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VFA LAUNCHES FACILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Training Programs Empower Facilities Managers & Capital Planners with Industry-leading Facility Condition Assessment Methodology
Boston, MA - February 5, 2002 - VFA, a leading provider of facility management and capital planning solutions, today announced the launch of its Facilities/Infrastructure Certification Program (F/ICP). The facility management industry until now has lacked a consistent method of gathering building data across a complete property portfolio. The F/ICP addresses this widespread issue by training facilities managers on the tools necessary to work in today's information-based environment. With this initiative, the Company continues to execute on its mission of delivering to facility managers the educational programs, services and advanced Web-based technology they require.
Using VFA's technology and assessment strategies, facility managers have gathered and stored information for more than one billion square feet of building space and associated conditions, as well as the associated financial data. The F/ICP leverages VFA's expertise and its expert staff of architects and engineers to transfer VFA's scalable assessment and capital planning methodology to facility management professionals in both public and private organizations. Certified F/ICP participants will be better equipped to perform their facilities management tasks, help organizations achieve financial objectives, and propel their own professional development.
"A consistent approach to gathering facility condition data is an essential component to the success of any organization that is responsible for multiple buildings. Yet, the facility management industry as a whole traditionally lacks the ability to gather building information on a consistent, objective and equitable basis," said Jerry Kokos, president and CEO, VFA. "The Facilities/Infrastructure Certification Program will establish a de facto standard methodology for condition assessments and long-term asset planning."
The F/ICP will offer two educational tracks with various levels of training and accreditation for planning and assessment. The Facilities Inspection Certificate (FIC) will certify participants in the technical facilities condition assessment methodology to gather and maintain accurate, consistent, building and infrastructure conditions data. The Facilities Planning Certificate (FPC) will certify participants to use facility and infrastructure condition data and technology in long-term lifecycle and capital asset planning.
Both tracks will detail the use of CPMS (Capital Planning and Management Solutions) technology as an effective component of a strategic facilities management program. The use of CPMS eases the maintenance of an entire building portfolio by enabling facilities managers to gather quantitative and qualitative building condition data and then support that information in one centralized location, making access to all site information simple. Because the data is accurate and up-to-date, it also can be used to establish benchmarks that measure the success of a facility management program.
"This program is exactly what the facilities management industry has needed - it emphasizes an integrated approach to asset planning and teaches the tools needed to employ consistent methodologies organization-wide, " said Jay Readinger, facilities specialist, Maine Department of Education. "By certifying our facilities managers on VFA's technology and methodology through the F/ICP, our school facilities staff and selected third-party firms are trained to assess facilities and use VFA.facility in a manner that makes it possible for them to set benchmarks, articulate long-term investment plans and communicate facility data more efficiently."
The F/ICP training team educates participants by detailing VFA's proven intellectual processes and procedures to analyze building conditions. Trainees will attend educational sessions consisting of a combination of classroom time and actual hands-on assessment work. Upon completion of the program, accreditation will appear on the certificate, demonstrating the participant's areas of proficiency within facility inspection and/or planning. Certification will be valid for one year and renewable based upon future training as needed.
For more information about VFA's Facilities/Infrastructure Certification Program, please contact Laura Cook at info@vfa.com.
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