Getting Strategic With Your Assets

As Next-Gen Facility Managers, having control and knowledge over your facility assets is critical for the planning and performance of your buildings. For a lot of facility managers, getting your arms around all of the assets in your buildings can seem daunting. It's important to have asset information on file, have it be easily accessible and be able to see a history of inspections, maintenance and work performed to it. There are simple strategies to ease your way into managing your assets for the future.

Before we get started on strategies, let's first think about the failed inspections of the past. What types of issues have slipped through the cracks that you've had to go back and fix? Have their been any instances where you've experienced a negative impact on how the superintendent views your job performance? It's ok, it happens to the best of us and thinking about the issues of the past will help you prioritize where to start for the future.
The most common reasons that we've found why facility managers don't have a formal process for asset management or PM's usually fall into three buckets:

1. They're overwhelmed - there's too many assets to even know where to start.
2. They don't see the benefits of putting in the extra work to get organized around their assets.
3. There is no existing process in place, so it's just business as usual.

Do you fall into one or more of these buckets? Here are some easy ways to start to get proactive on your assets.

Start Small - Prioritize Your List
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the process of starting, go back to those areas and issues that may have been problems for you in the past. These include:

• High maintenance assets
• Assets you can self perform
• Assets that are expensive when they fail
• Assets with serviceable parts, filters, belts and bearings

You can build your priority list of assets from there. We also have our own top ten punch list of assets to start collecting information and documenting work orders, PM's and inspections against in case you need some inspiration:

1. Drinking fountains - lead tests, filter changes
2. Fire extinguishers - monthly inspections, liability protection
3. AEDs - PM's for battery replacement, locational awareness
4. Air handlers - filters, PM's
5. Rooftop units - filters, PM's
6. Unit ventilators - filters, PM's
7. Emergency lighting - battery changes, inspection locations
8. Electric breaker panels - panel schedules, locations
9. Sump pump - unexpected failure can be very costly
10. All major technology high end equipment - i.e.: PA, phone, WAN, security, fire alarm, access control

It's important to get in the habit of tracking your asset information to be more strategic, avoid failed inspections and prolong the life of your assets. Starting with list (in whatever order makes sense) will make the process seem less cumbersome. You want to track your assets in a work order system because it will give your team more information on the work orders that were tied to that asset so they can see the work history. Notes on a work order can make future work a lot more efficient, like what tools or equipment are best suited for the job. You will also be able to see who worked on the asset, in case you have questions - you know who to go to. And finally, if you are proactively scheduling PM's and inspections on assets for the future, you won't miss dates and you will start to take control of your assets!