HVAC training equips Facility Managers for better decision making

Today’s Facility Managers are expected to do more than just ‘keep the building running’.

The FM industry has moved on from its origins in the trades and into the realm of professional services, so Facility Managers have developed a different suite of skills to meet these demands. However, FMs still need a level of technical understanding to be able to assess and negotiate the best possible solution to improve the performance of their systems.

“Increasingly, we are finding that Facility Managers are becoming more reliant on the advice of their technical providers,” explained Precise Air’s Director Business Development, Sam La Rocca. “For example, they may not understand why they should replace a component instead of fixing it, or why it’s important to do a small upgrade now instead of being hit with a major failure in the future.”

To keep FMs up-to-date, Precise Air has developed a HVAC training for Facility Managers programme for our customers. The aim is to increase Facility Managers’ technical knowledge and confidence so that they understand the risks and benefits of maintenance and lifecycle planning.

Training includes an introduction to the various types of equipment, how the equipment works and its importance in the overall system, maintenance requirements according to Australia Standards, energy reduction tips and tricks, lifecycle management, costs of upgrades and replacements, and how to keep a system functioning efficiently.

The feedback from facility managers has been very positive.

“Our highest priority is to work in partnership with our clients so that we can work towards their financial, operation and environmental objectives,” Sam replied.

“On occasion, a Facility Manager has asked us for a second opinion because they have been told to replace an expensive system because one component has passed its useful life” said Sam. “We’ve been able to give the FM a lower cost alternative that will provide a better outcome, instead of replacing a perfectly good system. If the Facility Manager has some basic technical understanding, they will know the questions that they need to ask their service provider, to justify their approach.”

“It’s so important to build up trust between ourselves and the Facility Managers,” continued Sam. “If we educate them about their systems, then they can understand the advantages and disadvantages of going down a particular path.”

For more information about how Precise Air can help you manage your building’s HVAC systems, contact Sam La Rocca on 1300 728 250.