Effective Asset Management for Facilities Maintenance
Getting a job done involves much more than doing the work. It’s about asset management - ensuring the work is done well, kept up to date and completed on time.
Asset management software can help - assisting managers in keeping track of who is doing what, their progress and their timelines.
Facilities maintenance managers need a good maintenance management system to get the most out of their equipment and to make sure their teams are collaborating well and are accountable to customers and clients.
Effective, robust asset management software lets managers know exactly what is happening through their entire maintenance management system. For example, if you manage a store that has machinery or equipment – say, a baking oven or a rooftop air conditioning unit – you need the best, most up to date data about the equipment’s state of repair or its need for service.
Having a maintenance management system that uses asset management software lets you track everything conveniently and efficiently. Everything is recorded and cross-referenced - your equipment’s serial number, when it was installed, when it was last repaired, which parts are due for replacement, which particular assets are in which store or facility.
A property management company or facilities maintenance (FM) department using web-based software to keep track can collaborate more easily with service providers. Centah, Inc., for example, uses web-based software to enable facilities maintenance managers to be aware at all times what equipment is due for maintenance, what is in need of repair, who is available to do the work and when it will be completed.
A system like Centah's let you create a work order, assign an asset to it, track how much money is being spent on it and when the repairs and maintenance occurs. A good online maintenance management system can also give service providers the information they need for maintenance and repairs, so they know which tools and parts to bring to the job and have a clear idea beforehand of how long the work will likely take.
Asset management software also lets managers track their jobs and equipment and work with contractors according to a number of different metrics. A good maintenance management system will indicate, for example, how often particular equipment has needed servicing and whether it’s worth servicing again this time or better to replace the equipment.
Good asset management is really the key to managing what is really your most valuable asset—your team. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and knowledge about what maintenance and repairs are due and how they can get done most effectively is information that will help empower your team. It can help you determine which particular contractors you should hire for which jobs. And it can pick out anomalies—for example, if one particular lift truck out of a fleet is under-performing, maybe this unit needs to be replaced instead of repaired.
Of course, even the best maintenance management system is really a tool for helping improve teamwork. Good asset management is good team management, and vice versa—if your contractors are doing what needs to be done, it may be because they got good information from your asset management software.
Using your maintenance management system to get the most your team—some tips:
- Set clear performance expectations - Through SaaS, you have provided the information to your contractors. Make sure everyone is clear about what needs to be done, and when.
- Build a team - If your team members are doing a good job, tell them. They would expect to hear from you if they were not performing well; they should expect positive feedback if they are.
- Share information - If your team members are doing a good job, tell them. They would expect to hear from you if they were not performing well; they should expect positive feedback if they are.
- Accountability - Your contractors should be accountable through your maintenance management system. You should know what stage they are at with particular repairs, when maintenance is due and more, through you asset management software on your screen, phone or tablet. Contractors should understand your asset management system and the Software as a Service you use as well as you do – and they should be able to help make the system work for you.
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