Category Archives: Facilities Management

The summer might be nearing its end, but there’s still time to save money on your air conditioning bill. With a little bit of ingenuity and some careful planning you can reduce your HVAC energy costs for this summer and for every summer to come. Here are 3 more ways to cheaply cool your office during summer.

1: Add Film To Your Windows

Sun protecting window film can be a huge help in keeping your building cool without putting stress on your air conditioning unit. This simple film can block up to 75% of the sun’s heat that would normally come through your windows and it is fairly inexpensive. With the savings you make on air conditioning costs, the window films will pay for themselves in no time.

2: Keep Windows Closed

It’s a natural reaction to go to open a window on a particularly sweltering day, but if you are using a HVAC system it can actually have the opposite effect of cooling you down. It allows all of the cool air your system is producing to escape which puts more strain on the system and causes your electricity bills to start skyrocketing. Opening windows is fine if there is no HVAC system running, but if there is it is extremely counter productive.

3: Reduce Lighting

The winter months are darker than the summer and so more lights in the office will need to be turned on throughout the working day. Lights being turned on generate heat while also increasing your electricity bill, so they have a 2 fold effect on your cooling costs. Take a walk through your office and identify the lights that aren’t necessary and make a note to keep them turned off as much as possible.

Adding sun protection film to windows, keeping windows closed when air conditioning units are running and minimising the amount of lights that are turned on inside the office at any given time will save you money and keep your office cooler. If you’re looking for more than just a few quick tips to keep your office cool contact us about facilities management today.

Running an office can be expensive during the summer. You have all of the usual running costs along with trying to maintain a temperature inside the building that’s comfortable for the employees. It can be hard to strike a balance between cost effectiveness and temperature that both you and the office workers are happy, but it can be done with a little ingenuity. Here are 3 ways to cheaply cool your office during summer.

1: Night Cooling

Night cooling is a technique whereby you allow cool night air to run through the building during the night. This can remove a lot of the heat that has built up over the course of the day. Similarly, interior building fabric such as walls, doors and floor slabs that are cooled in this manner can absorb much more heat the following day which helps to keep internal temperatures down making you less reliant on your HVAC system. This should only be done through secure windows and vents, if you don’t have any such windows or vents then try out some of the other techniques to keep your office cool.

2: HVAC Maintenance

Initially, HVAC maintenance might not look like the cheap option when it comes to keeping a building cool. But even just making sure that all of the air conditioning ducts, fans and filters are clean will make your system much more efficient when it comes to dealing with the heat.

3: Close The Blinds

Closing the blinds and curtains is yet another simple technique that can have a big impact on office temperature and the costs associated with it. This will help prevent the sun from creating a greenhouse effect in your building which increases the temperature. The reduction in the temperature will also take some more strain off of your air conditioning system, so it can run using less energy.

If you want to keep your office cool this summer on a budget you should consider leaving cool night air run through your building at night through secure windows, make sure that the fans, ducts and filters in your HVAC system are clean and functioning as they should and lastly, close your blinds to stop the sun getting in and heating up the room.

For more advanced techniques and cost saving measures, you need a professional facilities management company. They help you save money while relieving you of the headache of dealing with maintenance issues and allowing you to concentrate on your business. Let’s discuss what facilities management can do for you, call us on 021-486-6133.

Winter takes it’s toll on buildings. The cold, wet, windy weather is enough to test any structure and make sure that facility maintenance teams have their work cut out for them. Acting now and making repairs before issues become larger will save you money through the whole year. Here are 3 facility maintenance tips for after winter.

1: Examine The Exterior Of The Facility

Winter tends to speed up the ageing process of the exterior of buildings as they are on the frontline against the harsh weather. Examine the facility by looking for chipping paint, damage to siding and for any new or expanding cracks in walls or the foundation.

2: Examine The Roof

Gusty winds and ice over the winter months cause a roofs craftsmanship to be put to the test. If it’s safe to do so, you should inspect your roof. Watch out for loose or missing shingles, missing materials like flashing or seals around skylights, areas where water pools and any other type of leak, tear or puncture damage you can find. Roof damage can be extremely costly if left unchecked so this is your chance to nip it in the bud.

3: Check Downspouts & Gutters

Living in Ireland, the rainy season is never really over so your downspouts and gutters should be in tip top shape. Improper guttering will very often lead to water damage and roof leaks so it’s important to check them for damage and clogging both before and after the winter.

To ensure your facility is properly maintained after winter make sure you examine the outside of buildings looking for chipped paint, damaged siding or cracks in walls or the foundation. Similarly you should take some time to check your roof for any damage to missing roof tiles and materials and make sure your downspouts and gutters are clog free and aren’t showing any signs of damage.

You should only carry out these checks yourself if it is safe to do so. If you would like us to carry out any checks or to fix any issues that you have found simply visit us online or call us on 021-486-6133 today.

Keeping your staff comfortable during the summer months is crucial to keep them happy and working optimally. However, cooling the office inefficiently drives up your costs of doing business and eats into your profit margins. Here are 3 cost effective tips to keep your office cool in summer.

1: Switch To LED Lighting

Your air conditioning system has to work to keep a steady temperature. It does this by diminishing the heat produced by every person, piece of equipment and light bulb that is in the building. LED lights are one of the coolest running light types available today, so they can genuinely reduce strain put on your HVAC system, thus reducing the costs to keep it running. Not only are LED lights cool running and energy efficient, they also last a lot longer before needing to be replaced compared with traditional lamp types. The prices of LED lights have also dramatically decreased over the past few years so it is crazy not to consider them.

2: Review Air-Con Run Time

The running time of your HVAC system should be reviewed regularly. Look at the office schedule and see if there are any times when the air conditioning is set to run and there is no one in the office. Sometimes you can find a few hours or maybe even a full day during the week where the system is running and doesn’t need to be.

3: Turn Off Unnecessary Equipment

All of the equipment in an office produces heat which in turn warms up the office. Reducing the amount of equipment that is running is a way of instantly reducing the amount of heat produced. Whether you use an air conditioning unit, your electricity bill will be lower. Some pieces of equipment are integral to the running of your business and may need to run through the entire working day, but some are not. One easy way of reducing the amount of equipment running in an office is by asking your employees either put their computers to sleep or shut them down completely at break times.

Keep your office cool the cost effective way this summer by switching to LED lighting, reviewing the run time of your air conditioning unit and turning off any equipment that isn’t being used. For more comprehensive ways to save on running costs you should hire a professional facilities management company. Visit us online or call 021-486-6133.

Managing a facility’s energy is a great way you can save more money for your business and lower your overheads. It might not be at the top of your mind but energy savings are an integral part of businesses these days. Below is a list of 5 steps to lowering your energy bills.

1: Find Out Just How Much Your Spending:

To do this you must know how much money is being spent on electricity and natural gas etc. Once you have the full amount for the year you can continue to break it down by time year, week, day

s and times of the day where power usage fluctuates. Completing this will allow you to move on to the next step.

2: Plan:

Now that you know how much you are spending it is time to figure out your options. The facilities manager should create a committee of people made up from different sections of the business that can come together from different perspectives to develop an energy strategy that fits the goals of the organization. For example if the organization was a nursing

home the committee should include nurses, facilities staff, managers and whomever is in charge of finance.

3: Implement Changes:

Once the changes hav

e been

decided on the facilities manager and other executives need to negotiate the best terms with each supplier in order to maximise their investment.

4: Maintain & Optimize:

This phase involves ensuring the smooth running of all the newly implemented features while also accurately measuring and analysing the energy consumption of the facilities. Once you have some data on how the changes have affected energy consumption then it is time to demonstrate their ROI and make any changes they can to improve it further.

5: Analyse Results:

Once all of the other steps have been completed it’s time to take a step back and analyse all of your results so far and determine how successful your energy saving campaign was. You can do this by comparing your expected results, which you would have from the planning stage, with your actual results. Then you may take further action if necessary.

Facilities Services

Today I will be talking about the advantages of outsourcing your facilities services to professionals and how it can be extremely beneficial for your business. When you say facilities services most people instantly think of a janitor. While cleaning services are a significant part of facilities services, they are in no way the only encompassed duty. Maintenance and repairs are time consuming and labour intensive and are critical to the smooth running of your business. The following are some reasons why you should go to the professionals so you have more time to do the things you’re good at, after all that’s why you started your business in the first place.

1: Preventive Maintenance:Preventive maintenance isa proactive approach to maintaining your property. Facilities managers don’t just sit around and wait for something to go wrong, they investigate what might go wrong and take action to ensure that it doesn’t. Some examples of preventive maintenance would be regular inspections within the property, bleeding radiators to make sure they keep working properly, repainting walls, cleaning out gutters, wrapping pipes and specialist tasks such as checking electrical devices.

2: Emergency Repairs:
Even with preventive maintenance some things are going to break and nee

d repair to make sure that the business continues to run smoothly. So another advantage of facilities services is that emergency repairs can be carried out on site with the minimal amount of fuss without disturbing the day to day running of your business. Outsourcing facilities services means that you gain access to technical experts in many different fields who can fix everything from sudden malfunctions of electri

cal equipment to leaking or cracked pipes.

3: Replacement Of Damaged or Obsolete Equipment:
It’s imperative for any business to replace old equipment efficiently so that it doesn’t get in the way of the smooth operation of the facility. Facilities services gives you access to experts with many contacts in the field which allows them to quickly and cost effectively replace any damaged or obsolete equipment in your building, this even includes glass and furniture.

4: Reduced Operational Costs:
Outsourcing your facilities services can actually lower your operational costs by a substantial amount. This is done by using the facilities manager’s experience to reduce the amount of repeated breakdowns and getting advice on whether repairing or replacing equipment is the best way to go. Similarly operational costs are kept down as effective maintenance leads to equipment having a longer life and operating more efficiently overall.

5: More Time To Focus On Your Business:
Regular cleaning and maintenance is extremely important for any business to function to it’s highest potential, however it’s inefficient and costly to invest all of your time and resources into them. Outsourcing your facilities services frees you up to concentrate on the core of your business and develop it further while allowing experts in their field to deal with issues in a cost effective and professional manner which doesn’t distract from your business.

So overall, outsourcing your facilities services is a great way to reduce running costs of your business, ensure it runs smoothly and is a safe and functional work environment for you and your employees to concentrate on your goals.

Facilities management is an important aspect of the proper functioning of any organization. The difference between a good and a bad facilities manager, or even company, can be staggering. Good management means that everything runs as efficiently as possible. Bad management might still produce results, but at great costs and resources.

There can be a huge difference in responsibility, as well. Just because something is done according to the rules, doesn’t mean that the job has been properly conducted. This is a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless. Many facilities managers “wash their hands” of their responsibility by doing things “by the book”, but proper management requires so much more. However, the battle is not lost. Things can always get better. For this reason we’ve compiled a list of tips for improving the quality of facilities management in the Cork area.

1. Ensure that the maintenance workers follow safety procedures

Way too often maintenance workers decide to take shortcuts in the procedures and do so in the interest of saving time by sacrificing safety. Management should never allow this to happen. If something breaks down and needs repairs, proper safety protocols have to be executed each time. Cutting corners is dangerous and may lead to severe complications, further damage to the equipment, or worst case scenario – injure the worker. Because they believe in their own expertise, workers often underestimate the importance of safety, but no matter how good one is, there are any never guarantees. Good facilities management means that proper safety procedures are always followed, even if it means that the work of the entire facility is slowed down. This saves a lot of headaches in the long run. If you’re working with a facilities management company in Cork, make sure that they always follow safety requirements.

2. Check test equipment and ensure proper labeling

This should go without saying, but proper labeling is required for things to work out as they should. This especially includes the electrical panels. If changes happen around the facility, but they don’t get reflected in the appropriate labeling system, then potential damages and problems may occur. Especially when it comes to electricity, things get dangerous. A technician might be led to believe that they’ve turned the power off before they start working on the circuits. In the interest of saving time, they might not double check things before they start working, and accidents might happen. For this reason, routine labeling inspections should be conducted by the facilities management company or personnel. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Things are pretty much the same with test equipment. It should be routinely inspected in order to ensure that it works properly. If it doesn’t, then it should either be fixed or replaced. However, this can’t really be known in advance without performing regular check-ups.

3. When hiring a facilities management company, make sure they’re available 24/7

It’s a common practice to outsource facilities management in Cork to a company that specializes in these types of services. One of the most important services of such a company is that they should be available 24/7. You never know what might happen in your facility and when emergency repairs will be required. There’s no point in paying for a service you’re not sure you can get at all times.

In the event of an emergency, it’s nice to know that you can always count on the company you’ve chosen. It’s crucial that they’re trustworthy and work with your best interests in mind. You can check this out with planned maintenance services. Planned maintenance is an important aspect of the whole endeavor, and a good company would always work in conjunction with you and follow the best recommendations in order to produce the best results, keeping your interests in mind.

A company should always be available for minor works, as well. Sometimes small things require fixing or changing, and you should be certain that you can count on your company to cover that for you when it’s needed. All in all, look for companies that care about your needs, not just their profits. After all, you would be placing enormous trust in the facilities management company you hire.

4. Solutions specific for the facility

Facilities management is an interdisciplinary field, meaning that it’s complex and involves several different disciplines. This is due to the fact that it covers a wide variety of areas. Add that to the fact that different facilities have different needs and you have something rather interesting on your hands.  That’s why you should always look at management in the context of a particular facility. There are universal principles involved in regards to managing a facility, but there are also requirements that are highly specific. If you’re a facilities manager, you should always pay close attention to the details concerning your facility. In case you’re hiring a company for that, make sure that they tailor their approach and don’t just do the same thing wherever they go.

Conclusion

Proper facilities management is not easy, though the Cork area offers some pretty affordable options to take that responsibility off your hands. There are many things that one needs to pay attention to in regards to management. The fact that there are rules and regulations doesn’t guarantee anything. Workers often disregard those rules, so a good manager should always put safety first and ensure that these regulations are being followed.

Labeling and test equipment are two areas where the ball is likely to be dropped, especially after doing some renovations in the building. For the sake of safety, routine inspections and check-ups should be scheduled in order to make sure that everything is fine in this regard.

If outsourcing, it is advisable to perform proper research and ensure that the company is available 24/7. There’s a lot that might go wrong and you need to know you can count on them at any point in time. This is not to be underestimate.

Finally, look for solutions specific for your facility. If all these tips are implemented, facilities management will be much easier and much safer.