Managing The Built Environment

I recently did a benchmarking study for a client who was trying to rationalize their office space allocation standards while planning for a major relocation. The relocation would result In a lot of change for many employees currently in a mix of old furniture and no real standards in older leased space.

The study was based on my ‘Intelligent Benchmarking’ model so it was highly focused on solutions and in addition to collecting data, the main objective was to collect information on practices, lessons learned, successes and issues. Continue reading »

I recently conducted a benchmarking exercise using my Intelligent Benchmarking principles. The study clearly demonstrated why implementing change is how leaders in Facility Management beat their peers and deliver results for their organization. Continue reading »

I was pleasantly surprised at how many people attended my seminar on Benchmarking at IFMA’s World Workplace in Orlando earlier this month. As usual, I brought some take-home material for the audience, but I ran out. In fact, a number of people had to stand at the back of the room.

I think it’s because the topic wasn’t just about traditional benchmarking. I emphasized the ‘Beyond’ part of benchmarking where traditional benchmarking, compare published results with yours – is only the first step in a process.

Here is a quote that pretty well sums it up for traditional benchmarking:

“what gets copied is the symptom of success, not the cause” – Dr. Ed. Baker, Ford Motor Company

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Some people simply use benchmarking results to justify the status quo.

Since raw benchmarking results can be deceptive, this is easy to accomplish. Unfortunately, this is not what Benchmarking is meant to do.

Really, Benchmarking is the just the first step in an important process to improve what you do. Continue reading »

Benchmarking can be hazardous to your health, so be sure to take all necessary precautions. Accurately comparing costs between buildings is not as easy as it seems, and using averages can sometimes result in wrong decisions. And don’t get hung up about oranges. Continue reading »