As the year-end approaches, many facilities are considering new ways to approach maintenance needs and strategise for best overall performance as we enter the new year. With performance and improvement in mind, it’s clear that these strategies can become entrenched in the long-term thinking of organisations where they are effectively planned and implemented. Looking at a number of case studies, there is overwhelming evidence that this has worked to great effect around the world. As a facilities manager or business owner, what should you be thinking about when it comes to facilities maintenance strategy?
What is your mission statement? If your business strives to save energy, water, and resources whilst minimising its environmental impact, your facilities should reflect this. Budgeting for new, greener technologies and minimising outputs by keeping equipment maintained and running optimally should run at the core of your strategy. In addition to this, safety at the workplace is central to any business’s success and integrating equipment safety and compliance assessments into a maintenance programme should be at the heart of any strategy.
When it comes to customer needs and demands, are the needs of all stakeholders in the built environment met by your facilities team? If you outsource to multiple vendors for different maintenance tasks or have an in-house maintenance department, look at the impact this has on time and staff resources. Outsourcing to a single vendor can have a meaningful effect on your bottom line by increasing staff satisfaction through fast turnaround times for maintenance in their area. Furthermore, this can remove the need for thinly-spread maintenance teams who often do not have the technical expertise of engineers, as well as the requirement to keep maintenance tools on site and in working order.
Are you reactive or proactive and strategic? In current times, on-demand and reactive maintenance processes have become outdated. Implementing a predictive and preventative maintenance schedule can reduce the number of call-outs required for reactive emergencies and reduce cessations of operations owing to glitches.
Who manages this performance? In adopting a management mindset, measurement becomes key to assessing performance. Whether you choose to outsource maintenance requirements to an external company or not, all members of your organisation should take responsibility for knowing the systems and monitoring data to ensure optimal usage of resources. In turn, this involvement will have a positive effect on workplace satisfaction and drive a superlative customer experience through streamlined operations, whilst meeting the needs of the organisation by keeping costs down and implementing best practices.
At Voltix, we encourage a culture of smart facilities management through maintenance strategy. Our team of skilled technicians and engineers have a wealth of knowledge and experience – an asset to every one of our clients. Contact us to find out how integration into your organisation stands to benefit your business.