Earlier this week, we hosted a webinar and invited two of our valued customer partners, Five Below and Lush Cosmetics in an informal panel discussion on facilities best practices to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus.
Amy Stelmaszyk, Energy Systems Manager for Five Below and Richard Outhwaite, Sustainability Analyst with Lush Cosmetics may manage different multisite retailers, but both have been working to reduce energy use, mitigate costs and keep the business alive in an unprecedented economic climate. They shared with peers what they are doing to stay afloat and prepare for the “new normal.”
Watch the replay of When Crisis Strikes. Below are a few key takeaways from the session:
Control energy to reduce costs
- Turn back set points (60 F heating and 78-80 F cooling)
- Turn off what you can: lighting, exhaust, signage
- Consider the local climate and its impact on assets (e.g., for high humidity regions, keep some fans on for a portion of the day to prevent mold build-up)
Take advantage of the downtime
- Tag units that need maintenance
- Make repairs when units are available
- Prioritize how you will address other repairs after you reopen
Prepare to be flexible
- Put systems in place to support agility if widespread closures are required in the future
- Maintain readiness for other emergency situations such as weather events
A big thank you to Amy and Richard. They presented excellent and unique perspectives to share with others in our industry. We’ll get through this together!