Utilizing mechanical and cultural training sessions to provide facility optimization

Tips on providing the maintenance and operations personnel and facility operators with the training and knowledge to help them become experts of the building automation system.

By Southland Industries October 25, 2016

Facility optimization is more than just innovative building management solutions. When it comes down to it, having an open line of communication among maintenance and operations personnel and facility operators is vital for a building’s performance.

When Envise was granted the opportunity to perform the Southern California HVAC Optimization Program on the Pomona Unified School District, they took it a step further and offered 12 training sessions. The course includes 11 mechanical training sessions and one cultural session.

The training sessions were focused around Ken Blanchard’s book Gung Ho!: Turn on the People in any Organization. The book focuses on how various personalities have the ability to efficiently work together. The author explains that understanding the three key elements: the spirit of the squirrel, the way of the beaver, and the gift of the goose, is vital for all managers because they set the example.  Management must allow employees to do their own work while also voicing opinions and concerns. This removes the ego among employees and creates an equal playing field.

The spirit of the squirrel works with purpose and dedication and understands that what is done makes the world a better place. The way of the beaver completes their work their own way, working freely, and setting goals and values on clearly marked territory. The gift of the goose cheers on its peers and reiterates their importance and valued contributions.  

With each of the three elements coming together, an environment can be built on trust. All can motivate each other and provide support towards a set common goal, providing an efficient workflow. Envise specifically chose this book for the Pomona project to provide an insight to the maintenance and operations personnel and facility operators on who they are and how they fit in. The overarching goal of the program is to resolve the issue of inefficient operating equipment, aging equipment, and excessive repair and energy costs.

Envise will provide classroom and hands on equipment training to Pomona technicians, in order to prepare all trainees for the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) certification test. With NATE certification, five years of experience, and an active Environmental Protections Agency card, technicians will be able to perform Southern California Edison Optimization Equipment maintenance service and repairs. Additionally, the training sessions will include HVAC fundamental training and ASHRAE – 180 maintenance, specific to the optimization program. Once the key concepts have been mastered, all technicians will be ready to take the NATE certification exam.

By providing the Pomona Unified School District with customized training sessions, Envise hopes to provide the maintenance and operations personnel and facility operators with the training and knowledge to become experts in the operations of the school district’s building automation system, saving both energy and costs.

Krista Knapp, Senior Account Executive, is a guest blogger from Envise. This article originally appeared on Southland Industries Blog. Southland Industries is a CFE Media Content Partner.