When we launched the FMXcellence program last year, we weren’t sure what kind of response to expect. The idea for the program was to recognize facility management departments that were adding significant value to their organizations. We knew that there were plenty of facility departments doing just that. But we could only guess at how many would participate in our fledgling program and what kinds of efforts they would submit.
Would we get projects and programs that had documented impact on the organization? Would they reflect a diversity of approaches?
The answer to those questions is “yes.” Go to the FMXcellence group on this site and check out the highlights of the companies receiving FMXcellence recognition.
Clearly, the efforts that are receiving FMXcellence recognition made a difference. And they are nothing if not diverse. One fast-track project — creating new emergency room space to prepare for a burgeoning health threat — took a single day. By contrast, the massive program to upgrade the central plant at a major university took more than a decade and a half.
What ties those projects and programs together is that all of them meet the test of adding value by addressing goals and adopting methods that extend beyond the facility department. They transformed school districts, aligned facility strategies with organizational strategies, built partnerships and cut costs by educating occupants about the importance of energy efficiency.
As good as those projects and programs are, it wasn’t easy to decide which efforts should get FMXcellence honors. We received many strong entries, and were in the fortunate position of being able to select the best of the best. The FMXcellence honorees deserve congratulations, but so do many other FM departments. Hats off to them as well.