For all of these reasons, the retrocommissioning market has not met its growth predictions and the actions needed to bring facility systems into optimal working order are often put off. It all leads to a practice known as deferred maintenance where problems are allowed to grow so large that a recommissioning or retrocommissioning project can be justified. To give you an example of the severity of this problem, the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Bureau of Fiscal Service estimated there was about $130 billion of deferred maintenance in buildings, structures and facilities in 2013.
It’s just like a car. Regular maintenance is less expensive than waiting for a major breakdown. It keeps the car in top running shape; lets the owner know how much life is left on the brakes, tires and other wearable parts; as well as heads off problems before they happen by making sure the equipment is working the way it should.
Proactive Maintenance
A comprehensive, proactive maintenance strategy that covers repair costs is the smart choice for building owners and managers to avoid issues by budgeting for maintenance and repairs and shifting the risk to the service partner.
The benefits of a proactive maintenance strategy for buildings are similar:
- It identifies and addresses small repairs before they become larger failures.
- Provides better cost control by reducing unplanned costs.
- Reduces energy, time and maintenance.
- Mitigates the risk for major disruptions caused by equipment failure and can assist with business continuity and compliance.
- Ensures that maintenance is a priority and avoids the expense of deferring maintenance.
- Reduces tenants/occupants complaints and produces a safer, more productive environment.
So what are the characteristics of a comprehensive, proactive maintenance agreement? It should include the following:
A systems approach to maintenance
A systems approach looks not only at the physical components of the mechanical systems but also the controls system and strategies used to operate them. A regular control strategy review should be part of this approach. Many system problems result from control issues where equipment is consistently over or misused. Examples include poorly defined schedules that lead to cooling, heating or lighting empty spaces; systems permanently left on “temporary” override; or sensors that have fallen out of calibration, reducing the effectiveness of the controls strategies.
Repair coverage
At a minimum, repair coverage should be provided for critical and high-replacement value systems; however, if possible, it should include all “source” components (anything that produces heating or cooling) and ideally all system components. Providing repair coverage on more systems shifts more of the risk of failure onto the provider. Partnering with a provider with the financial strength to back up that risk is essential.
Predictive technologies
Predictive tests and analytics provide information on equipment performance and issues that may not be detectable using routine inspections. It can help identify and head off more costly repairs, as well as provide critical information to help managers plan and budget for equipment end-of-life.
Capacity, expertise and responsiveness
Does the provider have a high ratio of skilled/tenured professionals on the frontline staff? Does the company have enough people with expertise in the systems to cover off-hours, holidays and busy times? Does it have reliable mechanisms to dispatch in emergencies—during work hours and outside of work hours?
Partnership
An ongoing relationship with a single service provider allows that partner to learn a building, systems and staff. In fact, that partner can become an extension of the facilities department that can be counted on for resources and insight about how to improve a building.
Unlike ships, buildings don’t have to be taken to port and hauled out of the water to be commissioned or recommissioned. They can be optimized by ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Buildings are like living organisms in that they evolve over time. Equipment gets old and damaged, people use space differently, and new technologies become available that can increase efficiency and optimize operations. The cost and time that go into recommissioning and retrocommissioning can be avoided upfront by deploying a comprehensive, proactive maintenance strategy.