Every commercial facility needs a detailed and strategically designed maintenance policy for their outsourced contractors and in-house janitorial staff. This policy covers not only “big picture” goals and strategies but rules for safety and maintenance practice. It instills the company values from the ground up by ensuring that maintenance services are performed in alignment with your greater goals. However, your maintenance policy can’t do these things if it has been created for regulation compliance and cost-savings only.
Your maintenance policy should not be a stagnant document that is only read once a year. It should be a living, breathing document that is referenced often to determine the best strategies for your maintenance team. It should also be used when trying to set and accomplish maintenance goals for the year, such as reducing costs or purchasing new equipment.
Six Necessary Elements of Your Maintenance Policy
When writing or updating your maintenance plan, your primary focus should be the six elements below. They will outline all the necessary protocols for your maintenance team. Plus, they can be used by upper management for strategy, budgeting, and risk management for facility assets.
- Risk analysis – Risk analysis in maintenance includes risk descriptions, assessments, and acceptance of certain maintenance strategies and equipment chosen for your facility. The analysis should be the primary guiding factor in choosing different maintenance strategies as well as bigger-picture goals for your maintenance team.
- Regulatory compliance and safety protocols – These should be at the forefront of your maintenance policy, as safety protocols and regulatory compliance policies are the ones that prevent injuries, reduce costs, and keep your business in check.
- Maintenance costs – Defining your maintenance costs — both reactive and preventative — can give you a better understanding of why a specific maintenance budget is needed, and when funds should be allocated for equipment upgrades.
- Management protocols – Your upper management within the organization is equally involved in the maintenance department as the maintenance staff. They should be involved in ground-floor decisions, and be educated on the needs of the maintenance team in order to integrate their work into the business’ overall direction.
- Performance monitoring – Performance monitoring should be a required part of maintenance review and protocols. It can help you understand what’s lacking in your maintenance plan, and what needs to be changed in the upcoming year as you adjust your preventative care services.
- Contracting and procurement of service – Employees need to know who to call and how to submit service requests when maintenance services are needed. By outlining what contractors you use, and what services are required from them can streamline your maintenance outsourcing for better results.
MaintenX can help you improve your maintenance policies by providing a comprehensive preventative care plan for your facility. To learn more about our preventative maintenance services, contact us today!
