This chapter describes the concepts for and approach to facilities maintenance management within NASA. It describes a generic facilities maintenance management system based on proven techniques. It also provides the flexibility needed at each Center for NASA’s diverse, high-technology mission. The purposes of this chapter are as follows:
To present the methodology and value of sound facilities maintenance planning.
To present factors for consideration while developing a facilities maintenance organizational structure.
To describe the functional relationships in a facilities maintenance management system.
To explain methods of analyzing maintenance functions and their relationship to planning and work performance.
A facilities maintenance management system provides for integrated processes that give managers control over the maintenance of all facilities and collateral equipment from acquisition to disposal. The management system should provide at least the following:
Address all resources involved.
Accommodate all methods of work accomplishment.
Effectively interface and communicate with related and supporting systems ranging from work generation through work performance and evaluation.
Support each customer’s mission.
Ensure communication with each customer.
Provide feedback information for analysis.
Reduce costs through effective maintenance planning.
Provide a system for accumulation of historical facilities maintenance data.
Incorporate RCM and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles into CMMS datafields and work-order processes to account for equipment criticalities.
The goal is to optimize the employment of scarce resources (workforce, equipment, material, and funds) to maintain the facilities and collateral equipment needed to support the Center’s mission in a safe and efficient manner. An effective facilities maintenance management system maximizes the useful life of facilities and equipment, ensures safety of facilities and systems, minimizes unplanned downtime, and provides an improved work environment within a given resource level. It also produces information for management decisions.
Functional Approach
This procedures adopts a functional approach to facilities maintenance. The thrust is to identify those functions and processes required to provide an effective facilities maintenance program without specifying an organizational structure.
The following paragraphs cover maintenance management controls, maintenance management concepts, maintenance-related functions and processes, and other factors for consideration in establishing a facilities maintenance organization. The process for establishing the maintenance organization must accommodate Center-unique requirements and conditions.
Facilities maintenance normally is regarded as the total responsibility of the facilities maintenance manager, who determines with what and when to accomplish maintenance based on the physical condition of the facilities and appropriate maintenance practices. With limited resources, however, the facilities maintenance manager should work with the customer to provide quality facilities maintenance services as required to support the customer’s mission. The facilities maintenance manager should coordinate with the customer in developing attainable solutions to facilities maintenance-related mission-support problems.
Facilities maintenance decisions, such as whether to accomplish work now or defer it, require a knowledge and understanding of the present and future need for the facility under consideration, as well as the economic and safety impact associated with those facilities. Thus, the facilities maintenance manager must maintain perspective in evaluating necessary maintenance requirements and in considering mission criticality and the need for preserving deteriorating facilities. Both mission and customer inputs are integral components of the facilities maintenance system.
3.2Facilities Maintenance Functions
Facilities maintenance may be described as a number of interrelated functions and processes that directly or indirectly lead to the accomplishment of facilities maintenance work. Those functions that are not accomplished by the facilities maintenance organization are outside the responsibility of the primary users of these requirements. This also may be the case when the scope of the work exceeds applicable facilities maintenance funding or resource thresholds (e.g., CoF projects). However, functions are listed to ensure that all related services are considered when establishing a facilities maintenance organization and management system.
The relationships among the major functions related to managing facilities maintenance are depicted in Figure 3-1, Whole Maintenance Universe, along with the required information flow and internal communication. The five functional responsibilities at the core of the whole maintenance universe that reside in the Center’s maintenance organization are:
Manage Facilities and Equipment. This includes overall management responsibilities for operations and maintenance functions regarding infrastructure systems, equipment, and components.
Maintain Building Environment. This is defined as the nine broadly defined systems associated with typical building occupancy (i.e., Structure, Roof, Exterior Finish, Interior Finish, Plumbing, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Electrical, Conveyance (Elevators, Cranes, etc.), and Program Support Equipment). These are detailed in the annual NASA Deferred Maintenance Assessment Report generated for each NASA Center.
Provide Utilities Services. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, electricity, water (potable, and non-potable), natural gas, steam, storm, and sanitary sewers.
Employ and Manage Contracts. This includes all contracts NASA implements for the purpose of accomplishing typical building operations and maintenance functions.
Manage Materials and Tools. This includes management responsibility for materials and tools necessary for conducting the building operations and maintenance functions. Particularly significant in this management area are potential environmental issues related to the use of solvents, lubricants, and various other chemicals and reactions relative to operational, maintenance, and occupancy of a building.
Figure 3-1 Whole Maintenance Universe
The support functions in Figure 3-1, shown outside the maintenance organization, are described as follows:
Develop Budgets and Perform Cost Analyses. Although the maintenance organization performs cost analyses and develops an annual budget request, it is only an input to the Center and Agency’s budget development. See paragraph 2.4, Facilities Maintenance Budget, for the maintenance organization’s budget development.
Manage Information Resources. There are a number of information resources in other organizations supporting the maintenance organization. Personnel, cost accounting, and similar staffs are required to manage a Center’s maintenance operation. A major function in the maintenance organization is the management of its information systems, such as its CMMS (see Chapter 6, Facilities Maintenance Management Automation). Management of information technology (IT) systems may be performed by an IT contractor.
Provide Logistical Support. A maintenance organization requires logistical support for functions such as mobile equipment (particularly large specialized items), transportation, and vehicle fuel. It also must be provided storage for recyclable or reusable equipment and material. The maintenance organization may maintain a small warehouse for supplies and parts commonly used in its operations. Additional parts and supply support is required from the Center’s logistics organization.
Maintain Organizational Interfaces. A major part of a maintenance organization’s operation is its interface with other organizations. Working relationships and procedures must be established to ensure that facilities maintenance functions are performed in an efficient and economical manner to meet Center requirements. These requirements include safety and health, legal, training, security, environmental, fire protection services, and specific requirements received in the form of TCs, service requests, and similar requests.
