Maintenance Management

Question 1

What RICS guidance is there on Maintenance Management?

Answer 1

RICS UK Guidance Note - 2nd edition Building maintenance: strategy, planning and procurement (archived)

Question 2

What is a Maintenance Policy?

Answer 2

It provides a framework on which all decisions are based in order to keep the building asset in the required condition

Question 3

What is Maintenance Management?

Answer 3

The administrative, financial and technical process for assessing and planning maintenance operations on a scheduled basis

Question 4

Why do RICS say that a Maintenance Policy is essential?

Answer 4

• The lack of one may result in undue disruption to building users, create health and safety hazards, and cause asset depreciation and poor value for money spent
• A building maintenance policy is an essential prerequisite for well-managed and cost-effective building maintenance procurement

Question 5

Which legislation needs to be considered when producing a Maintenance Policy?

Answer 5

• Landlord and Tenant Acts
• Health & Safety Legislation
• Regulatory (Fire Safety) Reform Act
• Building regulations
• Town and Country Planning Acts

Question 6

What needs to be taken into account from the client when producing a maintenance policy?

Answer 6

• proposed refurbishments
• Uses of the building(s)
• Business strategy
• The suitability of the building for current and future uses

Question 7

Why is Maintenance Management important?

Answer 7

• Enables the time and date for the work can be organised around the requirements of the client
• Organising routine maintenance for items such as lifts and boilers to be carried out to ensure the maximum efficiency of the elements
• Planned maintenance enabling packages of work to be grouped together to obtain better economy of scale

Question 8

Why should maintenance be undertaken in a managed way?

Answer 8

• To preserve the value and quality of the investment in the asset
• To comply with lease obligations (if applicable)
• To reduce the unavailability period resulting from failures, to a level acceptable to the property occupier
• To reduce the risk of prosecution under The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007

Question 9

Identify which things you would discuss with your client to provide reasoned advice on their maintenance plan.

Answer 9

• Why you are recommending that certain works be undertaken at the same time to obtain a more economic method
• If a leased property, explaining the responsibilities of the landlord under the terms of the lease
• If a leased property, explaining the responsibilities of the tenants and the possibility of dilapidations if the work is not carried out
• Demonstrate how you have identified all the key building elements that require maintenance action
• Identifying and explaining the immediate actions / works required to prevent further deterioration of an element
• Identification of key legislative requirements that have to be met by them and how the plan helps them to do this

Question 10

When producing a maintenance plan name the factors you need to take into account apart from the physical condition of the element.

Answer 10

• Lease requirements of the tenant and landlord
• Legislative requirements, i.e. Health and Safety requirements
• Requirements by other bodies, i.e. insurance companies
• Financial restrictions imposed by the client or by legislation, i.e. service charges for residential blocks of flats
• Client’s maintenance strategy, i.e. where do they want to spend the money and why?
• Client’s Environmental Policy

Question 11

How can effective Maintenance Management help to reduce waste and energy usage?

Answer 11

• Upgrading elements to achieve better thermal performance, i.e. when re-roofing increases the insulation value
• Ensuring temperature controls operate correctly
• Ensuring boilers are maintained to ensure maximum efficiency
• replacing elements, i.e. windows with more energy efficient ones
• Attending to leaking taps

Question 12

What is reactive maintenance?

Answer 12

Unplanned work which can be more expensive and disruptive than planned maintenance

Question 13

What are the negatives relating to reactive maintenance?

Answer 13

• It is unplanned and may cause disruption in the use of the property leading to additional expense
• It can be costlier as the contractors may charge a premium for the work

Question 14

Name 3 methods of procuring reactive maintenance using an external contractor.

Answer 14

• Schedule of rates contracts
• Jobbing orders
• Agreed rates with a number of local tradespeople

Question 15

What are the advantages of undertaking major works on a planned basis?

Answer 15

• Other related works can be incorporated enabling economies of scale to be achieved
• Works can be competitively tendered to obtain “Best Value”
• Funds can be assembled on a planned basis

Question 16

What is the main tool for effective Maintenance Management?

Answer 16

Preparation of a LTMP/PPM

Question 17

What is the main instrument that needs to be carried out in order to prepare a LTMP (long term maintenance plan)?

Answer 17

Condition survey of all elements

Question 18

Having carried out your survey, what are the next steps required to produce the initial LTMP?

Answer 18

• Prioritise the work found identifying which year you consider the work should be done in
• Grouping the work so that the most efficient use of funds is achieved

Question 19

When prioritising the works, what do you need to consider for any physical element?

Answer 19

• If it is more economical to replace or repair the element
• The effect of not doing the work
• When the work needs to be done
• It’s predicted effective life

Question 20

Apart from the physical condition of an element, what other things need to be taken into account?

Answer 20

• Length of occupancy/ownership intended by the client
• Need to upgrade elements to meet market expectations
• Financial restrictions imposed by the client or by legislation, i.e. service charges for residential blocks of flats which may affect the recommendations
• The client’s maintenance policy
• Understand the weighting a client gives to each of the elements, i.e. do they give more weight to the external appearance than the internal
• For leased property, understand the responsibilities of the tenant and the landlord
• Health and Safety requirements
• Identification of key legislative requirements which may affect the future viability of the property, i.e. compliance with energy requirements

Question 21

How do you estimate the life expectancy of an element?

Answer 21

• Gather information from the manufacturers

- Use information from BCIS

Question 22

Your client asks you to explain the benefits of a schedule of rates term contract for repair work. What are the advantages?

Answer 22

• A relationship with the contractor can be built up
• The planning of the work is moved to the contractor so they can arrange adequate resources
• Orders for work can be raised quickly and the cost known when an order is raised

Question 23

What are the disadvantages?

Answer 23

• A quantity surveyor may be needed to check a percentage of the contractors’ invoices
• The client will need to take the overall view of the contract - due to the nature of the contract there will be items of work which will be cheaper for the client and others where they will pay more
• If the contractor performs poorly, there is a time lag before the contract can be terminated

Question 24

Would a comprehensive asset register be of benefit when producing a PPM?

Answer 24

• Yes, it will assist in developing PPM schedules to be developed
• ## Yes, it will ensure all assets requiring periodic inspection and testing are identified

Question 25

Financial Control is important for Maintenance Management. What would you consider that financial reports need to include?

Answer 25

Costs against budgets identified by the client with predictions on the likelihood of exceeding the budgets