- Watch out
- What it costs
- Experienced readers
- Remember
- In BIMpedia
An asset register is a list. A maintenance plan is work: thousands of tasks a year, each with a date, a skill and a cost. The link between the two is the maintenance regime each asset type follows. If the type is wrong or missing, the work is wrong or missing, every year, for the life of the building.
Regimes in practice
| Category | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory | Fire alarm tests, emergency lighting tests, lift inspections, gas safety | Required by law; missing them is a legal and safety risk |
| Manufacturer | AHU filter changes, belt checks | Keeps warranties valid |
| Optimal or discretionary | Condition surveys, cleaning frequencies | Balances cost and service level |
Planned (preventive) maintenance is scheduled work to keep assets safe and working. Reactive maintenance fixes things after they fail. Good asset data makes the planned work accurate and the reactive work faster.
The chain from data to work
- The asset's type and classification in the model.
- A mapping from the classification to a regime (in the AIR or done by the FM provider).
- The asset imported to the CMMS with tag, location and product data.
- The regime applied; the CMMS creates work orders.
- History builds up against each asset.
Each line of asset data becomes recurring work. That's why the asset type, location and regime must be right: a missing asset is a missed inspection, and a wrong one is wasted visits for years.
A new office's register contains:
| Asset type | Count | Regime (illustration) |
|---|---|---|
| Fire dampers | 140 | Inspection once a year |
| Fan coil units | 420 | Filter change quarterly + annual service |
| Air-handling units | 6 | Monthly check + annual service |
| Emergency light fittings | 300 | Monthly function test + annual duration test |
- How many planned tasks a year does this produce?
- Which tasks are statutory (in most countries) and must be protected in the plan?
- What happens to the plan if 30 emergency lights are missing from the register?
Key takeaways
- A regime is a set of tasks with frequencies, skills and criticality, often from a standard library such as SFG20.
- Each asset needs a type and classification that map to its regime.
- Statutory tasks (fire, emergency lighting, lifts, gas) must never get lost among optional ones.
- Asset counts multiply: small data errors become hundreds of wasted or missed visits a year.
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