We recognize that property appearance reflects the community's pride, the effectiveness of its management and the commitment of the Owner. Good facilities management not only enriches the living experience, but also helps to build community spirit by bringing dignity and status to those who inhabit the developments we manage. The guiding principle of our work is a genuine concern for our customers. In short, our message throughout the facilities organization is: if you make promises, you must deliver in a timely and professional manner. By being responsive and proactive, a certain trust is built and confidence is instilled.
Extensive Resources
Over the years, we have developed extensive resources and a well-developed network of service providers, consultants and contractors, both general and specialized, to assist us in providing top-notch care for the physical assets of our properties. Annual inspections of every unit are central to knowing the issues that affect the maintenance plans for a property. Preventative and scheduled maintenance are an absolute requirement for effective asset preservation.
Over the years, we have developed extensive resources and a well-developed network of service providers, consultants and contractors, both general and specialized, to assist us in providing top-notch care for the physical assets of our properties. Annual inspections of every unit are central to knowing the issues that affect the maintenance plans for a property. Preventative and scheduled maintenance are an absolute requirement for effective asset preservation.
BuildingLink
In our efforts to enhance service to our residents, we have emphasized the area of service request/work order management and control. BuildingLink, our Internet based service request system, has been implemented over the past two years and has allowed our staff to maintain an ongoing understanding of the nature of repairs and maintenance. Information gained from this management system is an important tool that can assist the staff in planning for and reducing operating costs. In addition, it provides the necessary data to evaluate our responsiveness to residents' requests.
Experienced Staff
The lifeblood of our facilities department is our staff. Many staff members exceed ten years tenure. The site-based knowledge that accompanies this longevity is invaluable. We place a high degree of emphasis on staff motivation and on rewards for innovation and excellence among our staff. Our employees are charged with responsibility to answer residents' questions respectfully and help to reduce feelings of uncertainty. Working within a decentralized, fully empowered management model, we seek to solve problems quickly and efficiently to minimize the impact on our residents.
Maintenance Delivery Systems
Goals
- Satisfied customers who have full confidence and trust in the staff.
- 100% of emergency work orders satisfactorily completed within 24 hours.
- 90% of general service requests satisfactorily completed within 24-48 hours.
- Reduction in operating costs as a result of preventive maintenance programs.
General Approach
We are committed to delivering the best possible maintenance services, emphasizing superior physical appearance, and superior responses to resident requests for service.
A strong on-site team, combined with well-established and broad-based organizational support, equals success in achieving excellence, both in terms of daily operational issues and long range planning.
Emergency Maintenance
Our emergency response program shall have the following characteristics:
- A 24-hour response system 365 days per year shall be maintained.
- Major emergencies shall be communicated to the Clientimmediately in accordance with emergency communications protocols.
- A responsible maintenance staff person shall be on-call at all times and will maintain an emergency response list of staff and vendors. Additional redundancy shall be established via supervisory on-call staff including the President of Cornu Management if necessitated.
- Rotation of on-call responsibilities will be implemented to minimize staff burnout and fatigue.
- Cross training of staff will occur in order to create redundancy in response capabilities.
- Restoration of heat, water, hot water, electricity or any other service when disrupted;
- Repair of broken windows;
- Repair of locks and other security devices;
- Clearing of back-ups in any drainage system;
- Correction of any condition which permits significant entry of water or snow into a living area;
- Any other circumstance, which may cause health, safety, or security hazards to residents or neighbors.
Work Orders
All routine maintenance and repair tasks shall be completed using on-site staff whenever possible. The work order system will have the following characteristics:
- Fully automated using BuildingLink software.
- Quality control measures, including random follow-up phone calls to ensure customer satisfaction and random supervisory inspections.
- A resident shall be informed by phone call or in writing when a service request has not been completed within 72 hours and the resident will be provided a good faith estimated time of completion.
- All staff and contractors shall understand their daily routine tasks and shall be expected to consistently demonstrate responsible care in meeting all of these requirements.
Unit Inspections
At least once each year, we shall perform a comprehensive inspection of each dwelling unit and record observations made during the inspection. The purpose of these inspections will be to determine repair needs and to inspect housekeeping conditions.
As part of our resident retention program, the Property Manager or Assistant Property Manager along with the Director of Maintenance will inspect the unit with the new resident prior to move-in. Instructions will be provided on operation and maintenance of appliances and heating system, and emergency procedures will be reviewed. Finally, six weeks after the new resident has moved into the unit, the site staff will arrange for a return visit to answer any questions which may have arisen, and to ensure that the resident is operating the appliances properly and is maintaining the cleanliness of the unit.
On-Going Preventive Maintenance Program and Scheduling
The preventive maintenance program shall be designed to insure against unanticipated equipment failure, to maintain longevity of equipment, and insure resident safety, health and comfort through regular inspection of building components. Inspection and service schedules will meet industry standards, manufacturer recommendations, and applicable local, state and federal regulations and will be characterized by:
- Frequent inspections by Director of Maintenance.
- Highly structured and supervised third party maintenance contracts.
- Scheduling reflected in annual preventive maintenance planner.
The following systems, as applicable, will have a preventive maintenance plan:
- Fire Alarms, Sprinklers and Other Fire Safety Equipment
- Lighting
- Emergency Generators
- Boiler Plants and all Related Heating and Hot Water System Components
- Trash Compactors and Related Equipment
- Security Alarm Systems and Components
- Building Envelope Components, including Roofs, Windows, Doors and Building Skin
- Landscaped areas
- Roadways and walkways
- Elevators