Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to illustrate the maintenance prioritising for facilities services in high-rise residential buildings in Peninsular Malaysia. Maintenance prioritisation is becoming more prominent in the building maintenance industry due to budget constraints, poor maintenance management and to yield better maintenance performance.Design/methodology/approachTwo main categories with eleven facilities services that require maintenance were identified through extensive literature review. A total of 321 returned questionnaires were analysed to distinguish the relationship between the maintenance priority and cost variance. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to validate the findings.FindingsThe findings revealed that five essential facilities services were significantly correlated to cost variance and a regression model which examines the probability of over-budget was developed. Meanwhile, the interviews recognised that maintenance prioritisation has impact towards maintenance cost.Research limitations/implicationsThis research focusses on the maintenance priorities of facilities services and their effects to maintenance cost. However, it is undeniable that the maintenance cost can be affected by other factors, contributing to a lower percentage of the total variance in the regression model. Thus, it creates research opportunity to study the factors (i.e. manpower, materials, wear and tear, etc.) affecting the variance of maintenance cost.Practical implicationsThis study is useful to property managers in efforts to enhance the cost performance via appropriate maintenance prioritisation. The essential facilities services should be highly prioritised compared to the value-added facilities services.Originality/valueThe paper signifies the importance of maintenance prioritisation. It serves as a guide to plan and execute maintenance planning in a more logical way within budget and time constraints.
Highlights
Shelter is an essential need for human well-being
Among 11 independent variables, 5 of them are significantly correlated to the cost variance, namely: (a) Lift systems (b) Water supply systems (c) Power supply systems (d) Security systems (e) Fire protection systems
The literature review suggests that a well-planned maintenance strategy based on rational assessment of priorities will ensure better performance and optimise the available resources
Summary
As sustainability continues to be a critical concern in the construction industry, it demands residential buildings to be constructed in a higher quality, accessibility, energy efficiency, and provide facilities that promote active and social activities in a clean and safe residential environment (Winston, 2010). When housing stocks increase drastically, the question on their maintenance arises. In Malaysia, it is claimed that construction industry stakeholders are good at providing state-of-the-art buildings and facilities but lack of knowledge and expertise to maintain the building stock (Kamaruzzaman & Zawawi, 2010). The maintenance of buildings is critical and on demand to address the challenge to restore and repair the building (Arukesamy, 2017; Au-Yong et al, 2017)
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