What is facility maintenance?

Facility maintenance technicians do a wide range of tasks, including landscaping, emergency repair, pest control, roofing and parking lot maintenance. They maintain many different parts of a facility and its building systems. These include electrical systems; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; plumbing; and security and groundskeeping.

While facility maintenance is related to facilities management, it is a distinct subdiscipline. Facilities management involves the strategic planning, coordination and oversight of all aspects of a facility's operations across its entire lifecycle. Facility maintenance focuses more narrowly on the day-to-day tasks of maintaining facilities.

Building maintenance is a subdiscipline of facility maintenance that entails maintaining the building itself. Maintenance performed on residential buildings, including apartment complexes, is considered property maintenance.

There are many benefits of facility maintenance. Regular maintenance of facilities ensures that all capital assets, systems and infrastructure are functioning optimally. This asset management helps to minimize downtime, malfunctions and disruption, resulting in continued productivity and smooth operations. Proper maintenance work can also extend asset lifespans, delaying the need for costly replacements or upgrades.

Facility maintenance also plays a critical role in upholding the safety of occupants, visitors and the public. Commercial facilities are often subject to various regulations and standards, such as health and safety standards, environmental regulations and building codes. Requirements from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), for example, aim to provide a safe work environment. Proper facility maintenance helps ensure compliance with these regulations—avoiding fines, penalties and legal liabilities.

Finally, many facilities use significant amounts of energy for heating, cooling, lighting and other operations. Effective maintenance of energy-consuming equipment (such as HVAC units) can reduce energy waste and lower utility costs. Facility maintenance also can directly support an organization’s sustainability strategies with energy-efficient upgrades, water conservation measures and waste reduction strategies.

A comprehensive maintenance scheme typically encompasses several types of facility maintenance:

This type of maintenance involves scheduled, routine maintenance tasks performed at regular intervals to prevent potential issues. Preventive maintenance tasks include cleaning, lubrication, adjustments and replacements of parts.

Also known as reactive maintenance, corrective maintenance deals with repairing or replacing equipment or systems that have failed or malfunctioned. Corrective maintenance is initiated in response to a failure or breakdown.

This type of maintenance uses data and advanced analytics to predict when equipment or systems are likely to fail. Predictive maintenance can help prevent unexpected equipment failures and optimize maintenance schedules and resources.

Facilities must maintain compliance with applicable safety regulations, codes, standards and policies, such as fire safety certifications. Compliance maintenance might include regular inspections, testing, documentation and reporting.

Facility maintenance workers often require training and upskilling to stay up to date with the latest industry best practices, technology, credentials and regulations. For example, maintenance workers can upskill by earning certifications offered by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).

Facility maintenance plans generally involve several key steps to ensure that facilities are successfully maintained and operating efficiently:

1. Assess current conditions: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the existing facilities to determine their current condition. This process might consist of inspections and audits of systems, equipment and infrastructure.

2. Define maintenance goals: Establish clear and measurable maintenance goals that align with the organization’s overall objectives. Examples include improving equipment reliability, reducing downtime, extending asset lifespan, enhancing safety and optimizing energy efficiency.

3. Develop a maintenance strategy: Develop the approach, methods and resources required for effective maintenance. This strategy can include preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance and predictive maintenance plans, as well as resource allocation, scheduling and prioritization of maintenance tasks.

4. Create a maintenance schedule: Build a maintenance schedule that outlines the frequency and timing of maintenance tasks. In building this schedule, consider the criticality of equipment or systems, operational needs and available resources.

5. Establish maintenance procedures: Construct clear and comprehensive maintenance procedures with step-by-step instructions for performing maintenance tasks. These procedures should be standardized and communicated to the maintenance team for consistent execution.

6. Allocate resources: Determine the necessary resources for implementing the maintenance plan, including personnel, tools, equipment, materials and budget.

7. Documentation and reporting: Establish a system for documenting all maintenance activities, including work orders, inspections, repairs and other relevant information.

8. Monitor and continuously improve: Regularly review and update the plan based on feedback, performance metrics and changing requirements. Identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the maintenance program.

Facility maintenance can present various challenges to facility managers:

Facility maintenance is constantly evolving with new trends and practices, including:

There is an increasing use of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and computer-aided facility management software (CAFM). These facility maintenance software solutions have advanced capabilities such as automation to streamline maintenance planning, scheduling, asset tracking and reporting.

Organizations are using data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors and other sources to predict and identify potential maintenance needs based on the actual condition and performance of assets.

Organizations are adopting green building standards, energy-efficient measures such as LED lighting, smart HVAC systems and renewable energy sources. They are also focusing on waste reduction and recycling.

Many organizations outsource facility maintenance management and services to specialized providers to gain expertise, find cost savings and improve service quality.

Organizations are relying on data to track and analyze asset performance, maintenance activities, cost effectiveness and other metrics to make informed decisions, optimize maintenance strategies and continuously improve facility maintenance practices.

Emerging workforce management tools and techniques, including mobile apps, real-time communication and training programs, can help streamline operations and enhance workforce productivity.