Top Facility Management Tips, Advice, and Resources from 2018

Pam Peters on December 4, 2018

We search out helpful facility management resources and tips, then share those insights with you.

Our hope is that you’ll find these resources beneficial year-round, but we understand you’re busy.

So, in this post, we’ve compiled the best advice from facility managers featured in our 2018 Meet the Manager series as well as the most important posts we’ve created this year. That way, you can easily access our most insightful resources as you prepare for 2019.

5 Facility Maintenance Tips for the New Year

1. Use proven strategies to manage vendors more easily.

Working with vendors is a non-negotiable part of the facility management business, and for many facility managers, it’s a process that can be improved.

Throughout our 20 years as vendors in the commercial carpet cleaning industry, we’ve identified 6 crucial tips to help you manage vendors more effectively.

Follow them to create a more harmonious (and productive) relationship with your vendors.

2. Consider whether your carpet needs to be replaced.

With a preventative maintenance plan, carpet replacement should never come as a surprise.

However, if you don’t have a preventative maintenance plan in place — or if you simply want to gauge the health of your carpet — there are a few things that may indicate it’s time for a replacement.

3. Take note of the three things that affect your commercial carpet cleaning budget.

The price of carpet cleaning is never one-size-fits-all.

There are 3 major considerations that should go into your carpet cleaning budget.

Consider these items, so you can plan your 2019 budget accordingly.

4. Make sure you’re using the right type of walk-off mat system to capture soil entering your facility.

While you may not think of them as such, walk-off mats are an incredibly effective form of preventative maintenance.

A walk-off mat of 12-15 feet can capture up to 80 percent of soil. And a walk-off mat of 39 feet can capture up to 98 percent of soil. That’s a lot of dirt that would otherwise end up in your carpet!

If you don’t have walk-off mats in your facility, make that your resolution for 2019. And don’t forget to make sure you’re using the right type of walk-off mat for your facility to get maximum benefit.

5. Choose a carpet cleaning method that will clean your carpet as effectively as possible.

All carpets get dirty. But not all carpets are cleaned properly.

Make sure your commercial carpet cleaners use a method that will decrease the chances of microbial growth after cleaning. (It might not be what you think.)

4 Helpful Pieces of Advice from Facility Managers

They say “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

That’s why we make it a priority to get insights from our favorite facility management professionals in our Meet the Manager series.

Here’s some of the best advice they had for facility managers in 2018.

1. Continue learning and moving forward.

Nick Lemm of U.S. Xpress, Inc. keeps it simple and straightforward:

“Never stop improving and focus on providing optimum solutions.”

We’ve found this to be true as well.

In our experience, consistent dedication to improvement and quality service is a strong competitive advantage.

2. Be proud of what you do, and embrace change.

Amy Lane Worral of Cushman & Wakefield reminds us to take pride in our work:

“Change is the only constant in real estate and property management. You never know what tomorrow will bring so take pride in the work you do today.”

From severe weather to difficult employees, the facility management field presents a new challenge every day. Make sure you’re congratulating yourself on the little victories.

You deserve it!

3. Attitude is everything.

Holly Sparks of Realty Trust Group reminds us that, often, a professional, positive attitude is the most important character trait:

“Be professional, always prepared for anything, and have a good attitude. Commercial property management, especially healthcare property management, is a difficult but rewarding industry. Your job is never the same day to day and there is always something going on to keep you on your toes. But with a professional, positive attitude you can accomplish anything.”

Each day, we are presented with challenges. We have no control over that. What we can control, however, is our attitude and how we address those challenges.

4. Have open communication with your colleagues and clients.

Shawn Marks of JLL focused on the importance of clear communication:

“My biggest piece of advice is to be patient and have open communication with the associates and the clients you work with. Everyone has a different priority and you will never be able to meet everybody’s expectations in the time frame desired. Communicating your intentions within the time frame you feel is best will help diffuse most situations.”

You likely heard “honesty is the best policy” when you were a kid. Turns out, that rings true in the facility management business, too.