Guide · Starting
Four decisions to make before you start
Most set-up trouble comes from four choices made by accident. Make them on purpose, in an afternoon, before the first record goes in.
1. What counts as an asset
Decide how far down you go. A boiler, yes. Its pump, perhaps, if you service or replace it on its own. Every light fitting, probably not. A useful test: if you would raise a job against it, or keep a certificate for it, it is an asset.
2. How you name places
Agree one way to name sites, buildings, floors and rooms, and use the names your team already says out loud. “Plant room 2” beats “B-L00-PR-002” if that is what people call it. You can keep the formal code as well, but people search by what they say.
3. Who raises jobs
Decide who can report a fault: only your team, or anyone in the building with a phone. The more people can report, the earlier you hear. Decide too who looks at new reports first and turns them into jobs.
4. What “done” means
Agree what has to be true before a job is closed: a reading, a photo, a signature, parts recorded. Write it down per kind of job. A job closed with nothing on it proves nothing later.
Checklist
- The rule for what counts as an asset, written down
- One way of naming sites, buildings, floors and rooms
- Who can report a fault, and who looks at reports first
- What must be recorded before each kind of job is closed
Sources
Our own advice, from running maintenance. This guide quotes no studies and no figures.
Related guides
Starting · 2 min read
A four-week rollout that sticks
One thing a week, with one team first. By week four the old way is gone because the new one is easier.
Starting · 2 min read
Moving off spreadsheets without losing anything
Your spreadsheets hold years of knowledge. Move it in the right order and nothing is lost or typed twice.
See it on your own sites.
Free for one site, up to 3 people and 2,000 assets. No card.