Getting Started Guide, Section 2 of 3
Cost Module: QuickStartData Fields—Best Practices (all Data Fields)
QuickStart
fields (see Section 1). and most subscribers will have ready access to the data. Once these are input, subscribers should have all the basics they will need to make informed decisions based on their benchmarking data. Not all data must be input, so if you don't have all the data available, it may be input at a later time or not at all.
Note: All discussion for the Sustainability Modules is in Section 1.
QuickStart
Most remaining demographic information should be readily available to you or easily obtained through others in your organization. These items later become filter options so that you may compare your building metrics to those of other sites.
Below is a description of four such measures:
- Gross Square Area Measurement Method
Most North American facilities are measured to the outside of the walls. For most other locations, it generally is measured to the inside of the wall.
- Rentable Square Area (RSA)
You may own the facility, but it still has an RSA associated with it.
- Rentable Square Area Measurement
It would be ideal if there were one standard, but there isn't. Choose the standard that was used in developing your RSA. To make your comparisons as accurate as possible where an RSA measurement is used, you should only compare your building to those who others who use the same RSA method.
- Background check/security clearance requirements for maintenance and custodial employees
This filter option is important for understanding the impact of the security clearance requirements on maintenance, custodial and security costs. Organizations that require a security clearance for their maintenance and custodial workers generally incur higher costs in these areas. They generally incur higher costs for their security services too.
QuickStart
- Utilities Best Practices
Best Practices are where you will optimize the value of FM BENCHMARKING. By comparing what others have implemented in both your performance quartile and the next better-performing quartile, you will see what actions you should take to improve your building's utility performance. We have identified a few of the utilities best practices for QuickStart.If, while you are completing the QuickStart data fields, you see other best practices that are not associated with QuickStart
- Example
One of our benchmarking participants made the decision to install high efficiency filters based on the high percentage of those in the next better performing quartile who had installed these filters.
QuickStart
As in the previous section, most of this information should be readily available to you. If you are new to the job, may need to speak with others in your organization to obtain the information.
- Contractual Arrangement
If more than 50% of the workforce is represented by a bargaining unit (union), then select "Union", otherwise select "Non-Union". Although the cost differential has narrowed in recent years, this is still a important filter to apply when comparing your costs.
- Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Custodial Workers
This is an important measure of workforce productivity. Analysis reports will show how you compare with others on Area Cleaned by FTE Custodial worker. Many organizations contract for all or part of their custodial services. If you don't have the contract custodial FTE's available, ask your service provider to provide their FTE count for your facility. If it is not available, you will not be able to assess your facility's performance on this metric.
- Cleaning Frequencies
Select the most commonly cleaned frequencies for the various services listed. When comparing custodial costs you may want to select a few of these filters at a time to see the impact that cleaning frequencies have on costs.
- Custodial Best Practices
Best Practices are where you will optimize the value of FM BENCHMARKING. By comparing what others have implemented in both your performance quartile and the next better-performing quartile, you will see what actions you should take to improve your building's custodial performance. We have identified a few of the custodial best practices for QuickStart.
If, while you are completing the QuickStart data fields, you see other best practices that are not associated with QuickStart
- Examples of Custodial Best Practices
- Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Many benchmarking participants find they are able to get a much better sense of how effectively the cleaning is being performed via direct input by the occupants. Some participants report that they were able to reduce some frequencies of their custodial services by utilizing the results of these Satisfaction Surveys.
- Options for daytime cleaning
There are two often overlooked advantages to moving your cleaning operations to daytime cleaning:
- Your occupants will actually see the custodial/janitorial staff cleaning their spaces which usually translates directly to improved satisfaction scores.
- Unless your facility operates 24x7, you will be able to curtail HVAC and lighting systems that were previously kept running for the nighttime custodial staff. This often translates to a significant savings in energy.
QuickStart
After utility expenses, most organizations spend more on facility maintenance than any other category so it is worthwhile to spend some time in this section to get the maximum value from FM BENCHMARKING.
- Combined Costs
If you entered a grand total for maintenance in Super QuickStart, you will get a better perspective on your costs with some additional details. One of the key indicators for maintenance costs is the percentage of maintenance costs spent on corrective (unplanned) activities. If you can break down your maintenance costs between corrective and scheduled maintenance costs, you will see how you compare to others on this important metric.
- Contractual Arrangement
If more than 50% of the workforce is represented by a bargaining unit (e.g., union) then select "Union"; otherwise, select "Non-Union". Although the cost differential has narrowed in recent years, this is still a important filter to apply when comparing your costs.
- Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Maintenance Workers
This is an important measure of the workforce productivity and analysis reports will show how you compare with others on Area Maintained by FTE Maintenance workers. Many organizations contract for all or part of their maintenance services. If you don't have the contract maintenance FTEs, ask your service provider to provide their FTE count for your facility. If it is not available, you will not be able to assess your facility's performance on this metric.
- Maintenance Best Practices
Best Practices are where you will optimize the value of FM BENCHMARKING. By comparing what others have implemented in both your performance quartile and the next better-performing quartile, you will see what actions you should take to improve your building's maintenance performance. We have identified a few of the maintenance best practices for QuickStart.
If, while you are completing the QuickStart data fields, you see other best practices that are not associated with QuickStart
- Example
Pay special attention to the predictive and preventive maintenance best practices. Some benchmarking participants report savings in excess of $100,000 due to programs involving ultrasound of steam traps, thermal imaging of electrical equipment, and thermal imaging of roof systems.
QuickStart
The security information needed for the QuickStart
- Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Security Workers
This is an important measure of the workforce productivity and analysis reports will show how you compare with others on Area Secured by FTE Security workers. Many organizations contract for all or part of their security services. If you don't have the contract security FTE's, ask your service provider to provide their FTE count for your facility. If it is not available, you will not be able to assess your facility's performance on this metric.
- Contractual Arrangement
If more than 50% of the workforce is represented by a bargaining unit (e.g., union) then select "Union"; otherwise, select "Non-Union". Although the cost differential has narrowed in recent years, this is still a important filter to apply when comparing your costs.
- Security Best Practices
Best Practices are where you will optimize the value of FM BENCHMARKING. By comparing what others have implemented in both your performance quartile and the next better-performing quartile, you will see what actions you should take to improve your building's security performance. We have identified a few of the security best practices for QuickStart.
If, while you are completing the QuickStart data fields, you see other best practices that are not associated with QuickStart
- Example
A QuickStart
Best Practices
When reviewing your Best Practices reports, pay attention to situations where you have not implemented a best practice, and where most others in your performance quartile and the next better-performing one have implemented that practice.
Pay special attention to situations where you have not implemented a best practice and there is at least a ten percentage point spread (>10%) between the value in your performance quartile and those in the next better-performing quartile, as there is likely an opportunity for significant improvement by implementing this best practice.