An Evaluation of Facility Maintenance and Repair Strategies of Select Companies

<p>Whether a company is predominantly administrative or production oriented facility related costs are usually a significant portion of the overall cost of doing business. Although initial construction costs are high the cost of operation and maintenance over a facilities life-cycle is significantly higher. A common challenge for facility maintenance professionals is balancing the cost of facility Maintenance and Repair (MR) with the benefits derived from those facilities. This thesis documents how a selection of companies implemented that balance by first determining their facilities MR requirements based on their chosen facility condition level and how they then allocated funds to meet those requirements. The research effort consisted of interviews with facility maintenance professionals at each company selected. The data was then used to perform a multiple case study analysis and comparison with the methods currently used by the USAF. Results indicate that companies that methodically identified their requirements and used those requirements as the basis for allocating funds to meet those requirements incurred the least impact from facility problems on their daily operations. In comparison companies that allocated funds based on methods other than actual facility MR requirements typically under-funded those requirements resulting in facilities that did not optimally meet their needs required extensive work around conditions and ultimately increased their cost of doing business. Finally the data also suggests that a commitment to proper facility maintenance does not impede a company's ability to compete within their chosen market.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>