Facilities and Property Operations
Core concepts
Operations covers how the building is run day to day and how occupants experience it. Understand space management (allocation, chargeback, utilization), move/add/change (MAC) processes, and lease administration basics such as commencement dates, rent escalations, and operating expense pass-throughs. Know service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators used to hold vendors and in-house teams accountable. Study vendor and contract management: scope of work, performance bonds, insurance certificates, and inspection of completed work. Understand safety and compliance obligations - OSHA general duty, lockout/tagout, confined space, and emergency preparedness - plus life safety systems and evacuation planning. Learn building commissioning and retro-commissioning as tools to verify systems perform as intended. Know how workplace services (janitorial, security, mail, food service) are scoped and measured.
Traps in questions
Questions often blur commissioning (new construction/renovation verification) with retro-commissioning (existing building, no major capital). Another trap is confusing an SLA (performance expectation) with a contract (legal obligation). Watch for lease questions that mix base rent with operating expense escalations; only the pass-through portion is recoverable, subject to caps and exclusions. Do not treat a certificate of insurance as proof of competence - it only evidences coverage.
Worked rule of thumb
For vendor scorecards, weight quality, schedule, and safety. Example: quality 50%, schedule 30%, safety 20%. A vendor scoring 4/5, 3/5, and 5/5 yields (0.5×4)+(0.3×3)+(0.2×5)=2.0+0.9+1.0=3.9 of 5. Set a threshold (e.g., 3.5) below which a corrective action plan is required.