FM Frequency

Facility manager Charles Carpenter flexes his poetic muscle yet again with a fishy, fragrant take on the classic Winter holiday song, Jingle Bells. 

With gingerbread house construction a tradition for many this time of year, it may also be time to ensure the integrity of facility exteriors.

In the unpredictable arena of facility security, evaluating the organization and its physical attributes for a 360° view is an important starting point.

Is the heightened focus on collaboration and interaction in the workplace causing occupants to lose their focus?

Even the best laid sustainability initiatives can be foiled by unaware, unresponsive, or just plain unwilling occupants.

Among the many hats facility managers wear, the ability to field odd requests and mediate occupant disputes is a necessity.

Whoever said some things only get better with age probably was not a facility manager.

Cleaning policies are paramount, but other aspects impact the health quotient of a facility.

In this discussion of trimming costs, paying homage to Elvis Presley tunes seems fitting.

Churchill’s not in the running, so nominate an outstanding facility manager you know today. From the September 2013 issue.

A sprawling campus in western Arkansas is a vibrant nonprofit, multiuse facility. From the July 2013 issue.

More subtle than outright violence, hostility in the workplace can go undetected. From the May 2013 issue.

Operating a facility in another country can require some study, especially when it comes to cultural references and matters of measurement. From the March 2013 issue of Today's Facility Manager.

Any effort to increase sustainability is positive, unless it’s not. What defines sustainability for an organization depends on a variety of factors.

For facility management professionals, establishing a protocol for breastfeeding in the workplace presents its share of very practical challenges. An amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires workplaces to provide reasonable accommodations for nursing mothers.

In the second part of this examination, Carpenter breaks down the realities of finding the right player for the cleaning game in your facility.

In part one of this series, Carpenter explains how providing janitorial services to facilities can be a truly thankless task, but it doesn't have to be.

Keeping vital information up to date may seem like a tedious task, but it's one of the most essential aspects of successful operations.

When working with a multi-generational staff, facility managers must understand why employees behave in certain ways.

Carpenter makes reference to a classic 1956 Gregory Peck film to illustrate the facility professional's struggle with duality.

Think it's impossible to justify your own salary by scrimping and saving? FM Frequency Columnist Charles Carpenter suggests you think again.

Columnist Carpenter makes the humorous—yet credible—case for facility management doppelgängers.

It doesn't take all that much effort for the proactive facility manager to benefit from—rather than panic at the thought of—an OSHA inspection.

Despite sustainability's established foothold, Carpenter has some issues with its definition.

The chips will fall where they may, but FM Frequency Columnist Charles Carpenter makes the case for more sustainable corn chip consumption.

FM Frequency Columnist Charles Carpenter is all about common sense, not stage directions, with this very practical advice on fire safety in facilities.

FM Frequency Columnist Charles Carpenter takes a field trip and gains perspective on what it

When FM Frequency Columnist Charles Carpenter makes the lecture circuit at local high schools and colleges, everyone learns a little something about facilities management.

TFM Columnist Charles Carpenter tackles a controversial topic as he transitions into FM Frequency Columnist.

Sarcasm is hip deep this month as FM Frequency Columnist Jeff Crane vents his budget cutting spleen.

In challenging times, repurposing or reconfiguring facility spaces can help.

Columnist Jeff Crane ponders long-term alternative energy options in response to cap and trade possibilities

In this expanded FM Frequency offering, Jeff Crane explains how an indoor air quality complaint triggered this hypothetical investigation.

In an unprecedented act of humility (and a touch of insanity), FM Frequency Columnist Jeff Crane interviews...himself!

FM Frequency Columnist Jeff Crane makes the case for smart economic development in suburbia.

TFM Columnist Jeff Crane argues that professional development shouldn't come to a screeching halt when there's no money to participate in far flung conferences.

TFM Columnist Jeff Crane ponders the debate on how legislation should be used to direct reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

FM Frequency Columnist Jeff Crane presents this conclusion to his moldy vacation cottage investigation.

TFM Columnist Jeff Crane says the best days are ahead

In the first part of this facility riddle, Crane challenges readers to don their thinking caps.