To demonstrate workload trends, a facilities manager should rely on data from how many years?

• A. One year's data
• B. Data from a single year
• C. Data from several years
• D. Cross-sectional data

Answer: (C)

Tracking workload trends comes from longitudinal data—information collected over multiple years to reveal how workloads change over time. A single year is just a snapshot and can be distorted by unusual events or one-off projects, making it hard to distinguish real trends from random variation. When you compare data across several years, you can see patterns, seasonality, and longer-term shifts that inform planning for staffing, maintenance, and resource needs. Cross-sectional data, which captures information at one point in time across different areas, doesn’t show how things evolve, so it isn’t suitable for trend analysis. Rely on data from several years to accurately demonstrate workload trends.