FOREWARD:
The following document outlines a revised maintenance policy that responds to important changes in the business of facilities management. Chief among these changes is the obsolescence of the term and the underlying concept of "steady state maintenance." Given the rapidly changing technologies affecting every activity on campus, and the mandate for Cornell to remain at the forefront of such technologies, it is no longer reasonable to plan or budget maintenance efforts that merely hold the physical plant in its current state. Facilities management of the modern campus must recognize that the nature of both education and research are in a constant state of change, and what was considered state-of-the-art yesterday is, in many cases, obsolete today. For example, consider the rapid transition from blackboard and chalk, to marker boards, to the fully electronic classroom. A few years ago external grants were available for the promotion of instructional use of computers, while today's teachers are expected to use computers for instruction and rely not on external funding, but on Cornell's own educational infrastructure. This revised maintenance policy also recognizes that we are going to be doing business differently in the future, with growing interrelationships among and between user groups, the dissolution of some organizational boundaries, and leaner administration. We no longer have the luxury of communicating maintenance needs and deciding maintenance priorities on the basis of established departmental lines alone.
This revised policy recognizes the growing magnitude and complexity of the maintenance of a multibillion dollar investment. Not only are the costs staggering already and increasing, but the age of the physical inventory signals an increasing rate of deterioration and decay, along with escalating costs of materials and labor. Further, the physical plant has to become more technically sophisticated to support present and future activities in research, education, administration, and student services. All this points to the need for equally sophisticated maintenance management as characterized by internal and external digital information systems to track the condition of the inventory, analyze and predict reliability, and perform ac counting and fiscal planning functions.
Finally, this revised policy recognizes that the offices of Facilities Management cannot bear sole responsibility for maintaining the Cornell infrastructure. New opportunities and responsibilities are outlined for user groups, with a call to the entire Cornell community for an increased sense of stewardship.
- STATEMENT OF MISSION, OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Maintenance Management Department will address the deterioration of the building envelope, interior finishes, systems, and permanent equipment in specific academic, research, and support facilities. At the same time, Maintenance Management will ensure that building systems are current and adaptable. Organizational issues relating to maintenance of University facilities do not conform to departmental boundaries. While Maintenance Management has a lead role to play, the projects it administers must respond not only to code and safety issues but also to user needs and to departmental and college program priorities as they develop over time. These projects can be best administered by a team approach in which Maintenance Management staff, College staff, and the Users share in decision making. Information sharing and regular meeting cycles for decision making will support this team approach to maintaining the University's academic facilities.
Working closely with its customers to develop mutual priorities and objectives, Maintenance Management will plan and manage programs that:
ensure the health and safety of members of the Cornell Community by complying with the letter and intent of all federal, state and local rules, regulations, statutes, and codes applicable to facilities,
support the overall mission of the institution by maintaining facilities that meet basic operational needs and program requirements of the users,
promote the public image of the institution by maintaining the architectural style and appearance of the campus,
minimize maintenance expense while optimizing value received on maintenance investments.
Maintenance Management will provide training and identify training opportunities for those customers involved in facilities management.
- MISSION REVIEW:
Maintenance Management will periodically meet with its customers to review, and if necessary revise, its mission, objectives, and procedures.
- MAINTENANCE TYPES AND INVENTORIES:
Planned Maintenance:
Planned Maintenance includes scheduled projects necessary to arrest deterioration or restore facilities. The Planned Maintenance Inventory is a list of planned maintenance projects and their attributes. Attributes are defined in the "operational guideline" section.
Capital Renewal and Replacement Program:
The program of Capital Renewal and Replacement includes major capital projects with anticipated budgets that require resources beyond those of the annual Planned Maintenance allocation. The following projects are included in the Capital Renewal and Replacement Program:
- projects that exceed 10% of the annual Planned Maintenance GP allocation;
- projects that can be combined for increased efficiency;
- projects that are within severely deteriorated facilities; and
- projects in facilities under consideration for major renovation efforts.
Preventive Maintenance:
Preventive Maintenance is a program of scheduled maintenance activities that extend the serviceable life of equipment and systems and reduce breakdowns and repairs. It includes inspection, lubrication, adjustment, replacement of components, performance testing, and analysis.
The Mechanical Shop will maintain the Equipment Inventory and Preventive Maintenance System. The Shop will provide an annual analysis, recommendations for expansion or reduction, and proposed level of funding for their Preventive Maintenance services. The Equipment Inventory System will be used to identify equipment, maintenance responsibility, and to record repair histories. (This inventory is not to be confused with the university capital equipment inventory used to track movable equipment used for teaching, research and ad ministration.)
Routine Maintenance:
Routine Maintenance activities are unscheduled , day-to-day repairs that restore equipment or systems to operation and should be accomplished quickly. The Customer Service System will be used to issue and track most work. Significant repairs that could have been anticipated will be considered for funding through Planned Maintenance.
- FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Planned Maintenance:
Planned Maintenance will be funded by Maintenance Management. However, in any year all planned maintenance cannot be completed due to insufficient funding. Planned but unfunded scheduled maintenance is considered Deferred Maintenance. Units may provide supplementary funding at the direction of the Provost or at their discretion.
- Capital Renewal and Replacement Program:
In general, Units are expected to fund Capital Renewal and Replacement projects. Maintenance Management may contribute funds, however, when these projects address significant deferred maintenance. In consultation with the units, Maintenance Management will evaluate these projects based on their importance to the institutional and unit missions and the availability of funds. Maintenance Management may fund work which adds to the scope of the renewal or renovation project to increase efficiency, take advantage of economies of scale, or minimize user disruption.
- Preventive Maintenance:
Maintenance Management will fund the Preventive Maintenance program.
- Routine Maintenance:
Maintenance Management will fund the Routine Maintenance program.
- Maintenance Cost Accounting:
Maintenance Management will analyze and report maintenance expenditures to the administration and unit administrative managers.
- Statutory Maintenance:
Maintenance Management in coordination with the Contract College Facilities Office (CCF), is responsible for managing the State University of New York (SUNY) appropriated funds. These funds are used for maintenance and energy management projects for all SUNY owned grounds and facilities on the central campus. Maintenance Management coordinates projects funded by Boyce Thompson Institute. Routine maintenance in Savage Hall/Addition is a statutory responsibility. Maintenance Management is responsible for fixed equipment installed with statutory funds, i.e., State University Construction Fund (SUCF) or Special Fund Estimates (SFE). All equipment installed with college funds is the responsibility of the department to maintain. Further discussion of statutory maintenance issues is in Appendix A.
- OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Maintenance Management is responsible for the care of specific Statutory and Endowed facilities which are primarily used for academic, research and/or administrative functions. For a list of facilities for which Maintenance Management is responsible and those they are not, please refer to Appendix A. In addition, Maintenance Management is responsible for maintenance to bridges and sidewalks, and improvements to the campus grounds.
As the University's facilities manager, Maintenance Management will monitor and maintain building functionality, safety, aesthetics, and integrity. Maintenance Management will pro vide support as needed to assure the interests and investments of the university and its constituents are best served. It will accomplish these objectives by attempting to implement broad, long-term solutions, by taking advantage of scale economies, and by maintaining standards of high quality workmanship and materials.
- Maintenance Management's Responsibilities to USERS:
- Organize and staff a interdepartmental team to support users by:
- Identifying users' facilities maintenance needs.
- Communicate the list of identified maintenance projects to the users.
- Prioritize the identified projects based on operational and programmatic needs.
- Provide leadership for specific project administration.
- Measure users' satisfaction with their facilities.
- Track costs and allocations by facility and unit.
- Establish communication links between other facilities support staff and users.
- USERS' Responsibilities to Maintenance Management:
Communicate user needs, departmental and college program priorities as they develop over time.