The International Facility Management Association announced the debut of IFMA’s Benchmarking Exchange, a website housing the association’s benchmarking surveys and results. Members and nonmembers alike can access the new online benchmarking system at www.ifma.org/BEX, select a survey to participate in, enter their facility data and, once a required number of surveys have been entered, download customized reports based on their specific needs.

As more surveys are added to the website, visitors will have access to all the same valuable benchmarking information IFMA has provided in the past, in one convenient location. BEX will house data for: cost per area, operations and maintenance practices, staffing, space per person, office standards and churn rates.

“As a nonprofit professional association, IFMA has for many years offered objective and independent benchmarking information benefiting both the FM professional and FM industry,” said Tony Keane, CAE, president and CEO of IFMA. “BEX is a tool that provides us with a much stronger global data collection process that will enhance the results and value our members and the profession receive. It gives facility professionals access to best practice information they can put to use in their facilities immediately to achieve their energy efficiency and cost savings goals.”

BEX can help facility professionals improve their job performance by preserving departmental resources, determining which costs to investigate first for the quickest results, contributing to the organization’s bottom line and locating hidden opportunities to demonstrate the facility department’s value.

The online BEX system will allow facility professionals to:
• Filter data by industry, facility type, region and more;
• Enter building data in standard or metric, and in any currency;
• Submit data for multiple buildings and in multiple sessions, if necessary;
• Make updates and changes to data as needed;
• Calculate data in common metrics, such as space per person;
• Get access to real-time benchmarking results; and
• Earn Certified Facility Manager® maintenance points for submitting data.

All information entered into BEX will be securely stored online and the identities of those submitting data will not be revealed. All participants will have free and unlimited access to survey results, while nonparticipants may purchase an annual subscription to the results. For more information, visit www.ifma.org/BEX.