FMLink Weekly News Digest I April 5, 2022
Lean management can help facilities develop an operations plan and countermeasure obstacles that arise. Article courtesy of fnPrime.

Facility managers are constantly looking for ways to optimize their buildings. Lean management helps managers eliminate the “wasteful tasks” from their operations, increase the value the department brings to the organization, and optimize overall operation efficiency.

Darrell X. Rounds, EV Infrastructure Strategy Lead for North America General Motors Company, has implemented Lean principles at his facility to great results. In this video, Rounds explains the Lean principle Continuous Improvement. Small, ongoing, positive changes can reap major improvements. This starts by establishing a business plan and teaching employees to execute that plan. However, obstacles will arise, so employees need to be able to counter the challenges and improve the plan.

The ioXt Alliance, a global standard for Internet of Things (IoT) security, recently announced that it is expanding its ioXt Certification Program with a new profile for Network Lighting Controls (NLC), allowing manufacturers to certify commercial lighting systems with wirelessly connected parts. Aligned with the initiatives set forth by the DesignLights Consortium (DLC), which satisfies the NLC5 requirements, the new ioXt NLC Profile brings transparency and visibility to enterprise buyers in the commercial lighting space.

Jan Bondoc, vice president of Information Technology at the ioXt Alliance, stated, "Security is crucial to the future of the commercial lighting controls industry, and we’re thrilled to announce the addition of the NLC profile, expanding the market of ioXt certifications to include a broader range of IoT products and industries. Through our collaboration with industry leaders such as the DLC, we are strengthening initiatives that advance security in smart products, while creating a safer ecosystem that brings today’s connected buildings to life."

Dodge Construction Network, in partnership with LiftMaster, recently released a new SmartMarket Brief entitled The Connected Warehouse that focuses on the rapidly growing market for sophisticated and technologically connected warehouse/distribution centers in the U.S.

Dodge is currently forecasting $53 billion of construction starts in the U.S. warehouse/distribution center market in 2022, up 1400% since 2010 and representing over one-third (36%) of the entire U.S. commercial construction sector this year.

Driven by strong consumer demand in the economy and the explosion of e-commerce retailing, these facilities are deploying sophisticated technologies to optimize performance and respond to changing demands. In addition, they are round-the-clock workplaces for a growing number of employees and require increasing levels of energy, security and safety management.

April 26-28: Facility Fusion in Austin: Benefits for you and your organization
With sweeping changes in work and workplace, it’s imperative for facility management professionals to lead their organizations to higher levels of performance and experience. Hosted by the association that has provided training, knowledge sharing and support to FMs globally for more than 40 years, IFMA’s Facility Fusion is about building future-ready leadership skills. It’s about exploring what’s possible – for our facilities, industry and careers. It’s about synthesizing ideas and industries for a new world of work.

Supercharge your ability to enable advancement, both for you and your organization. Speakers will explore the latest built environment objectives and outlooks, providing direction in every area of strategic FM leadership – operational, digital, environmental, cultural, cross-functional and transformational.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently published a Consensus Study Report, Frameworks for Protecting Workers and the Public from Inhalation Hazards, to provide recommendations for the oversight and guidance of respiratory protection in the United States.

Federal partners the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of State, as well as the CDC Foundation, commissioned this report in response to the evolving need for available and appropriate respiratory protection for workers not already within a workplace respiratory protection program, as well as for the public who could be exposed to inhalation hazards such as viruses, wildfire smoke, and mold as a part of daily life.

As part of a government-wide effort to strengthen American leadership on clean manufacturing, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announces actions to reduce emissions from building materials. GSA released two requests for information (RFIs) to gather current marketplace insights from industry, including small businesses, on the national availability of concrete and asphalt materials with environmental product declarations, low embodied carbon or superior environmental attributes. GSA will also participate in the first ever Buy Clean Task Force established by The White House Council on Environmental Quality to find ways to harness the federal government’s massive purchasing power to support low-carbon materials.

"GSA is committed to leveraging its purchasing power to support American workers and to promote cleaner U.S. industries that can produce the next generation of sustainable products and materials for a healthier, more prosperous economy," said Robin Carnahan, GSA Administrator. "As we make historic investments in America’s critical infrastructure, we look forward to partnering with industry to reduce harmful emissions, create clean energy jobs, and seize this opportunity to build a better future for everyone."

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