I am a Facilities Specialist with State Farm Insurance and may area of specialization is cleaning and interior maintenance. Ten years ago I was transferred from Corporate Administrative Services to the Design department in Facilities Management. This move was a stroke of genius by one of our forward thinking executives and it produced a very dynamic change in how State Farm approches facilities.
Working with Interior Designers and Architects as the maintenance/cleaning component has led to buildings designed with maintenance in mind. This has saved our company millions of dollars over the last ten years in unnecessary maintenance costs, extended the lifecycle of our finishes and reduced cleaning costs.
David S. Haviland wrote in his architectural textbook "Life Cycle Cost Analysis2: Using It In Practice" the following quote
"The initial design and construction of a facility comprises about 15% of the total cost of a building over its 40 year life span. The remaining 85% is made up of the building's operations and maintenance costs."
Having tested this statement against our own building costs I have found this not only true but a guideline for product selection in building and remodeling our facilities. If we select a flooring option during the design and construction stage(15%) that requires less maintenance there is a profound impact on the operations and maintenance costs (85%). As an example we have been selecting flooring options in new and remodel projects that does not require floor finish therefore eliminating buffing, stripping, refinishing taks as well as the chemicals involved. The only maintenance required is cleaning the floor. This has saved us 40% in labor alone in flooring maintenance.
The point here is that design selections have a dramitic impact on maintenance costs and facilities professionals should be a vital part of any building or remodeling project as they represent the greatest cost or cost savings in the life cycle cost of a building.
Yours in Service!