SSC Magazine

By Paul Tisch CREATING AN EFFECTIVE Deferred Maintenance Program Your buildings are your biggest assets; correctly protecting them ensures their functionality. When was the last time you assessed your buildings and equipment?

Making a Plan

Using gathered data in our five-step plan and prioritizing higher-impact areas provide the groundwork to design and scope of the deferred maintenance plan. In turn, you can create an efficient budget and timeline and apply proper

To begin creating an effective deferred maintenance plan, as- sessors conduct daily assessments of buildings across campus to de- termine a list of needs and provide a

capital to produce projects that significantly improve the campus.

Proper building assessments can pinpoint areas of opportunity where a refresh or re- placement of building systems and their com- ponents are needed. A customized strategy for deferred maintenance projects will create a lasting, impactful change that benefits the entire school community. Understanding the difference between deferred, preventive, and reactive maintenance is important. Preventive maintenance is working on an asset to main- tain functionality before it encounters mainte- nance issues. Reactive maintenance is exactly how it sounds: working on an asset after it en- counters maintenance issues to restore func- tionality. Deferred maintenance is preventive or reactive maintenance that is not completed when necessary.

Factors that Impact the Need for Deferred Maintenance In both K-12 schools and on college campuses, our students are learning in buildings from one to over 100 years old. While some facilities are up to date and in great shape, others have many years of wear and tear impacting opera- tions. Each facility assessed for deferred maintenance must be looked at through a unique lens, with decisions made once a full understanding of the condition and history of the building have been taken into consideration.

scored assessment. These assessments, paired with data from your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS ) , pinpoint areas that require deferred mainte- nance. Five-Step Plan for Assessing History, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Gather historical data from maintenance records assessments, physical inventory, and anecdotal validation. Assess building system and asset conditions and deficiencies. Load assessment data into a deferred maintenance project list. Categorize it and prioritize it in line with your facility’s needs.

Paul Tisch is the maintenance regional director of operations for SSC at Texas A&M University and has 32 years of facilities maintenance experience.

1 2 3 4 5

Prior to creating a deferred maintenance plan, factors that must be considered include: • Quality of the building’s design • Durability of the construction materials and component systems • Incorporated technology • Location and climate • Use and intensity of use • Damage from error and acts of nature • Infrastructure • Utilities

Each of these details impact how well and quickly a facility ages and the amount of maintenance and repair it will require over its life cycle.

Sync data into a project database.

Secure funding for the deferred maintenance plan.

42

43