical processes and technology to help organizations manage their assets over different lifecycle stages. Enterprise asset management systems unify data, eliminating information silos and connecting asset management to broader organizational objectives and priorities. To learn more about how enterprise asset management can reduce organizational risk and expenses, download our white paper “Enterprise Asset Management: Overcoming the Challenges and Gaining Financial Benefits.”

Owners' BIM Standards - Why?

Recently, the National Institute of Building Sciences released a US National BIM Guide for Owners. And we here at IMAGINiT have been talking BIM for facilities management for a long time. 

But why?

For a start, owners stand to gain the most from models, if they are built in a way that allows the information to be used for maintenance. As to standards, it's better for owners to have their own guidelines. This helps project teams deliver the data at handoff that makes it simple to get the operations and maintenance team up and running. 

Ready to talk about setting up your standards? We're here to help. 

Why BIM is Key to Energy Efficiency

Building owners and operators are interested in saving money. Sometimes that means gaining LEED credits, sometimes it means understanding if a renovation is going to save on energy costs in the future. 

Building information modeling can help facilities managers with a variety of analyses including energy efficiency, air flow modeling and more. Our latest whitepaper delves into the what and the why of sustainability with BIM, helping owners understand what can be done and what data can be available.

What BIM Data are You Giving Owners?

When we asked last year, most AEC firms were not providing models or model data to owners, even though most were actively using BIM. Many noted that owners simply don't know BIM or ask for the entire model, rather than just the information that would be relevant to a building's operation and management.

We recently worked with Cadalyst magazine to create a whitepaper "Help Building Owners get the BIM Data they Really Need". It walks through how AEC firms can help owners make the most of BIM data. As you work with developers and provide them greater understanding it aids not only the process but also the long-term relationship of both organizations.

Download Help Building Owners get the BIM data they really need.