How often do we walk into work and take for granted that the lights are on, the heat is up, and that thing that falls under no one’s specific jurisdiction has been taken care of? If it hasn’t crossed your mind before, that is because your facilities team has already thought of it. Join two exceptional facilities managers as they share what it is like to look at buildings through a facilities lens.
Yorick de Tassigny has been the Building Planning and Maintenance Manager at City of Boise for four years. He and his team of fourteen support at least thirty buildings, including City Hall West and public safety facilities.
Do you ever have a typical day?
“It is different all the time. That is the beauty of facilities. We have a robust preventive maintenance program that is routine work, but otherwise, different needs and repairs can pop up.”
What are some new challenges you are facing?
“Dealing with the growth of Boise has been a significant challenge. We have outdated furniture systems, and with limited budgets, we are trying to be more efficient with our existing space and replace what we can.”
What are some changes you have seen happening in your facilities?
“Asking ‘Do you feel safe in your building?’ has forced us to look at how we think about the physical space. That led us to hybrid work. From a facility standpoint, we are hoping this will help solve our space limitations. Meanwhile, we are
piloting some projects with different seating elements and workstations to see what will work for other projects.”
What are some things you hope to change in the future?
“I have always been interested in having blank floors and using modular furniture or offices. Some rooms can move around, are cozy, and very quiet. I would like to introduce more of those elements into the workplace.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“I like the planning aspect of it. Looking at our buildings and finding ways to make them more efficient and build automation is really fun. We also collect data in our operations, like energy data, work orders, or labor hours, to make data-driven decisions.”
Rob Womble is the Regional Manager for the Operations, Divisions, Facilities Department at Power Engineers. He directly manages twenty-four individuals on three separate teams maintaining fifty-five offices around the U.S. and Canada. One of the teams designs and implements new locations and expansions.
Do you ever have a typical day?
“No, I get phone calls at three in the morning that a door isn’t secure. We get involved in natural disasters dealing with locals, contractors, or insurance companies. There is hardly ever a typical day, and I think that has drawn my employees to work here.”
What are some new challenges you are facing?
“Prior to COVID, our biggest challenge was keeping up with our own internal growth. We have been expanding and taking on new locations, and trying to do that with a small crew is hard.”
What are some changes you have seen happening in your facilities?
“I have been here for fifteen years. Something that has changed in my role is the effort and drive behind sustainability. We have always been involved in our communities and recycling. Two of our buildings operate with solar power. We are working more towards documenting to understand our impact on the
environment and how to mitigate that. We truly believe in being responsible and are proud of that effort.”
What are some things you hope to change in the future?
“We are looking at the future through the lens of the employee experience, and that is exciting for me. Our employees can work from home or in the office, so we are trying to utilize space to draw them into the office.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“The people I manage are absolutely phenomenal. I would put them up against anybody anywhere at any time, and they would blow the other folks out of the water. Beyond that, I have been very fortunate when it comes to the people who managed me in my career. I have never worked for a company that puts as much focus on the employee to develop their career and support them.”
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