Protecting Your Biggest Physical Investment

The people in your business may be your greatest investment, but the building that holds them is actually your largest physical investment. Your physical plant is a multi-faceted, highly complicated, and intensely important part of your organization. How you maintain and protect it affects every part of your business. There is no better way to upset the balance of worker satisfaction than to provide an uncomfortable or unsafe work environment. What are some of the primary considerations in maintaining your facilities?

Costs

Monitoring and evaluating the overhead costs associated the operation of the physical plant are a significant part of facilities maintenance. Gathering cost information on everything from toilet paper to electrical usage data figures into the P&L reports. Loss of control of these expenses can severely cut into your profits.

Image

Your company’s image is tied to the first impression of your customer. When they come to visit your facility to evaluate the competency of your business and your ability to meet their needs, what you present through the appearance of your facility matters. If your building is covered in graffiti and appears unkempt, that first impression will be the one they take into the building to meet you.

Productivity

Workers who are unhappy with their environment work slower and less efficiently throughout their day. Having a fully operational heating and air conditioning system because of well managed planned maintenance protects you and your workers from poor environmental conditions.

Proper management of the power supplies and control systems also prevents damage to expensive production equipment and computer systems. Additionally, planned maintenance on the equipment contributes to the longevity your machinery and plant.

Safety

Protection of your personnel should be your first concern. If anyone is in fear or eventually injured, the cost is far too high, and it could cost you everything. Analysis of the environment, analysis of safety areas, analysis of security for the protection of passersby all come into play as a part of the safety analysis you have to do.

Sustainability

Assessing how long the facility can maintain its function in a profitable way is part of the job of facilities maintenance. As wear and tear happen over time, the effects begin to impact production and safety. Efficiency starts to decrease over time as the plant deteriorates because of age. More efficient systems become available, higher-powered production equipment exceeds availability, or the plant is just too old to be viable anymore. The assessment and reporting of these situations will be a part of the role.