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M A Y , 2 0 1 7
W
hen cutting the ribbon on a new development,
the expectations are that, with new materials
and construction, the shine will last into the
foreseeable future. But, just like any home, whether old or
new, if you don’t dust the corners and tighten the screws
on a regular basis, the natural wear will become evident.
How often have we forgotten our keys or some other
items when walking out the door? The most successful com-
panies can attribute part of their successes to organization.
Apple is a company that is recognized for its organization.
They have a history of making their ideas become a reality
and changing the landscape of technology. The most suc-
cessful communities are those that can think, plan, and put
their ideas into action. Whether it is daily repair, weekly
maintenance, monthly preventative measures, or the next
capital project. So, how do we, as property managers,
give our operations managers and maintenance staff the
tools to put these plans in action?
Using Technology
as My Hammer
By Robert Arnone, CMCA, AMS, CPM
®
,
RCA Management, LLC
In the world of the property life cycle, after the building
stage, comes occupancy, maintenance and repair. With
so much emphasis going into the build stage of a sprawling
community or high-rise condominium, the longest phase of
a building life cycle, the operations and maintenance of
the property, is sometimes ignored. Consider a universi-
ty endowment. An endowment’s resources grow to the
point that the university decides to build another wing or
school of study. As mentioned in the Facility Management
Handbook, by Kathy Roper and Richard Payant: “no one
ever endowed an operations or maintenance contract,”
all the money goes into the build stage, but there is often
neglect in the maintenance of the property.
Not all of us are fortunate enough to be involved with
the planning and construction of a community, from the
location of washing machines, to the installation of HVAC
systems. Imagine being a fly on the wall during this metic-
ulous planning process. If you think of the investment made
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"The most successful
communities are those that
can think, plan, and put
their ideas into action."