Buildings are the core of most organizations, allowing companies to run a smooth operation and serve their purpose. However, these buildings age on a daily basis, posing huge challenges to facility managers. Over time, facilities need repairs, upgrades and replacements to meet their operating goals.
Unfortunately, it’s far too common for facility managers to adopt a run to failure maintenance strategy where more reactive than preventive work is performed on their assets. A strategy that makes establishing appropriate planned maintenance and capital budgeting quite the challenge. That is where a Facility Condition Assessment comes in.
What is a facility condition assessment?
A facility condition assessment (FCA) is a process of analyzing the condition of a facility in terms of age, materials, design, construction method, and more. FCAs are typically performed by engineers and architects. This analysis is done by inspection of asset and facility date in addition to an on-site walk-through.
Importance of Facility Condition Assessment
It is crucial to know how well the buildings, physical assets, and systems in an organization are performing. Having comprehensive data on all assets enables Facility Managers to identify where potential opportunities for facility optimization exist.
FCAs enable facility managers to understand how well facilities are equipped to meet the needs of the organization. Data from FCAs will help the organization; plan and prioritize future budget decisions, predict the usefulness of equipment and physical assets, and develop a strategic preventive maintenance plan.
An FCA is a risk assessment for physical resources and assets. It identifies the keys to the operation and support structure and determines what will likely be an issue and when.
This data enables executives to have a 360-degree view on the status of existing assets across all facilities. FCA data is a valuable tool for long-range planning. It enables executives to make decisions based on comprehensive reports and provides a strategic framework for planning future improvements.
How does it work?
It should always begin by taking an inventory of all facility equipment and asset, including demographic information in order to identify each asset uniquely, such as age, location, and capacity.
Then, determine the current condition of assets and how it would impact the facility’s ability to meet current and future needs of the organization. Inspected elements can include:
- Assets such as roofing, boilers, HVAC, and motors
- The facility’s energy consumption
- The building’s power infrastructure
- The facility’s floor plan
- A forecast of the effective age of assets and an estimate of future lifespan
- Identification of code deficiencies that need to be corrected
How to utilize FCA data?
Data from the FCA demonstrates if the facility is currently capable of meeting the defined need. This allows the facility managers to develop a maintenance program specifically for the facility. The assessment for every piece of equipment does not only provide a clear picture of the facility’s health, but it also helps determine where to target investments. It also enables facility managers to prioritize and categorize assessment data and then integrate it into the maintenance budgetary planning. Ongoing FCAs should be built into the annual preventive maintenance plans.
FCA results are time sensitive especially if corrective action is not promptly taken. FCAs should be regularly updated and confirmed by the follow-up to revisit old findings. The process should be subject to regular iterations and adjustments to reflect changing conditions, technologies, and circumstances. Ultimately, FCAs can be accomplished with the right planning and course of action.
