[Skip to Content]

Facility Manager User Guide

This guide covers using the Sustainable Facilities Tool to assist you in the maintenance and care of your faciilty. The SFTool can assist with the following responsibilities:
I. Building & Grounds Management II. Space Management III. Procurement Management
  • Protecting and optimizing assets
  • Maintaining building systems and exterior surroundings
  • Ensuring a suitable working environment for employees and activities
  • Selection of carpet, paint, office furniture, etc
  • Managing budget by selecting cost effective items that facilitates the working environment

I. Building & Grounds Management

"As a Facility Manager, I am responsible for increasing my building’s energy efficiency and optimizing the use of natural resources in my building."

Protecting and optimizing assets

  1. Explore possible sustainable building systems upgrades, including the latest technologiesopens in new window
  2. Identify potential building system impacts on resources, finance, humans, and operations and maintenanceopens in new window
  3. View opportunities to bundle system improvements to improve efficiencyopens in new window
  4. Aim to reach Net Zero Energy by balancing energy efficiency efforts with renewable energy generationopens in new window
  5. Shape energy loads using grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) strategiesopens in new window

Maintaining building systems and exterior surroundings

  1. Expand your knowledge with training through the Facilities Management Institute (FMI)opens in new window
  2. Consider Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of whole building systemsopens in new window
  3. Develop a Solid Waste Management plan to reduce, reuse, and recycleopens in new window
  4. Explore resources for the sustainable procurement of services, such as previous solicitations and potential clausesopens in new window
Hover over a number to the left to update
Back to Top

II. Space Management

"As a Facility Manager, I can increase the satisfaction of my building occupants and increase worker productivity by including thoughtful indoor environmental quality (IEQ) details in the design and operation of a space."

Ensuring a suitable working environment for employees and activities

  1. Benchmark workplace quality and measure improvementsopens in new window
  2. View a list of sustainable strategies for several types of projectsopens in new window
  3. Learn how building operations can impact the health of occupantsopens in new window
  4. Compare materials in multiple interior office spaces for IEQ attributesopens in new window
  5. View design guidance for selected materials/systemsopens in new window
  6. Reference relevant federal requirements for selected materials/systems, such as Executive Orders and Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildingsopens in new window
Hover over a number to the left to update
Back to Top

III. Procurement Management

"As a Facility Manager, I should follow protocols that encourage the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced, and transported products and materials. I should also be vigilant about reducing waste, re-using items, and recycling materials at the end of their useful life."

Selection of carpet, paint, office furniture, etc

  1. View best practices for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipmentopens in new window
  2. Compare potential materials for each office space by environmental criteriaopens in new window
  3. Identify sustainable products in the Green Procurement Compilation (GPC), including cleaning and landscaping suppliesopens in new window
  4. Search for compliant brand-name sustainable productsnon government site opens in new window
  5. Buy sustainable products through GSA Schedules

Managing budget by selecting cost effective items that facilitates the working environment

  1. Utilize integrated teams to identify synergies that reduce the initial and operating costs of materials and systemsopens in new window
  2. Identify potential cost-effective facility upgradesopens in new window
  3. Determine financial impacts of system upgradesopens in new window
  4. Apply product life cycle findings to realize further operational savingsopens in new window
Hover over a number to the left to update
Back to Top

Community

Break down the silos!

As a Facility Manager, I don’t live or work in a bubble.

To deliver a successful project, I regularly work with a variety of professionals who would benefit from the value of the SFTool.

Integrative Design Process
General Contractors Occupants
Manufacturers Project Managers
Procurement Professionals Architects
Engineers Owners
Decision Makers Maintenance Personnel
Specialized Consultants Interior Designers

Learn more about the Integrative Design Process

Stay up to date by signing up for the SFTool Newsletter below!

See ‘Newsletters’ under Apply for other newsletters of interest from GSA, DOD, and DOE.