The transition from construction to facility operations is too often an inefficient process. During construction, contractors are primarily focused on creating a physical asset: the building, and not necessarily on managing documents for an upcoming transition of information.
To no fault of either party; the construction method of gathering and disseminating information is often at odds with the needs of operations staff. Moreover, document organization standards vary from company to company and even person to person causing an even further potential rift with the transition of information.
5 Steps to Successful Building Turnover
1. Manage Building Information on Your Terms
Don’t start at a projects end, rather start from the beginning. Set up an agreement with your design and construction team for how documentation will pass to you and when. A defined plan will help facility owners eliminate information “noise” and avoid paying for unwanted information.
2. Control the Building From Construction to Turnover
Facility owners should oversee and control what information the construction team creates and uses. If a building contractor uses a project management software or document-sharing platform, facility managers should be added as a collaborator to their project.
3.Establish a System For Organizing Building Data
Back up information on the cloud or on a secure server. A big box of paper plans and O&M manuals often gets neglected and becomes worthless when future issues emerge.
4. Collect Useful Facility Warranty Information
All of your warranty information should be in one location and without unnecessary documents to sift through. Flipping through a 250-page document to locate critical information defeats the purpose of electronic documentation.
5. Plan for the Unexpected During Building Turnover
Know where vital information is stored and who to contact when problems do arise. Keep a contact list handy for people who will help in emergency situations. It is recommended that your general contractor or service provider have access to proper facility information for faster issue resolution through your warranty period.
Plan effectively and do your best to make collaboration as easy as possible for all of your team members. A smooth transition from building construction to building operations is the key to cost savings.
Discover how BIM file formats make for successful building turnover in our BIM vs. Legacy File Systems eBook. Download your free copy today.
