Facilities require constant upkeep. From managing routine maintenance projects to emergency situations, maintaining a building is hard work. Learn how to make it run smoothly with these five facility management best practices.
1. Preventative Maintenance is a Must
Taking time to fix things before they break prevents more in-depth costly repairs in the future. Ideally, this is the primary type of maintenance that should take place. Staying on top of timely repairs keeps the facility functioning properly.
2. Utilize a Work Order System
A work order system tracks requests and routine maintenance. This type of system helps with organizing and assigning tasks, which also tracks maintenance staff and their activities. Lastly, it acts as a maintenance record, noting the dates and details of completed projects.
3. Establish Benchmarks
The record created by the work order system is also used to establish benchmarks. Installation dates, cleaning times, and repairs completed are available for easy reference. If a task is completed multiple times, for instance, and still not fixed, it could be time for a longer-term solution. Further, access to the maintenance schedule can be used to justify expenses or labor.
4. Get Smart
Get your building to work smarter with technology. Facility use ebbs and flows throughout the day. For example, installing lighting sensors will provide light when people need it, but also turn the lights off if a room is empty. Additionally, connecting systems, such as lighting and temperature controls and security, can allow you to automate the monitoring of these systems. Setting these to turn on shortly before staff arrives and off after staff leave helps save energy costs while assuring proper function throughout the day.
5. Communicate
Finally, communication is essential in maintaining a facility. It’s important to receive feedback from maintenance staff as well as others who make use of the building. Again, this is where a work order system is utilized. In cases of non-emergencies, anyone can complete a work order that’s forwarded to the maintenance department for assessment and completion. Further, users can get status updates or provide additional information if facility staff has questions.
With these practices, maintenance management will run smoothly, be smarter, and keep the building operating at optimal levels.