AF Bostäder has developed a new maintenance plan during 2017 to be used to predict, simulate, cost-calculate and plan forthcoming maintenance. Most important – carrying out the projects with retained customer satisfaction.
AF Bostäder introduced its first maintenance plan in 2003. Since then, numerous projects have been carried out to revamp aspects such as facades, windows, balconies, outside areas, cycle parking spaces, stairwells, and not least, all of AF Bostäder’s corridor kitchens.
“Our aim then was to ensure the attractiveness of our housing,” says Rose-Marie, ex. Property Manager of AF Bostäder. “Our kitchen and outside area projects are good examples from that period. We planned, tested and designed very carefully to create pleasant and sustainable environments, specifically adapted for students. The customer benefits were clear, everyone could see the improvements we had made.”
The new maintenance plan, drawn up in 2017, is more detailed and focuses more on the properties’ technical installations. Now it is a question of restoring functions that have reached the end of their technical service lifetimes. The plan specifies particular building elements such as facades, windows and doors, roofs, elevators and installations. Each building element is broken down into components, amount, installation year or date of the latest measure, technical service lifetime, what measure is to be carried out and the estimated cost.
“We now have a policy document to help in our future budget work with analysis and planning,” says Rose-Marie. “We know what we are going to do, when we shall do it, where we shall do it, what it will cost and what staff resources are required. In 2018, we will develop a system tool that we can use to simulate various processes and carry out consequence analyses depending on which projects we choose to prioritise. We will be more proactive, have a higher preparedness and can minimise acute measures.”
Maintenance in the future holds new challenges for AF Bostäder. First and foremost, as a client, AF Bostäder must have the right expertise and dedicated project management. The solutions are to be sustainable – socially, economically and environmentally. The contractors are to have the staying power to run multiple-year maintenance projects in student housing areas, with an understanding and respect for the students’ study environment. Finally, the most important aspect of all: the projects are to be carried out with retained customer satisfaction.
“We work intensively on matters relating to customer satisfaction,” says Rose-Marie. “Is the customer to stay put, or shall we evacuate? How do we ensure security and comfort during the periods when customers have temporary toilets and kitchens elsewhere? How do we carry out a transfer move in the best way? What size of contract is optimal – one stairwell or an entire building at a time? No project starts before we know that we have done all we can to make the situation easier for our customers.”
“Through planning and coordination, we can minimise disruption, and in some cases include initiatives that provide something extra for our customers. A good example is our latest pilot project at Studentlyckan. A combination of measures has been carried out in a short time and for the customers this resulted in a higher standard, including new kitchens. In the same project, we also learned that communication and accessibility are important. The fact that we have project managers close by who can personally answer customers’ questions has a great bearing on customer satisfaction,” concludes Rose-Marie.
Latest update October 8, 2018