Frequently Asked Questions about FM BENCHMARKING
We are going thru budget reductions and I am not sure we can afford to join. How can I justify the FM BENCHMARKING expenditure to my management?
Yes. Participants the benchmark will see what best practices others with better performance have implemented. Going forward with just one of these best practices should reduce your costs and save the benchmarking fee many times over your subscription cost. Most people will recoup the small expense of FM BENCHMARKING within just a few months. We also refer you to the
cost justification section of FM BENCHMARKING for more information.
When does my annual subscription term start and end?
The subscription term begins when you assign your "survey credit" to one of your buildings in the system. It will run for 365 days from that point -- the term does not have to begin on January 1; it may, for example, begin on April 12 (if that is when you assign your survey credits), and would then run through April 11 of the next year. During that year, you may input your data whenever you want, either all at once or a little at a time. Once it is input, you may modify it at any time. You will earn your survey credit immediately upon purchase, but your subscription will not begin until the credit is assigned.
What if my data change during the year? Can I rerun the reports?
Yes. You may change your data and run reports as often as you want during your annual subscription period.
Is there a limit on how often can I run the reports?
No, you have unlimited use of FM BENCHMARKING as long as your subscription remains current.
I am not sure I have enough data to input. Does that mean that FM BENCHMARKING is not for me?
Many participants don't have all the data when they begin the benchmarking process. All it takes is a little bit to get started and begin to reap the benefits of benchmarking. You will be able to compare all your data to those of others in our database. You then will see what remaining data you will want to compare, if any; as soon as you input those data, you will be able to benchmark them as well. No one needs to input all the possible data fields we offer--different types of organizations and buildings will benefit from different metrics. Most of the data you need should be readily available in your financial or building management systems.
Do I have to input all of my buildings?
No, you may put in as few as one building, if that is all you want to compare. By putting in multiple buildings, you will gain the benefits from benchmarking for each building input; you then will be able to compare the performance of each building to the others in our database. If you put in enough buildings, you may want to run a special report we offer, which enables you to show each of your buildings separately on the same report, to make them easier to compare to one another and pinpoint where to make improvements. Last, with FM BENCHMARKING, when you purchase multiple building subscriptions at the same time, you receive a nice price break.
What do I do if I have a campus setting? Can I put all my buildings in as one?
This is your choice. If you have separate metering for each building, we recommend that you input each building separately, as you will get more meaningful findings and recommendations. But if you cannot separate the data from the buildings, you then may input them as one building. FM BENCHMARKING has a way for you to identify the buildings as those on a campus, so they will be tracked that way, and you will be able to compare them to others who have a campus setting.
Does it matter if you don't have many buildings in my country?
No. First, most of the benefits from benchmarking are country-independent. For example, through benchmarking, those who wish to save energy will see which techniques have worked the best--they then can determine whether those will be appropriate for their building. So even if our database does not have many buildings in a specific country, it will still retain most of its value. As the data base grows, its value will grow even more.
Does it matter if you don't have many buildings of my type?
Building type is just one filter. You may want to consider other filters for age, number of floors, climate, business type, and many more. Similar to our response to the previous question, you will be able to retain most of the benefits from FM BENCHMARKING regardless of whether there are many buildings of your type. You should look through the examples and see how many of the data fields will provide useful information to you, regardless of building type. FM BENCHMARKING is already very large, and continues to grow rapidly.
I need to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) and show how we are doing from year to year. Can FM BENCHMARKING do that?
Yes. FM BENCHMARKING is an ideal way to work with KPIs. FM BENCHMARKING will hold five years of data so you can easily track and trend your performance improvements. Once you have more than one year's worth of data in the system, you will be able to generate comparative reports in addition to the existing ones you run.
Can we track data by month or quarter, or is it FM BENCHMARKING strictly annual?
To track costs on a quarterly basis you would just need to input your data in the system on an annualized basis for each quarter and run your reports after data input. All participant data is held in the system on an annual basis.
Does FM BENCHMARKING interface with IWMS, CAFM and CMMS systems?
We are developing standardized instructions to allow all major systems to interface with FM BENCHMARKING without your having to duplicate your data entry; it will be up to each system to complete its end of the interface. FM BENCHMARKING has received strong interest from most such organizations to develop the interface. If you have questions about a specific organization, please e-mail us at
info@fmbenchmarking.com.
Does FM BENCHMARKING track or monitor green initiatives?
Yes. We provide a sustainability survey that matches the points provided in LEED-EB O&M. You will be able to track your progress in providing a greener, more sustainable facility. You will be able to compare which points others have satisfied to those you have satisfied, including those who have attained the same or higher levels of certification as you have.
Does FM BENCHMARKING calculate building area efficiency rates?
Yes. The output reports include a chart and table for area utilization per person on gross and rentable basis.
Does the system handle multiple currencies?
Yes. Most major currencies are already included in the system, and more are being added all the time. You select the type of currency used for your data input and all benchmarking graphs and reports are produced in that currency. Currency exchange rates are updated quarterly.
Will my company name be kept confidential?
First, FM BENCHMARKING will never associate any client's name with others outside of the organization. Second, in all output reports, each client's and building's name will appear only in its own reports. All other clients and buildings in the system remain anonymous and nameless. In addition, each client is also able to input a code for its organization's and buildings' names, if it wants to do so. Our
Privacy Statement provides you with more information.
I have several buildings and would like them organized by my company's hierarchy. Is this possible?
FM BENCHMARKING allows several levels of hierarchy, so you are able to track your buildings in the way that your organization is put together. For example, if may have Regions, which may be divided into States, and then again into Cities, etc. All this is possible in FM BENCHMARKING.
If you have other questions, please e-mail us.
