IFMA Joins Initiative to Improve FM Data Standards
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has joined the Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate (OSCRE), a move that bolsters the group's efforts to develop workplace standards and improve the efficiency, consistency and transparency of data used in the corporate supply chain.
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), has joined the Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate (OSCRE), a move that gives further momentum to the group's efforts to develop workplace standards and improve the efficiency, consistency and transparency of data used in the corporate supply chain.
“Technology is the newest facility management competency and it is revolutionizing how real property assets are managed and how fast critical information can be shared,” says David J. Brady, IFMA president and chief executive officer. “Previous to OSCRE’s initiatives, FM software used different platforms and there were no information exchange standards. Custom interfaces were necessary or time was wasted by manually re-keying information. Data standards enable facility professionals to readily share information with architects, designers, contractors, government officials and other stakeholders.”
OSCRE Americas, Inc. is focused on establishing a common business language for the real property industry that enables stakeholders throughout the supply chain to quickly, easily and cost effectively receive and send electronic business information regardless of the technology operating system or applications they use. Data standards are being developed to greatly reduce the cost companies currently incur for customized integrations, data scrubbing, manual data entry and re-entry.
As an Executive Member, IFMA will play a strategic part in establishing OSCRE’s roadmap for future development. OSCRE's Executive Committee meets regularly to set OSCRE policy, including the priorities for the maintenance and development of standards. The committee also advises the board of directors on its business plan and provides resources to support the organization’s workgroups.
Among the current executive OSCRE members are the U.S. General Services Administration, Cisco Systems, Prudential Financial, CB Richard Ellis, Cushman & Wakefield, the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“As an IFMA member since 1993, I’m extremely pleased to have all of my long-time industry friends associated with OSCRE,” says OSCRE Chief Executive Officer Andy Fuhrman. “My ability to lead OSCRE has a lot to do with the collaboration and exchange of ideas enabled by my participation in IFMA, and I am excited about the huge benefits OSCRE will provide IFMA members via our interoperable data standards. A standardized vocabulary for the facility management industry is long overdue.”
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