What are some best practices for managing elevator maintenance and repair in property management?

A facilities register is needed first. We cannot do any maintenance without knowing the components of the elevator. Once we know this we can then develop checklist that maintenance can follow.

Daily visual checking is also very much require of office equipment and one the most important equipment is lift for building management. PPM is mostly done within interval I. e. Monthly/Quarterly. Daily checking is helpful for identifying small repairing requirements which is preventing big losses and keep service continue.

OEM would be the first option as always since A ) They knew their system well in advance B ) critical spare availability is always in place as needed C ) OEM can also place yearly training to site team for usage D ) All PPM activities can be done by OEM timely ..... But , at times OEM tries to play a monopoly in terms of costing for yearly maintenance ,it will be good if the procurement FM can play a big vital game if at initial place a long period maintenance contract could be signed off ,and this in turn can be a win win case for site FM ..

Elevator maintenance and repair are crucial aspects of property management, ensuring the safety and functionality of these essential transportation systems. Here are some best practices for effectively managing elevator maintenance and repair: 1. Establish a Preventive Maintenance Schedule. 2. Choose a Qualified Service Provider. 3. Monitor Elevator Performance. 4. Respond Promptly to Issues. 5. Communicate Effectively. 6. Utilize Technology. 7. Conduct Regular Inspections. 8. Maintain Proper Documentation. 9. Educate Tenants and Staff. 10. Stay Updated on Regulations.

As a facility manager, I have to choose the dedicated service provider for elevators and preferably to be the elevator manufacturer agent in order to confirm the suitable checklist from manufacturer and to get the specific spare parts when you needed from the manufacturer source.

The best practice is to hire a professional that has command over that type of particular elevator. Also the vendor should have adequate number of parts specially electronics parts. Also the elevator should be inspected by third party inspector. And the most important thing never do a circuit bypass for any safety which could put risk to the elevator safety and the humans in it.

In my experience in South America, you will find a variety of service providers in every large cities; however, many of them need to buy spare parts from external sources. The parts come from factories usually in other countries (China, India, Taiwan,…) and many contractors can not afford to have them all in stock. They normally buy parts on a as-needed basis. To import parts, sometimes, may take months, which means: when an equipment breaks you may have to keep it out of service for more than six months. When choosing a service provider, you must consider which equipments are critical at your facility and for how long you can have them off service. For them, you better have a contractor capable of maintain a full stock of parts.

My preference is to use the OEM maintenance team as they possess in-depth knowledge and expertise specific to the elevator's make and model. They understand the intricacies of the equipment, ensuring accurate diagnosis, efficient repairs, and optimal performance. Their specialized training and experience translate into reliable service, reducing the risk of unforeseen breakdowns.

It's important to make the right decision for selecting the right service provider for elevator maintenance: 1.Check the company's references: Ask the company who they may have worked with that has a similar building or elevator type. 2.Consider their response times: It's important to know how quickly the company can respond to your needs. 3.Evaluate their expertise: Determine if the company has experience with your specific type of elevator. 4.Ask about their experience in switching from a previous service company to theirs. 5.Ensure transparency: Can the company be transparent in all aspects of every project - including billing and compliance? 6.Examine their safety policy: It's essential to examine all candidates' safety records.

I reckon apart from the regular preventive maintenance which are usually scheduled. Users of these vertical transport systems should be encouraged to report any slight discomfort or unusual behavior noticed during a ride to the FM team ASAP. This feedforward is crucial for early identification of potential hazards, upgrades requirements and replacements of parts.

In my experience, the best monitoring practice is to use yourself, regularly, each one of the elevators you have and check the functioning of each one of them.

I consider this is the main part of Managing them as the FM incharge should have a sound knowledge on handling stakeholders effectively that can be done by notifying 1. Preventive Maintenance schedules before a week and on pre earlier by 6 hours of maintenance. 2. Work completion status to the stakeholders and the flaws to the company. 3. Safety signs and instruction/specification stickers on the elevator etc...

In our facility management approach, it is imperative to emphasize that, even after the careful selection of the appropriate elevator service provider, we adhere to a best practice for maintenance and repair. This involves the meticulous preparation, review, and documentation of all maintenance reports. Such records play a crucial role and can form part of comprehensive handover notes, ensuring a seamless transition in the event of a potential change in the elevator service provider.

The elevator, escalator and travlator is an essential system in a big facilties.the maintenance approch that should use is depend on the capacity of the building and the number of units. In big building like airports (50k passengers daily) for instance; the system spouse to be monitored by SCADA SYSTEM in order to have a life time availability. Moreover a mandated team shall be 24/7 days a week to carry on all maintenance activities such like PPM and CM and system monitoring. This level of capacity required a spcial trained team or a contract with delar of the build system brand. In small scale I recommend and advise to have on call and annually maintenance contract agreement with same brand delar to maintain the system.

Some of major tipsz 1. Planned ppm activity ( minor and major ) with specific check points 2. Parts early life cycle estimation 3. All Maintenance must be throgh certified tech for that particular elevator 4. Yearly load test & certification 5. User teaining Do’s and Don’t 6. Normal daily inspection early abnormality detection & action 7. When needed apply continious improvement ..