A Guide to Picking the Right Facility Maintenance Strategy

Choosing the right facility maintenance strategy remains one of the most tasking duties in an organization. Fast-paced computing and machine learning mean you are constantly exposed to new trends. Most of the maintenance decisions are becoming more reliant on data and analytics.

All the changes, however, are always looking to make maintenance more affordable and efficient. 

While most maintenance strategies now depend on each organization's needs, some facilities managers find it hard to settle on the best approach. Here are some of the tips to help you pick the right facility maintenance strategy. 

Understand the organization demands 

The best way to establish the right facility maintenance strategy is to understand the company's needs. With data-driven and analytics decision-making taking shape, you can easily streamline your system to meet the company's needs. 

The company assets and regular operations determine the kind of facility management software you use. Understand all the critical company assets to help you understand where to pay more attention. 

Your strategy should cover the organization's production records, safety needs, and finances. 

Meet the legal requirements

While you might want to have the final say on the facility management strategy you pick, not everything is on you. Liaise with the legal team to understand the legal provisions on the facilities management. 

The main legal constraints tend to be for organizations dealing with hazardous materials. The law requires proper disposal and protection of the environment. As such, you need adequate documentation for all your maintenance practices. 

Understand the various maintenances 

There are various facility maintenance types you have to understand when picking your facility maintenance strategy. Preparing for the multiple possibilities keeps you safe for any eventuality. 

Reactive maintenance is the simplest of all facility maintenance. It involves getting back to service anything that breaks within the facility. The reactive maintenance can be as simple as changing a minor faulty component or as big as overhauling a defective part of operations. 

Unlike reactive maintenance, proactive maintenance seeks to stop any failures before they occur. It is a long-term project that involves regular maintenance tasks. There are various facility maintenance options like preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance. 

Consider using both reactive and proactive maintenance depending on your requirements. 

Use the right facility management software. 

As facility management becomes more data-driven, several facility management softwares are coming up as solutions. The software you use should depend on the enterprise asset management for capacity and functionality. For example, you need different software for data security than you would use for real estate portfolio management.

Consider costs 

The cost of implementing your facility maintenance strategy remains one of the most significant considerations. You need an affordable system that ensures efficiency without compromising on the essential aspects.

The affordable maintenance software does not require too much labor to implement. Also, understand the long-term costs. You are better off spending more initial capital than having to pay for the same product every other time. You, however, must still understand the longer prospects given the ever-changing nature of facility management.

Bottom Line 

Choosing the right facility management strategy is all about ensuring the best practices. You are better off with a system customized for the organization's needs to make the whole process easier. Also, understand the costs and the various maintenance types you need.