Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Facility Planning - "How to Thrive in the “New Normal”- as written by Barry Lynch

Conceptual Image of "New Normal" in Facility Planning
Submitted by:  Brian Buckley, Maharam, IIDA Georgia Facility Planning and Design Forum leader
How to Thrive in the "New Normal"  by Barry Lynch, Labarre Associates -NCARB, MBA, CFM, IFMA Fellow
On January 18th, Barry Lynch presented his expansive knowledge of Strategic Facilities Planning to the members and guests of IFMA (International Facility Managers Association) at the Crown Plaza in Atlanta.
He notes that as we evolve in the construction and design industry, we are always faced with new challenges and forced to come up with new ways of doing things. Lynch explains Strategic Planning and how processes have altered to become the “new normal” for organizations and facility infrastructure needs. He writes, “Traditional Strategic Facilities Planning focuses on growth. Today Facility Managers need to focus on the other drivers.” Furthermore, Facility Managers are now asking more questions in their planning process; answering questions like; Where You’ve Been, Where You’re Headed, and How to Get There.  Each of these questions is broken down in more detail and analyzes the company from various perspectives that will help FM’s and the organizations they support to plan ahead in times of uncertainty or growth.
Firstly, let’s define SFP- Strategic Facilities Planning is a systematic and continuous process where organizations make decisions about desired future facility infrastructure needs, then determine how future needs will be fulfilled and how success will be evaluated.

This is really an in-depth analysis (and 2-5 year plan) that answers the questions above and must be developed with the input from all department heads in the organization and end users. According to IFMA’s White Paper, this planning strategy follows a 4-step process and each step is defined-

1.  Understanding - requires a thorough knowledge of your organization’s mission, vision, values and goals.

2.  Exploration - of the range of possible futures and triggers is needed to analyze your organization’s facility needs using analytical techniques—such as systematic layout planning (SLP), strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis (SWOT), strategic creative analysis (SCAN), or scenario planning.

3.  Analysis - once completed, plans for potential responses and periodic updates to existing plans in response to changes in the market need to be developed to meet the long-range needs of your specific organization.

4.  Action - planned to successfully implement the SFP. The SFP identifies the type, quantity and location of spaces needed by the organization and contains.

Traditionally companies had a reasonable understanding of their needs and were able to systematically forecast plans for their facilities; the change in the business world is rapid and evolving; including more mergers, acquisitions, technology, available capital etc.  As previously mentioned, the ‘traditional’ method typically has been focused on growth. But there are new “drivers” in SFP that Facility Manager need to add to the equation.

Lynch explains that having a ‘more clearly’ and better understanding of these processes poses new questions for FM’s. In addition to growth; regulation, recapitalization (renewal) and functional obsolescence are all now added into the equation. These key drivers of Capital Expenditures help redefine the planning process model and helps organizations plan for not just growth, but the inevitable uncertainty of the economy.
When FM’s can answer the questions of: where you’ve been, where you’re headed and how to get there, they will position the company in a more solid and predictable future. Going backwards and understanding the company and its past with a solid foundation of information about its facilities will help in the determination of where they are headed. A company may have decreased its size and output due to the harsh economic climate, but may also be re-gaining ground for expansion or recapitalization.  So FM’s must figure out how to get there and develop projects that meet the needs of the company that have not yet been met. The traditional process simply just develops plans that meet needs.
Overall, the responsibilities of an FM  has, like everything else, evolved into a more complex responsibility that helps protect companies assets (capital, expenditures, etc.). These changes ask and answer many more questions and involve more internal people (CFO’s, CEO’s, employees) and external (architects, engineers, consultants) to properly plan an extensive and more detailed analysis of the future needs of a company’s facilities.  

For additional information on this content, please contact Brian Buckley- Facility Planning and Design Forum Rep, IIDA at bbuckley@maharam.com or 678.428.3439.

"Linking Facility Management to the Core Strategies of the Enterprise" –

Johnsonite Color Essence and Azterra Vinyl Enhanced Tile




Johnsonite Color Essence and Azterra Vinyl Enhanced Tile
Submitted by Marjorie Bosley, Johnsonite Solution Development Consultant, Southeast Region

Johnsonite®, the commercial arm of the Tarkett company, introduces Color
Essence and Azterra, two innovative new vinyl enhanced tiles (VET) in the Azrock Collection. Color Essence and Azterra are beautiful, durable and fit into an array of design schemes for a multitude of applications. The tile‘s construction allows it to withstand heavy foot traffic and requires less maintenance than other commercial flooring options. Its Tritonite® polyurethane-reinforced wearlayer requires less initial maintenance and decreases the lifecycle cost.



 
Color Essence VET, available in a rich, tone-on-tone palette offers designers a wide spectrum of color options in 51 colors with 6 coordinating slip resistant tiles. With light shades that offer high light reflectance to options with deep and saturated hues, Color Essence can create a dynamic design aesthetic throughout numerous segments and interior applications.

Azterra VET, is designed to color coordinate with the new Color Essence tiles as well as with Johnsonite finishing borders, transitions and other finishing accessories. Azterra combines the look of granite particles with soft, flowing marble in 14 attractive color choices.

Available in soothing neutral tones as well as cool greens, blues and gray, the subtle terrazzo design of Azterra is ideal for commercial spaces requiring a serene ambiance. Color Essence and Azterra, are developed to be aesthetically pleasing, good for the environment, good for people and good for the bottom line. In a perfect balance between cost and performance, each tile contains a minimum of 6 percent post-consumer and up to 23 percent pre-consumer recycled content.

Johnsonite is headquartered in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with operations located throughout North America. This product is manufactured in Florence AL



Withstands foot traffic and requires less
maintenance. Ideal for areas that do not receive constant routine maintenance.


IIDA Georgia to Host Its 1st Leader's Breakfast

IIDA Leaders BreakfastIIDA Georgia Chapter will host Atlanta’s 1st Leaders’ Breakfast November 2012 

When: 8 a.m., November 2, 2012
Where: St. Regis Hotel, 88 West Paces Ferry Rd NW Atlanta, GA


IIDA GA will begin early bird table sponsorships late April/May 2012 General Admission Tickets in August

Herman Miller is proud to sponsor the Leader’s Breakfast series with IIDA and Interior Design magazine. Keynote Speaker to be announced soon!

LEADERS CONNECTING LOCALLY

Leaders Breakfast events feature a renowned keynote speaker that invokes, encourages and inspires attendees. During the event, host cities celebrate their regional successes and one particular Leader, chosen by the Host Committee, who most embodies leadership characteristics through their contributions to the industry. Each honoree is presented with a molded plywood splint, in its original packaging, designed and created by Charles and Ray Eames for injured U.S. soldiers during WWII. The splint has become an iconic symbol of the legacy of Charles and Ray Eames, as well as a testament to their spirit of leadership within the design profession. Charles and Ray were visionaries who constantly elevated the process of design by expanding their creative boundaries through the use of new materials and fresh ideas.

LEADERS BREAKFAST HISTORY
The IIDA Leaders Breakfast series began as a single event, launched in New York, in 1989 by Jeannie Bochette of Steelcase. The goal was to introduce IIDA to the business world as a leading industry association and to inform IIDA Members about major economic issues affecting them and their clients, as presented by prominent corporate executives, government officials and academic experts. The event established a forum where IIDA Members and their clients could see, hear and network with peers.

CROSSING BORDERS
In 2001, the IIDA Leaders Breakfast expanded into what is now an international program. We hope you’ll be inspired by our keynote speakers as they share leadership secrets and insight, and by our honorees – true industry leaders and innovators. In 2011, eight IIDA Leaders Breakfast events stretch from coast to coast and cross borders, including: Seattle, Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and Toronto. Each features keynotes and honored guests specifically chosen for the venue region.

Monday, January 9, 2012

J+J Invision's FINE LINE

by Allyn Martin 
Allyn Martin, Sales Representative
Allyn.Martin@jj-invision.com617.650.0131
There’s a fine line between tastefully tailored and overly traditional or lively neutrals and dull monochromatics. Striking just the right balance between the two isJ+J/Invision’s Fine Line, a tailored and tonal modular only product. Using a variegated field of texture, in varying proportions, each tile creates a random yet balanced composition for any commercial setting. A subtle accent pin stripe in each tile helps to add visual depth and dimension to the installation.

There is a symmetry and synchronization to the clean, woven-like areas of pattern, giving the product a traditional look with a nod to all things modern. A patchwork, or contemporary and tonal plaid-like effects take command of the floor when Fine Line is installed in either brick or quarter-turned.

Color Palette
The nine color palette was intended to be mostly neutral, usable and tonal. Ranging from light neutrals to a dark black and deep red, all nice colors coordinate well with many of the existing, top selling products in J+J/Invision’s standard line.
Product Information and Construction
Fine Line utilizes 100% J&J Industries Encore® SDN yarn
• 20 oz. weight
• Modular only with PVC-free eKo® backing
(NSF 140 Platinum Certified)• Patterned loop
• 100% J&J Encore
© SD Ultima © Nylon with Recycled Content
• Nine colors