Facilities operations and maintenance encompasses a broad spectrum of services, competencies, processes, and tools required to assure the built environment will perform the functions for which a facility was designed and constructed. Operations and maintenance typically includes the day-to-day activities necessary for the building/built structurei, its systems and equipment, and occupants/users to perform their intended function.
The Facilities O&M section offers guidance in the following areas:
Operations and maintenance are combined into the common term O&M because a facility cannot operate at peak efficiency without being maintained; therefore the two are discussed as one.
Real Property Inventory (RPI)
Provides an overview on the type of system needed to maintain an inventory of an organization’s physical assets and manage those assets.
Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)
Contains descriptions of procedures and practices used to track the maintenance of an organization’s assets and associated costs.
Computer Aided Facilities Management
Originally referred to space planning technologies, however, is not used more generically to describe a variety of technologies addressing any or all aspects of Facilities Management.
O&M Manuals
It is now widely recognized that O&M represents the greatest expense in owning and operating a facility over its life cycle. The accuracy, relevancy, and timeliness of well-developed, user-friendly O&M manuals cannot be overstated.
Janitorial/Cleaning
As the building is opened the keys are turned over to the janitorial, custodial or housekeeping staff for interior “cleaning” and maintenance.
Historic Buildings Operations and Maintenance
This is a unique and complex issue: balancing keeping old equipment running while contemplating the impact of installing new more efficient equipment.