DtiCorp.com Is Introducing 10 Honeywell IFMS Signal Processors

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Popular Honeywell online retailer DtiCorp.com (http://www.DtiCorp.com) is introducing 10 Brand New Honeywell IFMS Signal Processors. Honeywell’s flame monitoring systems are perfect for industries such as petroleum and petrochemical, power generation, pulp, paper and metals processing. Their ability to discriminate in the toughest environments tailors them for industrial process boilers, black liquor recovery boilers, co-generation boilers, grate fired boilers, cement or lime kilns, Claus reactors (H2S), thermal oxidizers and gas turbines. Honeywell’s industrial flame monitoring systems are uniquely suited for multiple burner applications, exotic fuels, hostile environments and burner types including combination, low NOx, tilting, opposed fired, hydrogen, duct and register. With the RP532 signal processors, the UV and IR flame components may be monitored simultaneously or separately. Additionally, the RP532 processors allow a total of three viewing heads; two individual CS55xB series detectors and one CS700/CS800 detector, which may be used for pilot monitoring. A detachable programming plate on the RP531 saves on large installations. Processors are compatible with Modbus communications for remote monitoring and diagnostics.

 

Features RP532/RP531:

 

- The RP532/RP531 are 3-channel, signal processors which amplify and conditions the viewing head signal for use with a burner management system. It provides a proportional 0/4-20mA output signal per attached viewing head as well as two SPDT flame relay outputs, one SPDT self-check relay output and one N.O. alarm relay output per channel. Allows a total of 3 viewing heads; two individual CS55xB and one CS700/CS800, which may be used for pilot monitoring. The CS550B UV and IR flame components may be monitored simultaneously or separately.

 

 

Features RP522:

 

- The RP522 is a 2-channel, signal processor which amplifies and conditions the viewing head signal for use with a burner management system. It provides a proportional 0/4-20mA output signal based on the currently used viewing head as well as two SPDT flame relay outputs and one SPDT self-check relay output. Allows 2 CS55xB viewing heads at a time with a toggle between channels. Its 4-digit alphanumeric display and 11 push buttons facilitate viewing head programming, monitoring and diagnostics.

 

 

Features R700/800:

 

- The R700/800 is a compact 1-channel, signal processor which amplifies and conditions the viewing head signal for use with a burner management system. It provides a proportional 0/4-20mA output signal based on the connected viewing head as well as two SPDT flame relay outputs and one SPDT self-check relay output.

 

Features RP222:

 

- The RP222A is a 1-channel, signal processor which amplifies and conditions the viewing head signal for use with a burner management system. Used for continuous UV flare stack monitoring to ensure no unburned toxic or waste gases are released into the atmosphere. Its 4-digit alphanumeric display and 11 push buttons facilitate viewing head programming, monitoring and diagnostics.

 

Models available:

 

1. RP531A1002 AC Signal Processor

 

2. RP531D1024 DC Signal Processor

 

3. RP532A1026 AC Signal Processor

 

4. RP532D1034 DC Signal Processor

 

5. RP522A1004 AC Signal Processor

 

6. RP522D1018 DC Signal Processor

 

7. R700A1000 AC Signal Processor

 

8. R700S1012 DC Signal Processor

 

9. R800S1008 AC Signal Processor

 

10. RP222A1006 Watchdog Signal Processor

 

 

 

About Us: DtiCorp.Com (http://www.DtiCorp.com) carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more. Our online catalog is easy to navigate and search, and all products have a picture and a description. If a customer has any questions about a product, they can call 800-757-5999 and speak with one of our product experts. Our mission is to offer the best prices anywhere to our customers.

 

Julian Arhire

Manager DtiCorp.com

Phone: 954.484.2929

Fax: 954.484.5155

Web: http://www.DtiCorp.com

 

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8 Better Ways To Cut Costs In Business

As food for thought, consider the following eight tips for reducing expenses, offered by business specialists from around the nation:

1. Watch that inventory. Supply and demand isn't important only in product or service pricing. It's also critical when it comes to inventory levels. Nothing kills profit like ordering more than you need. One option is inventory-tracking software, which can do the job for you automatically.

2. Don't take financial statements for granted. On a regular basis, review your company's accounts receivable, accounts payable, phone bills, and bank and charge account statements. You might be surprised at what you find, such as simple clerical errors that can add up.

3. Modify marketing. Getting the word out, of course, is important. Yet, the cost-effectiveness of that marketing must be periodically evaluated. And don't just take the word of a sales rep. Do some research yourself. There also are no-cost promotional activities that warrant consideration, such as cultivating local/regional media contacts.

4. Try partnerships. Chances are, your company isn't the only one with a limited budget for things such as promotions. So find a company with similar needs and forge a partnership that will benefit both parties. Local business associations are a fertile ground for those types of relationships.

5. Conduct salary surveys. Just maybe, you are paying your employees too little, which means they continually leave, resulting in the expenses of hiring new workers. At least annually, scan your industry to see where you stand. Paying a fair rate, or even slightly higher, could save you money in the long run.

6. Outsource work. Free employees from mundane tasks. This can be achieved by reviewing employees' secondary duties for tasks that can be completed by temporary help. This could include payroll, updating Web sites and other jobs that perhaps can be done more efficiently by someone else.

7. Offer profit sharing. This might cost the company some money initially, but workers will learn to care more about a company's bottom line. If the company makes more money, they make more money. The incentive to save money becomes greater when your own pocket is affected.

8. Forget about 411. Replace the idea of dialing directory assistance with the requirement to instead use a phone directory. The directories are free and can be obtained for frequently called areas. The point here is that although directory-assistance charges, like other "small" expenditures around the office, don't amount to much by themselves, collectively their costs are significant. Again, a penny saved is a penny earned.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

Ventilation Solutions And Good Building Management

Good Building Management Can Help Solve Ventilation and Moisture Problems

There are two issues - air circulation and air exchange. Air circulation is normally done on the basis of volume, and you usually have 2-4 air changes per hour, and those numbers are chosen because that's the air that you require to circulate to accomplish three jobs - to heat, to cool, and to filter. Ventilation, on the other hand, has got nothing to do with the volume or the space, but it has to do with the occupancy of the space.

Ventilation is health-related, yet we have to recognize that ventilation is limited in what it can do. The healthcare people don't realize that a lot of their problems are coming from inadequate ventilation in houses.

Building Quality Homes That Exceed Standards

Some builders, particularly those operating at the upper end of the market, are not waiting for ventilation standards to make their own commitment to moisture avoidance. We think that having mechanical ventilation as a standard on all houses is a good thing.

The most significant changes we had to address involved the vapor barrier, low E glass (which is very rarely found), meeting air-tightness goals for the ceiling, and switching to a rigid duct system to meet performance specifications.

We believe that other builders will also realize increased sales and profits if they invest in building healthier homes. With an aging population, the demographics are on their side.

Our evidence is showing that as an individual gets older, he or she is more inclined to take a closer look at the detailing on their home and will be willing to make different selections and products for the home. A recent survey we commissioned indicated that it is the 50-and-over crowd that is making those additional purchases for things that will improve their indoor environments. The other thing we see is that people are not going into nursing homes as frequently and would rather stay in their own homes. A multi-generational home environment is certainly a market of the future.

However, builders must not consider healthy homes to be a mere marketing claim.

It's quite easy. Installers must follow the manufacturer's instructions and avoid using staples, and that basically is what it boils down to. First of all, builders have got to understand why they're installing it. People have really been installing things properly when they realize what it's supposed to do and what the virtues of installing it properly are.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

Common Use For Spatial Data Validation

Government initiative

In 1995, the General Services Administration (GSA) made an effort to capture accurate spatial data through the process of measurements of facilities, verification of space classifications, and implementation of data maintenance processes to ensure ongoing data accuracy. This is now known as the Spatial Data Integrity Initiative (SDI).

GSA's SDI has contracted a handful of private organizations to carry out the operation. The response to the initiative has sparked innovative and highly accurate measuring methods in accordance with Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) standards, creating a new, revenue-increasing tool that will carry private building owners, facility managers, and real estate companies into the 21st century.

Using a combination of new technologies, managers and owners can track real estate and enables an organization to use space more efficiently, while at the same time, increasing their annual real estate revenue by up to 6 percent. The revenue is obtained by charging the tenants for the correct amount of space that they actually use.

The SDI project is primarily the combination of two actions; the first is the physical calculation and verification of spatial data. The second action is the use of high-tech software to store and manipulate this information. The SDI project uses highly precise, laser devices for space measurement, accurate to one-eighth inch over 300 ft. Laptops are taken into the field where software is used to electronically manage the measurements. Facility managers obtain real-time information about their facility for marketing and client assurance while monitoring from a single terminal.

The process

BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) has developed a handbook that permits standardized measurements and categorizations of all the spaces within a building, effectively removing all the guesswork. This standard was developed for private sector office buildings and is used by several large corporations. GSA adopted this standard for all of its buildings. The process of spatial validation goes through the following four stages:

• Space measurement: during space measurement, an accurate laser tool, a laptop with CAD software, and a trained team of professionals verify every element of the building. This is accurate one-eighth to one-half inch. The electronic drawing is produced to a standard that will be consistent across all facilities.

• Linking to the database: The resulting drawing is then linked to an external database. Every space acquires its own distinct "tag" that identifies the user, calculates the square footage, and links to the database. Any changes made to the tag in the CAD drawing will automatically occur in the database as well.

• Testing: The drawing and the database then go through an extensive series of tests that weeds out any possible errors. Accuracy of one-one hundredths of a sq.in. over an entire floor are routinely obtained. The database is now ready to generate tenant information reports.

• Maintenance: The existence of the electronic drawing facilitates easy maintenance to reflect changes. This allows the organization to focus on their core competencies.

Advantages

In the realm of costs saving by tracking real estate, facility managers and owners are provided with accurate electronic drawings with endless advantages. Building owners are able to increase their revenue not by raising the rent, but by charging for real space that was previously lost in old drawings. As a manager or owner, not only does your confidence increase in the figures, it also increases the tenant's confidence that rent has been established using commonly accepted building standards. This information is kept neat and clean in one central location; all data is stored in an electronic document management system that can be maintained and easily accessed by the facility manager or property owner. At any time, the facility manager can get a snapshot of the information for that building. With a touch of the mouse, the facility manager can calculate appropriate cost based on square footage and potentially increase their leasing revenue.

By knowing the correct square footage, one could possibly cut back on contracting costs that were initially set on incorrect square footage. Another benefit involves furniture ordering. Typically, furniture is ordered based on inaccurate drawings of a tenant's space. By obtaining the exact size of a space, one can be confident that the furniture will indeed fit. This has been a large problem to private organizations and realty companies where time and money have been wasted. For most facilities the validation process has paid for itself within the first few months followed by future revenue increases. The advantages are discovered daily by companies that realized what spatial validation could do for their organizations.

Like most new technologies, spatial data validation was pioneered by the "big boys," but it is now ready for the private sector at any level. A building can be spatially validated and drawn to the standards as one option. If there are multiple buildings involved in the process, then the addition of new software would help the building owner in maintaining and managing the information produced.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

An Overview Of Corporate Security Policies

According to a survey of facilities professionals conducted last year 77 percent of companies have formal, written security policies, while 52 percent review and/or modify these policies at least once per year. How these policies are developed and who's creating them, however, can vary based on factors such as the size of the company, its core business, and its corporate culture.

Corporate re-engineering has had a domino effect on security policy. Security is not a revenue-generating function, so it becomes an area that can be cut. Management functions are combined and companies may no longer have a security director or manager. That function might end up with the facilities director. They have experience with fire-and-life safety systems and HVAC, which are largely code-driven, but they may not be experienced in access control, surveillance, and perimeter protection, which are more 'active' systems in that they're used every day.

Thus, depending on the level of in-house expertise, those with a seat at the table when policy is created can come from the facilities department, human resources, legal, information systems, and administration, in addition to industry consultants. A lot of consultants are strong on the engineering, technical side. Others are focused on operations and security management. A lot of firms are combining these to become full-service banks. A lot of customers are interested in knowing what other customers are doing, what new ideas are out there. Industry-wide 40 percent of businesses now use a consultant when developing policy.

Different strokes

There are a number of other variables at work regarding security policy. Policies and procedures are honed by the culture of the organization they are going to be applied to. In smaller, less structured companies, in terms of formal policies, there may be a cultural change needed when having employees badge in and when companies begin asset tracking. For example in small, start-up software engineering companies, people may have been able to come and go into labs as they wanted. When these small firms departmentalize, this cross-company access might be restricted, perhaps causing some uneasy feelings. Moreover, mergers and acquisitions also can form a rocky marriage in terms of security policy, if one entity's procedures are markedly different from the other's.

Not surprisingly, policy review also may differ based on the type of company in question. Larger companies tend to have more review. In organizations where security is with someone who has multiple responsibilities, the policy can become etched in concrete. It could be years before it's reviewed. And when it is, it's in reaction to an incident.

Overall policy is reviewed not often enough. It's treated as a distasteful, time-consuming task, even in companies with separate security departments, where staff time often is eaten up by the day-to-day business of providing security and managing outside vendors. It's a good thing to annually review and take stock of where you are, but even more significant is an "as-needed" security review that occurs every time facilities, conditions, or culture changes within a company.

We differentiate between policy and procedure, and how and to whom they're articulated within a company. Policy manuals are often distributed to department heads and supervisors. With subordinate employees, higher emphasis is placed on procedures through meetings, posters, and written materials. There's a different level of accountability.

Protecting mind and body

Forming corporate security is a collective activity, in large part because of the variety of facilities in question. The company operates manufacturing, laboratory, and office facilities, that can require varying approaches to security. Policy is a joint venture that combines 'hardware,' such as surveillance cameras and badges, and 'software,' such as people's behavior and habits.

The security strategy is structured around two issues: physical security and information security (i.e., the protection of intellectual property). They're equally important. Physical security revolves around employee badging with picture ID and access control systems, badges for visitors, who must be escorted anywhere in the facility, surveillance cameras, patrols, and training sessions on topics such as workplace violence.

Moreover, various departments ranging from administration to human resources, patents, and laboratory facilities, use the company intranet as a communication vehicle to state individual security procedures of importance. There is no cookie-cutter security model, meanwhile, in our increasingly information-oriented workplace, protection of intellectual property has become a huge issue. Employee orientation covers information security, and employees understand this the first week they come to work. Information security can home in on issues that may seem to be minutiae but can compromise competitive position. For instance, we have visitors coming through so we can't have posted proprietary information that's easily discernible. When employees travel, we tell them to be careful with papers, disks, and laptops. With the threat of industrial espionage and the amount of money the company invests in R&D (Research and development) and new products, public discussion of trade secrets is discouraged, particularly on airplanes.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

Choosing Between Carpet And Hard Surface Flooring

The choice of floor covering products usually is made on the basis of cost, durability, maintenance, and aesthetics. Commercial carpet and hard-surface flooring, such as vinyl, must be assessed on the basis of installation, cleaning, and maintenance, plus frequency of removal and replacement due to loss of appearance. Carpet maintenance is generally six times the purchase price of the carpet over its lifespan. Data from comparative tests has shown that vinyl floor coverings can be almost twice as costly to maintain as carpet under comparable circumstances. But for environments such as healthcare facilities, hard-surface flooring for common areas is the most practical to maintain due to health and safety requirements.

Also a factor when choosing between carpet and hard surface flooring is their ability to provide therapeutic value to the environment. A recent study found that, among other things, long-term healthcare consumers want an environment conducive to well-being. Carpet can help reduce environmental stresses such as noise and provide visual comfort through color and texture; although, manufacturers of hard-flooring are providing a new array of nature-inspired designs that contribute to a more relaxing environment as opposed to traditional institutional designs.

The main issue in deciding on floor covering depends on what market you're in. For the corporate market the biggest issues are aesthetics and cost and that usually boils down to choosing mostly carpet. If you're looking at healthcare, maintenance and durability, in which case mostly hard-surface is specified.

A plan of action

Facility managers must be proactive when it comes to maintenance programs by testing small samples of products with typical spills in their facility. And contact suppliers about recommendations and arrange for them to carry out 'in service' training as part of the negotiations in purchasing a floor covering product. The cost to maintain the aesthetics is what facility managers should look at. Facility managers should guard the door, guard the dirt. The least expensive way to maintain a building is to keep the dirt on the other side of the door. The other most important thing is for facility managers to evaluate flooring cost on a per year basis, including maintenance, as opposed to initial cost per sq.ft.

Facility managers need to strategically dissect their facility. It is important to understand the different performance expectations of various areas within the building. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to offer the customer the best solution, even if that means saying no to business if they don't offer the appropriate product. There are multiple floor covering solutions to outfit a facility. No one product will be suitable for all locations. In every facility there will be areas for which hard-flooring is appropriate and others where carpet is a practical choice. The two products complement each other.

Added support

Too many times things are over or under specified; the sales people are there to support the customer in making decisions. Facility managers are working with manufacturers that they can never provide too much information. The manufacturer should know all of the possible elements that the floor may have to endure. Even if a certain situation may only happen once, it is important because that one time may be enough to ruin the appearance and performance of the floor.

Manufacturers are reaching out to help customers navigate floor covering decisions. Rather than choose from all options, customers are given a menu of products and services that have been customized for their needs. Projects such as reclamation, product design, and installation are all available.

When faced with making the call between carpet and hard-flooring, research is essential and knowing the varied needs of your facility is priceless.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

Success Of The Office Place Revolution

Teaming has been applied to everything from the formation of strategic alliances to the creation of facilities designed specifically to help reduce product cycles and bring goods to market faster. Reducing the product cycle has obvious corporate benefits since the cost of development is reduced. A major pharmaceutical company notes that every day that can be saved in getting a drug on the market saves the corporation $60 million dollars in operating expenses.

Corporations are also using teams to create learning organizations. When we work with others and open ourselves up to a variety of viewpoints and ideas, we learn from one another. The mutual interdependence required of team structures promotes a natural give and take of ideas, methods and processes, promoting an environment for an exchange of knowledge and understanding.

Statistics support the benefits of teaming. A recent survey of corporate managers found that 76% felt teams improved employee morale and 62% said teams improved management morale. As many as 80% thought teams contributed to increased profits, while 90% felt that teams improved the quality of the product or service. Significantly, 81% of those surveyed believed that teams contributed to improved productivity.

Team Types

A team is defined by Webster as "a group of people formed around a common goal" and possessing three attributes: a purpose (defined goal); a duration (a pre-conceived notion of how long the team will exist); and membership (a sense of belonging). Although many groups traditionally have a purpose and membership, the key to defining a team is duration. Without duration, the necessity to work interdependently loses priority.

Today's corporation may have many different types of teams, each varied in organizational structure, membership and tangibility. We can identify certain attributes that allow us to categorize teams into generalized groupings. These are sequential, matrixed and enabled.

A sequential team is linear in nature. The team members work on a process and each person works on one part of the whole. In many situations, team members are cross-trained and switch roles during the week. However, the entire process requires information to be "handed-off" in a sequential manner.

The matrixed team consists of members who belong primarily to another department or group but join forces at defined moments to accomplish a specified task. The key identifiers of matrixed teams are that they are cross-functional, multi-disciplinary and typically decentralized when not meeting as a team. They are most evident in organizations that have undergone reorganization or re-engineering to create what is often referred to as product lines or service lines of business.

The third distinct team formation is the enabled team. This team, like the matrixed team, is multidisciplinary but possesses a greater intensity. The enabled team member is almost always co-located (within the department and in the defined team space) and may be recognized more within the organization as a member of the team than as a component of his or her discipline. The focus is primarily to get a given task accomplished utilizing the best of the combined brain power on the team.

Organizations today are made up of combinations of these teams, which are created and aligned in accordance with staffing resources and business needs-the primary goal being to make the most of the collective brain power available. For this reason, team structures, in terms of both people and place, are elastic. Effective core team size does have boundaries, however. Research indicates that the ideal team size is eight people for the most effective communication and interaction to take place. Four to six-person teams are seen as the most efficient and 10 to 12-person teams have been shown to represent the high-end of any productive spectrum.

Physical Environment

If a team is viewed as an entity of collaboration, learning and increased communication among a group of empowered individuals, then the team must be together in a common physical setting. A live meeting is still the most effective way to communicate and engage in problem-solving and the physical environment will be a manifestation of the team members' need to be together.

The environment must be designed to foster interaction. Although we cannot design a space that guarantees team members will develop the best and brightest ideas, we can influence a pattern of experiences over time, therefore increasing the possibility that new ideas or connections will occur to people who can do something with them that becomes productive. Through provisions such as punctuated corridors, carefully placed casual meeting areas and magnet amenities like coffee pantries and reference areas, the physical layout of the team space can promote opportunities for chance meetings.

Variety is a key to designing the team area, to support a variety of work styles and structures. Workspaces should be both enclosed and open to accommodate quiet thinking time as well as opportunities for communication during more ordinary task functions. They may be a combination of dedicated areas for permanent residents and hoteling or shared spaces for more transient team members. Workspaces also need to be supported by multifunctional and specialty areas, such as war rooms and project rooms.

Team communication relies on the visual information members exchange with one another, a need referred as "displayed thinking". By displaying both individual and team ideas, a message is sent that concepts are acknowledged and under discussion. Displayed thinking not only airs the message within the team but advertises the team's purpose to the rest of the organization.

In concert to the need for displayed thinking, there is also a need for boundary management, the physical and social demarcation between the group and the organization. In our communities we know these as neighborhoods. These boundaries help to define team ownership and communicate to the rest the organization the value of the team structure. A team space that is surrounded by high walled elements, demarcated by ceiling soffits or flooring and highlighted through signage and reception cues is much easier for everyone to define than an arrangement of continuous open plan workstations.

In addition to information type, the size of the team may have a direct correlation to the amount of enclosure required. Work with many organizations has revealed that open area meeting spaces function best when groups meeting within them number four persons or less. Greater numbers seem to cause distraction to those occupying space around the team area; consequently team members meeting in those spaces do not feel they have as much freedom to communicate freely.

Above all, flexibility is one of the most important attributes. Users need to be able to adapt the environment to the needs they have at the moment. This isn't just a meeting, it's a team and this team is rewriting the rules of the game on a daily basis. Issues in flexibility range from designing buildings with large grid sizes, column-free space and adequate telecommunications data infrastructure to having the ability to just pick up and move the furniture.

Conclusion

At some point, we will all work in teams because there is value to interacting with each other and with our clients, because we are more productive and creative, and because, quite possibly, we like it! By acknowledging that teamspace is different from traditional workspace, we can recognize different team types within our organization, create environments that nourish teamwork and support this "new yet old" way of working.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

What Is The Symbol For Corporate Identity?

Graphics of all types, but signage in particular, are a worthwhile investment for a number of reasons. They can create an immediate feeling about an organization's character. Environmental graphics are the first impression you get. From any facility, you are going to receive mental feedback, and it can be either pleasant or frustrating. How much the graphics help will give an impression of how much those people planning the facility thought of you. Signage is increasingly used as an expression of corporate identity. We are incorporating graphics and color scheme more and more into our signage to convey a message about a company.

Creative, fun signage can even be considered an added value to your employees Anything that differentiates you from another place can be construed as an amenity; successful navigation is an amenity. And for today's young, "media-expectant" laborers, funky graphics might make them feel at home at a certain company or make a potential client think, "We can win with these folks, because how could the people who created an environment so energizing not be successful?"

Effective graphics are also a very efficient communications tool. It is an extremely easy way to convey information at a low-cost. You don't have to staff it, and it's always there.

And, of course, wayfinding is always essential. Given today's high churn rates, even a clearly laid out facility with few visitors needs to help its employees find and identify each other.

Design that sign

Unfortunately, environmental graphics-one of the last elements to be designed and placed in a new or renovated facility-often seem to be at the mercy of a strapped budget. The poor landscape architects and signage guys are the last to come on a site and that is when budgets are blown. Nevertheless, somewhere down the line the lack of signage-at least as a wayfinding tool-will probably haunt you, at which point some decisions will need to be made about where and what type of graphics to employ.

Code compliance, particularly with the new ADA (Americans with Disabilities) laws, is an important consideration when designing signage for your facility. You will need ADA-compliant signage to get a certificate of occupancy. Many people overlook that, and we find ourselves getting last-minute calls saying, 'We're not allowed to move in until we have Braille signs on our doors.' Depending on the location, building codes governing life-safety signage (evacuation maps, mechanical rooms, bathrooms, elevators, etc.) will vary, and it is up to you to find out exactly what is expected, which is not always easy. There is no central repository of knowledge on this subject.

Examining who your audience will be is also elementary to effective graphics, especially when designing signage for wayfinding. A sign in a bar should be different from a sign in an academic environment or at the opera. It is very important to have an idea of who your users are, their culture, language, visual skills, their familiarity with the environment. Likewise, keep in mind the nature of the company that is using the signage. If there are few visitors to your facility, you may not need many wayfinding graphics. If hierarchy is important, you may want to identify employee cubicles by title as well as name. And then there is churn. How much change do you anticipate? Because you can engineer modularity into your signage consistent with the amount of change.

And when revamping existing environmental graphics, there are other things to take into account. There is equity in an existing identity. You never want to throw that out. You want to evolve toward a solution, because it indicates stability and it costs less money than starting from scratch.

Once the project is finished, don't forget to test your design. Never assume what you have created is going to be effective. You are not necessarily a user of the sign. And misplaced or ill-conceived signage can be particularly detrimental in terms of wayfinding. Signs are linked, and people don't realize that making one change may mean making five or six others. Having users test these situations will prevent future confusion.

Lastly, environmental graphics must be maintained. If they aren't kept up, individuals will make their own types of corrections-Post-It notes, loose pieces of paper. The facility ends up looking sloppy, and too far down the road it becomes a big project to fix the situation. As environmental graphics become recognized as a type of amenity, more companies of all shapes, sizes, and persuasions are employing maintenance services. Other organizations have specified signage systems that allow them to make corrections in-house.

One sign fits all

Signage standardization is becoming increasingly important to corporations. It creates unity across multiple facilities and simplifies the reordering and maintenance process. You don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you do a project.

Develop a template floor plan, so that the numbering can be consistent. There should be an address for every possible workstation in the building. Whether you used that address today or not, the blank is there for it in the grid.

We can include a color designating which of the buildings you are in, where on the floor you are (they are divided into quadrants), and the address number of the cubicle, kitchen, copy room, conference room, etc. This helps not only employees find their way around the center, it is also a tool for property management. If you have a light bulb out or a leak, you can say 'I'm in workstation such and such,' which gives the full address, including the tower number, quadrant, and workstation number. It's identification for the employees, but also a wayfinding tool for the property management people.

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.

What is HVAC? HVAC Information For Home Owners

HVAC, or heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, is a term that deals with the climate control of a structure. In some regions of the world, HVAC will also be used to refer to electrical issues and plumbing. The heat, ventilation, and air conditioning of a structure are all interconnected. The goal of HVAC is to provide an architectural structure with a high quality of indoor air, as well as excellent thermal properties and competitive installation costs. A system that is built with HVAC properties can also reduce the amount of infiltration that is present in a structure. In most modern buildings, either one or multiple HVAC systems will be used. If the building is fairly small, the construction company will generally select specific HVAC systems that can be efficiently used with it.

For a building that is large, the construction company may need to use engineers who work in the building services field. Engineers who specialize in a number of fields may be used for these tasks, and they may be responsible for dealing with mechanical or structural issues. The engineers will play an important role in the design of the HVAC system. When an HVAC system is installed, it is mandatory for construction companies and engineers to make sure they are following the building codes, and they must also have the proper permits. There are a number of units that are comprised within HVAC. Some of them are fan coil units, air handling units, and makeup air units. The fan coil unit is a small structure that acts as a blower, and it will commonly be used in hotels.

Our Top ten list of HVAC products:

o HONEYWELL T7350H1017 Programmable Commercial Thermostat

o HONEYWELL T6574B1004 Digital Fan Coil Thermostat

o HONEYWELL M9164A1005 120V Non-SpringReturn Foot Mounted Actuator

o HONEYWELL V8944N1061 Diaphragm Gas Valve

o HONEYWELL DM7600B1103 14 inch Single Blade Round Damper

o HONEYWELL ML4115B1008 Fast-Acting,Two-Position Actuator

o HONEYWELL EMM-3U Universal Electronic Mini-Zone 3-Zone Panel

o HONEYWELL SV9502H2522 SmartValve System Control

o HONEYWELL W7751H2025 SMART VAV ACTUATOR

o HONEYWELL MS8120A1007 Two-position, SPST Actuator

Julian Arhire is a Manager with DtiCorp.com - DtiCorp.com carries more than 35,000 HVAC products, including industrial, commercial and residential parts and equipment from Honeywell, Johnson Contols, Robertshaw, Jandy, Grundfos, Armstrong and more.