Facilities management is equally a cultivated mindset as it is a set of practices and procedures. As the leader of your facility, you must set the tone for how your operations will be treated by employees. If you only focus on cutting corners, you’ll set your facility up for subpar work across the board. However, if you focus on the pillars of quality work in your facility maintenance, this attitude will become infections throughout the company.
Proper facility maintenance aims to reduce operational errors, downtime, and onsite accidents. It also works to enhance the efficiency of the equipment onsite, as well as those who rely on that equipment. You know you’re following facility maintenance best practices if minimal maintenance service is leading to lower costs and a longer lifespan of equipment, as well as higher employee satisfaction.
Here is what you should instill in our facility maintenance plan to make it fully geared toward success:
Smart planning
Scheduling maintenance services should not simply be a “by the book” decision. You want to make plans for maintenance based on a facility or piece of equipment’s history, as well as the experience of the maintenance team. When you plan your upkeep this way, you can reduce downtime from reactive maintenance services. This will also help shape your maintenance plan for the future, making it sharper each year.
Accountability where it matters
All maintenance tasks should not be put in the hands of the professional maintenance technicians. For example, the equipment operator should be aware of basic maintenance tasks and complete them on a set schedule, thus reducing the need for expensive specialist calls for basic services. Cleaning, lubrication, and minor repairs can be handled by the operator or office staff to reduce downtime and expenses simultaneously.
Education and training
Education and training is the first step toward progress in any field. If you want your staff to understand the importance of maintenance request reporting and basic preventative care, they must be properly trained. They will not only better understand the role of facility maintenance in total productivity, but will be able to reduce costs by performing basic maintenance on everyday equipment and appliances.
Quality over efficiency
If your maintenance team is to be truly efficient, they must be able to identify the root causes of problems before they manifest into expensive repairs. They must understand that a total repair is better than a quick fix, and be encouraged to take their time in providing a great service. If you push your maintenance team to cut costs and time, you will not achieve the results you truly want.
An employee-first approach
Employee safety and health is paramount to a productive facility. It is why you do facility maintenance programs in the first place. By looking for the maintenance problems that affect employee safety, health, and productivity first, you can identify the true problems that are holding your company back.
This comprehensive facilities maintenance approach will help you achieve long-lasting results for your facility and company. To learn more about comprehensive maintenance services and preventative care for commercial facilities, contact us today!
