Corporate Architects and Facility Management

In these economically challenging times, I'd be interested in any life cycle cost analysis or other methodologies & results others have done to create performance or other value-based specification standards.  I'm looking for optimization.  Most of us can't afford to use the best of everything, so every choice made tends to limit other options.

Kim Otten AIA

Sioux Falls, SD

Hi Ralph,

In response to the topic of time and effort corporate architects have devoted to working on disaster and emergency preparedness, I can share my experience.  I work in a Midwest healthcare environment (we have about 1000 employees at numerous sites).  As a corporate architect, I participate in our safety committee, which is made up of about 10 members, including HR, Risk Management, clinical staff, and facility staff.  We meet quarterly, and annually we are each responsible to review and update all company safety policies, which includes things like violence in the workplace, creating weapon free facilities, emergency preparedness for threats such as bomb, tornado, and fire.  We have a committee chairperson, but safety related needs and assignments are evenly distributed among committee members rather than placed upon one individual.

You are correct as it relates to a changing world.  Facility related things that we have added in recent years include badge access at non-public entrances, panic buttons at reception desks, and facility lock-down switches.  We have engaged with local law enforcement as it relates to creating safe rooms throughout our facilities and security/safety walkthroughs at some of our facilities that may have a higher exposure to risk or threat.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Bob Hartig AIA

Hi Ralph,

In response to the topic of time and effort corporate architects have devoted to working on disaster and emergency preparedness, I can share my experience.  I work in a Midwest healthcare environment (we have about 1000 employees at numerous sites).  As a corporate architect, I participate in our safety committee, which is made up of about 10 members, including HR, Risk Management, clinical staff, and facility staff.  We meet quarterly, and annually we are each responsible to review and update all company safety policies, which includes things like violence in the workplace, creating weapon free facilities, emergency preparedness for threats such as bomb, tornado, and fire.  We have a committee chairperson, but safety related needs and assignments are evenly distributed among committee members rather than placed upon one individual.

You are correct as it relates to a changing world.  Facility related things that we have added in recent years include badge access at non-public entrances, panic buttons at reception desks, and facility lock-down switches.  We have engaged with local law enforcement as it relates to creating safe rooms throughout our facilities and security/safety walkthroughs at some of our facilities that may have a higher exposure to risk or threat.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Bob Hartig AIA

Hello Elizabeth,

Cracking the code of how to determine and balance construction project manager (owner representative) workloads is a biggie, and often learned by trial and error.  I doubt there is a "one method fits all! "  In my experience, this is about managing resources, cost, schedule, and customer expectations; and most importantly about reliable communication. 

Here is a very brief overview of our approach:  Upon completion of our annual project/budget process, a core group of company operational leaders/stakeholders/internal project owners meet and mutually consider, discuss, debate, agree, and charge ourselves with assigning a priority to every budgeted and approved project (regardless of size).  This discussion can often involve factors such as resources, safety, service levels, business operations and potential disruptions, company priorities, cost, schedule, etc.  We assign a Priority 1 through 4, which equates to Quarters 1 through 4.  For larger or ongoing projects, we may assign several quarters or more.  I also keep a project specific schedule updated and available with shared access for these larger jobs .  This same leadership group meets quarterly to discuss and review project progress and activities.

One of my responsibilities is to manage and update our "project activity" work sheet (which includes all projects) on a weekly basis, and all internal stakeholders have read-only access to this shared file.  They can view their own project as well as all other company projects at any time.  For us, this has proven to be an extremely helpful communication tool that is shared with and available to every internal project customer/owner.  As projects progress, we move projects from a "requested/approved project", to "on deck", to "active", to "completed" status.  Brief project updates and progress notes are entered/updated for all projects weekly.  At times when emergency or unbudgeted projects come into play, our leadership group can review and reassess project priorities, and agree on how we can accomplish the work.  We can typically anticipate such projects in time to add to our quarterly meeting agenda.  If necessary, our leadership group can then initiate and implement any needed schedule, cost, or resource adjustments.

The benefit of this process is that company leaders/stakeholders/internal project owners are kept informed, and they are also the ones who are deciding and agreeing on project priorities up front.  We all "share" in understanding and owning what has to be juggled or balanced.  If too many projects have a priority 1, we are all engaged in "early on" conversations about resources, balance, cost, and how to successfully accomplish the work.

Hope this is helpful,  Bob Hartig AIA