Issue link: http://digital.corporatepress.com/i/284031
I don't know about you, but I have grown tired of being caught up in the disconnect between what is actually happening on the campus, and what is reported to system administration. The disconnect shows up when a systems office asks the wrong question about the campus building inventory. Decision makers (e.g., senior administrators, board members) are always looking for that one piece of information that "reveals all" and allows them to make a snap decision. When funding for buildings is the subject, the inevitable question will be, "What is your deferred maintenance back- log?" Answering this question problematic, especially when it comes from an external approving office that has set an arbitrary backlog threshold for deferred maintenance. If the threshold is exceeded, you are in deep weeds, my friend. So, this is the wrong question to ask. It leads to many poor as- sumptions. It leads to poor decision making. Facilities personnel know this, but, in trying to maneuver around the question, find themselves being accused of hiding the real deferred mainte- nance backlog figures. Sound familiar? This we need to change. We need to get decision makers to ask us the right question, so we can give them the right answer. NORMAL BUILDING CYCLE To begin the search for the right question, let's look at a Nor- mal Building Cycle. • Level 1) A new building arrives on campus. • Level 2) The building gradually reveals a subsistence level of funding that is unique to that building. This is the level of funding necessary to keep it safe and operating until it fully ages and receives funding for an overall renovation. • Level 3) The building operates successfully for about 20 to 30 years, depending upon its type and use. • Level 4) The building enters an Elastic Period in years 30 to 45. The Elastic Period is when the risk of overall failure has not arrived, but it is near enough that you can see its shadow starting to fall on the building. Why such a wide range? Moving to Level 4 depends upon several variables, including type of usage, hours of operation, and the level of subsistence funding provided. Level 4 is also where top-flight facility personnel begin to work their magic. They know how to extend the usefulness of building systems and are the unsung heroes in this story. They take subsistence funding and "nip & tuck" the deferred main- tenance backlog according to carefully selected priorities. This keeps a building and its systems safe and operating well beyond predicted textbook service lives. These actions allow fund- ing—that would otherwise have gone to fix premature building failures—to go into the academic/research enterprise. Instead of reporting in a manner that tends to hide the valuable work done in Level 4, let's bring it out into the light and celebrate it. • Level 5) The building arrives at the point of needing an overall deferred maintenance renovation or program-change renewal. Funding never arrives the day it is requested, so a request is made, taking into account the interval between request and the likely arrival of funding. Exceptions to this cycle include buildings such as hospitals, high-level research buildings, and high-profile facilities that have an impact on the image of the institution. WHAT'S WRONG Four elements of the Normal Building Cycle are not recog- nized in a building's deferred maintenance backlog figure: 1. Facilities managers greatly extend the life at each level. Facilities Manager | march/april 2014 | 33