Facility benchmarking is a process for establishing a standard by which a metric is measured in relation to your building or property. For facility professionals looking to conserve water, electricity, space, or other resources, benchmarking is the first step. Why? Because you need to know what you’re working with before making big changes to your bottom line. This allows you to measure your success later down the line.
Facility benchmarking allows facility professionals to have a transparent understanding of their baseline operating costs and ongoing service needs. With the data gleaned from facility benchmarking, you can feel confident and agile about the decisions you make for your facility — from repairing faulty equipment to planning for the installation of upgraded systems. Because benchmarking tools allow you to carefully monitor your facility operations and implement strategic changes before a crisis, you can expect a reduction in your operating expenses in the long run.
Defining your benchmarking goals
Regardless of what you’re trying to benchmark — whether it be space utilization or water usage or another resource — the number one question you need to ask yourself is “what information is most important to me, and why?” It’s easy to become bogged down by the variety of filters that can be applied to your benchmarking analysis, and a question like this can lead you to defining and sticking to the core goal of why you decided to pursue facility benchmarking in the first place.
Examples of benchmarking goals might include:
● Identifying facility performance issues and prescribing appropriate remedies.
● Determining if your facility is under-performing or over-performing compared to similar facilities.
● Justifying a budget for a) implementing a new facility policy, b) staffing additions or reductions, c) outsourcing certain programs or maintenance services.
● Demonstrating a track record of success to clients, if you are a contractor.
How to benchmark your facility’s water usage
Benchmarking your facility’s water use is more critical than ever. Clean water scarcity is on the rise, especially when a severe drought hits your area. So how do you benchmark your water use? You use a water meter data monitoring device like WaterSignal.
When installed, WaterSignal detects leaks in real time and alerts you immediately so the situation can be resolved as soon as possible. Prior to installation, we recommend benchmarking your facility’s water usage so you can measure the impact of the installation later.
A few things you will need to kick start the benchmarking process include:
● 12-24 months worth of water bills for your facility
● A calculation of your facility’s total water usage per year (metered as well as unmetered)
● The facility’s estimated water and sewer costs
● A list of areas in the facility that use the most water — Is it the restrooms? Irrigation system? Cooling tower?
Once benchmarking is complete and the device is installed, WaterSignal’s system dashboard enables you to compare your building’s water efficiency to your past numbers or to similar facilities.
Contact WaterSignal today to learn more about how implementing a facility benchmarking can save you money by reducing your building’s water waste and catching leaks before they become critical.
