Upcoming Seminars
Get Out Of The Back Room: Keys To Developing And Growing Your Career
Friday, October 28th – 2:45 to 4:00
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
If you want a career, not just a job in FM, you have to go beyond delivering service and managing assets and implement techniques and approaches that position your department and get attention for the results you deliver. This will enhance the image of you and your department within your organization and further support your drive for influence and success in a new, complex business environment.
The traditional FM is often neither seen nor heard, quietly and successfully managing and delivering services from the background. When things go well, nobody notices. When things go badly, you are always front and centre.
Changing this dynamic is the only way to change perception of the FM role.
This seminar looks at the evolution of the FM role and outlines some key things you can do to transform how FM is seen in your organization and the influence you have.
From developing strategy to leveraging resources, communicating to influence and positioning your department as a leader in your organization, this seminar will deliver ideas and strategies you can implement to make a difference.
Use KPIs? Stop Driving The Wrong Behaviour and Suppressing Motivation
Tuesday, November 7th – Time to be announced
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
This seminar reveals what truly motivates us, why the traditional reward/penalty systems for managing contracts are counterproductive and how changes can be implemented to maximize results.
The scientific research and studies are not new but as an industry, we’ve been stuck in the traditional reward/penalty approach to managing service providers largely based on the original IT outsourcing model and an adversarial view to supplier/client relationships often fostered by procurement departments.
With a very mature and sophisticated industry and supplier market, its time to stop abdicating our management responsibility to an inflexible KPI/Service Level Agreement model and adapt it with scientific principles that allow us to manage the behavior and motivation not just of the supplier as a corporate entity, but also of the skilled professionals who actually provide services.
After this seminar, participants will understand the principles of motivation and behavior based on scientific studies and examples learn how the industry’s current approach generally goes against the scientific principles, and how to integrate the principles into their own contract management model either instead of or alongside the typical KPI’s and Service Level Agreements.
Procuring Success – Essential elements that both buyers and service contractors need to know
Tuesday, October 18 – 4pm – 5pm
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Whether you’re procuring Janitorial services or responding to a procurement process, understanding what’s required to bring the client and service contractors together for success during the procurement process is as important as the price. After all, you’ll be working together for the duration of the contract.
Buyers will learn what to include in bid documents, what questions to ask, how the service providers are likely to react, how to evaluate and how to differentiate the bidders. Service contractors will lean what matters to buyers, why it’s included in bid documents, what the buyer is looking for and how the proposal responses are evaluated.
Both buyers and bidders will find out what elements matter most to get results and jointly succeed in the delivery of services. Whether it’s risk sharing, quality assurance, reporting, staffing practices, supervision, equipment selection and even pricing models, when you and you client or supplier are on the same page, you are more likely to succeed together.
Target Your Clients by understanding what drives them
Tuesday, October 18 – 2:45pm – 3:45pm
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
You probably adjust your tasks and routines based on the type of building you’re cleaning, but have you thought about the real differences between your clients? By understanding the differences, what their issues are, what they need to be successful, how price affects them and why Customer Service matters, you will be able to deliver better service, adapt your pricing models, adjust your communications and interaction with them and their own internal customers. In other words, instead of treating your customers all the same, you will adapt to their specific needs. A little knowledge will help you attract and retain these widely different clients and grow your business.
Get Results and Get Ahead: Keys to Developing — and Growing — Your FM Career
Wednesday, March 16, 9:00 – 10:30 – Special Members Session
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Join Facility Management consultant, author, speaker and trainer Michel Theriault for a dynamic, highly interactive session aimed at identifying the best practices — and common pitfalls — in nurturing a successful career in the facility management field. From improving your communication style to increasing customer and stakeholder satisfaction to implementing a business approach to managing a building, the ideas presented here will provide attendees with a comprehensive game plan that improves efficiency, enhances services and reduce costs while demonstrating the unique value of the FM function within an organization.
Learning objectives:
- Create an influential communication style
- Utilize strategic planning processes to improve facility operations
- Get Better Results From Staff, Systems and Suppliers
- Position the FM department — and yourself — as a leader within your organization
General Session : Hot Topic Panel Discussion – The Evolution of FM
Boston, MA, USA
Winning Enough Business? Write Better Proposals!
Tuesday, April 19, 9:00 – 10:30
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Learn how to write winning proposals from an industry expert who has written successful proposals for one of the largest Janitorial contractors and for the largest FM outsourcing provider in Canada.
With over 20 years in the Facility & Property Management industry, Michel is both a consultant to Facility & Property Managers and an advisor to suppliers writing proposals within the industry.
Through his consulting firm, Strategic Advisor, he helps Facility & Property Managers procure services, including developing RFPs and evaluating the proposal responses. He also helps suppliers develop compelling proposal responses through effective techniques and strategies that make a difference when the client and their evaluators make their decisions. With his experience on both sides of the table, he has a unique perspective on what it takes to write a winning proposal.
This seminar is based on his book “Win More Business, Write Better Proposals” and covers some of the most important techniques you need to know to win more business. By registering early, you can get a copy for only $15 with pick-up at the seminar.
Sparring Partners – Managing Service Agreements
Tuesday, May 17th, 3:00-3:30pm
Birmingham, UK
Subcontract and outsourcing deals are often called ‘partnerships’ but is it reality or illusion? The word partnership is used by both clients and service providers, so it’s easy to believe it. The reality is that the procurement, contract, KPI’s, service levels and ongoing management seldom foster a successful relationship.
Based on my past experience managing suppliers in-house and an FM outsourced provider, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. It starts with the procurement but it takes two willing parties to make it work. This seminar takes a hard look at the problem and outlines the solution based on real experience and leading practices for performance measurement, management and driving behavior.
The reliance on suppliers/outsourcing in CRE as well as the drive for lower costs has driven the supplier industry to a low initial cost, commodity basis with little regard for value or the ‘total cost’ of a service relationship over the term of the contract.
By understanding the issues and how procurement, contracts, KPI’s and other elements truly affect the ongoing management and results of a service contract on a practical, not theoretical basis, CRE managers will re-consider what they think about the issues and change their approach, building a better relationship with their supplier and contributing to a healthier industry while getting better results.
Key Learning Objectives
- Learn a new way of looking at the relationship with suppliers and the structural elements that impact that relationship and why they matter to get results instead of just low cost.
- Learn that relying on KPI’s and Service levels as their main performance tool is can have unintended consequences.
- See examples presented from someone who has been on both sides of the table in the past living an outsourcing relationship and seeing how bad supplier relationships can stifle creativity, dampens passion and drives bad behavior.
Strategic Benchmarking : A Physical Resources Case Study
Monday, June 20th, time to be determined
Calgary, Canada
The University of Guelph’s Physical Resources Department went beyond general benchmarking and implemented a more in-depth peer-based benchmarking process with 6 other Universities to augment existing benchmarking data from APPA.
Learn why they took this step, how the study was done and the differences between general benchmarking and the process used by the University of Guelph’s Physical Resources Department. See what insight it provided about things like staffing ratios, organizational design, service approach, constraints, funding, operational practices, how each organization deals with common issues, how they compare with the broader industry and options for improvement.
Whether you want to see how strategic benchmarking can be used or you want to know more about the facilities professionals who keep the lights on and buildings open, you will gain valuable insight from this session.
Previous Seminars
- “Strategic Facilities Management” – 2 day Workshop in Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2010 (for Corporate client)
- “Winning Enough Business? It’s All in Your Pen!” – at the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) conference, Orlando, Florida, November, 2010
- “The Write Way to Influence Others and Enhance Image” – at the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) conference, Orlando, Florida, November, 2010
- “Developing Effective RFPs” – at the IIDEX / Neocon conference, Toronto, Ontario, September 2010
- “Developing Effective RFPs” – at the OAPPA (Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators) conference, Waterloo, Ontario, Jun 2010
- “Peeling Back The Layers on P3 Deals” – at the CAUBO (Canadian Association of University Business Officers) conference’s FM pre-conference session, St.Johns, Newfoundland, June 2010
- “Intelligent Benchmarking & Beyond” at the IFMA World Workplace conference in Orlando, Oct. 2009
- “Manage, Don’t Just Measure“ at the International Maintenance Excellence Conference (IMEC) hosted by the University of Toronto, September 2009
- “Improving FM Visibility and Value” at the IIDEX/Neocon conference in Toronto, September 2009
- “Intelligent Benchmarking” at the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) National Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, April 2009
- “Strategic Facilities Management” – 3 day Workshop in Dubai, UAE, November 2008
- “Strategic Communications for FM” – Seminar at IIDEX/Neocon Conference, Toronto, September, 2008
- “Performance Management” – Federated Press ‘Reinventing Maintenance’ conference, September 2008
- “Successful RFP’s” – Honeywell Users Group (client conference) Scottsdale, Arizona, June 2008
- “Performance Management for Better Results” – PM Expo (Toronto) November, 2007
- Moderated ‘What is Green’ panel at the IIDEX/Neocon show in Toronto, September 29, 2006
- “Planning, Implementing and Managing an Outsourcing Contract” – BOMA North American Conference (Anaheim, California), June 2005
- “Optimizing Supplier Performance – Getting Results Like Never Before” – BOMA North American Conference (Anaheim, California), June 2005
- “Expose your costs for better decisions” - BOMA North American Conference (Toronto), June 2004
- “Between a Rock and A Hard Place: Customer Service in Corporate Facilities” – BOMA North American Conference (Toronto), June 2004
- “Between a Rock and A Hard Place: Customer Service in Corporate Facilities” – US General Services Agency Regional Directors Meeting (Austin, Tx) October, 2004
- “Senior Executive Round table On Common Issues, Major Trends And Key challenges In Real Estate Operations” – Panel member at PM Forum (Toronto) December 2003
- “Get Performance like you never did before” – Total Facility Management Conference (Chicago), April 2003
- “Shining Light on ‘The Dark Side” – Outsourcing from an Outsourcer’s perspective’ – Presented to IFMA Chapter members, Toronto, May 2001
·“Winning Enough Business? It’s All in Your Pen!” – at the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) conference, Orlando, Florida, November, 2010
·“The Write Way to Influence Others and Enhance Image”– at the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) conference, Orlando, Florida, November, 2010
·“Developing Effective RFPs” – at the IIDEX / Neocon conference, Toronto, Ontario, September 2010
·“Developing Effective RFPs” – at the OAPPA (Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators) conference, Waterloo, Ontario, Jun 2010
·“Peeling Back The Layers on P3 Deals” – at the CAUBO (Canadian Association of University Business Officers) conference’s FM pre-conference session, St.Johns, Newfoundland, June 2010
·“Intelligent Benchmarking & Beyond” at the IFMA World Workplace conference in Orlando, Oct. 2009
· “Manage, Don’t Just Measure” at the International Maintenance Excellence Conference (IMEC) hosted by the University of Toronto, September2009
·“Improving FM Visibility and Value” at the IIDEX/Neocon conference in Toronto, September 2009
·“Intelligent Benchmarking” at the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) National Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, April 2009
·“Strategic Facilities Management” – 3 day Workshop in Dubai, UAE, November 2008
· “Strategic Communications for FM” – Seminar at IIDEX/Neocon Conference, Toronto, September, 2008
·“Performance Management” – Federated Press ‘Reinventing Maintenance’ conference, September 2008
·“Successful RFP’s” – Honeywell Users Group (client conference) Scottsdale, Arizona, June 2008
·“Performance Management for Better Results” – PM Expo (Toronto) November, 2007
·Moderated ‘What is Green’ panel at the IIDEX/Neocon show in Toronto, September 29, 2006
·“Planning, Implementing and Managing an Outsourcing Contract” – BOMA North American Conference (Anaheim, California), June 2005
·“Optimizing Supplier Performance – Getting Results Like Never Before” – BOMA North American Conference (Anaheim, California), June 2005
·“Expose your costs for better decisions” - BOMA North American Conference (Toronto), June 2004
·“Between a Rock and A Hard Place: Customer Service in Corporate Facilities” – BOMA North American Conference (Toronto), June 2004
·“Between a Rock and A Hard Place: Customer Service in Corporate Facilities” – US General Services Agency Regional Directors Meeting(Austin, Tx) October, 2004
·“Senior Executive Roundtable On Common Issues, Major Trends And Key challenges In Real Estate Operations”– Panel member at PM Forum (Toronto) December 2003
·“Get Performance like you never did before” – Total Facility Management Conference (Chicago), April 2003
·“Shining Light on ‘The Dark Side” – Outsourcing from an Outsourcer’s perspective’ – Presented to IFMA Chapter members, Toronto, May 2001
