The Sales Rep's Guide To Facility Managers

Crane gives away the secret to getting the attention of this powerful purchasing audience.

Asking Tough Questions; Seeking Honest Answers

This month's FM Frequency drifts into the realm of the radical.

Singing The 1040 Blues…Or Was That A Hymn?

Tax preparation is an unexpected religious experience for Crane.

LEED Or Not To LEED? Well, It All Depends!

Crane shares this interactive session with a thought provoking reader.

From The Outside Looking In

A peek inside the fictitious life of temporary facility manager, Ms. Y (courtesy of "Dear Diary").

For The Love Of Buildings…Or Not

Confessions under the knife: anesthesia exposes the trippy side of Crane's facility sensibilities.

That’s What I Like About LEED

The new year is revealing an optimistic side of Jeff Crane

A Few Of My Favorite (Web) Things

They may not be raindrops on roses, but there are some things that make Jeff Crane happy.

Rolling With The Facilities Budget

There are alternatives to the traditional method of budget preparation.

Relief From Green Fatigue

Crane humorously dissects his latest energy saving project—re-lamping for fun and profit!

Remembering 9/11 Six Years Later…

New tragedies at the former Deutsche Bank building rekindle public emotion at Ground Zero

Summer School

Electricity and reliability are hot topics during the imaginary “recess” of summer.

Who Needs An “Expert Consultant?”

There may be times when getting a second opinion makes you look that much better!

The Facilities Machine: Master Or Myth?

Urban Legends may (or may not) exist in facilities too!

Did He Say “Pedal Power?!”

There are hidden energy savings in every facility...sometimes you just have to look for them.

Questioning Boston’s “LEED-ership”

Will facility managers in Beantown throw Code 37 requirements into the harbor?

Recipe For Success

Think you have what it takes to be a facility manager in today’s demanding times?

Disaster Cometh...Or Not!

It’s the end of the world as we know it, again!

Lean Or Green?

Do facility managers really have to make a choice when trying to reconcile budgets with sustainability goals?

Bridging The Gap

Closing the divide between the design process and long-term operations and maintenance.

Giving Thanks!

Want an excuse to deny wacky requests? Just thank your insurance and liability teams!

Real People, Real Stories

If you think you’ve heard it all when it comes to interviewing antics, keep reading!

The Myth Of Interoperability

When will systems really start speaking the same language?

Great Suppliers Can be Excellent Business Partners

It’s possible to gain significant advantages from outsourcing relationships.

Business Continuity

The magic formula? Planning + Practice + “Live Fire” Exercises = The Right Approach

My Own Private Firestorm

In this expanded version of FM Frequency, Crane wakes up in a cold sweat to the realization that truth can be stranger than fiction.

Data Center Planning

Facility management participation in this task can prove valuable for critical facilities.

AH-CHOO! Indoor Air Quality Revisited

Spring is in the air, but from Columnist Crane, it isn’t such a pleasant time for facilities that suffer from poor ventilation.

Facilities Manager = Corporate Shrink?

Facilities house a cross section of the population, and for Crane, some occupants are more “high maintenance” than others.

Skilled Labor: A New Recipe?

The increasing shortage of qualified facility management staffers has one optimist a little concerned.

Balancing Act

2006 begins with more advice on keeping your building pressure right where it belongs.

Hunting Big Game

Revamping the boiler system to maximize BTUs can help facilities take down a moose.

What It Really Means

Ever wonder what job placement ads are really saying when they describe a job? Cut through the jargon and get the real answers.

A Disaster Checklist

Asking the right questions will help facilities avoid the confusion and destruction just witnessed on the Gulf Coast.

Big Swings At Budget Time!

Crane’s tongue-in-cheek perspective explains how to maintain facilities and lower budget costs at the same time.

Facility Assessments and Project/Budget Planning

A look at a residential facility can offer some much needed perspective on running a commercial facility.

Finding The Glass More Than Half Full

Crane offers a historical perspective to paint the future of facility management in a positive light.

From Attendee To Presenter: My First Five Years With The TFM Show®

My TFM Show® report.

A Natural (FM) Frequency

A strange phenomenon proves that facility management
isn't always talkin' about good vibrations.

The Earth Is Round?--Yeah, Right!

A philosophical essay punctuated with predictions by NostroCranus.

Get The Most From Vendors Through Value Improvement Planning

Win/win supplier relationships take a bit of nurturing.

My Two Cents: A Meditation On Disasters And Facility Management
Crane takes some time to consider the effects of the tsunami.

Staying In Touch To Keep Facilities Running Smoothly
Crane offers some practical advice to keep your hardware from shutting down at the worst time.

Are You Lucky?
This year's relentless hurricane season underscores the importance of disaster planning.

The Games Of The Facility Management Olympiad
Savoring the spirit of the 2004 Summer Olympics, Crane proposes some humorous events that will resonate with his peers.

We Have The Power
As the political season heats up, Crane suggests new energy policies for any building in need of a tune up.

TMI: Too Much Information
The crush of the media is overwhelming to Crane. How should he manage his case of information overload?

Summer Checklist
Ensure facilities run smoothly during Mother Nature's most extreme season.

Business 101
Seek out and apply successful strategies.

On Outsourcing: Do we sink, or do we swim?
While outsourcing is a reality, there are ways to embrace it and at the same time your career as well.

An Update On This Fantastic Journey
An adventure outside of the comfort zone inspires Crane to respond to his own 12-step program.

Baptism By Ice Storm
Memories of snowy childhood winters give Crane new respect for those professionals in charge with keeping people safe, informed, and productive.

What In The World Is OJR?
While in the transitional mode, Crane enjoys the luxury of a gracious exit.

Rev Your Engines And Make It A Happy New Year!
There's a change in the air for Crane, who's ready to shift his career into high gear.

A Shock To The System?
Electricity, as well as other "dangerous" elements in a facility should always be handled with safety in front of mind.

Clean Up Your Act, Then Go And Give Thanks
The best way to enjoy the festive season is to check troubled areas before heading out of town.

Crane's Eight Wonders Of The Facility Management World
Think of all the places you'd go if you could take an adventure back in time!

What I Did Over My Summer Vacation
A dash of facility management common sense turns challenges into triumphs during a family vacation.

Commissioning, Shmishioning....Who Needs It? We All Do!
Regular check ups aren't only good for people, they're good for buildings too.

Do You Know What I Mean?
Load up those mechanical pencils and get ready to take this vocabulary pop quiz.

What is Your Weakest Link?
Facility management should be seen as a chain that is only as strong as its weakest link.

Facility Fantasyland
Move over Disney. Everything is beautiful-from the engineering viewpoint-in Crane's perfect world.

Got Water? (I Do)
Columnist Jeff Crane wades through yet another watery mishap.

Water Plus Electricity Equals BIG Problems: The Shocking Conclusion
Crane is victorious in battle, but do the spoils go to his contractors and vendors?

The "Other Woman" Is A Building
Crane speaks of how his building turns temperamental when he tries to take a few days off.

Resolutions For Better Living
Columnist Jeff Crane kicks off the new year with a fresh outlook and healthy approach.

It's A Special Season!
This month, budget season (no, not football season) is at the center of Crane's fall follies.

Does Good Work Speak For Itself?
Do facility professionals let their good work speak for itself? Or does the squeaky wheel get the grease during budget reviews?

To Build Or Not To Build: Is That Really The Question?
Profound pundit Jeff Crane pontificates on a question that could make the pharaohs rethink their approach to the construction of the Great Pyramids.

IAQ…What Can We Do?
In this day and age, ignorance is no excuse for poor indoor air quality. FM Frequency Columnist Jeff Crane shares the ups and downs of HVAC benchmarking.

Steel Toes To Starched Shirts–A Reversible Process?
Jeff Crane steps in to chronicle his facility management career for the return of TFM's popular FM Frequency column.

Mid-Career Crisis
The new year is historically a time of reflection, and TFM Columnist Maria Vickers has resolved to make a fresh start. Where will this "career correction" take her next?