Most of us work in a building outside of our homes and some of us probably own those buildings, which is a substantial investment. With any investment, we want that investment to continue to grow and be more valuable with time. Real Estate is one of the few investments that provides economic growth over time but lack of facility maintenance can be a deterrent to that growth and future sales values.
Facility maintenance is critical because it enables a business’ assets to remain productive for longer than otherwise possible. This is important because extended useful lifespans mean reduced repair and replacement costs, which can be very expensive. Moreover, this minimizes the potential for interruptions to the revenue-earning operations, something that can pose a significant impact to the existence of smaller businesses when the asset or assets that give out are of sufficient importance.
Second, facility maintenance is what enables a business’ assets to continue providing the best performance possible, thus making for increased efficiency across the entirety of its revenue-earning operations. Sometimes, this means buildings as well as their contents. Other times, this means the business’ human resources. After all, people prefer clean, well-maintained office environments rather than dirty, dilapidated spaces, meaning that this can have a real impact on their morale and productivity.
Facility maintenance encompasses a wide range of tasks. For example, the inspection of HVAC systems for potential issues that need to be corrected can be considered maintenance, janitorial tasks that restore office spaces to a clean state and exterior façade/roof cleaning are an obvious facility maintenance. Maintaining exterior paint and sealants for building weatherability are other very important maintenance tasks, but sometimes it’s those items behind walls or above ceilings or in mechanical closets that get overlooked because they are not obvious things we see every day as we go in and out of our buildings. Whatever its exact nature, facility maintenance is critical for business success and longevity, and is often overlooked or deferred for financial reasons. As a general contractor for 17 years, I have too often seen buildings where maintenance had been prolonged, whether it is roofing replacement/repairs, building envelope weatherability, leaking waterproofing, etc., and in most cases the cost for these repairs are more extensive or have resulted in damage to other areas of the building.
Summed up, it should be clear that facility maintenance is a source of all-around helpfulness for businesses. It is one of those things that can seem invisible when it is being performed properly, but when it isn’t, a wide range of things can start changing for the worse at a rapid pace. If you see something that doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. If you have a friend that’s a contractor, give them a call and have them give you their opinion, or ask a friend for a recommendation. You most likely already have a plumber and HVAC contractor for repairs. Make sure they have you on a yearly maintenance plan and if they don’t, call another reputable contractor. As such, there can be no doubt about the fact that the best facility maintenance is a critical component of business success.
