Maximizing Operational Performance with FCAs

Many organizations, including municipalities, schools, hospitals, and manufacturers are currently or planning to do a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA). These assessments are critical for preservation of physical infrastructures and prioritizing capital expenditures, maintenance, and repairs.

“It’s important to understand and know the condition of equipment before asking a third-party to help conduct an FCA,” said Michel Theriault, an IFMA member who provides advisory and consulting services in strategic and management issues, including facilities management.

Combining internal knowledge, work orders and equipment histories is an effective approach,” he added.

While these procedures can be conducted at any time, there are several key milestones which are important to consider, including:

• Strategic Planning and Budgeting: FCAs are essential when developing long-term strategic plans and budgets enabling organizations to be proactive vs. reactive in managing and budgeting for capital expenditures.
• Compliance and Regulatory Requirements: Organizations operating in regulated industries or with specific compliance obligations must conduct FCAs to ensure adherence to Federal and State requirements.
• Renovation or Expansion Projects: Prior to initiating renovation or expansion projects, it is crucial to conduct an FCA to identify existing deficiencies or potential challenges that could impact the project budget and timeline.
• Change in facility use. If a building is repurposed from an office to a healthcare facility, the assessment helps identify any modifications or upgrades required to meet the specific needs and regulatory requirements for the new use.

Theriault believes FCAs should be one-time events. He also believes that the average lifespan of equipment is theoretical, and that most equipment is working and reliable.

“FCA’s are a snapshot in time and should be reevaluated over time to ensure any needed changes are reflected for accurate reporting,” said David Trask, National Director, ARC Facilities.

Facility Condition Assessment Tools and Resources

Consultants typically spend several days closely examining buildings and can involve utilizing a wide range of tools to evaluate the conditions of buildings and infrastructures, including building management software, ultrasound, infrared thermography, laser distance meters, moisture meters, and pressure gauges.

“It’s crucial to accurately capture equipment information in your equipment inventory database when conducting an FCA said Trask.

“Facilities are in a constant state of change, and this information should be easy to capture in the field to reflect current equipment conditions,” he said.

ARC Facilities has introduced several innovations which enhance the FCA process including asset tagging, facility equipment mapping and equipment QR coding, which is continually updated on the go, using mobile devices.

Technology tools in this field are constantly evolving and new tools will emerge to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of facility condition assessments.