knowledge article

Facilities and Property Maintenance Glossary

An identifiable item, system or part of a property that is managed, maintained or replaced.

An operating system for the estate.

Asset register

A structured list of assets with identifying and location information; useful fields include model, condition and maintenance references.

Backlog

Work that remains outstanding. A useful backlog distinguishes priority, approval, access and resource dependencies.

Commissioning

The planned checks and adjustments used to establish that an installed system operates against its specified requirements.

Condition survey

An assessment of the observed condition of a building or its components within a defined scope.

Corrective maintenance

Work intended to correct a known fault or defect.

Dilapidations

Issues concerning the condition and repair obligations of leased premises. The lease and relevant professional assessment determine the particular claim or obligation.

Handover

The transfer of completed work and agreed information to the customer or operator, including outstanding actions.

Lifecycle planning

Planning repair, maintenance and replacement over the expected useful life of assets.

Make safe

Action to control an immediate unsafe condition; it may leave restrictions or permanent repairs outstanding.

Mobilisation

The preparation needed to start a service, including information, contacts, scope and operating arrangements.

PPM

Planned preventative maintenance: scheduled tasks intended to reduce deterioration or failure.

Reactive maintenance

Work triggered by a reported fault or immediate need rather than a scheduled task.

Scope

The defined work and deliverables included in an instruction, with boundaries and dependencies.

SLA

A service-level agreement defining the measures and arrangements agreed between the parties.

KPI

A key performance indicator: a chosen measure used to assess an aspect of service delivery.

Snag

A defect or incomplete item identified for correction; the term alone does not establish its importance or contractual status.

Variation

An agreed change to the original instruction, potentially affecting price, programme or deliverables.

Put the terms into context

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