A greener attitude: our new survey results show environmental awareness is driving purchase decisions for facilities construction and products and services.When university business put together the "Going Green While Saving Green" special section in our June June: see month. issue, we were in the process of conducting a related survey of higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. facilities with E&I Cooperative cooperative Organization owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services. Cooperatives have been successful in such fields as the processing and marketing of farm products and the purchasing of other kinds of equipment and raw materials, and in the Purchasing, a higher ed buying cooperative. The purpose was to explore various environmental and sustainability issues related to the procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases. of higher education facilities products and services. The study, titled "Institutions of Higher Education: A Study of Facilities and Environmental Considerations," focused on campus facilities planners and managers; college presidents; and finance, business, purchasing, and academics managers at 470 colleges and universities. Now the 65-page executive summary of that survey can be downloaded from www.universitybusiness.com/facilities or www.eandi.org See .org. (networking) org - The top-level domain for organisations or individuals that don't fit any other top-level domain (national, com, edu, or gov). Though many have .org domains, it was never intended to be limited to non-profit organisations. RFC 1591. . As social factors are driving more environmentally responsible solutions on campus, top management has become directly involved in green/ sustainability decisions. That trend is supported in the study results. Overall, 84 percent of respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. indicated that their schools take sustainability issues into consideration when deciding on facility construction/renovation, as well as on purchases of new products, equipment, systems, and services ranging from janitorial to office products and furnishings furnishings the extra type or quantity of hair on the head, tail, ears or legs, specified for a particular breed. For example, the feathers in setters, the beard in Bearded collies, the eyebrows in Schnauzers. . With recent increases in energy costs, they are willing to invest more in energy-efficient products and construction that will pay off quickly in energy cost-savings--enabling them to "go green" while saving "green." This rising green tide is creating demand for many other green/sustainable products and services. The report also examines the use of environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] vendors when outsourcing (1) Contracting with outside consultants, software houses or service bureaus to perform systems analysis, programming and datacenter operations. Contrast with insourcing. See netsourcing, ASP, SSP and facilities management. various campus services; driving factors to green approaches are also examined. "This study reveals that planning, building, and purchasing by colleges and universities are more heavily influenced by green and sustainable considerations than ever before," notes Tom Fitzgerald Tom Fitzgerald can refer to:
The Green Equation With energy costs soaring soaring: see flight; glider. soaring or gliding Sport of flying a glider or sailplane. The craft is towed behind a powered airplane to an altitude of about 2,000 ft (600 m) and then released. and an increased awareness of environmental issues, institutions have major opportunities to introduce both environmentally sound and energy-saving energy-saving adj [policy] → para ahorrar energía; [device] → que ahorra energía n → ahorro de energía energy-saving technologies and approaches. Many schools have already committed to embracing these principles, and there is a strong trend toward doing so. Therefore, with the commitment and the investments already in place, expect to see significant growth in greener universities and colleges. There is a distinct trend among colleges and universities toward environmental sensitivity. Regardless of whether that trend is driven by altruistic al·tru·ism n. 1. Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness. 2. Zoology Instinctive cooperative behavior that is detrimental to the individual but contributes to the survival of the species. reasons, cost savings, or governmental pressures, or whether it's it's 1. Contraction of it is. 2. Contraction of it has. See Usage Note at its. it's it is or it has it's be ~have prompted by students and management, the result is a major shift to green: * Compared with three or four years ago, two-thirds of universities and colleges are placing greater emphasis on green approaches. * One of three now has or will likely have offices of sustainability. * Nine of 10 take sustainability into account in deciding upon new products and equipment. * Three-quarters Noun 1. three-quarters - three of four equal parts; "three-fourths of a pound" three-fourths common fraction, simple fraction - the quotient of two integers three-quarters npl → are switching to environmentally friendly janitorial products equipment. * Nine of 10 will use green criteria criteria (krītēr´ē  ),n. the next time they evaluate consumable A material that is used up and needs continuous replenishment, such as paper and toner. "The low-tech end of the high-tech field!" products. * Three-quarters will consider LEED certification in future construction or renovation projects. * And nine of 10 will use green criteria the next time they evaluate building products and furnishings. As leaders in adopting socially conscious initiatives, it is clear that colleges and universities have embraced the issue of environmental responsibility. Therefore, implementing such initiatives will likely become a requirement for institutions desiring to be in the mainstream of higher education. Construction and Renovation Plans College and university construction projects have continued to grow in recent years, with 2005 being the single most expensive year on record ($14.5 billion spent on construction and renovation projects). The institutions studied are heavily engaged in both new building construction (59% with current projects) and building modernization/ renovation (63% with current projects). Moreover, 88% were involved, or plan to be involved, with new building construction (spanning the 18 months prior to the survey to 24 months in the future). Half the institutions now spend $4.3 million or more annually on these new building initiatives. When it comes to the modernization modernization Transformation of a society from a rural and agrarian condition to a secular, urban, and industrial one. It is closely linked with industrialization. As societies modernize, the individual becomes increasingly important, gradually replacing the family, and renovation of existing buildings, the numbers are even higher. Ninety-four percent of the institutions were involved with or plan to be involved with building modernization or renovation. At institutions currently modernizing or renovating, the typical institution expects to spend an average of just over $12 million in relation to all construction and renovation projects combined (the median is $4,312,000). Outsourcing The survey indicates that outsourcing is proving to be yet another method of saving green. A growing number of higher ed institutions see the value and practicality of turning over various facilities operations to outside specialty firms. Nine of 10 institutions outsource outsource verb To assign specific work to a 3rd party for a specific length of time at an set price and service level Managed care To use outside labor to perform functions–billing and collections, accounting, janitorial services, ER facility operation activities. Primary among them are food/dining services (66%), cleaning/maintenance/custodial services (34%), groundskeeping Groundskeeping is the activity of tending an area of land for aesthetic or functional purposes; typically in an institutional setting. It includes mowing grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc. A person who engages in this work is called a groundskeeper. services (25%), and security services Security services are state institutions for the provision of intelligence, primarily of a strategic nature, but also including protective security intelligence. Examples include the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in the United Kingdom, and the (23%). Broad-Based broad-based Of or relating to an index or average that provides a good representation of the overall market. The S&P 500 and NYSE Composite are generally regarded as broad-based stock indexes, while the popular Dow Jones Industrial Average is biased Decision-Making decision-making, n the process of coming to a conclusion or making a judgment. decision-making, evidence-based, n a type of informal decision-making that combines clinical expertise, patient concerns, and evidence gathered from Not only are respondents to this survey involved in the decision process affecting facilities, but most are also leaders in moving their campuses forward to adopt new approaches and technologies. Most are involved from beginning to end in the selection of suppliers and products, their decisions impact a large number of different types of buildings, and they have management responsibilities for groups that decide upon facilities. The survey sought to determine what types of managers are involved with specifying or purchasing decisions related to operations, renovations, and construction. For more than half of survey respondents, the list of responsible parties includes facilities and plant management (88%), executive management (83%), financial management (67%), business management (61%), purchasing management (58%), academic management (57%), and planning management (49%). Clearly, decision-making is a multidisciplinary mul·ti·dis·ci·pli·nar·y adj. Of, relating to, or making use of several disciplines at once: a multidisciplinary approach to teaching. function at most institutions, and leadership roles are spread across a range of different functions. Facility and plant management is heavily involved, but so are financial and business managers, purchasing and planning managers, and academic managers. Therefore, the process of planning and implementing changes to facilities is seen as a multidisciplinary activity that involves the needs, opinions, and perspectives of the spectrum of campus management. Methodology The survey was conducted online from May to June by Akel & Associates on behalf of University Business and E&I Cooperative Purchasing. All respondents to the study are involved in the specifying or purchasing process Purchasing Purchasing is the formal process of buying goods and services. The Purchasing Process can vary from one organization to another but there are some key elements that are common throughout The process usually starts with a 'Demand' or requirements affecting 470 university/college facilities. Their organizations span all types of institutions (two- and four-year institutions, public and private, large and small). Respondents were qualified as to their involvement with specifying or purchasing decisions affecting their institution's facilities. The results in this report reflect only professionals who are involved with facility purchasing decisions. Additional data and tables are available upon request, with cross tabs by Institution Type (2-year, 4-year+); Enrollment Size; Private/Public; and Respondents' Title/function (top management, financial/business managers, facilities and planning managers, academic managers.) For more information, contact David Fales, publisher, at 203-663-0100, or write dfales@universitybusiness.com. Martin Akel is a N.J.-based market analyst. To what degree does your institution take "sustainability" into account when deciding upon products, equipment, and systems? In the decision process for new products, equipment, systems, and services, 84% of the institutions take into account the sustainability of the products/services--specifically, that they maximize resources, produce minimal waste, can be recycled, etc. Almost half (42%) report that sustainability plays a significant role. Very significant part of decisions 7.9% Significant part of decisions 33.6% Subtotal Very significant + Significant 41.5% Somewhat significant 43.0% Subtotal, Very significant + Significant 4.5% + Somewhat significant Not very significant 15.4% Note: Table made from bar graph. Does your institution weigh suppliers' "green" advantages during the vendor evaluation process? In addition to performance and price considerations, 82% of the institutions also evaluate a supplier's ability to offer products, equipment, systems, or services that have "green" advantages or have been designed/ manufactured with sustainability in mind. More than one-third (38%) state that they take these elements into consideration "almost always" or "usually." Always/Almost Always 9.9% Usually 28.1% Subtotal, Always/Almost Always + Usually 38.0% Sometimes 44.4% Subtotal, Always/Almost Always + Usually + Sometimes 44.4% Rarely/Never 17.6% Annual expenditures on construction/modernization/renovation: In their current fiscal year, excluding land purchases, the typical institution expects to spend an average of $ 12,039,000 relating to all construction/modernization/renovation projects combined (median=$4,312,000). Less than $ 100K (7.0) $100K-499K (13.5) $500K-999K (8.6) $1 mill.-9.9 mill. (25.1) $10 mill.-19.9 mill. (13.0) $20 mill.-29.9 mill. (6.2) $30 mill.-39.9 mill. (3.8) $40 mill.-49.9 mill. (3.5) $50 mill. or more (7.8) Note: Table made from bar graph. Types of facility operations that are outsourced: Nine of ten institutions (87%) outsource facility operation activities. Primary among them are food service/dining services (66%), cleaning/maintenance/custodial services (34%), groundskeeping services (25%), and security services (23%). Food service/dining services 65.7% Cleaning/maintenance/custodial services 33.6% Groundskeeping services 25.3% Security services 23.1% Laundry services 20.3% Other outsourced facility services 12.8% Energy monitoring/management 11.1% Residence/dorms management 5.4% Conference center management 4.1% Do not outsource any services 12.6% Note: Table made from bar graph. |
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