Bridging Business & Buildings:

A Master Planning Approach

Intr oduction

Anna Thurston, MS, FMP

Vice President of Facility Consulting, FM Solutions
As Vice President of Facility Consulting, Anna Thurston has overall responsibility for
the formulation and execution of strategic facilities plans through the application of
behavioral science, performance-based metrics, and the application of technology.
With a Bachelor of Science in Planning and a Master’s in Construction Management
with a focus on Facilities Management, Anna brings a background in analytical and
systems-based research to the FM Solutions team. Her research includes
geographic analysis of environmental and societal linkages in developing regions of
Nepal, as well as performance-based measurement of sustainability in low-budget
environments throughout the desert Southwest of Arizona.

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Master Planning
Approach & Process

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W hy Cr eate a Master P lan?

• Space = Money
• Accurately forecast / Manage
capital and operational cost
• Ability to make informed
decisions
• Optimize existing assets
• Minimize risk / increase safety
• Consolidate/enhance
organizational services
• Create business case for facilities
projects and donor funding

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Tr aditional P lanning A p pr oach

Business Building
Needs Needs

Tactical Action Plan

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Inte g r ated P lanning A ppr oach

Reliability
Maintenance
Plans & Strategies
Mandates & Policy

BUSINESS INTEGRATED BUILDING

NEEDS NEEDS NEEDS

Top Down
Headcount Fluctuation
Space Utilization
Technology
Security

Strategic Action Plan

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Tr aditional Client E nga gement

VISION
Bottom Up Executive 30,000 Feet

Top Down
Management 10,000 Feet

Frontline 5,000 Feet

NEEDS

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Inte g r ated Client E nga gement

VISION
30,000 Feet 10,000 Feet 5,000 Feet

NEEDS
Executive Management Frontline

ALIGNMENT OF VISION & NEEDS

Comprehensive
Knowledge of
Client’s
Business

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Phase 1
Investigation & Discovery

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Define S uccess Criteria

• Start With the End in Mind

– What is Success?
• Setting Targets / Expectations of the Organization
• What is the Right Level of Funding?

• Develop Mission, Goals and Guiding Principles

– Ensure Alignment with Organizational Values, Strategies &
Initiatives
• Stakeholder Collaboration / Buy-In
• Understand Organizational Culture & Decision
Making Process

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Develop Perfor mance Metrics

• Measurement
– Defendable
– Credible
– “Benchmarkable”

• Communication
– Educate & Engage Your Audience Up Front
– Create a Common Language
– Have Transparent Dialogue With Leadership & Key Stakeholders

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Facility Condition Index (FCI)

Value of Deferred Maintenance

FCI =
Facility Replacement Value

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FCI S ummar y example

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Building T ier Classification
Risk Prioritization

• Mission Critical
Tier 1
Building
RISK

Tier 2 • Business
Building Critical

Tier 3
• Support
Building

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FCI Tar gets by Building T ier

Example Building Tier 1 5% - 10%

Tier 2 10% - 15%

Tier 3 15% - 20%

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Funding Vs. FCI

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Industr y Comparison

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S pace Utilization
GSF Planning Targets / Benchmarks

• Measure and benchmark against:

• Facility Management Round Table (FMRT)
• Industry Specific Benchmarks

Space Category Planning Targets

Administrative Space 250 - 350 GSF/Person

Service Space 450 - 550 GSF/Person

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S pace Benchmar king
GSF/FTO BY FACILITY
800
Sum of Current Actual GSF/FTO
(Adjusted)
Sum of Scenario Actual GSF/FTO
(Adjusted)

Underutilization
700

600

TARGET: 250 to 350

500 GSF/FTO

400
GSF/FTO

300

Overutilization
200

100

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Oper ational Benchmar king
Utilities, Maintenance, & Custodial Costs/GSF

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Phase 2
Scenario Development

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Range of Facility Options

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Phase 3
Action Plan & Future Vision

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S cenario E valuation
Importance
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
Weighting

Evaluation Criteria 100%

Validate assets are adaptable and flexible to

13%
changing needs

Optimize space utilization in conjunction with

17%
Business synergies and adjacency requirements

Optimize corporate real estate assets (System

Health) through “best-in-class” facilities 14%
strategies and performance

Minimize impact on the natural environment and

enhance work environment for building 10%
occupants

Validate cost meets corporate financial hurdles 14%

Minimize risk associated with critical corporate

33%
assets and operations

Evaluated Score

Rating System
1 Not Acceptable
2 Poor
3 Acceptable
4 Good
5 Excellent

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Implementation &
Maintenance

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Master P lan Maintenance

• Keys to maintaining a successful facilities master plan:

• Ownership
• Leadership participation and support
• Documented implementation process
• Budget forecasting
• Space forecasting
• Ongoing staff/program engagement

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Keys to Ongoing S uccess
• Planning is a Ongoing Cycle
– Develop a Process for Plans to Evolve with Changing Business Needs
• Information Management
– Develop Strategy Upfront as to How Information Will be Managed and
Maintained
– Simple is Better
• Corporate Alignment
– Always be Able to Communicate How the Plan is Actively Supporting Ongoing
Corporate Strategies and Initiatives
• Know your CFO
– Stay in the Know Regarding Organizational Finances and Play to Your Advantage
• Execution
– Must be Able to Deliver on Plan Effectively
“Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that
does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it.”
- Simon Sinek