Does your organization have that one person who just seems to know everything about your facility? They know who to call if there’s an issue. They know where all the shutoffs are located. And they know the maintenance history, when things were replaced, and which HVAC, plumbing, or other building systems seem to have constant issues.
They’re the go-to person, and it’s awesome that they’re part of your team. But what happens if that person disappears?
What happens if they retire, move away, become injured, or are unavailable for some other reason?
If all of the facility knowledge is held in one person’s head, all of that information could disappear with them. Your organization may be left starting from ground zero and trying to figure everything out again.
That’s why it’s important to understand, capture, and document the institutional knowledge connected to your facility.
What Is Institutional Knowledge in a Facility?
Institutional knowledge is all the knowledge about your property and building(s) that has been gathered over time but might not be documented.
A lot of times, we find that this knowledge is captured in one person’s head. You’re blessed that someone has that knowledge, but you also want the information to be documented.
This could include:
- Your facility’s maintenance history
- Where shutoff valves are located
- Which HVAC units serve different parts of the building
- When equipment or building components were installed or replaced
- Which assets have recurring problems
- Warranty information
- Trusted vendors and contractors
- Contractors you don’t want to call again
- Emergency contacts
- Past repairs and replacement decisions
Any type of maintenance history or important information about your facility is something you want to capture and document.
The next person down the line should know where to find this information and how to use it. You want a repeatable process rather than a facility maintenance plan that depends on what one person happens to remember.
Your Facility Maintenance Plan Shouldn’t Be Stored in Someone’s Mind
You don’t want your facility maintenance plan to be just something someone remembers. You want that information put together to create an actual plan.
Having all of your facility knowledge held by one person is risky because you don’t know when that person might become unavailable. They may retire, move, become injured, or simply not be there when an issue occurs.
When that happens, all of the knowledge they’ve gathered over the years may no longer be available to your team. Then you’re starting from ground zero.
You may have to figure out where equipment is located, which systems serve different parts of the building, what repairs have already been attempted, and which contractors have worked on the facility before.
Capturing that information doesn’t mean you’re trying to get rid of the person who has it.
It means you recognize that the knowledge they have is valuable, and you want to make sure it can be shared while they’re there and used once they’re gone.
It also means all of the responsibility doesn’t continue to fall on that one person.
What Can Go Wrong When Facility Knowledge Isn’t Documented?
Many things can go wrong when institutional knowledge isn’t captured, but one of the biggest problems is that it doesn’t enable you to plan.
How can you plan for the replacement of your assets and put those expenses into your budget if you don’t know anything about the assets?
How can you plan for repairing or replacing something if you don’t know its age, condition, or maintenance history?
Maybe your roof has already had three repairs. It may still be under warranty for another year, but if the person who knows that information leaves and no one else knows where the warranty is or which company completed the roofing work, what happens next?
Your organization may pay someone else to complete work that could have been covered under the warranty.
The same issue can happen with HVAC systems, plumbing equipment, electrical systems, parking lots, or any other part of your facility.
There are also emergency situations to consider.
If water is flowing into your building, does more than one person know where the shutoff is?
If an HVAC unit stops working before a service, does your team know which unit serves that part of the building?
If there’s an electrical issue, can someone quickly find the correct panel?
All of this information allows you to plan for different situations.
Documentation Helps You Make Better Facility Decisions
You want to take the knowledge your team has and document it in an organized format that your leadership can use for planning purposes.
Good documentation can reduce the stress placed on leadership.
When your facility information is documented, you can start planning. You can create repeatable work orders and preventive maintenance tasks that help your facility assets last longer.
You can make informed decisions about when assets need to be repaired or replaced. The information can be used to help create an emergency response plan. You can begin planning for future facility expenses instead of constantly reacting to whatever breaks next.
The goal is to make sure that if someone leaves, you aren’t starting over.
What Facility Knowledge Should Your Church Capture?
You want to document everything the person with institutional knowledge is able to share.
A lot of times, this person has been part of the church for years. They may walk the building every week, but no one walks with them.
They may notice small changes that other people miss, or which sounds coming from an HVAC unit are normal and which sounds mean there’s a problem. They may remember when a roof section was repaired or which plumbing fixture has caused repeated issues.
Maybe they’re appreciated, but that appreciation has never been clearly communicated to them. They just keep doing the work because they enjoy serving the church.
But when they leave, all of that information can walk out the door with them.
Some of the information you should capture includes:
- Maintenance and repair history
- An inventory of your building assets
- Asset locations
- Installation and replacement dates
- The condition of your assets
- Recurring facility issues
- Trusted vendors
- Contractor contact information
- Emergency contacts
- Utility shutoff locations
- Which systems serve each part of the building
- Preventive maintenance tasks and schedules
- Information about completed or planned projects
You should also gather any manuals, warranties, invoices, inspection reports, construction documents, and previous facility assessments that are available.
How to Begin Capturing Institutional Knowledge
Start by identifying the people who know the most about your church facility.
This could include a facility employee, church administrator, longtime volunteer, trustee, deacon, contractor, or former staff member.
Then take time to walk through the building with them.
Ask them to show you:
- Where important equipment is located
- Where utility shutoffs are located
- Which areas have recurring problems
- Which building systems serve each space
- What has been repaired or replaced
- Which contractors they trust
- What concerns them about the facility
- What they regularly inspect or maintain
Take notes, photos, and videos when helpful. The goal is not simply to have a conversation, but to take what they know and put it into an organized format that other people can access and understand.
That information could be stored in a spreadsheet, shared digital folder, facility binder, asset management system, or maintenance management software.
The exact system matters less than making sure the information is accurate, organized, accessible, and kept up to date.
Make Facility Knowledge Part of a Repeatable Process
Once you capture the information, determine how it will be maintained going forward.
- Who will update the asset inventory when equipment is replaced?
- Who will record completed repairs?
- Where will new warranties and manuals be stored?
- Who will update vendor information when a contact changes?
- Who will make sure preventive maintenance tasks are scheduled and completed?
You want a process that can be repeated regardless of who is currently responsible for the facility.
Software can help you store and organize the information, but software by itself isn’t the answer. You still need accurate information and a customized facility maintenance plan to put into the system.
Otherwise, you’ve simply moved incomplete information into a new location.
Honor the People Who Hold This Knowledge
Make sure you honor the people who have spent years caring for your church facility. Let them know that the information they have is extremely valuable.
Capturing their knowledge shows that you appreciate the work they’ve done and want to make sure it continues helping the church. Again, this isn’t about replacing them. It’s about taking the knowledge they have and making sure it can be shared. It also helps prevent everything from continuing to fall on one person’s shoulders.
Invite them to walk the facility with another staff member or volunteer. Give them an opportunity to teach someone else what they know. Ask them to help organize the information in a way that will make sense to future staff and volunteers.
That honors their experience and helps protect the church.
What If the Person Has Already Left?
Some churches may not have a person who holds all of this knowledge. Maybe that person has already retired, moved, or left the church, and now you’re starting from zero.
In that situation, a facility condition assessment can help you get started. You can also begin by creating an inventory of your building assets and grading the condition of those assets yourself.
You need to know:
- What assets you have
- Where they’re located
- Their approximate age
- Their current condition
- Their maintenance needs
- Their expected replacement timeframe
From there, you can begin putting together a preventive maintenance plan and building a customized facility maintenance plan for your church.
You may also be able to recover information by reviewing old invoices, warranties, emails, board minutes, contractor records, and previous maintenance documents.
Talk with longtime church members, staff, volunteers, and vendors. They may each hold pieces of the facility’s history that can be brought together into a more complete picture.
You may not recover every detail, but you can create a new starting point and begin documenting information correctly going forward.
Move From Reacting to Planning
We want facility maintenance to be planned out. We don’t want your church constantly reacting to whatever breaks.
Every time you’re able to plan, it gives you a little more control. It allows you to reduce your overall expenses and prepare for what’s coming.
You can begin planning for the roof to be replaced around a certain year. You can prepare for an HVAC unit, parking lot, flooring, or a different major building component to reach the end of its expected lifecycle.
Whatever it might be, you can start planning instead of constantly reacting. That can reduce the number of times unexpected facility expenses bust your maintenance budget.
You’ll never be able to predict every breakdown or emergency. However, when you have accurate information, you can make better decisions and reduce the number of surprises your church faces.
Turn What Your Church Knows Into a Facility Maintenance Plan
Foundational Facility Management Consulting can help churches capture institutional knowledge and organize it into a format that leadership, staff, and facility volunteers can use.
If your church is starting from zero, we can also help you inventory your assets, assess their condition, create a preventive maintenance plan, and begin building a real, customized facility maintenance plan.
Your facility information shouldn’t live in one person’s head.
Documenting that knowledge helps protect your church, support your team, reduce leadership stress, and give you the information you need to start planning for the future.
Have questions about how your church can move forward? Contact us to learn more and start the conversation.
