(Originally published on fnPrime) The first step in resolving a problem is acknowledging one exists. Take a step back and evaluate the current state of your respective facility management program. Ask the tough questions: “Where are we going?” “How are we doing at getting there?” “Are we stuck, mired in ambivalence or firefighting?” Or “Are we burdened by legacy systems, processes, or mindsets?”

Demands upon the facility industry are ever-changing, continually pressuring your department. If you do not change and rise to meet these requirements, your organization will stumble and continue to struggle. You must continually advance your program. Status quo is not acceptable. There is always a better way.

DesignLights Consortium (DLC) announces the first products added to its LUNA Qualified Products List (QPL) after being tested and determined to meet the new LUNA Version 1.0 Technical Requirements for outdoor LED luminaires. Products on the LUNA Qualified Products List satisfy DLC’s Solid-State Lighting V5.1 Technical Requirements and meet added criteria meant to limit light pollution and other environmental harm. Eighteen specific 3000K models of the XSPW Version B Wall Mount Luminaire, manufactured by Cree Lighting, are the first outdoor LED products published on the list following testing of product performance and attributes by an accredited lab and review by DLC staff.

While many of the world’s leading commercial real estate markets in North America, Western Europe and Australasia are becoming more transparent, most other countries struggle to maintain the pace of transparency improvement. These findings are according to the biennial Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) from global real estate and professional services firm JLL and real estate investment managers LaSalle that provides a benchmark of market transparency for property investors, developers and corporate occupiers.

"Transparency is the foundation which allows corporate occupiers, as well as investors and lenders to the world’s largest asset class, to operate and make decisions with confidence," said Richard Bloxam, CEO, Capital Markets, JLL.

U.S. General Services Administrator Robin Carnahan visited Ann Arbor, Michigan, earlier this month, where she discussed GSA and Biden-Harris Administration efforts to electrify the federal fleet and announced a new “one-stop-shop” for procurement of goods and services to make it easier for federal agencies to purchase zero-emission vehicles and install electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

In a roundtable meeting with auto manufacturers, as well as utility and union representatives at the University of Michigan’s Mcity Test Facility, the Administrator discussed how GSA is helping transition the federal fleet to 100% electric by obtaining the necessary infrastructure, including charging stations, for federal facilities. GSA aims to simplify the process for other federal agencies through specialized acquisition resources to guide the process from start to finish.

Facility managers will be walking the line when they reach Nashville to attend World Workplace 2022, Sept. 28-30. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has chosen “Take Center Stage” as the conference theme in recognition of the changing role of FMs in the workplace arena. “As the curtain lifts on FM’s shift from purely operational to indispensably strategic, there’s no business like know business,” says IFMA. “Get your act together — this year’s marquee FM event in Music City Center will prepare you to take center stage in making the spaces you manage your tour de force.”

World Workplace is the largest facility management conference in the world, offering discussions and sessions on FM and the wider built environment since 1995. World Workplace offers sessions in tracks, introducing “Emerging Topics” that consist of new or evolving business functions, external influences, or mandates that have a high probability of impacting the FM profession in terms of roles, responsibilities, and skills and knowledge requirements. The other tracks are FM Solutions; Finance & Business; Leadership & Strategy; Operations & Maintenance; Project Management; Risk Management; Facility Information Management & Technology Management; Occupancy & Human Factors; Performance & Human Factors. Sustainability; and Workplace Evolutionaries.

The responsibilities of facility managers have been growing and evolving rapidly. With its global study, the 2022 FM Training Outlook Survey, the Professional Facility Management Institute (ProFMI) explored the need for FM training and credentials from both the management and staff points of view.

When it comes to addressing the FM skills gap, ProFMI identified 24 cross-functional competencies and FM knowledge areas required of FMs today. Many of these skills can be developed over time with on-the-job experience, but as the need for job-ready FMs grows, time is a limiting factor. Benchmarking existing knowledge and filling the gaps with training is an efficient path to a skilled workforce.

If it seems like it’s been four years since a National Facilities Management & Technology (NFMT) Conference and Expo was held in Las Vegas, it’s because that’s exactly how long it’s been. NFMT Remix makes its long-awaited return to Las Vegas November 2-3, 2022, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Resort Conference Center.

What’s new at Remix after a four-year hiatus? Lots! Attendees have three options to register: Basic (Free), Pro ($29), and Elite ($149). Basic grants you entry to the expo hall. Pro Level gets you expo hall access as well as full access to the conference agenda and networking party. Pro Level attendees also receive a tote bag, lunch coupons and ability to earn CEUs at the event. Elite Level gets you everything Pro Level offers as well as access to facilities tours, a complimentary 6-month fnPrime membership and access to NFMT Remix videos on demand.

(This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of ISSA Today) It’s great to be back in Chicago! The ISSA Show North America officially returns to Chicago this October 10-13, 2022, at the McCormick Place Convention Center, in what is sure to be a terrific show with some amazing education sessions, guest speakers, networking, and even a few brand-new events. Whether you are a first-time attendee or a show veteran, we will certainly have you covered so that you leave with a renewed sense of the global cleaning industry and all the dedicated members who play such an instrumental part in it. McCormick Place is a tremendous venue that will allow our customers easy access to all our show floor features and to local restaurants and bars just minutes away.