FM 201: Operations & Maintenance Success in a New Era
In recent years, significant transformations have occurred in the realm of campus operations and maintenance (O&M). O&M teams have consistently placed a high emphasis on the safety and comfort of occupants while maintaining uptime and operating cost-effectively. However, emerging challenges demand alternative strategies.
In a recent article in APPA’s Facility Manager publication, Brian Caputo, UG2 Account Director, shares some insights about these challenges – many of which stem from the impacts of COVID-19, economic uncertainty, and a gap in O&M talent.
Brian shares some suggestions for these goals:
Team Education: Overcoming the Culture Gap:
Over 50% of electrical and plumbing technicians as well as 49% of HVAC technicians are 40+ years old. These technicians are extremely skilled and knowledgeable about industry best practices.
On the contrary, 20-30-year-olds make up 23% of HVAC technicians and 18% of electricians and plumbers. These employees are newer to the industry, meaning they may lack the skills that their older counterparts have perfected.
Brian explains that in order to combat this gap, facility services professionals must ensure that training is a key area of focus. It is also important to promote careers in the trades along with educating high school students about these opportunities.
Student Education: Meeting Expectations
Knowledge is power and good communication is key when setting expectations on campus. O&M managers need to teach and remind students about what is considered an “emergency” and how to prioritize requests.
It’s best to work closely with Students Affairs who can work with students to inform them about how/when to ask for help. O&M teams should collaborate with Student Affairs to recognize student issues and understand feedback.
Thinking Ahead: Capital Planning
Brian also explains the importance of O&M teams working closely with educational institutions to craft informed short-term and long-term plans and prioritize good investments. This demands an understanding of the lifespan of each piece of equipment, evaluating anticipated costs, and when to choose a repair vs. a replacement.
When partnering with O&M teams, institutions can get the insights needed for their strategic plans. Additional factors like student enrollment expansion, building refurbishments, and potential demolitions need to be considered as well as the potential outcomes when making O&M decisions in capital plans. For example, not repairing an air handler can hurt air quality and be harmful to our health.
Keeping Costs Down: Preventive Maintenance
Preventative maintenance and capital planning work side by side. If preventive maintenance is not prioritized, this will have a negative impact on equipment performance, and eventually, these failures can cause a ripple effect that causes irreversible damage. Brian highlights that blind spots are not an option.
It is critical that O&M teams build and follow preventative maintenance schedules which should be informed by recommendations from equipment manufacturers as well as industry standards.
To succeed in this new era of facilities management, operations and maintenance is ever-changing and continuously learn, adapt, and evolve. Brian believes that facility managers can achieve both short and long-term goals by building the foundation of a system that maximizes talent, manages student/parent expectations, incorporates new technologies, and focuses on making well-informed fiscal decisions.
Learn how UG2 goes above and beyond to serve your education facility: https://ug2.com/industries/higher-education/