traffic and use, defraying costs for future replacement. Secure Buildings: Functional Points of Entrance Again, anything that gets used regularly will need to be properly maintained in order to perform as it should. Windows and doors are another great example of this. “Among the most important things to take into consideration are age and function of your doors and locks, along with types of glass, depending on if they are safety glass or insulated. This will determine how your budget is established,” advises Jim Hannum of A United Automatic Doors & Glass, which, repairs doors, locks, and glass. “I’d also advise looking back on how your doors and locks performed over the last year or two. Jim Hannum When a door breaks down unexpectedly A United Automatic or after hours in an emergency it is more Doors & Glass costly to repair or replace. Servicing doors for prevention will help to minimize, or eliminate, business interruptions and keep customers coming in, along with avoiding emergency fees. Likewise, when it’s time to install new doors or glass, I oftentimes notice that business owners will try to save money by purchasing a lower quality product. In the short-term, it is more probable the building owner will experience issues with door function that frequently need to be fixed. This will collectively over time cost more long-term than investing in a solid, quality product at a moderately higher price point early on. Always try to replace your doors and locks with the highest quality possible for peace of mind. Interestingly enough, in our industry, the highest quality does not always mean the most expensive. As far as setting a schedule for provider visits, early inspections and maintenance are recommended. The best time of year to inspect would be late summer before the upswing of the fall business cycle. For those looking to stay ahead of repairs, I’d highly recommend changing out the existing glass to Thermal and Insulated Metal and High-Efficiency Glass to conserve energy and lower your costs. Insulated glass in the doors with new weather stripping to seal will drive down energy and utility expenses. This will also help you to avoid costs for early replacement by extending the life of your equipment and assets. The beauty and image of your business will be enhanced too. Stanley Access Technologies provides us with regular updates about new and innovative and energy efficient products, so if you’d like to learn more, go to www.aunitedglass.com to see the new technology that’s out there, or feel to call me directly anytime.” In closing, he also recommends working with someone local for the maintenance your building. “One trap that many businesses fall into is entering into a national contract with their headquarters. Or similarly, they come to find out that their building owner/ property manager has outside maintenance agreements. Please be watchful of these kinds of agreements. By contracting out building services to a third party, they try to reduce costs by going through a middleman. These companies will try to make their money by exacting fees and unnecessary trips, thus making the third party vendor much more expensive in the long run. Go local! You are really much better off finding a reliable local provider who you trust.” A United Automatic Doors & Glass also has a security division, Secure Card Readers And More (S.C.R.A.M.), which provides hardware, software, and cameras along with repair services on those items and systems. Josh Hannum of S.C.R.A.M., a division of A United Automatic Doors & Glass, weighs on the importance of staying up to date and maintaining the security of your business location.
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“Ask yourself: Is your business protected with updated locks and cameras from all threats, including internal? Taking this into consideration and staying vigilant in your management of fundamental security components is key. Security is a 24-hour-a-day activity and monitoring the system should be ongoing. Check all your cameras and systems at least weekly. You can ask your security provider or vendor to schedule regular periodic maintenance Josh Hannum appointments, commonly referred to as P.M.s. Hardware inspections should be S.C.R.A.M. conducted at least every six months, or more, and sometimes can be evaluated remotely. If you’re at a point where you’re looking into upgrading, following suit with the trend toward synergies and integration between access/ entry and building security/surveillance is advised. We get daily updates on new technology and innovations, and we share them on our website, www.aunitedglass.com/scram, for anyone who is interested in learning more.” Josh also reminds of a few things to keep on your radar this time of year. “Cold weather can cause issues with concrete seizing that can affect moving parts. Snow melt salt can cause doors to fail as well. A business should make sure debris is cleared from the doors. Also, do not use solvents or even WD40. Windy days can cause a door to be sheared off its hinges. As for advice from S.C.R.A.M., thieves are constantly looking for ways to steal and have longer to work under the cover of night in the winter months. 1. Keep your lights on brighter at night; 2. Make sure alarms are on; 3. Don’t put garbage out that reveals high-value items in the building overnight.” When it comes to allocating funds for maintenance of these areas, both agree: “As for budgeting, the business owner or building maintenance manager should evaluate the prior year, expecting for costs to increase about 5 percent, and then set aside funds for costs not covered by insurance in an emergency.” Smart Buildings: Integrated Technology and Automation Systems As technology progresses, so do its applications that fall within the realm of building maintenance. This is a really great thing for business owners and building managers for a variety of reasons, particularly with respect to all of the benefits that one enjoys with an investment made in this area. When allocating funds to the installation and upkeep of a building control system, as with any other upgrades to your building, it’s important that a return on investment can be quantified and justified. You’ll also want to work with a firm that can help you find ways to save money through rebates, tax incentives, and lower energy costs. Energy management and efficiency will be key to FEBRUARY 2017 Strictly Business
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