Every day, Facility Managers (FMs) are pulled in different directions, making it difficult to prioritize their attention. Each problem that pops up in the facility feels like an emergency, with executives demanding the problems be immediately addressed. While it may seem necessary to immediately “put out fires,” constantly needing to respond to emergency maintenance issues robs FMs of the time they need to create and implement a long-term Facility Maintenance Plan.
The only way to achieve the goal of having a safe, efficient, well-budgeted, and aesthetically appealing facility is with a customized Facility Maintenance Plan specifically designed for your facility.
From Reacting to Planning as a Facility Manager
FMs, especially those new in the role, are often pressured to react to situations before taking time to analyze the situation. Here’s an example of how this plays out in facilities every day:
Imagine you’re getting complaints from the CEO about the rising cost of utilities like gas and electricity. You feel the pressure to take immediate action, and it just so happens that an HVAC company recently presented a new technology for your facility that would automate the HVAC system so it would run less during nonoptimal times, therefore saving the organization money.
You decide to spend the maintenance budget on the new technology only to find that the utility bills have not decreased at all. Now, you’re stressed because you’ve spent a large portion of your budget and still have the same issue. The CEO isn’t happy that money was spent, time has passed, and the issue remains.
What went wrong?
It’s not that the new technology automating the HVAC system didn’t work; it’s that you weren’t following a Facility Maintenance Plan built upon a strong foundation.
Had you been following a Facility Maintenance Plan, you would have known the following potential causes of your increased utility bills:
- There is a broken belt on an exterior HVAC unit.
- One of the air handlers isn’t working properly.
- Multiple units have clogged filters.
- Several windows and doors are poorly insulated, damaged, or missing weatherstripping.
Because you didn’t set a strong maintenance foundation by having a Facility Maintenance Plan in place to help you identify these issues beforehand, you reacted to pressure from the top of the organization. You used valuable resources without solving the real issues.
Although this particular scenario is just an example, it’s similar to what happens for FMs every day of the week.
The main problem with the entire situation is that without a Facility Maintenance Plan customized for your facility in place, you don’t have the information you need to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Show Your Expertise as a Facility Manager
Following a plan allows you to work toward sustained success and continuous improvement within your role and the Facility Maintenance department. The plan helps you have at your fingertips the information you need to assess the situation properly when a problem does arise.
While a well-thought-out and completed plan helps you in your day-to-day tasks, it also helps you gain the respect of the executive leadership staff at your organization. When they see that you are following a strong and strategic Facility Maintenance Plan, they’ll be more likely to listen to your opinions and perspective on facility planning.
More Confidently Make Decisions for the Facility
Having the solid foundation of a Facility Maintenance Plan in place allows you to respond more confidently when situations arise, such as our example above of increasing utility bills. In that scenario, if you had been following a Facility Maintenance Plan when the CEO demanded answers and action, you would have been able to confidently share that the deferred maintenance items had been identified and were already being addressed.
While there was nothing wrong with adding the new technology to automate the HVAC system, it was done in the wrong order. Before adding new technology or tools to the organization, we must first have a strong plan in place. The plan acts as your foundation, and without it, everything eventually begins to crumble around you.
The plan helps ensure the facility maintenance basics are covered. This allows you to add extras—like new technology—to make the facility more efficient at the right time, so you don’t spend your budget and resources before the foundation is set.
Consistency is the Key to Facility Management
It takes time, consistency, and perseverance to create and implement a Facility Maintenance Plan. It’s easy to let the day-to-day responsibilities as an FM take over, stopping you from ever completing the plan. But you must stay on course to customize and implement a plan for your organization.
It helps to have an outline or template to follow as you customize a Facility Maintenance Plan for your specific organization and facility. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The FM community is very willing to answer questions and give advice.
Creating and implementing a plan requires a thought-out process. Don’t just jump in and think you’ll easily and quickly create something that will fit your needs. And don’t just copy a template that was customized for another facility. A customized plan makes all the difference.
Start Creating Your Facility Maintenance Plan
If you’re ready to get started, you need to identify a trusted resource that you can build a good working relationship with. It’s helpful to have a step-by-step process to follow to help you create your plan from start to finish.
As mentioned above, it’s essential to find a plan that can be customized for your facility. It’s also imperative that the plan you create is strategic enough to be of value to you and your organization, but simple enough to follow that it’s realistic to implement with the resources available to you.
Foundational Facility Management has a 10-pillar Facility Maintenance Plan that walks you through the entire process of creating a customized plan. Each of the 10 pillars comes together to build the foundation for a strong Facility Maintenance Plan. The entire process is laid out in order, helping you create and implement a plan to provide a safe, appealing, and efficient facility for your coworkers, clients, and visitors for years to come.
Learn more about our facility maintenance plan templates and facility management consulting by scheduling a free 30-minute call to discuss the needs of your facility.
