FM Acronyms

ADA
The U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act. Ensures access to public accommodations for the handicapped.

ADAAG
ADA Accessibility Guidelines

AIA
The American Institute of Architects

AO
Alternative Officing. A term for how, when and where people work.

ANSI
American National Standards Institute

ARSEG
Association des Responsables de Services Generaux. The French association of facility management.

ASHRAE
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers

ASID
American Society of Interior Designers. A professional association of 30,000 members.

ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials

AWS
Alternative Workplace Strategies

BIFM
British Institute of Facilities Management

BIFMA
Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association.

BIUAS
Building In-Use Assessment System. Designed to assess the seven key dimensions of employees' experiences of the total work environment.

BOMA
Building Owners and Managers Association

BOSTI
Buffalo Organization for Social and Technological Innovation

BRI
Building Related Illness. A medically identifiable disease with symptoms that can last for an extended period. It is relatively rare; the most notorious example occurred in Philadelphia in 1976 at the American Legion Convention. It resulted in the deaths of 29 people.

CAD
Computer-Aided Design

CAFM
Computer-Aided Facility Management. A high-tech tool used by facility professionals to track and manage virtually any facility-related asset. Provides managers and decision makers with the ability to analyze the effective use of space more readily than ever.

CFC
Chlorofluorocarbon

CFM
Certified Facility Manager

CIFM
Computer-Integrated Facility Management

CMMS
Computerized-Maintenance Management Systems

CPU
Central Processing Unit

CRI
Color Rendering Index. The process by which light manufacturers rate fixtures. CRI refers to the color shift an object undergoes when illuminated by a light source. Natural sunlight provides a CRI of 100 (on a scale of 1 to 100). Or The Carpet and Rug Institute.

CTD
Cumulative Trauma Disorders

DBMS
Database Management Systems

EMF
Electromagnetic Fields

EMP
Environmental Master Plan. Identifies existing environmental issues and areas of compliance and non-compliance; determines priorities and cost of compliance; identifies energy-saving opportunities; and evaluates building systems, the physical plant and operating perimeters.

EPA
Environmental Protection Agency (United States)

EPACT
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (United States). Established by the federal government to impose stringent standards for quality and compliance of nearly everything that affects the environment.

ESCO
Energy Saving Companies

FMAA
Facility Management Association of Australia

FMN
Facility Management Nederland

FMS
Facility Management Simulation. A game/simulation that introduces students to the field of facility management.

FRV
Functional Replacement Value. The estimate of a building's space replacement.

GSA
U.S. General Services Administration

HCFC
Hydrochlorofluorocarbon

HEPA
High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters

HID
High Intensity Discharge. Fast becoming one of the most widely used types of lighting in industrial and commercial applications today.

HVAC
Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning

IAP
Indoor Air Pollution. Irritants that are brought into the building by occupants.

IAQ
Indoor Air Quality

IBD
Formerly, the Institute of Business Designers. Now a part of IIDA.

IBI
Formerly, the Intelligent Buildings Institute (defunct).

IDQLI
Indefinite Delivery Quantity Line Item. Composed of small separate, trade-specific contracts as opposed to a general "umbrella" contract that applies to a typical, multigrade project.

IDRC
International Development Research Council. Formerly, Industrial Research Development Council.

IIDA
International Interior Design Association

IREM
Institute for Real Estate Management

ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network

ISO
International Standard for Organizations. A worldwide federation of national standards bodies from almost 100 countries that promotes the development of standardization and related activities in order to facilitate the international exchange for goods and services.

ITS
Information Technology System.

JFMA
Japan Facility Management Promotion Association

JIT
Just-In-Time

LAN
Local Area Network

LCC
Life-Cycle Cost. All of the costs, present and future associated with a facility investment alternative.

LED
Light Emitting Diode

MIS
Management Information Systems

MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheets

NACORE
National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives

NCIDQ
National Council for Interior Design Qualification

NIOSH
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology

NOPA
New Office Promotion Association. Japanese trade organization sponsored by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

NPV
Net Present Value

NRC
Noise Reduction Coefficient

OA
Office Automation

ODBMS
Object Database Management Systems

OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (United States)

PBX
Private Branch Exchange. A sophisticated digital computer that links the corporation to the public switched telephone network through the local serving central telephone office.

PDA
Personal Digital Assistant products. Hand-held devices that combine the features of a personal computer, electronic notepad, communicator and message center.

PE
Professional Engineer

POE
Post-Occupancy Evaluation

QFD
Quality Function Deployment. A methodology that interprets, ranks needs, details subsequent requirements and provides a focused project plan.

RFP
Request For Proposal

RMS
Repetitive Motion Syndromes

RTC
Resolution Trust Corporation. A U.S. federal agency charged with disposing of all the real estate assets of troubled banks and savings and loan institutions.

SBS
Sick Building Syndrome. Condition in which 20 percent of the occupants of a building exhibit symptoms that go away when they leave the building.

SFP
Strategic Facility Plan. An active framework that helps the facility manager understand future requirements of a facility.

SPC
Statistical Process Control. Uses simple statistical techniques to determine if a process is in control and meeting its upper and lower limits.

SQL
Structured Query Language

STC
Sound Transmission Coefficient

STM
Serviceability Tools and Methods. An efficient, consistent and economical way for users to articulate their quality and functional requirements.

TQM
Total Quality Management

VAV
Variable Air Volume

VDT
Visual Display Terminals

VOC
Volatile Organic Compounds. A class of chemicals that can affect indoor air quality. Paints, cleaning solutions, pesticides and some construction materials may contain high concentrations of VOCs.

WAN
Wide Area Network