Run your building like an athlete

Whether you are a sideline spectator or a fierce competitor, any sports aficionado has witnessed the test of time. That point when things don't work quite like they used to: when tennis elbows and creaky knees mean deteriorating performance. Or, worse yet, the threat of injury nips at the heels. Like any machine or piece of equipment, our bodies have limits, require regular maintenance cycles, and in the event of a malfunction, warrant repair.

Like the human body, building systems and equipment are also subject to wear and tear, overuse, and ultimately breakdown without proper care. But beyond the obvious parallel, where can athletes and building operators find common ground?

When you think about the athlete's paradigm, it's easy to sit with eyes fixed on the rearview mirror after an injury has taken place. A tweak here, an adjustment there, and perhaps the athlete would be in the game, rather than on the injured list. After all, hindsight is 20-20. But, what if foresight was 20-20 too, and athletes used tried and true statistical facts to predict injury and took steps to prevent it? To that end, what if building operators used statistical data to preempt breakdown in a way that goes beyond routine preventative maintenance?

Read more:  http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2012/06/04/run-your-building-like-athlete