Fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) is the process of identifying and analyzing malfunctions or failures within a building’s systems to detect and diagnose faults as early as possible. Early detection minimizes the impacts of downtimes, prevents future failures, and improves overall system performance. FDD is crucial for maintaining the reliability and efficiency of a building’s HVAC system.
How Do FDD Systems Work?
FDD is typically achieved using sensors, monitoring systems, and diagnostic algorithms. These tools work together to continuously monitor the performance of the system and detect any abnormal patterns that may indicate a fault. The diagnostic algorithms then analyze the collected to identify the specific fault and provide recommendations for how to address it.
One of the key benefits of FDD is that organizations can proactively identify and address potential issues before they lead to costly downtime or equipment damage. Too often, building owners, maintenance staff, and systems integrators work within a reactionary model, which often follows these steps:
BMS alarm sounds for a VAV
VAV unit inspected
Maintenance request created
Repair or replacement made
This reactionary model works but is inefficient. How long was the VAV malfunctioning before the alarm? How much energy was lost before? How long as it been affecting occupant comfort levels? How much time is required for all steps? How much energy, money, and comfort are sacrificed during downtime? These questions represent the issues inherent in the reactionary model.
FDD sees the problem before the inefficiencies start by using analyzing data from fault trends to predict failures before the actual alarm sounds. If a VAV is consistently running below specification, FDD can flag the activity as consistent with a failing terminal unit. That gives maintenance longer lead times and shortens downtimes.
Diagnostic algorithms like this basic one, move through a series of steps to detect and identify solutions to equipment failures.
FDD Systems Lower Energy Costs
With the growing emphasis on energy efficiency, FDD is becoming increasingly important as a tool for improving overall system performance and reducing energy consumption. Recent studies show that between 5% – 30% of commercial building energy is wasted due to problems associated with controls (Deshmukh 2018). So, FDD offers a massive opportunity to increase energy savings by finding faults faster.
One of the most common types of FDD systems used in buildings is Building Energy Management Systems or BEMS. These computer-based systems monitor and control the HVAC, lighting, and other building systems to optimize energy efficiency. BEMS often use temperature sensors to monitor the performance of an HVAC system and detect when the system is not working as efficiently as it should. The diagnostic algorithms then analyze this data and identify the specific problem, such as a clogged filter or malfunctioning compressor.
Predictive Analytics
Another important aspect of FDD is the use of predictive analytics. Predictive analytics uses historical data and statistical models to predict when a system is likely to fail. This enables building operators and maintenance staff to take proactive measures to address potential issues before they lead to costly downtime or equipment damage. Predictive analytics can be used in a wide range of systems, including industrial equipment, vehicles, and even wind turbines.
Furthermore, the use of predictive analytics can enable organizations to take proactive measures to address potential issues before they lead to a complete system failure.
Improving System Performance
While FDD is typically associated with detecting and diagnosing equipment failures, building operators can use it to improve system performance. By identifying and addressing inefficiencies in a system, organizations can improve overall system performance and reduce energy consumption. For example, an FDD system in an HVAC system might identify that the system is running at a higher temperature than necessary, resulting in increased energy consumption. By addressing this issue, the organization can reduce energy consumption and improve overall system performance.
In conclusion, FDD is an important tool for maintaining the reliability and efficiency of various systems. By detecting and diagnosing faults early on, organizations can take steps to address the problem before it leads to costly downtime or equipment damage.
In our quest to compile a list of the best FM online learning resources for 2022, we looked at several important factors. For one, we wanted a good mix of quality and convenience. Some FMs will be looking for professional certification courses, while others may only need a one-off refresher video. Therefore, we included both certifying orgs with full course work along with eLearning platforms with à la carte selections.
Next, we also wanted to list free and affordable options along with paid ones, given the budget crunch many will likely feel this year. Finally, we wanted our list to be time-saving and relevant, so we included samples from each library, catalogue and resource for your consideration. We also think these samples reflect essential skills FMs will need to future-proof their careers. With that, here are a few of the best online online education resources for FMs in 2022.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is a great source for quick, easy courses for specific topics. The online learning platform has several courses on project and workspace management FMs will find helpful. Plus, you can gain some experience in more technical topics like working with BIM software. Here are some FM-related courses we recommend for 2022:
The International Facility Management Association offers full course work for various FM accreditations. However, they also have short eLearning videos for primers into specific topics. While you don’t have to be an IFMA member to buy courses or videos, you do get discounted pricing and access to other benefits. We looked through IFMA’s catalogue of videos and found these gems for 2022.
Organisational Strategy for FM Departments in an IoT World
Bombs, Suspicious Packages & Active Shooters: How Do You Respond at Your Workplace
Creating a Powerful FM Legacy
Communicating in a Crisis
FM Podcasts
Industry articles on BAS and facilities management are abundant, but podcasts are a handy FM online learning resource too. Podcasts are perfect for time-starved individuals or those with long commutes. Here are a few FM-related podcasts to subscribe to this year.
BOMI International webinars (hosted by Lorman) are a must have for 2022 FMs who need to keep up with the break-neck speed of change in the industry. Prices vary from $85USD to $200 based on the topic, and attendees can include a downloadable recording for an additional cost. Lorman’s webinar schedule only runs a few months out, so we took a look at what they had to offer for their January and February line up.
Increase Your Ability to Retain Millennials in the Workplace (Feb 8)
Taking Care of Employees Based Overseas (Feb 8)
Responding to Negative Employee Comments on the Web(Feb 28)
Recent Developments Regarding Force Majeure (Mar 2)
IFMA Knowledge Library
The IFMA Knowledge Library is an FM online learning collection of articles, presentations, white papers and podcasts, all focusing on the latest data and trends for the FM industry. There are four different access levels, which includes two free levels. IFMA members get full access to all content, but those who don’t want to commit can purchase a “Knowledge Pass” for $200USD. Here’s some free and premium IFMA content from the Knowledge Library you’ll want to check out for 2022.
Proactive Maintenance Strategies for Operational Value (Article)
Put Your Money On It: Investing in Energy Efficiency (Video)
Why Facilities Managers Should Adopt a Multi-generational Staffing Strategy (Article)
Employee Experience & the Future of Work (Podcast)
Massey University
Massey Uni offers two diplomas in facilities management available through distance learning. The Diploma in Facilities Management (DipFM) is built for new FM professionals just entering the industry who want to strengthen their skills with foundational knowledge, while the Graduate Diploma in Facilities Management (GradDipFM) is aimed at professionals holding a non-FM related tertiary qualification, such as engineering, commerce or science. Both courses are one year full-time, but can be completed part-time. Also, both offer the option to exit at certificate level on completion of four papers.
Technical writing skills are essential for today’s facilities managers, who must produce a wide range of communications for a variety of readers. One day, you might be writing a CAPEX proposal for an executive, the next pinning a “how-to” memo for janitorial staff. So versatility and speed are prime requisites. Here are five technical writing tips that will improve the effectiveness and clarity of any written communication.
Tip 1: Fast-Track Your Audience Analysis
While some projects do require an in depth look at your audience, most FM technical writing can get by with evaluating a reader’s knowledge level of a subject. Use these three questions to fast-track your audience analysis and make your writing more targeted and concise.
What does my audience need to know?
This question delineates the key parts of your goal and states the desired outcome. The answer is usually one sentence, such as “To appropriately dispose of PPE” or “To understand the benefits of a third-floor remodel.” How well you answer this question determines your writing’s success or failure.
What do they already know?
Your audience’s attention and time is valuable, and you will lose both with superfluous information. Any steps, data or info your audience already brings to the writing should be jettisoned. Include information that’s “on the fence” within footnotes or at the end of your main document.
What do they not know?
Are there ideas or information you need to provide before your reader even begins the process of reading? Identify any assumptions you have about your audience’s experience, education and knowledge or else risk alienating them. For example, the goal of your writing may be “to explain the benefits of replacing the boiler system” but your assumption is that “every owner already knows the function of a boiler.” When in doubt, over-explain.
It’s obvious that the second and third questions are at cross purposes, and you must be vigilant in separating the “wheat from the chaff.” This is a good thing. The push and pull makes you an active writer, forcing you to constantly examine your information for relevance.
Tip 2: Use Active Voice
Writing in active voice is one of the most ubiquitous technical writing tips around, so it’s worth repeating. When you write in an active voice, you follow the standard sentence structure that puts the subject before the verb. This is opposed to passive voice. Here is an example of each:
Active Voice: “We ask that all tenants follow the recycling protocols for paper waste.”
Passive Voice: “We ask that recycling protocols for paper waste be followed by all tenants.”
In the above example, the subject (“tenants”) comes before the verb (“following”). In passive voice, the opposite occurs. So, what’s the big deal?
Well, active voice imbues your writing with confidence and presence; passive voice leaves it sounding flaccid and lifeless. Putting the subject after the verb also creates the sense that you’re trying to hide or downplay the actor of the action; it leaves a hint of insincerity and doubt in your tone. This is why committees and boards often deploy passive voice to mitigate responsibility for their decisions (“It was decided that…” rather than “The Board has decided that…”). Use an app like Grammarly and Hemingway App to identify and remove passive voice in your writing.
Tip 3: Add Graphics…Then Add More
One of the most effective writing tips isn’t about writing at all. Pictures really are worth a thousand words, and adding visual elements like tables, graphs, illustrations and photos improves your overall communication efforts. Graphic elements add dimension to your document’s layout and give a much needed break to monolithic walls of text. Much like a road-weary traveler, your reader needs the occasional “off-ramp” to rest and regroup—graphics are fit for purpose.
Some FMs find one barrier for using graphics: time commitment. While it does take some time investment to create graphics, today’s online apps significantly speed up the process. Bookmark these design tools in your browser and use them to churn out graphics for your next technical writing project or presentation :
Canva—Online design app for creating presentations, posters, and graphs for free.
Note: It’s certainly possible to use too many graphic elements, so be strategic. Like every word you write, each image in your layout should serve a function, whether explanatory or merely aesthetic.
Tip 4: Examples are Your Secret Weapon
Relevant examples distill a complex idea into something relatable and real. Plus, including examples in your technical writing forces you to consider real world implications for your information; it proves to the reader that you’ve considered the information or argument from a practical perspective, rather than merely a theoretical one.
For example, say you wanted to include after-hours AC charges in your standard commercial lease and wanted to make sure your tenants understood the process. After explaining your formula (Fixed Rate x Number of Operating Hours = AHAC Charges), you could include an example calculation:
Tenant A uses 10 hours of after-hours air conditioning for the month of January, their total charge would be $75/hr x 10 hrs = $750. Tenant B uses 15 hrs for June. Their total AHAC charge would be $75/hr x 15 hrs = $1,125.
When including examples, use real world data and situations. If the above example reflected actual electrical usage rates for the property, it would communicate to tenants how much they should expect to pay.
Tip 5: Match Your Writing Structure to Your Purpose
Your writing purpose should, in large part, determine your structure. That is, let form follow function. Is your writing meant to inform, to persuade, to explain or do something else? For most FM writing, the goal is explanatory or informative. Here are several common writing structures to aid both types:
Steps-in-a-Process
Listing and explaining steps is an effective way to organise information for a process. Steps-in-a-process is appropriate for a short memo or “how-to” manual showing tenants how to sign onto an online portal. Step-by-step formats also work for longer, more complex processes when you group the steps. If your O&M manual contains 75 steps, chunk them into larger sections. Presenting steps in this way helps your audience conceptualize the larger process and aids memory, much like chunking a phone number into parts.
Hierarchy
Technical writers often organise informative pieces based on priority, typically moving from highest to lowest. Use introductory paragraphs and summaries to highlight key points, orient your reader and save them time. For legal documents like SLAs, start off by defining the most important concepts (e.g., “parties” or “description of services”) and end with the standard T&Cs. In contrast, moving from lowest to highest priority is effective for more persuasive writing. If you’re trying to justify an investment in CAFM or IWMS, for example, present your best reason at the end. It gives your argument an emotional punch.
Time
Time is an intuitive way for readers to understand information based on an order of events. Progress reports are the perfect project for a chronological framework. Most begin with past work completed, move to the present and then explain any future work to be done. Incident reports and disaster preparedness manuals are other candidates for a time-based framework because they guide readers through a series of events.
There is no one “correct” structure for any technical writing project. Your topic may not follow an A-to-B format or have priority points to make. Regardless, it’s essential you deliver on the purpose of your writing. Whatever meets that goal is the structure you should use.
Conclusion
Use these five technical writing tips as a starting point to improving your communication. And include this last tip: be patient. Few FMs has the time or patience to invest in becoming a better writer, so it’s critical to be realistic about your progress. Find opportunities during your day to practice. Rather than tackling all at once, master one of these writing tips at a time. Ten move on to another. An incremental approach improves your odds of sticking to it.
If you haven’t yet automated your after-hours HVAC program or, worse, have no program at all, you’re missing out on benefits that maximise your staff productivity and cut out wasted time. Automation also helps increase tenant satisfaction and productivity, which, in the end, helps your properties thrive. Here are the biggest benefits from automating your after-hours HVAC program.
1. Easier Scheduling
The typical after-hours HVAC scheduling process usually involves several staff members and these four steps:
Tenant fills out a work request in person or on the website portal
The request is recorded on a spreadsheet
The building engineer programs the request into the HVAC system
The facility manager prepares & sends monthly billing statements for each tenant
Each step requires time and resources from your team, and when problems pop up, tasks grow exponentially. If an engineer isn’t available, another staff member has to be scheduled. When a tenant needs to schedule a change, someone must sort things. An AHAC cloud-based platform eliminates these issues by automating many of these manual steps. Here are the steps in an automated system:
Tenant makes a requests via smartphone app or desktop browser
(Automated) Recording requests entries
(Automated) Programming the HVAC system
(Automated) Sending monthly statements
Automation reclaims lost time from tending to tedious tasks. You can, instead, spend that time improving your property and tenant experience.
2. Fewer Billing Errors
By eliminating steps in your after-hours HVAC program, you stamp out inaccuracy. The best-laid plans run into the realities of everyday life. Engineers get sick. Requests are forgotten. Entries are flubbed. Statements don’t match. In contrast, automation software doesn’t lie, get ill and or forget.
The fallout from mistakes isn’t just the wasted time setting things aright. For facility managers, inaccuracy means loss of profits, and those losses can be huge.
When a billing discrepancy arises, it’s often easier to acquiesce than upset a tenant. Some managers avoid charging for after-hours at all because they fear situations like this. Where this is the case, you’re unnecessarily paying for another business’s electrical costs while shortening the life span for your HVAC equipment. The accuracy of an automated after-hours program ensures your properties stay profitable.
While AHAC automation may seem like a simple tool, its potential impact for FMs and their tenants is limited only by the lack of exploring its many applications for both.
3. Happier Tenants
Most automated after-hours platforms let tenants make reservations from a smartphone app or desktop browser. It’s a perk that benefits both managers and tenants. Tenants no longer need to waste time filling out work requests, and managers can reduce staffing costs associated with after-hours management. Since AHAC apps fully integrate with your BMS, start and stop times for HVAC service are automatically received, executed and terminated by the software. This frees your engineers and maintenance staff up to attend to higher property priorities.
Since lease holders can schedule after-hours HVAC “on demand,” this eliminates the need for an advanced notice. Most commercial leases with an after-hours clause stipulate a 24 to 48-hour advance notice from the tenant. But tenant schedules can vary wildly. Some have highly predictable office hours; others manage chaotic itineraries. For the latter, even a 24-hour notice puts them in a tight spot. But by eliminating the need for a notice, automation apps give your tenants and their employees greater work flexibility — a growing priority for workers splitting their work hours between home and office.
4. More Sustainable Properties
Going on-demand with your after-hours HVAC program conserves energy to. Changing or canceling bookings by mobile device is easy and convenient for your tenants, so they’re much more likely to cancel their after-hours appointments when things change. The upside is you won’t be heating or cooling empty properties simply because something came up at the last minute. With more accurate billing, you’ll get a better overview of your total energy use and be able to find opportunities to increase efficiency and cut waste.
Pro Tip: Identify seasonal trends for your after-hours program and use the data to make targeted improvements in lighting, insulation or renewable energy investments within specific zones of your property.
Conclusion
The benefits of after-hours HVAC automation make a strong case for its adoption among facility managers. While it frees your team from tedious tasks like reporting and billing, automation’s biggest selling point is it’s a value-add for your tenants.
Clients and their office managers can use the data collected by automation software to streamline their own internal processes. Retail tenants can use after-hours data to set sustainability benchmarks and goals. Software developers could employ after-hours usages in evaluating each team’s productivity and/or cost to a project. Law firms could recoup losses by adding their AHAC charges as a billable line item for a client.
While AHAC automation may seem like a simple tool, its potential impact for FMs and tenants is limited only by the lack of exploring its many applications for both.
Scheduling after-hours AC can be an expensive and cumbersome process. It’s usually a mishmash of spreadsheets, sticky note reminders, voice mails, and impatient tenants — all trying to accomplish a task made overly complicated by a manual process. At home, we flick on the thermostat, but at work, this simple act can become a bureaucratic quagmire involving multiple team members. How can FMs and property managers cut the cost and red tape? With an after-hours automated HVAC program that puts the scheduling literally in the hands of tenants.
How Does HVAC Automation Work?
Much like customers who order on-demand movies, tenants “order” their after-hours HVAC as they need it — this could be two months prior or two hours before. Authorized tenants use an after-hours HVAC smartphone app or web browser to make their booking from anywhere at any time. The app then connects to your building’s BMS to schedule and execute the request per the specified time, date, floor and property location. The program then notifies the tenant and property manager via an email, listing the total charge based on the agreed hourly rate.
Automation Eliminates the Niggly Bits
Automation streamlines after-hours scheduling by eliminating many of the steps and hurdles of a manual process. Staff members no longer need to take and record requests via email, phone or work order. Maintenance personnel can forgo manually programming requests into the BMS. Managers can skip time consuming maintenance of spreadsheets (automated billing statements are delivered via email each month). And tenants save time filling out requests and making changes to their bookings.
Calculate The Savings
Depending on the complexity of your current program, the amount of time saved through after-hours HVAC automation could lower staffing costs for your portfolio. Let’s say you estimate each after-hours request currently takes thirty minutes to fulfill, and you complete twenty requests per month. That equals ten hours of labor cost. With an average staff wage of $30 per hour, you’re paying $300 a month just to manage after-hours bookings, and that doesn’t include your tenants’ time.
Billing Accuracy
Automation software is perfect for recording overtime air conditioning bookings because it’s highly accurate. Your team members, despite their best efforts, can become overwhelmed with other responsibilities. Mistakes happen. The wrong tenant is charged or a cancellation order is misplaced. Not only do mistakes like these create dissatisfied tenants, they often result in a loss of revenue for you. When a booking is forgotten or goes unrecorded, you’ll be eating the utility costs. When there’s a discrepancy in charges, getting payment takes more time sorting things with a (now upset) tenant. After-hours HVAC automation ensures billing speed and accuracy, helping you avoid these situations while keeping profits high.
Conclusion
After-hours billing should be a simple process, but it’s full of variables that complicate matters. Even if your manual ordering and billing is spot on, there are hundreds of situations that call for a more nuanced approach. Each tenant has different needs. While some may have predictable work schedules, others may be seasonal. Making things more complicated are the rise in hybrid workplaces and work-home schedules, which demand increased flexibility and access to facilities. Overall, FMs must take a more nuanced approach to utility billing in general. Automation prepares you for future workplaces by simplifying and streamlining your after-hours HVAC scheduling process.
Few employees have more of an impact on the day-to-day operations of your business than your office manager. Whether it’s scheduling travel arrangements, ordering supplies or planning a birthday party, your office manager touches every part of your business. And while he or she genuinely appreciates the occasional meeting “shoutout” or $50 gift card, what your office manager really wants are tools to make their job easier. Office automation tools to the rescue. These apps and online services will have them getting more done with less effort.
Employee Scheduling Apps
Many companies now offer employees the option to work from home or a more flexible work schedule. That’s great for the employees, but keeping track of these hybrid schedules has made it harder on your office manager. Workforce management tools like Robin let office managers control and track which employees require office access and what resources they need. Management platforms take the burden off the office manager’s hands by automating the process, letting employees book their own desks and rooms when needed.
Project Management Software
Office managers wear many hats and manage many projects, and keeping up is a daunting task. Make it easier by getting your office manager some handy project management software. These helpful online tools not only let users track the progress of multiple projects, they also allow collaboration with project team members. PM apps like Trello or Asana are good options, but there are many more out there. Both apps have freemium pricing plans, which puts limits on features like the number of collaborators, but managers at least get to try them out at no cost..
Social Media Management
Does your office manager oversee all your social media pages? Then they need a social media management platform. Apps like Hootsuite are great for managing multiple accounts at once like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter while others like Tailwind work well for specific platforms. With most apps, you can schedule posts, create ads and run analytics on your traffic. Some even alert you when someone mentions your company online. Social management apps are low cost and well worth the time saved.
Travel Planning Software
Even travel bookings and management are a part of today’s automated office. And with lockdowns and flight cancelations a regular hurdle, it helps to have a tool to manage last minute changes. Apps like TravelPerk or TripActions simplify travel bookings, letting your employees schedule their own flights, lodging and transport from their smartphones. Your travel data is centralized and checked, so you know exactly what’s happening at all times. Plus, most travel apps integrate with your expense account software, which streamlines the approval process. Look for time-saving features like platform AI that reschedules canceled or delayed flights automatically. These apps cut down planning time while improving transparency between managers and employees.
Automated Employee Gifting
Any office manager will tell you that recognizing birthdays, new babies and working anniversaries take time to plan and execute. But you can offload that task with employee gifting services like Evabot or Gifted.co. These services make sending employee gifts as simple as a few mouse clicks, and, like most automated platforms, they help manage and centralize all your purchases into one place. So, you’re making your CFO happy too! Employee recognition helps you retain valuable employees, so it’s a critical part of your business. But saying “Thank you!” doesn’t have to include the cost of your manager’s time.
After-Hours AC Automation
When your employees need to schedule after-hours electricity or HVAC on the weekends, it’s likely your office manager’s job to record and schedule it with your landlord—just another spreadsheet they need to manage. Apps like 7NOX automate utility scheduling by letting employees book their own after-hours air conditioning via their mobile phone. The app also cuts down on billing errors by accurately recording each booking’s date, time and duration. No more misunderstandings with your facilities manager or disputed charges. Plus, your office manager can trash their spreadsheet.
