What is a Facility Condition Assessment?

A facility condition assessment (FCA) is the process of studying a particular facility to monitor its overall health and anticipate what type of maintenance work is needed in the near future to keep it performing well. Typically, an FCA requires examining the age, design, assets and materials of a particular facility in an organized and methodical way. It should result in a short- and long-term plan to deal with any findings.

The APPEM Method

In order to conduct an FCA, you may want to use a systematic method like the APPEM. The advantage of implementing the APPEM is that it can become a way of life and an ongoing process to keep your facility in good working order. The letters in APPEM each stand for a particular action that plays an important role in an FCA.

First, you need to assess each part of your facility to understand its parts, assets, and systems. In addition to physical structures, you’ll want to look at things like your heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and all your critical equipment and assets. Second, you’ll need to prioritize the most important items that require repair, replacement or rehabilitation. Third, make a plan to tackle each of your top priorities including resource and budget allocation, and then execute you plan accordingly. Be sure you provide the tools and training required. Finally, you’ll want to maintain your FCA for the long run.

To successfully maintain your FCA, you may want to consider implementing a CMMS, which will allow you to monitor your assets, maintenance requirements, and repairs in a more proactive and preventive manner.

Benefits of FCA

According to Engineering Design, a good FCA can result in many benefits for the company overall.

Periodic FCA evaluations can provide the data needed to defer maintenance costs and prepare for necessary repair or replacement down the road while higher priority items are addressed. If your business requires audits to assess regulatory compliance, an FCA can be an easy way to gather that data. In addition, data collected during this process can assist with financial planning and forecasting for major capital projects or asset requirements. Finally, companies may gain significant efficiencies from an FCA, which can help reduce costs and increase revenue in the long term.