When a company says it offers total facility maintenance, what exactly does that mean? The answer isn’t as easy as one might expect since the duties can vary greatly, depending on the industry. For example, the tasks performed by a hospital environmental services (EVS) team will be different from those of a commercial janitorial services staff for an entertainment venue.
The definition of total facility maintenance can also vary within the same industry depending on specific responsibilities. A hospital EVS team may have an emergency department and surgical areas to maintain that are not present in other healthcare facilities.
To make matters more confusing, total facility maintenance can mean different things to different facility maintenance companies, even those servicing virtually identical facility types. For some, the term includes basic commercial janitorial services only. For others, it contains commercial cleaning services as well as a host of other responsibilities, such as HVAC and plumbing maintenance, lawn and landscape care, pest control, waste management, and more.
Yet whatever duties facility maintenance companies perform, their goal should be to help facility managers keep up with the maintenance of their facilities to prevent more costly and untimely emergency repairs.
The 4 Types of Maintenance
Whatever definition or duties facility maintenance companies provide, four basic types of maintenance remain the same:
Corrective. Also known as “what breaks needs fixing,” this form of maintenance occurs too often in many facilities. Of course, equipment and other items break. However, a better idea is to stay on top of maintenance as much as possible to keep this from happening. Preventing (see below) these types of malfunctions can be difficult for any facility management team, but it is even more challenging if constant repairs use up labor time.
Preventative. This form of maintenance is typically considered the most vital and requires taking a proactive approach to total facility maintenance. It requires remaining vigilant in looking for potential issues and performing the routine maintenance necessary to prevent the need for corrective maintenance.
Predictive. The least familiar of the four types, predictive maintenance often relies on sensors and other data-capturing devices to let facility management know when and where attention is needed. Examples of this are a room sensor that tells custodial workers when a room is no longer in use and requires cleaning or paper towel dispenser sensors that signify when they need refilling.
Deferred. This is actually not maintenance at all. It is a nice way of saying maintenance was not done. Deferred maintenance often leads to corrective maintenance, which can mean costly repairs at inconvenient times. According to David Tod Geaslin’s Inverse-Square Rule for Deferred Maintenance, “If a necessary repair is deferred and allowed to remain in service until the next level of failure, the resultant expense will be square of the cost of the primary failure part.” In other words, ignoring the replacement of that $10 part will cost you $100 when it fails.
Of these four types of maintenance, the right facility maintenance services provider can help with the two most important ones, preventative and predictive.
The Benefits of Extra Eyes
The right facility maintenance services provider is willing to help facility managers prevent potential maintenance issues before they require corrective maintenance. For example, top commercial cleaning service workers remain on the lookout, reporting problems to management like leaking restroom fixtures or loose handrails. In EVS hospital settings, staff can report potential hazards, such as loose or bent bed rails and broken furniture or food tray tables.
Attention to these details can
- Prevent accidents and injuries
- Help ensure regulatory compliance
- Reduce downtime
- Increase throughput in healthcare settings
- Reduce more costly repairs
- Give facility managers time to spend on duties other than corrective repairs
- Reduce the potential for workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits.
Looking Ahead
While no one can predict the future, leading total facility maintenance companies will have “smart” capabilities to help allocate their time and needs. Labor tracking can help ensure cleaning workers are where they are needed when they are needed, as well as provide quick response times for schedule changes or emergency repair needs. Electronic facility mapping capabilities can provide real-time information regarding which areas have been cleaned, disinfected, and are ready for use versus which may have an issue that requires attention. Capturing and utilizing smart technologies such as these can provide a host of additional information to help protect the health and safety of building occupants and make the lives of facility managers easier.
Total Facility Maintenance Companies Near Me
Servicon, a California-based company, offers a host of facility maintenance services that can keep your facility clean and well-maintained and your building occupants safe and satisfied.