In episode 154 of the Asset Champion podcast, host Mike Petrusky speaks with Shawn Morgal, vice president of facilities management and operations and maintenance at The Building People. They talk about his role helping federal and local government agencies with FM and O&M business lines. Morgal shares his thoughts on the state of the facility and asset management industries. They then discuss the federal government’s focus on savings and reduction efforts and the need for effective lifecycle asset management planning and customer alignment The integration of building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins in the construction and operations phases can significantly improve the reliability and efficiency of facility management, and Morgal stresses the importance of involving end users like skilled trades technicians in the adoption of new technologies. They also compare their experiences at the Capital Chapter of IFMA and talk about taking inspiration from music.
Agenda
- Role and responsibilities of facility and asset managers
- Importance of recognizing the staff who perform the work
- Impact of deferred maintenance on facilities
- Role of partnerships in service delivery
- Potential of technology, especially AI, in facility management
What you need to know: Facility and maintenance takeaways
Takeaway 1: The backbone of facility management is skilled tradespeople, and recognizing their contributions is essential for the success of any building
“You could have the best facility manager overseeing any building in any location, but you really need to understand and appreciate that it’s the boots that are on the ground, the hands that are turning the wrenches, the staff that is keeping those facilities conditioned and clean and safe and accessible,” Morgal explains.
What this means for facility managers: “Don’t forget to recognize your teams that are doing the work,” he says, encouraging leaders to always acknowledge and support the skilled technicians who are the backbone of every facility. Their work is indispensable for the building’s functionality and the overall success of facility management operations.
Takeaway 2: Embracing AI and technology in facility management can lead to significant improvements in areas like predictive maintenance and energy optimization, but it must include the end users in the process
“AI technologies are critical to at this point embrace and utilize. I don’t think there’s any way that you’re going to navigate around there, so accepting those and adapting to AI technologies is imperative,” Morgal says.
However, he also cautions against overlooking the people who will be interacting with these technologies.
“One of the biggest challenges is going to be the user, the end user, the skilled trades technicians that are on site that might be looking for that information that have the valve or find that pipe or find that, you know, switch,” he says. “It’s important that we do not overlook the importance of keeping them in that seat next to us as we navigate that train down the tracks. We don’t want to leave them at the station because of all of that effort that you’re putting into it to get that train up to speed.”
Takeaway 3: Building strong relationships and partnerships with clients is crucial for effective facility management
“It’s extremely important to not only be a service provider to your client, but to be a partner in the execution of those services. You’re contracted to deliver a service, and it works most effectively when you partner with your customer to do that,” Morgal says.
His analogy to illustrate the point: “I often equate facility management to escape rooms. I had an opportunity to talk to a group of young professionals, 39 and younger, and they asked me, ‘What do you do in facilities?’ And I said, ‘Is there anybody in here that enjoys an escape room?’ A lot of them raised their hands. I said, ‘Well, you would be a great facility manager. You have to be able to take those clues and be able to troubleshoot and identify and solve sometimes very complex problems.’”
Maintenance management insights
- The federal government’s focus on savings and reduction efforts has highlighted the need for better facility management and asset maintenance.
- Facility management is like an escape room, where problem-solving and collaboration are essential.
- Technology, especially AI, is critical for modern facility management, with applications in predictive maintenance, energy optimization, space utilization, and safety and risk management.
- Ensuring a new generation of skilled trades technicians is vital for the future of facility management.
Do a deep dive into more asset management insights by exploring all Asset Champion Podcast episodes.
