What Is Facility Maintenance?

Facility Maintenance involves routine upkeep, inspection, and maintenance of non-manufacturing commercial buildings. Basically, it includes commercial builds where no manufacturing occurs, such as hospitals, offices, universities, etc.

Earlier, facility maintenance more or less pertained to routine maintenance services such as heating or plumbing. Over the years, the term facility maintenance has also evolved to include property management, space planning, security, human services, etc.

Are you wondering why a commercial building needs Facility Maintenance?

A facility maintenance professional offers a broad range of services to ensure a commercial establishment’s smooth running. Here are a few reasons why it’s crucial to make arrangements for facility maintenance.

Creating a Comfortable Environment

Maintaining a commercial facility is essential to create a comfortable, positive, and productive working environment for employees. From ensuring a clean and hygienic space to providing ergonomic desks, facility managers play a key role in keeping employees satisfied. A facility manager swiftly handles any issues with the facilities to minimize downtime and loss of productivity. Immediately resolving any issues also enables an organization to attract and retain talented employees. Since the workplace directly impacts employee efficiency, ensuring an accommodating working environment should always be a priority.

Keep Up with Repairs & Improvements

Different features of a commercial building require repairs and improvements over time. These tasks fall under the responsibility of a facility manager. Whether the lighting needs to be replaced or faulty plumbing needs to be taken care of, facility managers will ensure your commercial space is in top shape physically.

In addition to routine electrical, plumbing, and heating maintenance, facility maintenance also includes keeping the workplace clean as well as well decorated. A well-decorated space is essential to create a positive impression on prospective clients and customers. Taking care of such requirements in a timely fashion allows an organization to keep maintenance costs in check and make the most of its facilities.

Implementing Suitable Processes

Whether you own a small office or run a large university, keeping a commercial space running smoothly is not as easy as it may seem. The right processes need to be put in place to maintain order, which is another task taken over by a facilities manager.

Whether space needs to be reserved or some arrangements are required for visitors, a facilities manager will find and implement a suitable process. Streamlined processes offer order to your commercial space, which saves time and cost.

Incorporating Technology

Technology has become an essential asset for most facilities. Facilities managers are also responsible for incorporating technology to help run an organization better. From finding the right payroll software to installing smart technology, a facilities manager undertakes several steps to optimize a workplace further.

Types of Facility Maintenance Workers

Facilities maintenance includes two types of workers. The first is a facilities manager, who is responsible for recognizing the need for any repairs or improvements. They supervise and ensure that all maintenance works are completed on time and within budget. Facilities manager can be further classified into:

Strategic Facilities Managers are in charge of helping customers, clients, and end-users understand how various business decisions can impact the facility and other related factors.

Operational Facilities Managers are responsible for creating and maintaining a comfortable, productive, and safe working environment.

On the other hand, the other type of facility maintenance worker is a facility maintenance technician. These workers take on the hand-on tasks of inspecting, installing, and repairing. They are responsible for corrective as well as preventative maintenance.

Are you looking for a facilities manager? Considering the important role played by a facilities manager, here are some qualities to look for when hiring a manager for your commercial space.

Experience

There are already established measures for many situations. But certain issues can arise out of nowhere. An experienced facilities manager should have adequate experience to deal with such unique circumstances.

Strategically Thinking

A good facilities manager will strategically plan and manage various tasks. The focus should be on the short-term as well as long-term success of the organization. Rather than driving up facilities maintenance costs, a facilities manager should be focused on making your property a profitable asset.

Innovative

Finding innovative solutions is necessary to improve current facilities as well as keep operational costs in check. Ideally, a facilities manager should be a problem solver, always striving to find cost-effective solutions.

Communication Skills

Facilities maintenance involves communicating with employees, facilities technicians, vendors, and other parties. That’s why it’s important for a facilities manager to have excellent communication skills.

The Responsibilities of Facilities Managers

In modern times, the responsibilities of facilities managers are continually evolving. The responsibilities also vary depending on the type of organization, industry, location, and other factors specific to a client. Here are some of the services taken on by facilities managers.

1. EHS: Environment, Health, and Safety

Whether you run an office or host customers, it’s critical to put necessary procedures in place to ensure safety. A healthy and safe working environment is necessary for ensuring productivity and minimizing downtime and absenteeism.

A facility manager is responsible for identifying, analyzing, and managing any safety-related concerns. From ensuring regular cleaning to implementing safe operating procedures, a facility manager ensures that workers, clients, and other occupants are safe inside the facility. Lack of such provisions can lead to sickness and injuries, which can, in turn, invite lawsuits.

2. Fire Safety

A fire emergency can occur anywhere, anytime. Fire can cause significant damage to people and property. Facilities managers are in charge of taking preventative measures and precautions to ensure occupants’ safety, buildings, and assets in case a fire breaks out. This involves identifying any vulnerable areas, routinely checking all fire safety equipment, and ensuring compliance to fire safety requirements.

3. Security

Maintaining security is an essential part of facility management to safeguard occupants, property, and business assets. A facility manager’s job also involves supervising and looking after the security of the property. This includes appointing security guards, managing security software, finding suitable security technology, and so on.

4. Preventive Maintenance

Facility managers are in charge of scheduling as well as ensuring preventative maintenance is carried out. Routine inspection and maintenance are necessary to maximize equipment life cycles and prevent untimely breakdowns. Such inspections may also be required to comply with statutory obligations. It’s helpful to embrace a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to track maintenance requirements easily.

5. Cleaning

Cleaning and sanitization have never been more important, considering the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak. Regular and thorough cleaning of premises is imperative to maintain a healthy and hygienic working environment. Facilities managers make sure every area of the property is routinely cleaned using the right products and tools. Cleaning may include wiping down surfaces, sanitizing bathrooms, vacuuming upholstery, sweeping, mopping floors, and so on. A clean and organized workplace also creates the right impression on visitors.

6. Operational Tasks

There are numerous simple and complex tasks that ensure smooth operations. Facility management is in charge of all such operational tasks. They are responsible for recognizing any faulty systems and immediately finding a solution to resume the business operations as soon as possible. Depending on the type of organization, operational tasks can include anything from replacing fused lighting fixtures to fixing malfunctioning equipment.

7. Business Continuity Planning

While organizations can’t always predict setbacks, it’s possible to ensure business continuity by putting a proper plan in place. In case a business is forced to leave the current premises, a facility manager will look into finding and relocating the operation to a new property. This decision needs to be made wisely and quickly to prevent major losses to the business.

8. Space Allocation

As the organization grows, the office space and layout need to be adjusted accordingly. Whether you’re planning to purchase more equipment or hire more employees, a facility manager will be in control of space allocation. Here are some factors the facility management team takes into consideration:

• Proper lighting
• Sufficient ventilation
• Putting up safety signage
• Assigning adequate space to individual employees
• Compliance to fire safety requirements
• Providing basic amenities (drinking water, toilet paper, etc.)

Buildings that Utilize Facility Maintenance

Usually, facilities managers are responsible for taking care of security, hygiene, and repairs of commercial buildings. Not only do many of these requirements need to be met legally, but these measures are also essential to keep occupants, property, and assets safe.

The scope of facilities maintenance can be focused on certain departments or the entire facility, depending upon the organization’s specific requirements. Certain conditions can hinder business operations and lead to severe damage. A facilities manager identifies, assesses, and remedies such situations.

Nearly every non-manufacturing commercial establishment depends on facility management to ensure smooth operations and a productive working environment. Many people don’t realize the organization and planning it takes to make seemingly simple day-to-day tasks such as office cleaning possible. Here are some common commercial facilities employing such maintenance experts.

Offices

Commercial buildings like offices and warehouses are usually equipped with HVAC units, boilers, and other equipment. These systems require routine maintenance and repairs to optimize performance and avoid unexpected breakdowns. Facility managers also look after security to make sure no unauthorized person enters the facility.

Hospitals

Cleanliness and sanitation are extremely important for hospitals. In addition to meeting sanitation standards, facilities managers also make sure that various equipment and machinery are functional.

Universities

Many universities have high-value research equipment that needs maintenance as well as security. A facility manager is responsible for taking care of such equipment. Other than research equipment, assets such as HVAC systems, lighting, etc., also need constant maintenance.

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