Phil Zito

Meet Phil Zito, an expert in the facility management industry. Phil Zito is taking his knowledge he has gained over the last ten years, and is building a business that teaches other facility managers how to run an efficient facility. He is currently busy putting together a new course, always focused on how he can improve the education of others in the field.

As part of the "Masterminds in Facility Management" blog post series, Ryan Chan, CEO at UpKeep, interviewed Phil Zito to learn more about the future of facility management and building automation.

Ryan Chan: "So how did you get started in building automation and become so passionate about this space?"

Phil Zito: "I got out of the military in 2007 and considered my options. I decided on building automation and began reading everything I could about it to ace the interview. I was hired, and I stumbled my way through the first couple of months as I learned more about the industry. My passion allowed me to see a measurable impact from what I do immediately.  Today I'm running a full time business, teaching people about building automation fundamentals because I saw a need in the industry. I'm teaching online, because online is the easiest way to reach a wide audience. I provide a central place for people to learn about building automation."

Ryan Chan: "What are the key things you want to share about the building automation industry?"

Phil Zito: "I would point people to learning how to get the most out of the existing systems they have. A good 70% of buildings I've been to have no organization, and are just running reactively without system level thinking in place. We forget to start with the basics. The key point is that a lot of people are sitting on systems that are good, but they aren't maintained properly. There's no strategy for maintenance. No one is really teaching facility managers what they need to know."

Ryan Chan: "Getting back to the basics is useful, but what about new technology?"

Phil Zito: "New technology is amazing, and I love it as much as the next guy. In order to find common failures, you have to have similar system names from facility to facility. All that you manage should have the same named system set up, or the same names for same functions, this makes a huge different. Innovation can then occur with automation once the basic system is running smoothly."

Ryan Chan: "How do you think facility managers can learn complicated systems?"

Phil Zito: "Everyone has the capability to learn IT, to learn how a system is going to work.  Currently the people teaching IT, are teaching you in a language that is not relatable. My business is meant to teach people the technical skills they need to become industry experts themselves. Others can learn, but you have to be taught the right way. I'm not the smartest guy in the room, but I can be the most persistent and stubborn. I've never thought I couldn't learn something, I just keep trying until I understand it.”

Ryan Chan: "What surprises you in this industry?"

Phil Zito: "How slow the progression is. Building automation is still basically the same since I started in 2007. Integration and automated management are still not in place. It seems super obvious but it doesn't happen. No one else is teaching this stuff, except myself and two other podcasts on the internet."

Ryan Chan: "What are some of your biggest tips you want to share with facility managers?"

Phil Zito: "If you don't know what you have, how can you measure any improvement? Create standards so that everything going forth can meet these standards. Take little steps and make each piece better. Just start the process, one step at a time."

Ryan Chan: "When did you realize the importance of facility management?"

Phil Zito: "In 2013, I heard that building automation is one of the few industries you can go in and make a measurable change right away. You can have an impact on lives, and this has made all the difference to me."

Phil Zito is a building automation leader who has been studying building automation 3 to 4 hours every night to get ahead in the field. He has held roles as a Service Technician, Operations Management, Development Engineers and Integration Program Manager during his ten year career. He is passionate about the field of building automation and he brings his knowledge to other managers through his website, blog and podcast. He is the owner of BuildingAutomationMonthly.com, rated the top educational site for Building Automation Systems.

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This interview was conducted by Ryan Chan, the CEO of UpKeep Maintenance Management. UpKeep is a trusted computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) providing a complete maintenance solution for any industry. It is a modern, intuitive, and efficient work order management system proven to simplify the workflow process. UpKeep reduces downtime and paperwork, and improves communication between managers and technicians – all from a mobile device. Simplify your maintenance and start your free trial today.