Professional Retail Store - September/October 2014 - (Page 8)

President's Message Inconceivable? Not at All I " Technology won't magically create worklife balance. Only we can do that, by utilizing technology to our best advantage. " KIRK BEAUDOIN, RFMP, FMA, LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE FACILITIES MANAGER, adidas AMERICA, INC. 2014-15 PRESIDENT, PRSM ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS think back to the technology of my youth with fond memories, knowing I was spoiled compared to my parents. Pong and the Atari 2600 were my generation's PlayStation. We only had a handful of TV channels to choose from. And we answered the telephone without knowing who was on the other end. I also remember my dad coming home from work each evening, laying out all his paperwork and working long after I would go to bed. At that age I didn't know the word technology, but I did wonder why he had to work so much. He needed more people, or a robot! New products and technological advancements are designed around making our lives easier, doing things faster, and freeing up our valuable time, or just to entertain us more. Oh the joy of finally getting cable and MTV! Early in my career I was given a pager. I knew instantly when the office needed to speak with me when I was out in the field. Inconceivable! This was followed closely behind by the cell phone. Speaking to the office and other customers from anywhere, untethered from the landline, my freedom knew no bounds. I no longer had to wander around the building to find an unoccupied conference room to make a call, or pull over to find a pay phone. Inconceivable! In the '80s and '90s the computer industry was booming. Computers and cuttingedge software allowed us to do the same tasks in a fraction of the time. Gone were typewriters and carbon paper. AutoCAD replaced drafting tables and T-squares. And electronic spreadsheets! Oh, thank goodness! How did people function before? Today, CMMS systems streamline our ability to track requests, process invoices, measure vendor performance and manage budgets. Smartphones and mobile devices allow us to do all the aforementioned items from anywhere, right from the palm of our 8 I PROFESSIONAL RETAIL STORE MAINTENANCE I www.prsm.com hands. How much better can things possibly get? Inconceivable! At a recent Retailer2Retailer Best Practices Forum (and a thank-you to the sponsors for their support) we heard stories from multiple retailers on their tools, processes and facilities models. It was interesting to see the wide range of technology in use. But the one constant seemed to be that everyone was extremely busy. Inconceivable! How can that be, with all the technology we have available to us compared to our peers of a decade or two ago? So, as I'm looking back at all the technological advancements I've seen in my life, noticing that what may have taken days in the past can now be done in hours, I have to ask: "Where's all our extra free time?" "Where's our life of leisure?" I have realized that technology isn't here to provide us with a sub-40-hour work week and extended vacations. It is designed to allow us to perform more efficiently, to operate at a higher speed, and to accomplish more with less. It isn't inconceivable. It is absolutely conceivable. Technology will continue to evolve and amaze. But it won't magically create worklife balance. Only we can do that, by utilizing technology to our best advantage. So take advantage of the upcoming conference, visit the exhibit floor to find new technological solutions to save you time and money, speak to the many providers to find out how they use technology to perform more efficiently and cost effectively, and network with your peers to identify any other time saving processes or solutions that you may not have thought of yet. And on this Sunday afternoon as I stare at my smartphone, ever ready to pounce on the next emergency, I think back fondly to my youth and of a Sunday similar to this. As our "house phone" loudly announced an unknown caller with its familiar BRRRRing, I can still hear my dad say, "Don't answer that. We're playing catch today." l http://www.prsm.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Professional Retail Store - September/October 2014

President’s Message
Executive Director’s Column
New PRSM Members
Association 101
Business in Canada
Technology Roundup
PRSM News
Roofing Warranties
Fire Protection for Rolling Doors
Retail Events
Self-Performing Lighting Contractors and the Loch Ness Monster
Boma Every Building Conference
The Need to Reevaluate Network Security
Proper Handling of Hazardous Waste
PRSM Whitepapers
Key System Management
Inside PRSM
Advertisers’ Index

Professional Retail Store - September/October 2014