CAI-NJ May 2017

Using Technology as My Hammer By Robert Arnone, CMCA, AMS, CPM ® , RCA Management, LLC

"The most successful communities are those that can think, plan, and put their ideas into action."

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?

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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