TITLE : FACILITIES MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK.

Preface

Facilities Management Handbook was written from practical experience to consolidate, under one cover, all the necessary information at an adequate depth to guide you effectively through the intricacies of a project that may begin with site search, progress through leasing, new building construction or remodeling, and on to occupancy. This is not a theoretical exposition, but instead is a practical approach based on 30 years experience with every aspect of the material covered. These methods and concepts have been successfully used in actual situations.

The book's purpose is to bring together, in one handy volume, information usually found in separate, specialized, technical publications, in an easy-to-read style readily comprehensible and usable by both technical and nontechnical people. It was written to serve anyone responsible for building design and construction, facilities management and operations, and real estate leasing; particularly building owners and managers, industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities department personnel, plant engineering, and real estate departments. It could also be valuable to students and others planning careers in these fields. The book provides necessary information to assist sales personnel handling products and services serving the need of the above.

To obtain the greatest benefit from this book, it is important to become familiar with its contents. At first reading, the book should be skimmed from cover to cover for familiarization with the method and sequence of material presented, and to get a feel for the author's technique. Then proceed to the chapter or chapters that address your specific problem. While the chapters are organized sequentially to follow a normal progression starting with site search on through occupancy, chapters may be used individually to address specific problems, or may be combined for broad scope projects. For example, chapter I deals with site search and selection. This may be considered as a stand-alone chapter to deal with that particular problem. But if the project also includes new building construction on that site, other chapters are included that address additional necessary functions, such as, selecting design consultants, cost estimating techniques, construction administration, mechanical systems and equipment, electrical systems and equipment, and move and occupancy. Depending upon the scope of the project and the degree of your participation, you will find the necessary information in one or more chapters as required.

This book contains numerous checklists, developed by the author, designed to serve as guides in dealing with problems. Checklists are useful because they provide a written list of items that must be addressed and to eliminate the probability of oversight or omission. A typical commercial lease is included in chapter 2, and it is essential reading if you are involved in a leasing situation. Chapters 9 and 10 include typical specifications to illustrate the manner in which specifications are written, and to describe essential items that must be included. These may be used as a guide to write your own specifications when necessary or to review specifications written by consultants. Specifications and drawings are contract documents that form the basis for an agreement between an owner and contractor and should be treated accordingly.

Last, and probably most important, are the chapter summaries. They were written in the checklist technique to provide a simple step-by-step summary of the material presented or problem-solving procedure which was applicable.

In this book, like in a typical lease agreement from which it was excerpted, the words of any gender shall mean to include any other gender.

JOHN MOLNAR