Discusses buying building products from vendors and how to make the job more productive and beneficial for the facilities manager. Examines building/vendor relationships, establishing product knowledge, and using effective communication. (GR)

Presents two interviews in which university facilities managers discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing. Outsourcing is presented as one way to cut costs, but one expert warns that administrators may mistakenly use outsourcing as a temporary solution that entails few savings. Describes some of the reasons behind outsourcing and the challenges it…

Offers some key business principles with the hope of helping educational facilities managers improve their operations. Looks at customer service, disparate databases, technological concerns, the mission of facility management, how to improve the bottom line, staffing ideas, future planning, and management suggestions. Lists seven habits of…

Discusses the demands that educational facilities managers face due to their diverse customer base. Offers tips on how to keep students happy, how to appease clients during renovations, how to facilitate effective nonadversarial interaction with faculty and staff, how to act in the public eye, and how to project a positive image. (RJM)

With the increasing focus on educational facilities, facilities managers are experiencing heightened scrutiny over their roles. This report examines the kinds of questions that school board members, superintendents, and administrators are asking facilities managers and the possible consequences of this new attention, such as more outsourcing. (RJM)

Recounts what school district facilities managers learned from the flood and fire disaster in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Examines the clean-up effort, such as locating sufficient architectural and construction crews to meet repair demands, and unforeseen problems, such as toxic biological growth. Also describes the damage and repair expenses. (RJM)

Offers suggestions to school facilities departments on how to ensure student safety without impeding educational goals. Discusses popular misconceptions of violence in schools, the lack of quick fixes for school security, the implementation of security measures, how to form partnerships in crime prevention, and how to address safety concerns in…

Outlines some of the myriad factors affecting a facility's indoor air quality (IAQ). Offers strategies for addressing complaints, establishing trust, adjusting guidelines, addressing legislative concerns, and plotting a course for improved IAQ. Describes how one state was able to implement an IAQ program for its schools. (RJM)