Does your community have a facility maintenance plan? It’s something any building/community needs to consider, especially with the cost of facilities appearing on the balance sheet. A facility maintenance plan not only helps a building budget and manage costs associated with facilities, but it also paints a clear picture of the condition, care, and considerations of a building’s essential systems.

A well-drafted facility management plan is a valuable tool in anticipating and reacting to the needs of a building and the demands of its occupants.

What is a facility maintenance plan?

A facility maintenance plan—also called a facility operation plan (FOP)—is a comprehensive overview of the systems that govern your facilities and the practices for keeping them running. It’s designed to be comprehensive—from scheduled HVAC checkups to long-term life cycle planning and capital improvements. If there’s ever a question about facilities upkeep, it’s answered in the facility maintenance plan.

With something so comprehensive, a simple question comes to mind: how do you draft a maintenance plan? The simplest way is to understand the vital components of such a plan and address them, and to expand the plan over time as new and larger facilities needs come into focus. Here’s how.

Define the building’s vital systems

What should a maintenance plan include? Consider every vital part of your facilities. If it needs upkeep in any way, it goes into the plan. Vital facilities systems can include the following:

Heating, cooling, and ventilation
Fire safety systems
Plumbing
Lighting
Electrical
Mechanical
Landscaping
Janitorial

The purpose of identifying these systems is to break down the level of upkeep they need. Consider each system its own chapter in the broader facility maintenance plan. The purpose of each section is to assign a complete maintenance approach for that specific system.

Identify maintenance needs

With every essential aspect of facilities outlined in the plan, facilities managers can drill down to identify upkeep and maintenance needs. Ideally, this will be a comprehensive process, covering everything from routine maintenance requirements to scheduled services outlined in vendor service-level agreements (SLAs). Identifying maintenance needs for every system has two advantages.

First, it provides a comprehensive overview of each system. For example, a facility manager can plan ahead for different aspects of HVAC preventive maintenance and stay on top of best practices.

Second, it provides a cumulative view of monthly or annual facilities demands, giving real estate managers a broader picture of spending, upkeep requirements, and other insights used for high-level decision-making.

Budget and life cycle planning

With a clear understanding of the essential maintenance required to keep facilities running comes an understanding of the cost of facilities management. What is the annual cost of HVAC maintenance? How much do you need to spend on landscaping in summer versus fall? What unexpected facilities expenses have you had this year outside of projected costs? All these questions become clearer when you can assign a dollar value to different aspects of facilities upkeep.

As part of future cost calculations, life cycle planning also comes into focus. For example, your building’s boiler system might be 20 years old and inefficient. You know, based on the upkeep schedule, that it only has a few more years left before the total cost of ownership becomes higher than replacing it. You can budget for a new boiler months—or even years—ahead of time to replace the outdated system before it fails and incurs even greater costs.

Coordinate and delegate maintenance

With systems and upkeep demands defined and budgeted, the final role of a facility maintenance plan is to coordinate and delegate maintenance. Who is responsible for the work? Each section should outline the in-house process, vendor, or other responsible parties for each aspect of the building and each maintenance task.

In-house duties might fall under a specific department or craftsperson. Vendor responsibilities are usually defined in SLAs or agreed-upon services and costs. If you are leasing the building, the landlord may also be responsible for certain duties. The facility maintenance plan ensures that every aspect of building upkeep has a clear owner, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Data is changing facility maintenance

A facility maintenance plan is a living document—one that is becoming more robust as data becomes central to facilities management. For many large companies, maintenance plans now incorporate digital twins, Internet of Things (IoT) insights, and other data used to support better decision-making. This results in a more informed approach to facility management.

Facility maintenance plans are worth the investment of time and effort because they help facilities managers prepare for the future. You cannot always predict when issues will arise, but a good plan ensures a proactive strategy for preventing problems, funding improvements, and enhancing facilities.

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