How Instant Access to Building Information is Minimizing Deferred Maintenance

For the fiscal years 2021 to 2025, $8.1 billion has been allocated to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s for deferred maintenance. America’s Trillion Dollar Repair Bill has stated that the USA may face more than $1 trillion in deferred maintenance costs for its public infrastructure. Deferred maintenance is one of the common realities for facilities. Deferred maintenance also increases the chance of safety hazards, wastage of energy use, and reputational damage for organizations.

Advancements in technology are increasing the use of instant access to information in facility management, diminishing the impact of deferred maintenance on a facility. By offering regular notifications, real-time updates, and quick information retrieval, modern facility management tools are assisting facility managers in overcoming the backlog deferred maintenance creates.

Causes of Deferred Maintenance

There are a variety of reasons behind deferred maintenance, but the most common ones include:

1. Budget: Lack of funds is one of the primary reasons for deferred maintenance.
2. Lack of Accessibility: Assets that are physically difficult to access often face maintenance delays.
3. Company Culture: The existing attitude of “if it’s not broken, it is ok” within the company.
4. Lack of Time: A smaller maintenance team burdened with multiple tasks.
5. Incomplete Information: Maintenance work often gets deferred due to a lack of appropriate data.

According to Rubicon, a contractor based in Centerville, Utah, from the perspective of facilities management, deferred maintenance happens when necessary repairs are postponed. The backlog can involve anything from fixing leaky roofs to mending HVAC systems, repaving parking lots, and upgrading electrical systems. As per evidence, while deferred maintenance can save some immediate costs, its long-term effects are inevitable and can increase expenses down the line, as with time, problems worsen and necessitate extensive repairs.

Risks Involved in Deferred Maintenance

The repercussions of deferred maintenance are often far-reaching and can impact multiple aspects of an asset and a facility. The common risks of deferred maintenance include: 

1. Expensive Breakdown Repairs: The price of parts increases with time, meaning the longer a repairing or replacing of an asset task is delayed the more expensive it becomes, while deteriorating the quality of assets with time. What could have been dealt with as a minor repair, may cascade into a major renovation, if left unattended, negatively impacting the budget and increasing downtime. 
2. Diminished Asset Efficiency and Value: It is no secret that the longer maintenance is put off, the greater the chances of equipment failure. Deferred maintenance can diminish the efficiency of building systems and their assets.  
3. Ultimate Failure and Increased Downtime: Proper upkeep keeps equipment ongoing, and without proper upkeep assets are inevitable to failure, leading to unwanted downtime and operational costs.
4. Safety Issues: When equipment is not up to standard, it puts the lives of employees and facility occupants at risk. 
5. Noncompliance: The lack of a maintenance plan in place can result in noncompliance with regulatory requirements, which can also lead to financial penalties. Additionally, noncompliance can also cause project delays, increase insurance premiums, damage reputation, and even incur possible legal actions. 

The Cost of Deferred Maintenance: Real-Life Scenarios

Case 1: Hastings Veteran’s Affairs Campus

One striking and recent example of deferred maintenance and its impact on the facility and its occupants is the Hastings Veteran’s Affairs Campus in Minnesota, USA. This facility has provided shelter and services for ex-militants in the USA since the early 1900s. Various aging facilities were left unattended, leading to backlogs, and impacting the life and care quality of the occupants. It was identified that a large number of repairs and upgrades were needed, including new pipes and HVAC systems. It is estimated that approximately $221 million would be needed for the planned deferred maintenance project, set to begin in 2026.

Case 2: University of South Florida

Another case that shows the negative impact of deferred maintenance, is the case of the University of South Florida. Recently, the American Rescue Plan offered funding of approximately $28.9 million to the University to address their deferred maintenance issues on the campus. The specific University also received $26.5 million for addressing campus utilities. These issues could have been avoided with a proper maintenance management plan. 
 
These cases show us how unattended facility management can incur a high amount of costs while impacting the life quality of the occupants. 

The Power of Instant Access To Facility Information in Deferred Maintenance

Access to appropriate information can have a significant impact on deferred maintenance. With the right information at the right time, not only can backlogs be cleared but deferred maintenance can be prevented as well. The ways through which instant information access impacts deferred maintenance include: 

1. Notifications of Upcoming Repairs and Upgrades: One of the main causes, of deferred maintenance is a lack of critical asset knowledge. Facility managers and facility team members are burdened with various tasks, especially when managing large facilities, increasing the risk of oversight. As a result, the chances of backlog increase, which facility management apps help curb. ARC Facilities empower facility managers and team members to gain the most vital factor in preventing deferred maintenance, time. By providing crucial insights on upcoming repairs and upgrades, this facility management app enables the prevention and clearing of deferred maintenance.  
2. As-Built Maps for Swifter Communication: Efficient facility management apps also provide the option of commenting on as-built maps. As-built maps show the location of equipment along with the overall blueprint of a facility, the instant option of editing them to add notes for other users eliminates the chances of communication gaps. Every facility member remains on the same page, ensuring everyone has access to all the equipment updates. Many facility management apps also enable you to share the link of any equipment’s location over messages. This ensures the safety of occupants and the facility, during any emergency shutdown due to deferred maintenance.   
3. Quick Access to Maintenance Inspection Forms: To clear or prevent deferred maintenance, knowledge of maintenance status is necessary. However, it is nearly impossible to remember which equipment has been repaired or upgraded and when. This is where facility management technology comes into play. By offering instant access to the date and schedule of maintenance logs, these types of facility management apps empower facility team members and managers with current information, enabling them to ensure timely maintenance.  
4. QR Code Integrated Devices for Instant Repairing: Instant access to critical building information has made things quicker. The technology of integrating equipment with QR code, to avail equipment-related data, including warranty period to last repair date and much more, at the fingertips of users, has made preventing or clearing deferred maintenance easier than ever. With facility management apps, anyone with the app credentials can instantly check the equipment and ensure it's running optimally, preventing or clearing backlogs. 
5. Readily Available Legacy Documents for Optimal Knowledge on Facility on any Device: Instant access to legacy documents, eliminates data silos. It also ensures regardless of the age and technological gap between the facility manager and the members, every member is equipped with appropriate facility knowledge. When members get instant access to legacy documents, it gives them instant information on the facility helping them assist in preventing or dissolving deferred maintenance. 

Technological advancement is continuously evolving the field of maintenance management. Once which was about loads of PDFs, today accessing facility information in a matter of seconds is not impossible. The use of smart analytics, the Internet of Things, and other technological advancements, by facility management apps like ARC facilities, is bringing significant change in maintenance management. The continuous evolution of these technologies and their newly added features raises the hope that shortly preventing deferred management will transform into reality.