Strategies for Success in Building Maintenance: Prepare for the Unexpected

Having an efficient and cost-effective maintenance keeps equipment operating close to peak performance and it is a significant expense for any facilities that should be a high priority for any building owner.

In building maintenance, it is crucial of knowing what will happen. The concept of preventive maintenance requires that facility managers, engineers and technicians monitor facilities, systems and equipment so closely that they know where to look to find small problems before they can become larger and costlier. Predictive maintenance goes even further whereby we know not only where a problem will arise but when, and then taking the steps to avoid it.

Facility managers have to quickly realize that it pays to plan for the unexpected because in the end, it is a worthwhile effort for the state and health of the building. In the case of facilities, systems and equipment, we cannot just rely on preventive and predictive because devoting at least some resources to reactive maintenance is an acknowledgment that even with the best data and the latest software tools, managers and technicians cannot know everything the future holds.

Managers who fail to prepare for unexpected problem are more likely to respond with chaos and confusion and probably waste time and resources doing so. Managers are more likely to succeed if they embrace reactive maintenance by budgeting for the training and tools that technicians need to respond quickly to any unexpected problem.

Success in maintenance really depends on preparing for the worst and knowing what to do no matter what happens, or when.