Maintenance Shop 101-Organization Is The Key

Recently I became the property manager of a community in FL for the first time. I remember thinking as a leasing agent/assistant manager how you could never find anything in the maintenance shop. When I was offered this position I told my self and my new staff that within two weeks I wanted a fully organized and operational maintenance shop. We took a friday that was suppose to be a corporate holiday and cleaned the maintenance shop. This was a great experince for us as we were able to bond, get dirty, drink rootbeer and eat pizza. We also learned something about each of us as individuals. The property not only has a new Property Manager, a new first time maintenance tech and a season maintenance supervisor but a clean organized shop. Now off to the next task inventoring everything in the shop to avoid over ordering...seriously who really needed 2500 electrical face plates...the worst part is the previouse staff was not even using them. Oh well my team will use them

Check out the video below: animoto.com/play/rj7fBTzgtagh6IoOcA234Q

Great Job! I only have one maintenance person onsite so he's on call 24/7. We have a deal, me and my assistant will take care of any small work-orders that come in on the weekends (smoke det. batteries, disposals, clogged toilets, etc) but only if we can walk into the shop and put our hands on what we need without searching for it. Also every March I require the shop floor to be painted. This way everything has to be pulled out and put back in.
Over the summer I had my maintenance and housekeeper go over to help out another site where the maintenance sup had been on sick leave. Well the shop was a utter wreck! No one could find anything. I had them clear it out, and we found TONS of supplies they didn't know they had, not to mention items they don't even use on that site. I will never forget standing there talking to the guys and the HD truck backs up with a delivery of light bulbs and toilet seats. We had just found FIVE cases of bulbs and 3 cases of toilet seats. This is a VERY cash strapped community, I was floored. I think more managers need to be involved in maintenance as well. Ultimately it is our responsibility to ensure every dollar we spend will have an impact on our community. We can not afford to have money thrown away!
On a side note I was in a meeting with our local police dept yesterday and they were telling me about a maintenance person who had been terminated from a community 2 years ago. It seems in those two years he had still been ordering supplies from vendors, having them billed to the community, but sent to his home! Like $10,000 worth!! No one ever informed the vendor he wasn't working there anymore, so they just kept shipping. How the manager didn't notice while paying bills in just an example of how out of touch some managers are with their maintenance.
It looks like you are starting out on the right foot. Congrats on your first community and good luck!

Jolene,
What a great job and I wish more people took the time like you did. It shows that you care and will work to meet standards with everyone on the team.

@Jolene. What an excellent idea!

When I assess a new property, I inspect all maintenance/shop areas and make a list of things to be done and assign due dates for each. It takes a while to take and replenish inventory and organize while also keeping up with maintenance requests and turnovers.

But I like your idea Much better!! If I ever change properties again I will definitely do it that way. What a fantastic way to build your teams comraderie.

@Stephanie
I have just one maint tech too, so he knows how important it is to keep the shop organized for the assistant manager and I. I don't particularly enjoy crawling under a leaking disposal on Christmas, but it sure did help that I could walk into his shop and find the tool and parts I needed to do a small repair.



Our large management companie frequently takes over properties with the wrong supplies on hand, so I host a supply exchange once a year so we can trade what we have and don't need for the parts we do. It's been a nice budget saver since the parts for our old stoves are no longer made by vendors, but just need a small part to avoid replacing the appliance.

Our regional tours the shops when they visit as well (in fact, he's coming today and I should be getting ready.)

My maint. tech has heard all the horror stories about techs stealing or being accused, so he wont order anything. He takes inventory and tells me what we need and I order it myself, delivered to the office. I trust him completely, but he's just more comfortable having me involved. It shows the owners that we are all keeping an eye on things to look for the best ways to save.

There is at least one disadvantage to only ordering and stocking what you need when you need it. The biggest way we save is with coupon codes and buying bulk. If you order from HD supply, get on their mailing list and they will send you ads with coupon codes on them. Quill does the same thing for office supplies. I managed to spend $101,000 (my 1st time saving 100k over budget!! :cheer: Toilet seats are $9 a peice, but if you buy in bulk you can get them for $6.

Office paper and ink savings is HUGE this way. Paper was on sale for half price if you buy 10 reams, and ink was on sale plus I had a 20% off coupon. I spent over budget for this month for office supplies, but now I don't need any for at least 3 months, thus saving two months worth of budget.

By the end of the year, it REALLY ads up!!

Jolene, we are very pleased with the work you are doing at Highlander. Thank you for caring so much for your hard work. Keep up the good job, I see great things in your future

Thank you every and Pedro for the chance to manage my own community. I have to say this community is special and older. Rose I love your idea of the swap with supplies. I have instructed my guys that when I replace a stove or refridgerator they are to take the old one to the shop for parts. I saw my first 1967 stove in my first week at this property serously thought I was going to die laughing when I saw it. My maintenance techs are the same way they want me to order and inventory because they know how anual I'am about money being spent out. Which is fine because I want to know what we have and don't have. I think many managers don't want to think about the maintenance shops they rather have the maintenance teams worry about it. Can you imagine the amount of money that has walked out the door from this lack of carring and management? I about died when I saw all the electrical plates and having just walked units with painted covers. I will have to say this is the funest property I have ever worked at. I feel like my education in property management has really begun! How do you guys track your inventory?

I would like to throw my two cents into this discussion about maintenance, organization, spending, and saving money.

OK,first I will date myself and say back in 1997 when I had my first property management job as a civilian, there were a couple of things that I did to ensure the right items were bought and to track where they were.

First, I had everything inventoried and placed in the appropriate bin. All items that were electrical, I had date purchased and date placed in service. Those items that were used the most I got immediate feedback on and could ensure that I kept a stock that could be managed and not be overstocked.

Second, there was a sheet in each bin when an item(s) were taken the sheet was adjusted and what apartment the items were going into. This ensured there was control of where the items went and it also showed if there was a problem with a particular unit as well as if there had to be a replacement was it fare wear, defective, or maybe a warning sign of another problem all together.

Third, electrical items such as stoves, refrigerators and such there was the purchase date and not the in-service date. If there was a problem with the item, the first thing checked was, if the item was still under warranty. If it was then we used the number and call for the item to be repaired or replaced. If the item could not be repaired right away, then I would get them a replacement and have the item in the maintenance shop for any delayed repairs.

Fourth, if there was a deal because of my purchasing I would get estimates from who I was doing business with for deep discounts and then I would work their competition. I fould I could get great deals and save huge amounts of money.

Lastly, today there are some companies out there that give you a platform where you can go through their site to order and because of the purchasing power, they are able to get you large savings in maintenance parts, office supplies, appliances, painting, and carpeting. I even contracted for such a company to setup and perform their Customer Service.

I was not a maintenance man, but I could tell you when something was not working properly and I always loved getting out there dealing with vendors and contractors working the deals which would save my property money and in turn see happy tenants all around.