Facility Operations: Space Management and Changeover Strategies

1. chapter8 Facility Operations chapter 8 Facility Operations Author name here for Edited books

2. Space Management • Space management examines how a facility will be used. • Management has to balance between the extremes of overuse and underuse. • Overuse can wear out systems. • Underuse wastes money and time. • Most facilities have a reservation system whereby someone who wants to use the facility fills out a reservation form indicating the desired date, time, and space. Such a system prevents overscheduling and helps in the planning process.

3. Changeover Management • Properly train staff. A slow electrician or forklift driver can significantly slow down the process. • Staging (storing) all the equipment close to the floor entrance, in the order in which it will be used, saves time. • Keep all unnecessary equipment out of the way. • Properly assign staff in teams to supervisors specialized in their given area. • Have supervisors and crew ready before a game or event ends to be ready to spring into action. (continued)

4. Changeover Management (continued) • Keep equipment and personnel constantly moving. • Monitor the process and take pictures or videos to review the process with the employees at a later date. • Develop policies to prevent coaches and players from entering the area before the changeover is completed. • Pay attention to details. Some NFL games have been cancelled due to minor seam concerns on Astroturf.

5. Specialized Components in Sport Facilities • Weight rooms: placement of equipment, amount of equipment, design features • Locker rooms: lockers, showers, toilets • Gymnasiums • Bleachers • Flooring

6. Gymnasium Floors • Under normal circumstances a ¾-inch-thick tongue-and-groove solid maple floor can last 40 to 80 years. • The floor’s life is affected by the following: • Events held on the floor • How frequently the floor is cleaned • If mats are used for people to wipe their feet before entering a gym • Quality and frequency of finish recoating (completed every year or every other year) • Quality and frequency of floor sanding and finishing (complete sanding and refinishing needed every 10 to 20 years)

7. Establishing Grass Fields • Grass fields can be established either by sodding or by seeding. • Seeding is the preferred method because of its relatively low cost and reduced labor requirements. • Before seeding, management needs to research the types of grass, species of grass, varieties of grass, seeding rates, and seed quality. • Two kinds of turf grass can be used (cool-season turfgrass or warm-season turfgrass), depending on the facility’s location.

8. Maintaining Grass Fields: Aeration • Aeration is the process of opening channels in the soil so that air, water, and nutrients can flow through the soil and soil compaction is minimized. • Three aeration techniques are used: 1. Core aerators are most effective but most time consuming. Plugs of turf are removed and redistributed across the grass. 2. Circular (or drum) aerators are time efficient but can cause damage. 3. Slicer (or slicing) aerators provide the least compaction relief but create the least amount of surface disruption.

9. Maintaining Grass Fields: Turf Maintenance • Mowing • Leaf removal • Edging • Fertilizing • Weed control (preemergent, postemergent) • Pest control • Core aeration • Mechanical slit-seeding • Lime (if necessary) or field paint • Dethatching dead grass (if necessary)

10. A Beautifully Maintained Field

11. Additional Outdoor Concerns • Synthetic surfaces: Artificial turf fields seem like a breeze compared to natural turf, but there are numerous cleaning and maintenance issues. • Infield dirt: Need to properly groom before games. • Bleachers: Are they safe? • Safety: Moving parts and blades create numerous risks.

12. Summary Managing grass fields, including turf planting and maintenance, is one of the most important concerns for sport facility managers since a bad-looking field will destroy a facility’s image.

13. Discussion Questions and Activities • What grass do you think works best in your region? Ask a local grass expert to explain. • Take a class to watch a field being prepared before a game. • Take a class to see the equipment used in field maintenance.