Maintenance and revitalisation are key for yield and lifespan of commercial buildings

Maintenance and revitalisation were presented to Dubai’s top facility management professionals as key strategies for optimising yield and lifespan of commercial buildings, during the annual Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA) Conference, which was held in Dubai last week.

MEFMA aims to unify the region’s facility management industry by conducting research, providing educational programs and assisting corporate organisations in the development of sustainable facility management strategies. MEFMA provides a standardized framework for facility management professionals, wider construction industry stakeholders and building owners from across the Middle East.

In cooperation with MEFMA, Drees & Sommer, international consultants for construction, real estate, workplace and infrastructure, produced a white paper entitled ‘ISO 41000 Facility Management, a Series of Global Standards’.

The research highlights out of more than 20,000 ISO normal standards, fewer than 100 are Management Systems Standards (MSS). The most popular MSS, and the one which has shaped the way we evaluate quality, productivity and organization, is the ISO 9000 quality management series of standards.

‘Normal’ standards were implemented to standardise elements such as the properties of nuts and bolts and are necessary to avoid issues with sizing and fit. While these standards are important, a management system standard is also necessary to ensure standardisation between organisations as they undertake projects worked on by multiple businesses.

“MSS helps businesses improve their performance by identifying the steps through which they can achieve their outlined goals and objectives. These standards also help create an organisational culture that encourages ongoing self-evaluation, correction and improvement of operations and processes. This is achieved through heightened employee awareness management, leadership and commitment,” noted Peter Prischl, Managing Director of Drees & Sommer International.

“The benefits of an effective management system include a more efficient use of resources, improved financial performance, improved risk management, better protection of people and the environment and an increased capability to deliver consistent and improved services and products.

“These standards increase value for both the customers and stakeholders, and can be implemented by any organisation, large or small,” added Prischl.

Peter Prischl recently hosted a workshop in cooperation with MEFMA, to highlight the strategies for optimising total yield of ownership of commercial buildings. During the workshop, Prischl focused on maintenance strategies, repair, refurbishment and revitalisation. He discussed the usage supply model of a building, based upon the function and elements, offering four basic strategies to manage supply consumption including maintenance, repair, refurbishment and revitalisation.

Usage has traditionally been perceived with regard to the lifespan of the materials used and the functions of a facility. Due to this, the repairs of an existing building would last as long as the materials would allow, without considering the need for refurbishment based on customer preference and usability. Prischl stressed the importance of finding a balance between repair costs, usage supply and the lifespan of the building itself by lowering the amount of materials wasted, before the fact instead of afterwards.

Prischl also highlighted the need for facility management professionals to shift their way of thinking: “As structures in Dubai begin to age, and usage supply comes into question, it is necessary to change the way we manage older buildings. We should be considering old buildings as storage facilities for concrete, steel and copper. These materials can be recycled or revitalised rather than torn down and discarded. We should be considering the usage supply of a structure, rather than its lifespan. Facilities experts should be looking to cut costs by around 40 per cent, to maintain a structure for an additional 20 years,” said Prischl.

According to Prischl, the two main solutions for optimising yield and lifespan of commercial buildings include preventive and corrective maintenance and revitalisation. Preventive maintenance is conducted to avoid damage prior to the damage actually occurring. Preventative maintenance can be considered either condition-based or predetermined. Condition-based maintenance considers usage and life expectancy of the facility; whereas predetermined maintenance ensures the implementation of scheduled checks and updates. Corrective maintenance can be broken down into immediate and deferred, depending on the urgency, impact and need for repair.

Revitalisation was presented as a way to make an existing real estate portfolio more attractive, future proof and adaptable to changing tenant needs. An extra benefit is an increased lifespan. “Successful revitalisation projects balance user demands and economic frame conditions. Recreating space for the needs of users within the parameters of an existing structure by enhancing focal points, adding natural light and usable space, and even changing ventilation systems, can boost ROI and replenish the usage supply of a building,” concluded Prischl.

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About Drees & Sommer:

Drees & Sommer is an international professional services firm for construction, real estate, workplace and infrastructure with more than 2400 employees, more than 40 offices, and activities in more than 100 countries, active in the Emirates since more than fifteen years. The partner-owned Drees & Sommer Group advises and supports owners, users, service providers and investors on all aspects of real estate life cycle performance – “the blue way”! More information at www.dreso.com/en.

For more information, please contact Gregory Brown at iHC for Drees & Sommer +971585839540 or gregory@ih-c.com

© Press Release 2018