How often does your facilities management team think about how to avoid unnecessary asset downtime and damage to your assets and other building management challenges that arise? But first, wait, and think about the real problem. According to FacilitiesNet, 70% of equipment failures are self-induced, meaning they are problems that could have been prevented with the proper maintenance of facilities. In other words, preventive maintenance, using a proactive strategy for overarching facilities, is the defining factor. However, preventative, proactive maintenance can seem like an unexpected and unnecessary cost, especially for those with an extensive maintenance backlog. And it begins by following these five steps to kickstart a proactive program.
1. Start Tracking the Data
Implementing a preventive, proactive maintenance strategy for your buildings and their assets begins with capturing information. In today’s world, every asset and system that consumes electricity generates some form of data. Older facilities may lack the capability to track those data points. However, data tracking can begin by knowing when maintenance is typically recommended for individual assets. That is the foundation of a solid scheduled, preventive maintenance program that can prove most valuable in reducing overall expenses.
2. Never Get Stuck Due to Technician Unavailability—Diversifying Your Field Service Providers
Another critical strategy to implementing a proactive maintenance of facilities program falls on the ability to source available technicians immediately. The chances are good that when launching a proactive maintenance program, the maintenance backlog will be extensive. At the same time, some organizations may have a limited “pool” of field service providers. As a result, diversifying your field service providers immediately is critical to kickstarting a proactive maintenance program.
3. Track All Maintenance Within the Right Systems
There can be a complication in proactive maintenance where this step seems repetitive. Facility management professionals need to start tracking all maintenance with suitable systems. In other words, the system should scale and allow for the type of management that best benefits each type of facility and portfolio. That means organizations need a centralized way of tracking all maintenance activities across multiple locations. For that reason, many organizations leverage a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), creating an integrated management strategy, to provide increased insight into maintenance schedules and help companies identify when the budget may be under strain.
4. Stay Strategic to Eliminate the Maintenance Backlog While Addressing Proactive, Preventive Needs Too
During a proactive maintenance program, the notion of budgeting can be overwhelming for companies that are just beginning to venture into preventive maintenance of facilities. Preventative maintenance means performing maintenance and incurring costs that are not necessarily urgent. However, doing so would result in a run-until-it-breaks approach to maintenance, driving up additional charges and delays. This secret to success rests with eliminating the maintenance backlog and implementing preventive maintenance needs strategically. For instance, it may be necessary to allocate a certain percentage of the available budget to preventive maintenance while also maintaining a set reserve budget for addressing items that may break unexpectedly. Eventually, preventative maintenance can reduce most unexpected expenses.
5. Consider Outsourcing to Experts in Proactive Maintenance of Facilities
A final step to kickstarting proactive maintenance of facility strategy is simple and alleviates the stress. It is outsourcing to an expert facilities management service provider. Outsourcing puts the burden of collecting data on your assets, creating schedules, budgeting, and overarching management of field service technicians in the hands of a third party with ample resources.
Choose a Proven Partner Before the Launch of Your Preventive Maintenance Program to Derive the Fastest ROI
The world of facilities management is constantly threatened by risk and unplanned asset downtime. However, there’s a growing consensus, supported by data, that proactive, preventive maintenance is the way to go for all organizations. And you can put that potential by following the above steps to kickstart your new program. Request a consultation with SMG Facility Services to learn more about how your team can implement preventive, proactive maintenance of facilities on day one.
