Author: Ethan Wilke

Compared to other aspects of asset management, organizations often overlook the importance of implementing effective asset naming conventions. Though often viewed as an administrative task, developing a reliable naming system helps standardize asset identification and makes it easier for anyone managing, tracking, or servicing equipment to understand and communicate about your assets.

In this complete guide, you’ll learn how to create a practical asset naming convention that brings clarity and efficiency to your maintenance operations.

What is an Asset Naming Convention?

An asset naming convention is an agreed-upon set of rules for choosing the names and numbers used to identify your assets. As mentioned in our article, What is Asset Management?, identification plays an important role in asset management, helping maintenance teams know exactly what they are responsible for managing. Asset naming conventions are developed to ensure consistent identification and improve communication about specific equipment and machines.

In relation to implementing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), asset names are used to uniquely identify asset records within the system, making it easy for users to identify, select, and properly track maintenance against assets.

Clarifying Asset Names vs. Numbers

In a CMMS, every record typically includes both a unique identification number – either system-generated or user-provided – and a descriptive name. Though the term asset naming convention is commonly used to describe both of these components together, they serve different purposes:

• The asset name is a human-friendly label used by CMMS users to easily recognize the asset.
• The asset number, or ID, is a unique identifier used by the system to track and manage asset records. It is often codified to provide users with at-a-glance information about the record.

Why Asset Naming Conventions Matter

Can you imagine identifying tens to thousands of assets based solely on a description? Not only would it be exhausting and confusing, it would be highly inefficient. Naming assets makes them easy to identify – but simply assigning names isn’t enough.

The value of following a consistent asset naming convention is that anyone who interacts with your assets – whether now or in the future – can quickly understand what the names represent. By establishing a common “language” about your assets, you can ensure immediate recognition, improve communication across teams, and ensure efficient asset tracking in your CMMS.

You may not realize it, but you are likely already familiar with the concept of naming conventions. Let’s look at a few examples:

Example 1: Corporate Email Addresses

A common way organizations assign employee email addresses is to use a combination of their first and last name. For example, John Doe’s email address may be jdoe@mycompany.com or john.doe@mycompany.com, while James Smith’s would start jsmith or james.smith. This naming scheme is consistent and scalable – Derek Johnson becomes djohnson, Alice Matthews becomes amatthews, and so on.

Because of this pattern, it’s easy to guess Mark Jacob’s email address without need to ask, and there’s no confusion about who was assigned to the address. Of course, there may be exceptions to these rules to accommodate two people who share the same surname or initials, such as James Smith and John Smith. For example, James Smith’s address might be jsmith, while John Smith’s address may incorporate a middle initial (jdsmith) or number (jsmith2).

Example 2: Computer File Naming Conventions

Many organizations use file naming conventions to keep documents organized and easy to find. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Research Data Services provides students with clear recommendations for naming files and folders. Their example convention incorporates the following elements for a research file:

• The name of the lake and buoy from which data is collected
• A date code using the YYYY-MM-DD date format recommended by ISO 8601
• The version of the document

Using this system, a file named Mendota_Buoy6_20110711_v2 tells the user that data was collected from Lake Mendota, buoy number 6, on July 11, 2011, and that this is the second revision of the document.

Similarly, Purdue University’s Data Management for Undergraduate Researchers guide suggests that naming conventions include the following elements:

• A preview of the file’s content
• A logical way to organize files, such as a date in year-month-day format
• The responsible party
• A way to convey the work history

Using this system, the file named 20130503_DOEProject_DesignDocument_Smith_v2-01 is interpreted as version 2.01 of the design document for the DOE Project, created or updated by someone with the last name of “Smith” on May 3, 2013.

Example 3: Phone Numbers

In the United States, phone numbers follow a 10-digit format defined by the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), developed by AT&T. The format is typically represented as NXX-NXX-XXXX, where N represents any digit 2 – 9, and X represents any digit 0 – 9. The structure breaks down as follows:

• NXX: The Numbering Plan Area (NPA) code, commonly called an area code, which identifies a broad geographic region.
• NXX: The central office code or prefix, which identifies a more specific location or exchange within the area code.
• XXXX: The line number that designates the individual phone line or device.

Phone numbers don’t tell you everything about the person or business you are calling, but once you understand the structure, they provide helpful context before you even dial.

Importance of Asset Naming Conventions in Maintenance Management

The examples above demonstrate how a well-structured naming scheme makes it easier to interpret what something is. When applied to maintenance management, naming conventions are used to develop asset identifiers that workers can easily understand – appearing on asset tags, equipment labels, and in maintenance software.

In a CMMS, consistent naming helps users search, filter, and locate records more efficiently. Asset names often include meaningful details such as type, location, or unit number. Those same elements can be codified into asset numbers, making unique identifiers more useful and intuitive. This level of clarity ensures that all maintenance stakeholders – from technicians to operations managers – can consistently identify your assets, thereby improving the accuracy of maintenance tracking. It also simplifies the naming of new records in the system.

Beyond assets, naming conventions can also be applied to other maintenance-related resources. In a CMMS, every record needs to be uniquely identified – from inventory and vendors to tasks and labor resources. By formalizing your naming system, your organization can more easily create, find, and manage organized maintenance records.

Creating an Asset Naming Convention

Given its importance, designing an asset naming convention should be a strategic and intentional process. Organizations typically undertake this effort when transitioning to a new CMMS, consolidating data from multiple sources, or cleaning up legacy maintenance records. Whether you’re preparing for a data import or laying the groundwork for new assets, a well-designed naming scheme ensures consistency and scalability for years to come.

When developing an asset naming convention, it’s is important to think about how your team will use the information and where the names will appear, most commonly in a CMMS. Most CMMS solutions have some or all of the following fields:

• ID or Number: A unique identifier used by the system to track the asset (required)
• Name: A short, user-friendly label for the asset
• Description: A longer, more detailed summary of the asset

In addition, a CMMS may offer dedicated fields for information like asset classification, location, and other attributes. If so, you may not need to incorporate those details into your names or numbers – unless they are especially important to your users.

As mentioned earlier, the term asset naming convention is a bit misleading. In practice, it often refers to both the name and the unique identifier (or number) used to identify your assets. The following sections offer best practices for writing descriptive asset names and creating structured asset numbers.

Writing Descriptive Asset Names

Asset names provide a human-friendly way to identify assets. Unlike asset numbers or system-generated IDs, descriptive names offer immediate recognition, helping users to understand the assets they work with.

Think of something you have a lot of – like spare parts. It would be nearly impossible to remember or recognize every item based on a number alone. Descriptive names narrow the field and reduce guesswork, especially when assets vary in size, manufacturer, or specification. While asset names may not always uniquely identify every item, they help users narrow down options.

Experts in asset management, such as Total Resource Management, recommend the following naming structures:

• Noun, Qualifier(s)
• Noun, Modifier(s), Attribute(s)

This structure describes the asset starting with the broadest category (the noun), followed by more specific descriptors.

• The Noun is the generic item name that describes what the asset is.
• The qualifier or modifier further defines the noun by specifying what kind or type the item is – often its functional category or intended use.
• The attribute adds more precise detail about the item’s appearance or physical traits. Note that in this structure, each word is capitalized and separated by a comma.

Let’s look at an example: Valve, Pressure Relief, Brass.

• Valve (noun) – what the item is
• Pressure Relief (qualifier) – its function
• Brass (attribute) – its material

FTMaintenance Select Product Expert Dave Dulak also recommends incorporating a number when managing multiple units of the same asset. For example, Valve, Pressure Relief, Brass, 001. This makes it easier to identify individual assets if the name is displayed in your CMMS without its formal number.

While descriptive asset names provide an intuitive way to identify assets, they often work hand in hand with asset numbers. A well-designed numbering system can incorporate elements from asset names or represent details in a codified format. The next section provides guidance for creating asset numbers.

Creating Asset Numbers (Unique Identifiers)

Asset numbers, also known as asset IDs, are used to uniquely identify asset records in your CMMS. While many organizations rely on system-generated or sequential numbers, this approach provides little practical value to maintenance staff or other stakeholders.

A well-structured asset numbering system, on the other hand, strengthens asset identification by reinforcing or codifying details from asset names. Together, asset names and numbers form a shared language that ensures clear communication and consistent tracking throughout day-to-day operations. To clarify, despite the term number, asset numbers can be made up of alpha-numeric characters (both letters and numbers).

There are several ways to create meaningful asset numbers, depending on your organization’s needs, existing systems, and users. The following sections present common methods for choosing or designing an asset numbering system tailored to your specific maintenance management needs.

Follow an Existing Internal Numbering Convention

Asset tracking is a shared effort between the maintenance team and other departments within your organization. In addition to the maintenance department, the finance and accounting departments are also responsible for tracking capital assets and their associated costs. These teams also rely on a well-structured numbering system to maintain consistency in financial records.

Start by reviewing how you organization’s accounting team tracks assets, and consider if their system can be applied or adapted for your needs. Even if their numbering format doesn’t fit your workflow, it’s still recommended to track the accounting number or ID in your CMMS. Doing so ensures that both departments have a common reference when referencing the same asset.

Advantages:

• Easy to Implement or Adopt: Asset names and numbers have already been assigned by an internal resource. You simply need to match them to asset records in your CMMS.
• Improved Communication: A shared naming system leads to better cross-departmental communication between maintenance, accounting, purchasing, and other teams.

Disadvantages:

• May Not Meet Maintenance Management Needs: The numbering convention may fall short of your team’s requirements if it was originally developed for accounting or another purpose.
• Possibility of Future Change: The source numbering convention may change over time, creating a mismatch between your asset records and data in other systems.

Rely on Tried-and-True Numbering Systems

While there may be pressure to develop an original numbering scheme, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Many proven naming conventions already exist. For example, your vendors might use a system that’s easy to adopt, or your employees may offer ideas of what worked well in their past roles.

“Supply.NSN” graphic via Wikimedia Commons, released into the public domain by the creator.

One well-vetted, proven asset naming system is the United States Department of Defense’s National Stock Number (NSN) system. Often regarded as the gold standard in asset numbering, the NSN system is used by governments worldwide because it provides a standardized method to name a large number of items – as many as 6 million and counting!

A National Stock Number itself is made up of smaller subgroups, each with its own coding system. First is a 4-digit Federal Supply Classification Group (FSCG) number, comprised of the Federal Supply Group (FSG) and Federal Supply Class (FSC) numbers. Following that is the 9-digit National Item Identification Number (NIIN). The first two digits are the National Codification Bureau (NCB) numbers – effectively a “country code” that represents the nation assigning the item number. For example, the United States use “00” or “01”, while Canada uses “20” or “21”. The remaining 7 digits are unique, sequentially assigned numbers.

Of course, even widely used naming systems aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. Basing your asset naming convention on a tried-and-true system doesn’t mean that you can’t make changes. Feel free to take the elements that work best and modify them to suit your organization’s needs. Visit the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) website for more information about the NSN.

Advantages:

• Trustworthy: The NSN system has been used by many organizations with great success, giving you the confidence that your asset naming convention will also be successful.
• Easy to Use: Established naming systems provide clear templates that simplify naming convention creation.
• Best Practices: Tried-and-true naming conventions are regarded as best practice, which may not necessarily be true with internal or custom naming systems.

Disadvantages:

• Complexity: Some naming conventions involve multiple coding layers, making it tedious to follow or apply.
• Too Large of a Scope: Systems like the NSN are designed to track millions of assets and might be too detailed for smaller organizations that could benefit from a simpler naming strategy.

Use a Custom Asset Numbering Convention

While it’s often convenient to adapt an existing numbering convention, these systems don’t always align with your workflows, terminology, or user needs. In such situations, creating your own asset numbering system gives you flexibility to make identifiers more meaningful for your team.

The complexity of your custom numbering system may depend on the structure of your CMMS. If your software lacks dedicated fields for information like location or category, you may need to encode those details into the asset number. On the other hand, if your CMMS includes robust data fields to store these details, your asset numbers can be simpler, since the system already captures that information elsewhere.

Advantages

• Flexibility: Since you are not locked into pre-defined rules, you can incorporate the information and formatting of your choice.
• Meets Your Specific Requirements: Custom naming conventions are made by the people who understand your assets and workflows best, allowing you to address the exact needs of your organization or industry.

Disadvantages

• Time to Develop: Designing a custom naming convention requires thoughtful planning. You’ll need to define consistent rules that work for your current assets while anticipating future use cases and edge scenarios.
• Longevity: A rigid or poorly-design system may become outdated or difficult to maintain. Overtime, inconsistencies may require cleanup and possible restructuring.

Custom Asset Numbering Examples

The following examples illustrate how the level of detail in asset numbers varies depending on the capabilities of your CMMS. Each approach has its pros and cons and should align with your system’s functionality and the complexity of your asset portfolio.

Example 1: Simplified Numbering with Dedicated CMMS Fields

An organization’s CMMS has dedicated input fields to store information such as asset category, location, manufacturer, and other details. The maintenance team opts for a simplified numbering scheme since the CMMS allows users to search, sort, and filter on any input field, so details like category or location do not need to be codified in the number. For this organization, the numbering convention might be AAA-###, where:

• AAA: A three-character abbreviation that identifies the type of asset
• Hyphen (-): A visual separator between encoded data
• ###: A unique identifier that distinguishes the asset from others

Following this format, CNC-001 represents one of the CNC turning centers. A second CNC machine would be CNC-002, and so on. The CMMS displays other information related to the CNC, helping users choose the specific asset in selection screens. This approach works well for organizations with a manageable number of assets, but may not scale as easily in large enterprises.

Example 2: Embedding More Detail into Asset Numbers

An organization’s CMMS has limited fields for tracking asset data. The maintenance team compensates for this by embedding location data into asset numbers. For this organization, the numbering convention might be AA-BB-CCC-###, where:

• AA: The state postal code abbreviation.
• BB: The building number where the asset is located
• CCC: A three-character abbreviation that identifies the type of asset
• ###: A unique identifier that distinguishes the asset from others
• Hyphens (-): Visual separators between encoded data

Following this format, WI-B2-CNC-003 represents one of 3 (or more) CNC turning centers located in building 2 at the Wisconsin location. While this approach helps identify assets at a glance, it is problematic for assets that change locations frequently.

Asset Naming Best Practices

Asset naming conventions do not need to be complex to be effective. The primary goal is to create a standardized system that helps your maintenance team – and others in the organization – quickly recognize assets and equipment. Follow these best practices to create names that are logical, scalable, and informative.

Be Logical

Asset names should make sense to the people using them. For example, a boiler should not be encoded as “XYZ”; instead, use familiar, instinctive abbreviations such as “BOIL” or “BLR”.

Be Consistent

Use consistent formatting and abbreviations across all assets. For example, if you abbreviate “chiller” as “CHLR”, use that abbreviation for all chillers. Similarly, use the same number formatting for all numbers. For example, use “CHLR-001”, and not “CHLR-1” or “CHLR-01”.

Be Unique

While asset names may be repeated, CMMS systems require uniqueness in numbering. Ensure each asset number is distinct from one another.

Avoid Duplicated Data

Unless it is critically important, only include information in the asset name or number that isn’t already captured in a dedicated CMMS field. Many systems provide a description field, allowing you to enter comprehensive data about your assets. These fields can be searched to locate specific assets.

Leave Room for Growth

Create naming structures that will accommodate new asset records. For example, skip numeric values (e.g., use 100, 200, 300, and so on) to leave room for sub-categories or new additions.

Prioritize the Use of Letters

Prioritize using letters over numbers, as they are easier for humans to interpret and understand. For example, use logical abbreviations: PMP for pump, AHU for air handling unit, etc.

Use a “Drill Down” Approach

Employ a hierarchical structure that starts broad and becomes more specific, allowing users to “drill down” to relevant details. This mirrors the way people naturally search for information and speeds up locating records.

Limit Name Length

Keep names concise, keeping in mind any character limitations imposed by the CMMS. Names should only include the information that’s necessary to convey to users.

Use Standard Separators

Choose a consistent separator – such as commas, hyphens, or underscores – to make names easier to search visually.

Avoid Special Characters

Avoid or limit the use of special characters (e.g., &, /, *), as they may be unsupported and can cause issues in sorting or searches.

Improve Your Asset Management Practices with FTMaintenance Select

Whether cleaning up existing maintenance data or moving to a new CMMS, analyzing your asset naming convention can reveal hidden issues in how your assets are identified. A standardized naming system increases recognition speed, improves communication, and strengthens your asset management operations.

FTMaintenance Select supports your asset management practices by providing a centralized platform to organize and track assets and equipment. By storing all asset data in a single system, it enables more accurate management of your assets, their relationships, and their maintenance needs. With powerful search, sort, and filter options, your team can better visualize your assets and quickly locate critical asset information. Request a demo of FTMaintenance Select today to see how it can elevate your asset management strategy.

What is Government Facility Management?

As defined in the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 41011 documentation, facility management is an organizational function which integrates people, place, and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business. Applied to government organizations and the public sector, government facility management ensures that government-owned buildings and infrastructure are safe, sustainable, operational, and support the core mission of government operations.

As described in our article, What is Facility Management?, facility management is commonly divided into soft services and hard services. Soft facility management services typical relate to the facility’s occupants and usage. Hard facility management services – which include building maintenance services – deal with the facility’s physical infrastructure and systems. The article focuses primarily on hard government facility services.

Examples of Government Facilities and Infrastructure

There is a wide range of government facilities, each with their own purpose and function. Common types of government facilities and infrastructure include:

• City halls and administrative buildings
• Police and fire stations
• Public schools and libraries
• Utilities and other public works
• Courthouses and correctional institutions
• Military bases, defense training facilities, and veteran hospitals
• Utilities such as water treatment plants, electrical substations, and sewage systems
• Transportation infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels, and public transit systems
• Communication networks including radio towers, cellular infrastructure, telephone lines, and fiber optic cables

The Role of Maintenance in Government Facility Management

While government facilities share many of the same building maintenance management needs as the private sector, the diversity of government facilities presents unique challenges. Each building or location serves a distinct purpose and requires a unique maintenance strategy to support its function.

Regardless of facility type, maintenance teams play a critical role in ensuring that public buildings and infrastructure remain operational, safe, and compliant. This includes supporting essential government functions, ensuring mission readiness, protecting public safety, and managing risk – all while navigating strict budgets and adhering to regulations. In this context, maintaining government assets isn’t just about repairs – it’s about keeping public and intra-government services running.

Proper maintenance also contributes to long-term cost savings by extending asset life and avoiding major failures. Because these facilities are funded by taxpayers and used by the public, their condition and operation are subject to increased scrutiny, making effective maintenance and facility management essential for demonstrating accountability and preserving the public’s trust.

Common Challenges of Government Facility Maintenance

Government facilities have similar maintenance challenges as other facilities, though government organizations must overcome additional hurdles that the private sector doesn’t typically face. Not only do these challenges make maintaining government facilities and infrastructure more complex, they often require more time and resources to address. The following sections outline some of the most common challenges that government agencies face in facility maintenance.

Aging Infrastructure and Obsolescence

Many government buildings are decades old and showing their age. A 2015 report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the average age of consistently poor-performing government buildings is 70 years. Due to their age, these buildings often require more frequent and costly repairs.

While replacing or upgrading infrastructure might seem like a logical solution, poor physical condition, a large backlog of deferred maintenance, and potential historical status complicate modernization efforts. In addition, deterioration and outdated work environments make it difficult to attract tenants or repurpose unused space – opportunities that could help generate funding for maintenance activities.

Maintaining older buildings may also require spare parts that are obsolete or difficult to source, or specialized expertise that often comes at a premium. Furthermore, legacy building systems may no longer meet modern safety or compliance standards, requiring additional resources to bring them up to code. These factors can quickly exhaust already-tight maintenance budgets.

Budgeting and Financial Constraints

Maintenance budgets are primarily funded through tax revenue and are typically included as part of broader facilities or public works budgets. As a result, maintenance is often performed based on available funding rather than actual facility maintenance needs. Due to competing priorities, maintenance tends to be underfunded, deferred, or approved in very limited circumstances.

Compounding the issue, maintenance budgets are frequently based on prior-year spending rather than current facility conditions. In many cases, top management doesn’t know the full scope of facility maintenance needs and has trouble forecasting costs accurately. This causes budget overruns which leads to conflict within operations teams.

Unlike private organizations, which can allocate funds across multiple years, government agencies must follow annual budget cycles, forcing them to take a year-by-year approach to facility and infrastructure maintenance. In many cases, federal budgets must also be used within the same fiscal year, further complicating long-term maintenance planning. While agencies can request additional funding for capital or operational improvements, the process is typically more complex and subject to additional layers of oversight and approval.

Contractor and Procurement Issues

A significant amount of government facility maintenance is handled by contracted service providers. Due to procurement regulations, agencies are typically required to conduct a competitive bidding process and often award contracts to the lowest bidder. While cost control is important, this approach can result in contracts being awarded to providers who are underqualified, rely on less skilled labor, or use lower-quality materials. In some cases, this leads to substandard work that not only fails to solve problems but may actually worsen facility conditions and increase long-term maintenance costs.

For in-house teams, the procurement process presents different challenges. Commonly used parts and consumables are often stocked, but non-standard or specialized parts must be ordered through a formal procurement process that frequently involves multiple layers of approval and justification. These delays add unnecessary downtime, increase operational costs, and strain already limited maintenance teams.

Misguided Maintenance Efforts

As mentioned in our article 5 Reasons Maintenance Management is Important, maintenance teams often perform work that is unnecessary, unproductive, or even counter-productive. For example, many teams employ a time-based maintenance strategy where tasks are performed on a fixed interval without taking into account the facility’s condition or need. This strict approach can lead to over- or under-maintenance, which wastes time and money, and introduces additional risk.

Limited resources also force in-house maintenance teams to adopt a reactive maintenance approach. Many teams do not have enough resources to conduct daily or weekly inspections, causing early signs of wear and tear to go unnoticed. This lack of visibility pushes teams into a habit of reacting to breakdowns, pulling them away from planned maintenance activities and increasing the risk of costly downtime and unplanned repairs.

Ineffective Maintenance Operations Management

Another challenge facing government maintenance teams is the lack of technical knowledge among management. As more maintenance work is outsourced, the role of maintenance supervisor often shifts away from hands-on or strategic maintenance planning toward contract oversight. A 2016 case study from the University of Malaya highlighted this issue, noting that in one facility, a supervisor was reassigned from office work to overseeing maintenance simply to fill a vacancy. In such cases, supervisors may approve maintenance reports without the expertise to properly evaluate work quality or verify task completion.

Lack of Modern Maintenance Tracking Tools

Many maintenance teams continue to rely on paper-based or manual maintenance tracking systems, making it difficult to manage key administrative tasks such as tracking assets across locations, managing work orders, and scheduling preventive maintenance.

Manual maintenance tracking methods are cumbersome and inefficient, wasting valuable time and resources that could be spent on physical maintenance work. Additionally, they make it difficult to access meaningful maintenance data that could support strategic maintenance planning and asset lifecycle management.

Further Reading: Pros and Cons of Different Work Order Management Systems

Compliance and Policy Pressure

Whether performed by in-house teams or contractors, maintenance work on government facilities must comply with a wide range of regulations, including safety standards, accessibility requirements, and local building and fire codes. Some facilities may also fall under historic preservation guidelines, which restrict the materials or techniques that can be used. Additionally, there may be social or policy pressure to adopt environmentally-friendly “green” initiatives.

Beyond performing work to standard, agencies must maintain detailed documentation that work was performed to standard. These records are often subject to audits, inspections, or funding reviews. Together, these requirements add time, cost, and complexity to government maintenance operations.

Recommended Reading: Getting Familiar with Maintenance Standards and Their Impact on Operations

Compliance issues can also impact the tools government maintenance teams use. For example, agencies using computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software or facility maintenance software must comply with federal data security standards or, in defense-related organizations, enforce strict user control.

How CMMS Software Helps Overcome Government Facility Maintenance Challenges

Government agencies face a unique set of maintenance challenges that threaten their ability to provide uninterrupted public services. A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) provides a centralized digital platform that helps government agencies manage all aspects of facility maintenance. By gaining more insight into maintenance operations, CMMS empowers government agencies to make data-driven decisions, resulting in more effective and strategic maintenance. The following sections outline how CMMS software supports government facilities.

Increased Visibility of Assets

Government agencies are responsible for the upkeep of a wide range of equipment and facilities spread across locations. A CMMS allows you to track all assets in a single system, providing quick access to information about an asset’s location, condition, and performance levels. Using this information helps you monitor asset health, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prioritize repairs.

Centralized View of All Work Requests and Work Orders

A CMMS brings all work requests and work orders together in a single system, allowing you to track maintenance work from start to finish. Building occupants can use an online work request portal to submit requests directly to the maintenance team. Maintenance supervisors can then review, prioritize, assign, and track requests, improving response times and reducing missed or duplicated work.

Proactive Planning of Preventive Maintenance Activities

CMMS software enables you to take a proactive approach to government facility maintenance by helping you effectively schedule, track, and manage preventive maintenance activities. Using calendar-based, usage-based, or condition-based triggers, you can ensure that maintenance is only performed when needed. Not only does this reduce unnecessary work, it frees up your team to focus on other high-priority tasks.

Better Decision-Making using Powerful Maintenance Data

Government agencies can use a CMMS to leverage their maintenance data to make smarter, more informed maintenance management decisions. KPI dashboards and reports support continuous process improvement by helping you visualize trends, monitor performance, and identify bottlenecks in your maintenance process. With real-time data reporting and up-to-date information, you can allocate resources more effectively and quickly adjust your maintenance strategy as facility maintenance needs change.

Improved Compliance Tracking

A major benefit of CMMS for government agencies is that the system acts as a centralized documentation system for compliance with regulatory standards. The system automatically records maintenance activities, recording who performed the work and when, and stores supporting documentation that proves compliance.

Maintenance teams can also upload compliance documentation and create task lists that ensure technicians follow approved processes that meet regulatory requirements. When it comes time for audits or inspections, built-in audit trails and reporting tools make it easy to retrieve maintenance records to demonstrate compliance with regulations.

Flexible Deployment Options

Government agencies must comply with strict IT policies and data security regulations such as Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). While many agencies can take advantage of cloud-based CMMS solutions that meet these standards, other may require – or –prefer – on-premise deployment to maintain full control over system access, data storage, and network security.

FTMaintenance Select is one of the few CMMS solutions on the market that offers an on-premise deployment option – including full support with a mobile app. This flexibility gives government agencies the freedom to meet internal requirements without sacrificing functionality.

Protect Public Buildings and infrastructure with FTMaintenance Select

Government agencies face a wide range of challenges when it comes to managing public facilities. Aging infrastructure, budget constraints, and government oversight make already-difficult facility maintenance even more complex.

FTMaintenance Select equips government agencies with the tools needed to stay organized, compliant, and make the most of limited resources while providing uninterrupted public service. Both cloud-based and on-premise deployment is available to meet the unique data security and compliance requirements of government agencies. Request a demo today to learn more.

Industrial maintenance teams face growing pressure to increase efficiency, improve safety, and reduce maintenance costs. Yet in many organizations, maintenance operations are chaotic – decisions are made inconsistently, tasks are poorly defined, and performance varies between technicians and shifts.

Maintenance standards provide a structured framework for ensuring that maintenance activities are consistent, effective, and follow best practices. In this article, we’ll explore maintenance standards and how they shape day-to-day maintenance operations.

What are Maintenance Standards?

Maintenance standards are best practices and frameworks that outline recommended methods for planning, performing, and documenting maintenance tasks. They define and document how maintenance work should be done to ensure its carried out efficiently, consistently, and safely. Maintenance standards are meant to be repeatable and reusable so that the approach stays consistent no matter who is doing the work or where it’s being done. Some standards focus directly on performing tasks, while others address supporting processes and systems that support maintenance operations.

Maintenance standards may be voluntary or mandatory, depending on how they are applied. Many standards – such as those developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – are voluntary, meaning that organizations choose to follow them. However, maintenance standards become mandatory when they are written into laws, regulations, or contract requirements. In those cases, failure to comply can result in legal or financial consequences.

Even when not legally required, some standards become widely expected in competitive industries. For example, ISO 9001 certification is not legally required, but many organizations pursue it to meet customer expectations or to qualify for business opportunities. In this sense, compliance is “mandatory” from a business standpoint.

Benefits of Maintenance Standards

Though compliance may sometimes feel like just another box to check, following maintenance standards delivers real, practical value. Maintenance standards are developed by experienced professionals and experts and incorporate tried-and-true methods for performing maintenance tasks, applying technology, and managing complex operations. They provide a clear point of reference for comparing your team’s practices to industry best practices, helping to ensure that everyone is doing things the “right” way.

Maintenance teams that adhere to proven maintenance standards gain the following benefits:

• Increased asset reliability as a result of proactive and consistent maintenance
• Lower maintenance costs through improved efficiency and less rework
• Less unplanned downtime because repairs and troubleshooting follow proven processes
• Fewer safety risks due to the implementation of proper safety protocols
• Easier audits and inspections with well-documented service history and maintenance procedures
• Better accountability because everyone knows what is expected of them
• Improved maintenance culture that supports teamwork and continuous improvement

Types of Maintenance Standards You Should Know

There are a seemingly infinite number of maintenance standards that cover the practices, processes, tools, and technology used in maintenance management. While this section provides an extensive list, it would not be reasonable to expect one person to know or be familiar with them all. Our goal is to draw attention to the maintenance standards you are most likely to encounter, organized by area of operation, to help you focus on what matters most for your business and role.

Asset Maintenance and Operations Standards

The following standards are focused on equipment reliability and safe operation, and provide structured guidance for maintaining and managing assets throughout their life cycles. They help maintenance teams plan, document, and execute work in ways that maximize asset value and performance.

• ISO 55000 Series: Provides guidance to help organizations effectively manage assets over their life cycles.
• NFPA 70B: Establishes requirements for maintaining electrical systems and equipment.
• NFPA 70E: Establishes best practices for electrical safety.
• IEC 61511/ISA84: Sets requirements for safety instrumented system (SIS) lifecycle management.
• FAA Part 145/EASA Part 145: Outlines requirements for maintenance organizations seeking approval to perform aircraft maintenance.
• ISO 13374: Establishes general guidelines for condition monitoring software systems.

Quality and Process Compliance Standards

The standards listed below ensure highly regulated industries, such as food and beverage and pharmaceuticals, meet rigorous quality requirements and comply with regulatory requirements. Maintenance teams must follow these standards to support validated systems and uphold product quality.

• ISO 9001: Establishes a framework for implementing a quality management system (QMS).
• ISO 13485: Specifies requirements for quality management systems for medical devices.
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): Establishes minimum quality requirements for food, pharmaceuticals, and other FDA-regulated industries.
• Good Laboratory Practices (GLP): Establishes minimum quality requirements for non-clinical laboratory studies.
• Good Clinical Practices (GCP): Establishes minimum quality requirements for clinical laboratory studies.
• Good Automated Manufacturing Practices (GAMP 5): Provides a framework for validating computerized systems used in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Data Integrity and Cybersecurity Standards

These standards establish rules for managing electronic systems, information security, and cloud services in order to protect sensitive data and ensure the integrity of digital records. They ensure that maintenance data, the systems that store and process data, and the IT environment hosting software are secure.

• FDA 21 CFR Part 11: Governs the use of electronic records and electronic signatures.
• ISO/IEC 27001: Specifies requirements for information security management systems (ISMS).
• NIST SP 800-171: Outlines requirements for protecting sensitive information on non-federal information systems.
• Federal information Security Management Act (FISMA): Requires federal agencies – and the vendors and contractors that serve them – to protect federal data and information systems using defined standards.
• Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP): Standardizes security assessment for cloud services used by federal agencies.

Read Also: What FDA 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance Means for Maintenance Teams

Corporate Governance and Legal Compliance Standards

This set of regulations supports ethical business practices and restrict access to sensitive or classified information. Maintenance organizations may be impacted through audit requirements, documentation controls, and access restrictions.

• Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX): Requires transparency in financial reporting and control over financial data.
• International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR): Restricts access of sensitive, defense-related information to U.S. citizens only.

Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance Standards

Health, safety, and environmental (HSE) standards define requirements for workplace safety, air quality, and environmental responsibility. Maintenance teams must implement the procedures outlined in these standards to minimize hazards and risk in the workplace and environment.

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintenance standards: Sets and enforces regulatory standards for workplace safety and health.
• Clean Air Act: Regulates air emissions and air quality.
• ANSI/ASSP Z10 and ISO 45001: Establishes requirements for occupational health and safety management systems.

Who Creates Maintenance Standards?

Maintenance standards come from many places. Some are created by professional organizations or regulatory groups, while others are developed in-house by maintenance teams to fit their specific needs.

Industry-wide Standards Organizations

Industry-wide standards are typically developed, accredited, or supported by national or international professional associations and governing bodies. These groups exist to promote safety, consistency, and accountability across industries while helping organizations maintain high product quality. Listed below are some of the many organizations that develop maintenance standards:

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO): Develops and publishes international standards, informed by input from technical committees made up of experts from member countries.
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI): Accredits the development of U.S. standards to ensure they follow a transparent process and align with international ones.
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): Develops and publishes international standards for electrical, electronic, and related technologies.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): A U.S. government agency that develops standards primarily for use by federal agencies and contractors.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Creates and enforces legally binding regulations related to workplace safety in the United States.
• Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP): Develops best practices and frameworks for maintenance, reliability, and physical asset management.
• ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials): Develops voluntary standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): Collaborates in the development of standards related to quality assurance, process improvement, and risk management.

This list isn’t exhaustive – many other organizations develop and publish standards for specific industries. Examples include SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

In-House Standards Development

Many maintenance organizations also develop their own internal maintenance standards. While these may draw on international standards, they benefit from being grounded in in-house historical work order data, warranty information, and manufacturer guidelines. This makes in-house standards well-suited for creating standard maintenance procedures (SMPs) and preventive maintenance schedules that are tailored to the unique needs of the organization’s equipment, processes, and facilities.

Best Practices for Complying with Maintenance Standards

Complying with numerous maintenance standards isn’t always easy – and for many, it’s not optional. While it may feel overwhelming at first, compliance pays dividends in terms of smoother operations and stronger performance. Taking a proactive approach to compliance also helps ease the burden by establishing good practices and reducing unexpected emergencies. Below are a few best practices for complying with maintenance standards.

Implement a CMMS

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) provides a centralized platform for keeping detailed maintenance records, including asset condition, PM schedules, and maintenance history. Documenting maintenance activities in a single system makes it easy to access and review maintenance records, especially when it comes time for maintenance audits.

Read: Why You Shouldn’t Fear Maintenance Audits

Create or Revisit Maintenance Plans with Compliance in Mind

Whether you’re building a new maintenance strategy or reviewing existing documentation, take time to ensure it supports compliance goals. Aligning your maintenance plan with regulatory and industry maintenance standards helps you hit performance goals, avoid costly mistakes, and feel more confident when audit time comes around.

Invest in Ongoing Training

Regular training ensures your team stays informed about changes in maintenance standards and regulations, helping maintain consistency and compliance. Keeping everyone up-to-date on the latest best practices and requirements also helps reduce errors, improve efficiency, and better prepare for audits. Employees should also be encouraged to obtain or renew certifications that enhance their knowledge and foster a culture of continuous learning.

Perform Regular Audits

Conducting internal audits helps you identify areas of improvement, fine-tune maintenance processes, and stay ahead of issues that could lead to penalties or liability. Start by reviewing maintenance records for completeness, ensure all required information is available, and perform spot-checks to ensure that documented procedures are followed and compliant. Regular check-ins not only help you catch errors early, but demonstrate to your team and organization that you take compliance seriously.

Standardize Your Maintenance Operations with FTMaintenance Select

Maintenance standards ensure that maintenance activities are performed consistently and follow best practices. However, these standards are numerous and constantly evolving, making it challenging for maintenance teams to stay current and maintain compliance without the proper tools in place.

FTMaintenance Select is a CMMS solution that helps organizations comply with regulatory requirements. Offering centralized recordkeeping, automated preventive maintenance scheduling, detailed maintenance records and more, FTMaintenance Select simplifies your compliance efforts to help you follow industry standards, maintain consistency, and prepare for audits – even as maintenance standards change. Request a demo of FTMaintenance Select today.