When times are tough, is it reasonable to stop Preventive Maintenance until the equipment actually fails?  In some cases these measures are required due to cash flow and profitability concerns.  However, the past has proven that the facility will have higher maintenance costs due to reduced equipment life and wasted energy.  Many estimates have demonstrated about a 30% increase in maintenance costs over just a few years.

If “stretching” is required, a good place to start is with a thorough inventory of the facility, which includes information on the condition of the systems, equipment and components.  This provides a starting point for decisions about revised PM frequencies.

This process can be streamlined through a CMMS or Computerized Maintenance Management System.  CMMS software is built for organizing PM programs.  When doing your planning for PM frequencies, if you are unsure of how often to check a piece of equipment or system, the manufacturer’s manuals and recommendations are always good to use as a reference. The best maintenance programs are customized to fit the specific needs of your building, climatic conditions, and tenants.

Even if Preventive Maintenance frequencies are “stretched”, using a PM program in your facility is still the best way to keep your building and your budget in tip top shape.

Approaching HVAC system maintenance this way is troubling due to the important role that HVAC systems have in modern facilities today.  HVAC systems in commercial buildings are accountable for more than 40 percent of total energy use.  When you keep the HVAC systems running at peak efficiency, money is saved automatically.

HVAC system maintenance is much more than controlling energy use and Tenants depend on properly operating systems for more than comfort.  The proper HVAC system maintenance can help a building remain “healthy” but preventing mold build up and maintaining adequate indoor air quality.

Most small to mid sized facilities underfund maintenance and reactive maintenance remains the norm.  In many cases the reason for not performing routine preventive maintenance is lack of resources.  However, when you look at the potential cost savings that can reduce total maintenance costs by up to 30%, along with the benefits of improved energy efficiency and maintaining a “healthy” building, it becomes much easier to justify HVAC preventive maintenance.

The benefits of a CMMS system provide quick and easy access to records, service history, and product provider information.  Using a paper based system has limits as far as managing activities in real time and for managers to be reviewing the system quickly and effectively.

Automatic alerts via email and text messaging are provided for maintenance activities with a web and wireless based system.  Supervisors can quickly track deficiencies and information with all employees responsible for the various equipment.

A proper tracking  system allows managers to simply enter the equipment information once into the system and access the maintenance schedule.  The system will notify you of upcoming and past due events each time you open the web-based software.  With a web based system, multi users are able to track equipment process, costs and equipment lifetime all at once.

Facility Managers are training staff on proper methods of using disinfectants to help eliminate the spread of infections in working environments.  Maintaining clean and sanitized buildings can help reduce the risk of flu outbreak and the spread of H1N1 virus.

Part of the effort is educating the public about the importance of sanitizing and cleaning high traffic public areas.  Many companies are using environmentally friendly disinfectant cleaners to wipe all areas throughout their facilities like the Washington Metro.  The Washington Post claims “Good personal hygiene can cut the risk of spreading and catching the virus.”

Employers and their cleaning staff play an important role in protecting employees’ health and safety.  Educating staff with verbal and written work instructions can help prevent the influence of H1N1 virus and the risks associated with outbreaks within facilities.  In addition, maintenance staff can help by ensuring timely preventive maintenance on air handling equipment that can improve indoor air quality and help prevent the virus from spreading.

Tracking the progress of cleaning staff can be easily accomplished with Janitorial Business Software while maintenance staff can use their Facility Maintenance Software to ensure filters are changed regularly and that vents are free from contaminants to improve indoor air quality.

The right preventive measures can help minimize the spread of H1N1 virus this year.

Your choice in CMMS should help you utilize the standards and procedures that ensure each employee is following the same set of instructions.  This would include things like frequencies of your preventive maintenance, scheduling, tools, instructions and the type of equipment readings you expect.

When you receive a Preventive Maintenance service notification from your CMMS, you will have the ability to print out all of the information related to that service.  This saves you the time and effort of looking in a spreadsheet or manual for the service instructions, tools and other information.

As a Facility Manager, you can also rest easy knowing that your employees have everything they need to complete their task.   A good CMMS will assist your facility with the best return on investment for the equipment purchased.

Mobile technology, such as Blackberry cell phones or “Smart Phones”, can mean no more hand written inspection forms or work order “tickets”.  Mobile technology used by today’s Preventive Maintenance Software and Cleaning Business Software reduces the duplication of effort and improves work quality.  This provides more immediate access to information and helps your managers spend more time creating solutions instead of charts.

Tracking work performance can be updated in real time and Client Requests can be sent to supervisors in the field so clients can be taken care of immediately.  Failed inspections results also get sent to supervisors automatically.  This makes corrective action response time a lot faster, which makes clients a lot happier.

Optimal ROI is achieved when your assets are running properly.  Preventive Maintenance Software programs increase productivity through work scheduling and performance monitoring.  This reduces repair costs and production downtime, providing consistent performance of critical assets.

Preventive Maintenance Software can help reveal potential breakdowns before they happen so they can be prevented and also helps to record all essential information such as purchase dates, service contracts and dates for equipment replacement.  Inventory Control tracks all tools and assets necessary to achieve high performance levels.

Basic functionality will include automated work orders, scheduling preventive maintenance, tracking assets and creating purchase orders. Other features include using hand-held pda devices as well as barcode scanning.

Preventive Maintenance Software will improve customer satisfaction and increase production capabilities within your organization.

It is important to select CMMS Software that is customizable or one that offers enhancement modules for program expansion once you get the system running.  This will allow flexibility for users to adapt and learn the software before expanding to a more complex version.

Implementation requires a naming system to be set up for your equipment and preventive maintenance tasks.  When setting up your equipment naming system, remember to make it simple and meaningful so everyone in your facility will be able to recognize it.

The next step for implementation would include the entry of inventory data.  Facility Supervisors should take an active part while training users of their CMMS system and the maintenance department should understand the system well before switching entirely to the new system.

Everyone plays a vital role in making the system work.  To get the most from your new tool, it should be used on a daily basis and updated to increase efficiency and accountability.

Save Time

One of the largest time savings for management staff is notifications.  They don’t have to chase after answers anymore, because their CMMS Software tells them about important issues they need to know.  This is accomplished by actively tracking work performance live, which can prove work was completed while understanding employee performance much better.

Since most employees are familiar with using the internet, they usually don’t require as much training.  You staff can even be trained over the Internet, saving them considerable time and saving you money.

Save Money

No additional hardware or software needs to be purchased or installed.  The only requirement is a web browser and internet connection, which is standard for most computers.

The technology is more universal and upgrades are available, usually as part of the service – which means Free!  Maintenance and development are also easier and cheaper as problems are identified and fixed remotely, speeding up the process.

Make Your Job Easier

Web-based software can be used from anywhere, whether you’re working from home, at a client’s office, or on the road using mobile technology such as your cell phone.

You can manage your operations without being in there, which saves you time and money.

Barcoding your facility can increase your organizational capabilities when combined with CMMS Software or Janitorial Business Software to help your team track performance and make smart decisions.

Employee

Using barcodes, you can easily verify work performed by your janitorial and maintenance staff.  You will know when a task begins and ends, plus who did the work.  You can also determine the travel time between tasks to better understand route schedules and employee efficiency.

Verifying work performance will help you provide better training procedures and cut down costs.  Many Facility Mangers are responsible for multiple buildings.  By knowing the time it takes for employees to get to different buildings, you can optimize route schedules by reducing travel time to cut labor and fuel costs.

Quality

Facility Managers are asked difficult quality questions.  Was the inspector actually there?  What exactly are you inspecting?  Was that the correct area to inspect?

If you use barcodes with CMMS Software or Janitorial Business Software, you can easily answer those questions.  Mobile devices will time stamp inspections and automatically display the exact location & inspection criteria for the Inspector. Whether it is an inspection based on cleanable items in a room or check points for a piece of equipment, mobile devices with barcode capabilities will save inspection time, provide more accurate inspections, and verify inspection performance.

Inventory

Many facilities are affected by limited space, supply shrinkage, and heavy consumption.  Inventory management systems that use barcodes will provide accurate and timely information to assist you in managing those issues.  You will be able to track consumption, understand usage patterns, and better control supply shrinkage problems.

You will have alerts when inventory falls below minimum set points, and be able to track equipment location accurately to stop guessing where it went.

All of this adds up to saving management and labor time, which gives your team time to focus on making money in your facility.