Facility Management Should Begin Before a Building Is Completed
When people think about facility management, they often think about what happens after a building has been completed. But effective facility management should start much earlier, during the design and construction stages. A building may look beautiful when completed, but the decisions made during construction can determine how easy, expensive or difficult it will be to maintain in the future. This is why facility managers need to be considered as part of the building’s life cycle, not only called when something goes wrong.
Planning for Maintenance From the Beginning
During construction, important decisions are made about electrical systems, plumbing, air conditioning, generators, elevators, drainage, fire-safety systems, roofing and other building infrastructure. If these systems are poorly designed or difficult to access, routine maintenance can become more expensive and time-consuming.
Involving facility-management professionals early can help identify potential maintenance challenges before they become permanent problems.
Choosing Materials With Maintenance in Mind
The cheapest construction material is not always the most economical choice in the long run. Materials should also be considered based on durability, availability, replacement costs and ease of maintenance.
For example, using materials that are difficult to source locally can make future repairs more expensive. Facility managers can provide useful input on materials and equipment that will be practical to maintain throughout the building’s life.
Proper Documentation Matters
A completed building should not be handed over without proper records. Facility managers need access to information about installed equipment, warranties, maintenance requirements, electrical systems, plumbing layouts and other important building components.
Good documentation makes it easier to identify equipment, schedule servicing and respond quickly when problems occur.
Preventive Maintenance Starts Early
Waiting until equipment fails before servicing it can lead to expensive repairs and operational disruptions. A maintenance schedule can be prepared before the building becomes fully operational.
Generators, air-conditioning systems, elevators, fire equipment, pumps, electrical installations and other critical assets can then be monitored and serviced according to their maintenance requirements.
Construction and Facility Management Should Work Together
Facility management is not separate from construction. They are connected stages of the same building life cycle.
A well-designed and properly constructed building can still deteriorate quickly without good maintenance. Similarly, professional facility management can help identify construction-related problems early and ensure that building systems continue to perform as intended.
For Nigerian property owners, developers and investors, the lesson is simple: don’t wait until the building is completed before thinking about maintenance.
Facility management should begin from the planning and construction stages because the best time to prevent future maintenance problems is before the building is finished.
