Facility Management Plan: A Modern Approach For Managers
When developing effective facility operations strategies, facility management tactics and practices are an essential part of the planning process. While facility managers have traditionally relied on preventive maintenance as a proactive asset management methodology, there is a significant shift to predictive maintenance (PdM) due to real-time data becoming more prevalent and machine learning providing better insights into potential areas of risk.
Today we will discuss how facility maintenance strategic planning helps managers develop effective maintenance tactics and practices, including ongoing actions as well as emergency and contingency checklists and budgeting guidelines. We will also discuss how managers can create this plan, and best implement it. Then, introduce LLumin’s computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS+) software as the best PdM solution available to facility managers.
Facility Management Planning and Modernization
A facility management plan should provide an in-depth overview of the processes that govern your facilities. This comprehensive and detailed document aids in establishing and executing procedures for the maintenance and upkeep of company assets to ensure they operate at peak performance. A facility management plan will typically cover the following three areas:
- Maintenance plan: A maintenance plan makes it easier to schedule work orders, balance budgets, and reserve resources needed to keep company assets in good working order. A facility management plan will define maintenance procedures for critical facility assets such as HVAC, fire safety, power, and plumbing systems. This plan should be designed to reduce the risk of unexpected system failures, which can disrupt production or endanger the safety of your workforce. It should also address all questions regarding maintenance or facility upkeep concerns.
- Emergency plans: A facility management plan should include emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a system failure or other emergency situations. Because of the unpredictable nature of emergency events, emergency maintenance cannot be planned in advance. However, your maintenance plan should address emergency preparedness and detail proper procedures for emergency events.
- Budgeting: Maintenance without set schedules and budget plans is extremely risky. Because of this, your facility maintenance plan should include a comprehensive monetary plan and budget for all necessary maintenance requirements.
The Shift to Predictive Maintenance Models
With the availability of integrated technologies and adaptive software systems, proactive maintenance strategies are enabling facility managers to monitor assets and visualize repair and replacement requirements before assets malfunction or fail. As a result, the facility management sector has begun to shift away from preventive maintenance to PdM models.
There are several advantages to PdM over other maintenance models. One of the most significant advantages of PdM is its advanced analytics and alerting capabilities. When assets exhibit failure patterns, the appropriate personnel are notified, and company assets can be repaired before lengthy downtime occurs.
Implementing CMMS software such as LLumin’s CMMS+ solution can enable a predictive maintenance strategy, increasing overall operational efficiency. LLumin’s CMMS+ can detect assets at risk of fault or failure, allowing facility and maintenance managers to avoid last-minute repairs and rushed orders. Most importantly, the software identifies machinery’s energy use and output, particularly those that have shown a decrease in performance, while also helping to extend the lifespan of company assets and lowering net carbon emissions.
Rethinking Emergency Planning
To optimize emergency planning, it’s necessary to rethink how technology is used to avoid emergency events before they occur, such as unexpected breakdowns and changes in facility conditions that can endanger health and safety.
Rather than relying on preventive maintenance that is scheduled on a calendar or based on asset runtime, predictive maintenance uses real-time data monitoring to capture patterns that indicate equipment or a component is about to fail.
The best way to mitigate emergencies is to ensure that your facility management plan includes updated and optimized maintenance strategies. This should include the development of maintenance strategies capable of identifying and resolving equipment issues before they cause failure and the use of predictive or condition-based maintenance.
Modernized Budget Planning
When discussing the benefits of predictive maintenance, it is common to focus solely on cost and maintenance quality. However, there are several advantages that have an impact on an organization’s financial performance, especially when the higher financial costs of unplanned downtime and accidents are taken into consideration.
Currently, most organizations use preventive maintenance models, and these practices can be a significant source of budget allocation and spending. The operational budgets of these organizations are frequently devoted mainly to preventive maintenance management. Adopting a predictive maintenance model can increase an organization’s budget accuracy and efficiency while extending the life of expensive company assets.
Preventive maintenance will not sufficiently address future budgetary constraints in the age of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and predictive analytics and diagnostics. A predictive model capable of suggesting maintenance procedures based on data will be required to forecast maintenance costs accurately.
Updating and Implementing Your Facility Management Plan
Updating and implementing your facility management plan will require creating a comprehensive strategy to address operational weaknesses and opportunities for improvement—and support from upper management.
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) lists four steps to planning and executing a comprehensive facility management plan, which are:
- Understanding: Define your overall mission, vision, and purpose of implementing modernized changes.
- Analysis: Through scenario planning, consider current and future facility maintenance needs, measuring current organizational strengths, weaknesses, and potential opportunities or threats.
- Planning: Outline the actions that will be taken as part of your facility management plan and the anticipated time frame for achieving new organizational objectives.
- Action: Implement the plan while tracking performance and shortcomings over time.
Utilizing LLumin’s CMMS+ for Facility Management Planning
Modern facility management planning is being significantly impacted by cutting-edge technologies capable of reducing costs and helping organizations maintain a competitive advantage in the face of strict financial constraints. This technology is helping organizations achieve their maintenance and performance goals.
LLumin’s CMMS+ software is an innovative tool to help facility managers increase visibility and management of expensive assets, asset issues, statuses, and potential risks. The advanced predictive maintenance platform is a complete solution for condition-based monitoring. Not only does the CMMS+ software monitor real-time, machine-level data, but it also analyzes it based on historical information and machine-learning algorithms. So, facility managers can stay ahead of machine failures, increasing uptime—and their bottom line.
When you choose to work with LLumin, you will have access to top-notch customer service throughout the entire process. Your implementation will be tailored to your company’s unique goals and business processes. We will provide you with a complete implementation plan and support team to accelerate and guide you through your digital transformation.
So if you are looking for a cutting-edge CMMS+ accompanied by a seamless implementation process and an expert customer support staff, then LLumin is a perfect fit.
Getting Started With LLumin
LLumin develops innovative CMMS software to manage and track assets for industrial plants, municipalities, utilities, fleets, and facilities. If you’d like to learn more about how our platform can improve your facility management plan, we encourage you to schedule a free demo or contact the experts at LLumin to see how our CMMS+ software can help you reach your efficiency and cost-cutting goals.
With over two decades of expertise in Asset Management, CMMS, and Inventory Control, Doug Ansuini brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the table. Coupled with his degrees in Operations Research from both Cornell and University of Mass, he is uniquely positioned to tackle complex challenges and deliver impactful results. He is a recognized expert in integrating control systems and ERP software with CMMS and has extensive implementation and consulting experience. As a senior software architect, Doug’s ability to analyze data, identify patterns, and implement data-driven approaches enables organizations to enhance their maintenance practices, reduce costs, and extend the lifespan of their critical assets. With a proven track record of excellence, Doug has established himself as a respected industry leader and invaluable asset to the LLumin team.