As a facilities manager or director of a property portfolio, you may have come across the phrase PPM, but what does it mean?
What is PPM?
PPM is Planned Property Maintenance. Or, more practically and in relation to property, it’s the process of understanding the maintenance needs of your buildings and scheduling repair and refurbishment works before things can become an issue. Sometimes PPM is referred to as Proactive Property Maintenance and you can see why.
Office and Residential PPM
Whether an old office building or a recently refurbished block of flats, there are inevitably building elements that can degrade quicker than others. PPM recognises this and rather than waiting for costly and time-consuming repairs when the element fails, schedules in routine works to maintain or replace in good time.
PPM can either be:
Time-based: based on a scheduled frequency of activity, typically relating to a warranty, supplier instructions, legislation or experience.
Condition-based: predicting when an asset might fail and preventing it from happening by undertaking the right maintenance, often using a ‘just in time’ model
Regardless of the building’s purpose, a structured approach to PPM is essential to support the integrity and value of a building, helping it operate safely and efficiently.
Why incorporate PPM into facilities management?
The most significant benefit of PPM is that it ensures potential issues are addressed before they become problems. As well as being less disruptive for all concerned, a well-implemented planned maintenance schedule can reduce reactive maintenance costs by 12-18%.
Other significant benefits include:
- Health and safety compliance: regular structural inspections ensure buildings are safe for their intended use
- Less costly and disruptive repairs: planned inspections and works mean there is less likelihood of unexpected costs and unplanned downtime for essential kit
- More efficient use of manpower and budget: maintenance work and the associated costs can be spread more evenly throughout the year
- Warranty compliance: demonstrating regular maintenance ensures essential equipment remains covered by any warranties in place
- Longer asset value: a property in good repair will hold its value
Technology to support PPM
Planned preventative maintenance can be more complicated to implement due to the variety of equipment or buildings involved and the individual schedules that come with each. Maintenance schedules need to be known in advance, planned our and executed in a timely manner. For condition-based maintenance, there is the added complication of needing real-time connections and an ongoing monitoring strategy.
To support building PPM strategies, a maintenance management software solution can be a useful tool. Computer-aided Facilities Management (CAFM) is used by expert property companies like RF Group. As well as bringing together the lifecycles of all buildings and essential equipment, dedicated software can evaluate maintenance scenarios, plan activities and budgets as well as manage costs of execution.
This kind of software can also bring benefits in actually delivering the maintenance, giving real-time access to work orders, documentation and schedules as well as key safety and compliance information.
PPM shouldn’t be ignored; a properly managed schedule will protect the value of a building whilst helping control expense and maintenance costs. Where equipment is involved, it can reduce unplanned downtime and inconvenience, meaning buildings continue to perform as they need to, when they need to.
Glossary of Terms about Planned Property Maintenance
Here is a glossary of terms commonly used in relation to planned property maintenance:
Planned property maintenance: A system of maintaining and improving a property on a regular and ongoing basis, rather than waiting for issues to arise and reacting to them.
Preventative maintenance: Maintenance tasks that are carried out on a regular basis to prevent issues from occurring or to identify potential problems before they become major issues.
Scheduled maintenance: Maintenance tasks that are planned in advance and carried out on a regular basis, such as monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Maintenance schedule: A document that outlines the tasks and activities that are required to be carried out as part of the planned property maintenance program.
Maintenance plan: A document that outlines the long-term maintenance strategy for a property, including the tasks and activities that will be carried out, the frequency of those tasks, and the resources required to complete them.
Maintenance budget: The allocated amount of money set aside for the maintenance and improvement of a property.
Maintenance checklist: A list of tasks and activities that need to be completed as part of the planned property maintenance program, typically used as a tool to ensure that all tasks are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
Condition report: A document that outlines the current condition of a property, including any defects or issues that need to be addressed as part of the maintenance program.
Life cycle analysis: The process of evaluating the long-term costs and benefits of different maintenance options for a property.
Risk assessment: The process of identifying and evaluating potential risks that could affect a property, including hazards and maintenance issues.
Asset management: The process of maximizing the value and performance of a property through effective planning, maintenance, and repair.
