Planned and servicing management overview
Through the implementation of comprehensive and strategic planned maintenance programmes, housing organisations are able to target the gradual and predictable deterioration of building components, extending the lettable life of each property and therefore maximising the return on investment. Furthermore, their obligation to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all potential occupiers and visitors is underpinned by the creation of structured and targeted servicing plans, facilitating the tracking and delivery of all regular equipment health checks and certification. The Planned and Servicing module therefore supports the creation, implementation and management of stock upgrade programmes and regular equipment servicing plans, with the scope of all required work being defined through linked Schedule of Rates (SOR) templates. This approach ensures that all planned refurbishments, together with the legislative servicing of every installed electrical and mechanical equipment item, is completed in the most efficient, auditable and transparent way. Whilst any number of custom SOR templates can be created, each perhaps focusing on a different core property maintenance element or appliance servicing requirement, it is also possible to maintain parallel templates with only subtle differences, say, to manage the installation of a kitchen refurbishment to different sized dwellings, or perhaps to reflect specific manufacturer's guidance for different boiler models. Any target subset of assets can then be defined for each active programme or service plan, in readiness for the resultant works orders to be generated en masse, augmented by the necessary inspection stages. The streamlining of the order fulfilment process extends to the automatic allocation of a preferred contractor, repair type and priority weighting, although these can easily be amended to match the requirements of a specific order subset; robust management tools are also available to analyse their ongoing status progression, both at programme and asset level.
At its foundation, the Planned and Servicing module is structured around a number of master status codes - Entered, On Hold, Work In Progress, Cancelled, Completed, etc. - dictating the workflow of each implemented programme and inherent asset-focused activities. Further custom values can also be created, at the end user's discretion, and linked to an overarching master status code. Once defined, these inter-related status codes are then automatically assigned on successful completion of specific events; they can also be manually updated, as required, within the defined status progression framework. Additionally, each unique code can be linked to a custom communication, such that when the logical progression of a stock upgrade or servicing plan component - an authorisation, an inspection, an issued works order, etc. - reaches that particular status, the associated communication template is automatically generated, encapsulating the targeted recipients. This aspect of functionality is an intrinsic part of the communication workflow and supports the end user in their drive for robust and proactive customer engagement throughout the implementation of an active programme. To alleviate the impact of resource-intensive processes on daily activities, where potentially large volumes of communications are generated simultaneously, these are stored in a 'holding area' from where they can be generated via a scheduled task, the timing of which is dictated by the end user.
Separate help articles have been combined into logical sections and cover each key aspect of planned and servicing management, including: