Three Steps to Improving Facilities Maintenance

We’d like to offer readers a basic, three-step strategic approach that can be used to identify specific opportunities for improvement or development of a facilities maintenance program. In simplest terms, a collaborative team can evaluate the current situation, define a set of goals and objectives, and then map out a plan for achieving those goals and objectives.

Assess the Current Situation — Where Are We Now?

Sometimes referred to as situation analysis, this step provides a starting point by establishing the current state of affairs. Although this may seem simple at first glance, there is a substantial amount of vital information being gathered, not all of which may be readily known. How are preventive and corrective processes handled now? Is a standard preventive maintenance schedule being followed consistently at all facility locations? Are equipment and facilities working as they should? Are audits conducted, such that the age and condition of facilities and equipment are documented? These are just some of the questions managers must ask to determine their current efficiency.

Set Target Goals and Objectives — Where Do We Need to Be?

The key here is to avoid ending up with “blue sky” scenarios, where everything goes as planned and nothing ever goes wrong. Such ideals are more appropriate for long-term visioning — an ultimate goal for which an organization strives. For our purposes, however, all goals must be specific, realistic, and achievable in the short-term in order to be meaningful. Describe a specific set of desired outcomes, taking care to ensure that they are consistent with your organization’s needs and goals.

Develop A Path — How Do We Get There from Here? Transportify

Now that we have identified a point of origin and defined a destination, all we need is a way to get from one to the other. Rather than think in terms of a single plan, it may be best to define the path as a set of several action plans, each containing a set of steps that will culminate in one or more of the above-defined objectives being achieved. There will likely be some action plans relating to preventive maintenance and others relating to corrective maintenance. A specific individual must be accountable for each action plan, though a number of individuals may be given responsibility for carrying out the respective steps within a given plan.

Do It Again

This three-step strategic exercise should be conducted annually to ensure that the current situation still aligns with the desired outcome. In other words, facilities and equipment change over time, as do the people who operate and maintain them. Even the most comprehensive facilities maintenance program will need to be reexamined and adjusted based on projected needs.

We Can Help

If you have been struggling with any aspect of your facilities maintenance program, call upon the experts at Cherry Logistics. Our team of competent, experienced professionals can help you identify specific opportunities to improve efficiencies and reduce costs with a program that best suits your needs. We can work with you throughout the process of developing, improving or implementing a sound facilities maintenance program. Utilizing our truly collaborative effort, multiple points of contact are replaced with one, processes become streamlined, needs are fulfilled and problems solved.