Hospitality, government and education are very different verticals, with their own missions and operating procedures. Despite the differences, they also have a lot in common—in particular, concerns about standards, time, sustainability and budgets. Here’s a look at common challenges during renovation projects, and how best practices can be shared across industries.

I’ve been in the business for more than three decades. After all this time, I’ve learned to spot the trends that cycle around every so many years. I’m used to the claims of industry-wide transformation that never occur, and the patterns that emerge across geographies, demographics and industries.

The business that I run today—which manages sustainable furniture refurbishment and reupholstery—focuses on three core markets: hospitality, government and education. We help organizations in these sectors to incorporate sustainable, green business practices around refurbishment to better their business, the environment, their relationships with customers and, of course, the bottom line. Yet despite the differences between the sectors, I’ve come to recognize many repeating patterns when it comes to approaching certain key factors affecting these markets.

Three Markets, Three Different Customers
Take a cursory look at hotels, government intuitions and colleges, and you’d be forgiven for thinking they are worlds apart. Hotels are driven by consumer demand for style, luxury and the thrill of travel. Government departments operate at the mercy of federal spending cuts and intense public scrutiny, while education is driven by a need for affordable, sturdy furniture that can withstand the test of time.

But when it comes to sustainability, asset and cost management, these industries have a lot in common. One of the great things about working with a company that crosses these markets is that it gives me an opportunity to help them share knowledge and communication the best practices—not just across their own sector but across industries.

With that I have learned the hospitality, government and education industries all share some basic drivers.

Common Factor #1: An Obligation To Meet Standards
Hospitality, government, education are all service-based. Whether it’s visitors, students or citizens, these organizations are under constant pressure to provide the levels of service these audiences expect, including, high-quality housing, offices, guestrooms, classrooms and common areas. Anyone who has worked in a service industry knows the pressure to do the best you can for customers is unrelenting.

Common Factor #2: Time Pressures
The hospitality sector is seasonal, with periods of high demand followed by lulls in bookings where renovations can start. Universities and educational institutions face the challenge of completing refurbishment projects between semesters. Re-investing in existing military installations, such as housing, requires working within strict time constraints. On the projects we’ve done with the government, from military barracks and courthouses, we've realized that before new projects can be budgeted and approved, existing work needs to be completed and evaluated.

Common Factor #3: The Call to Embrace Sustainability
Sustainability is a driving force across every industry—and not just because of ethical concerns. According to the National Business Travel Association, one in eight business travelers actively seek hotels that demonstrate sustainability. It’s even more vital for military institutions, which are forced to comply with federal regulations around environmentally friendly practices, particularly when acquiring new goods and services, like furniture assets. And, of course, the call to go green is incredibly loud in education, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education works with colleges and universities to strengthen campus sustainability, both locally and nationally.

Common Factor #4: Budget Pressures
Whatever industry you’re focusing on, things usually come down to money. We’re in a period of global economic uncertainty. These are still tough times for government institutions, universities and the hotel industry. And tough times mean tough budgets. For example, hotels need to keep up with industry standards, beat strong competition, all while keeping an eye on funds. Government organizations are locking down renovation projects as budgets run out, and cash is tighter than ever in education.

As you can see, the three industries aren’t so different, and these common challenges can be overcome with common solutions—best-practice techniques that apply across all sectors.

Best Practice: Reuse What You’ve Already Got
All organizations, regardless of industry, invest heavily in furniture assets. Eventually, these pieces will age and no longer be fit for purpose. However, the old ‘rip-and-replace’ approach is detrimental to the environment as well as budgets.

New furniture is costly, both financially and environmentally. It increases carbon emissions, takes time to construct and deliver, as well as takes rooms out of service, eventually costing hotels, universities and the government more money. Regardless of the industry, refinishing furniture (asset management) is a much more efficient. In addition, we’ve proven that savings of up to 80% are possible through this type of asset management. It’s faster too—for example, a good refinishing specialist can get through as many as 10-15 hotel rooms a day. Modern refinishing techniques are also completely environmentally friendly, with no dangerous chemicals released into the air.

Best Practice: It’s Easy Being Green If You Try
We all know the importance of being more environmentally friendly, but the steps to accomplish this aren’t always clear. It’s worth taking the time to find out; it can often help you overcome other challenges too.

For example, transportation is a big contributor to a renovation project’s environmental impact. Taking old furniture away, delivering new pieces—it all adds up. But some companies can repair, refurbish or remanufacture furniture without the need to take it off site. It’s a more sustainable way of working and provides other benefits as well: no downtime or lost revenue. The environmental friendly approach can help solve many challenges. It’s a win-win.

We’re All In It Together
Regardless of the industry, organizations are under the same basic pressures. When it comes to renovation, these pressures can be alleviated considerably by a change in attitude. Not only in how companies use and reuse existing assets, but also in how they talk to each other. These tips are just a few I’ve witnessed first-hand from working across industries. Imagine what other knowledge could be shared if someone from hospitality talked to someone in education or government.

I firmly believe by sharing information across industries and discussing initiatives, challenges and solutions with those outside our immediate circle of peers, we can each shape our own industry. That’s got to be something worth talking about.

Mario Insenga is the president and founder of The Refinishing Touch, a world leader in on-site environmentally safe and sustainable furniture refinishing, re-upholstering, armoire modification, and TV recycling for private and public organizations. He founded the company in 1977, following his personal involvement in a furniture-refinishing project for a large East Coast hotel chain. Today the company, headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, has grown to more than 100 employees with a client base of more than 200,000.