QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Is Facility Management Missing The Mark?

Written by Heidi Schwartz. Posted in Facility Blog, Featured Post, Question Of The Week, Technology, Topics

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Published on December 17, 2012 with 4 Comments

QOW logo QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Is Facility Management Missing The Mark?

This Question of the Week comes from the Facilities Management Group on LinkedIn.

Facilities management software..is it worthwhile or a waste of time? I am trying to find out which software is most popular with  engineers and their companies, and if nothing is currently on the market that is doing the job well, what is missing from the current offerings on the market?

Tony Verrall
Uniq Solutions
Northampton, United Kingdom

 

Share your feedback and suggestions in the LEAVE A COMMENT section below.

About Heidi Schwartz

Heidi Schwartz

Schwartz joined Group C Media in April 1989 as managing editor of Today's Facility Manager (TFM) magazine (formerly Business Interiors) where she was subsequently promoted to editor/co-publisher of the monthly trade magazine for facility management professionals. In September 2012, she took over the newly created position of internet director for TFM's parent company, Group C Media, where she is charged with developing content and creating online strategies for TFM and its sister publication, Business Facilities. Schwartz can be reached at schwartz@groupc.com.

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  • http://WWW.TTNA.COM Andy Bishop

    I’m a FM Specialist in a steel manufacturing facility in the US. We have several different software programs in use because we can’t seem to find one that does everything that we need. We have program for lighting, program for HVAC, & program for air compressors. Tracer Summit by Trane (HVAC) will do alot but not all that we need, ManageAir by Air Technologies (Compressors) also does alot but not enough, and we have wireless lighting control program (Kanepi) which will not work with either system. So even if we could find something that could control everything…we already have so much invested that we probably couldn’t justify the changeover.

  • Peter

    I don’t pretend to know everything on the market, but here is what I would consider an ideal system for the end users:
    Begin with the 3d data from construction, map it to all HVAC, Lighting Controls, BTU meters, Gas meters, and Electric meters, Link it to output data from the fire system. Then the GUI would be HTML5 based for cross platform accessibility. There would be links to individual pieces of equipment with O&Ms, and a link to a Work Order System (like Corrigo) so that service, and expenses on equipment can be tracked, and so work orders can be automatically generated in the case of a trouble or alarm. There would be Apps for all major mobile platforms. There would be e-mail and Notification alerts on mobile devices at a user selectable level (you might want fire troubles, but not HVAC troubles, etc) The system would include the ability to manage multiple locations, and have a means of gleaning data from existing systems in older buildings.
    Oh, and it would bake a chocolate cake in time for lunch every day…

  • Facility Management

    I agree with Andy Bishop, there is simply no software at the moment, which fullfills all wishes.

  • Nigel Wraight

    Andy, there is a big “sticker” on the page of a company that can help. We have used Tridium via a company called Distech Controls Inc, and it comes on board with many software drivers. Talk to Distech, talk to Tridium, there is likely a third party driver that can communicate with your obsolete equipment and basically solve the problem.
    I can imagine your desk has four or five computer screens. Distech can help provide a solution that is likely to solve this and make your life a lot easier, via one PC and a web browser. I doubt you will have to change over much, if anything at all, they’ll work with you on that.
    by the way, I don’t work for Tridium or Distech, i have used it many times and once its set up and sorted, you can pick trend logs and move data or signals between systems at a software level. very constructive to providing a wholistic solution.
    Hope it works for you