Severe storms and unrelenting heat can easily stress property management assets beyond breaking point. The key to minimizing damage estimates, as well as unplanned repair costs, is to identify potential problems before they become major repairs and fix them. The chosen tool for property management is an EAM/CMMS. An EAM/CMMS is a software tool that can help maintenance teams quickly determine damage that is occurring, as well as identify potential problems. This is done by inspecting all property assets and scheduling preventative maintenance and repairs on any items that may be feeling the impact of the summer season.
Why use an EAM/CMMS to schedule inspections
One of the biggest challenges property managers face is organizing facility maintenance tasks into manageable events to maximize resource availability with the least amount of labor expense. An EAM/CMMS accomplishes this by automating the work order process, thereby increasing management’s flexibility to accommodate special projects without incurring overtime. For example, roofs can be inspected to make sure there is no debris, leaks, or other damage. This is as easy as preloading inspection questions on a handheld mobile device, allowing maintenance staff to answer and then transmit the results to property management to determine the best maintenance approach. Common sense dictates that it is more cost effective to fix a small leak than to wait for water damage to occur inside.
Early identification of issues is not the only way an EAM/CMMS solution will benefit property management. Other advantages include:
- Labor cost reductions as proactive management replaces fire suppression. Unplanned maintenance activity begins to be greatly reduced, reducing overtime expenses.
- Access data anytime, anywhere from any computer or location with Internet access using a web-based CMMS solution.
- Elimination of the paper work order system and replacement with a web-based CMMS software that allows access from any computer or location.
- Lower maintenance repair costs as the number of major repairs is reduced and replaced with minor repairs.
- lower energy costs using an EAM/CMMS as a result of better energy efficiency of HVAC, chillers, and other energy-intensive equipment.
- A historically accurate database of maintenance activity that can reduce potential liability for negligence.
Clearly, managing maintenance with a web-based EAM/CMMS solution will significantly alter the way property management is done.