Issue link: http://digital.corporatepress.com/i/143540
FPI FM Success Through Analytics The APPA Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) is perhaps one of the most powerful analytical tools that institutional facilities professionals have at their disposal. It is a diagnostic facilities performance management tool that addresses the essential questions that facilities executives must answer to effectively perform their roles. It can provide the data that highlights current levels of performance and opportunities for potential improvement. And, the metrics that it provides range from the strategic to tactical. Why are Facilities Metrics Necessary? A few years ago I heard an APPA regional vice president say to a regional conference audience that they should consider participating in the FPI because "it provided information that their boss would be interested in." The implication of this statement could be that the FPI is not too useful for facilities management executives – but, their bosses want to know what is happening. Or, it could suggest that facilities personnel should be effectively managing what their bosses are interested in. Either way, it struck me that there seemed to be a somewhat "reactive" intonation about the value of the FPI directly to the institutional chief facilities executive. I firmly believe that the 24 | july/august 2013 | Facilities Manager FM professional would do well to aggressively embrace the FPI as a tool to effectively manage their facilities operations. Although many institutions are seeing some budgetary relief with recent economic trends, this is being countered by current public pressure and expectations for the costs of higher education to be controlled. There have been several articles published in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times in the past few months reflecting the public expectations being placed on both public and private institutions in controlling costs and managing resources effectively. In addition, the rising cost of higher education was the central theme of APPA's 2013 Thought Leaders symposium.