Tired of wondering how much longer that old roof top unit is going to last? Feeling in over your head with too many needs and not enough funding? Or afraid of announcing another building closure due to a frozen pipe that’s flooded your building, again? We are asset engineers by definition; we specialize in developing and maintaining custom asset management strategies that transform your operations from reactive to proactive maintenance. At the end of the day, we’re here to help you invest in the right places at the right time.
Facility Condition Assessments
Every component in your building is wearing out at a different pace and keeping up with thousands of unique assets can be a challenge without the tools and expertise to do so. The first step in proactive asset management is knowing what you have and documenting it in a methodical and structured manner. Sure, you’re signed up to care for the roofs, boilers, doors, and flooring. But don’t forget the assets lurking behind your walls that may be on the verge of a major insurance claim. Main Distribution Panels have a life expectancy too, sub-panels may be defective and at risk of fire (Federal Pacific). Capital AE has the knowledge and experience to collect the information needed to understanding your buildings for proper care moving forward.
We also believe it’s important to note that unlike the temptation a design architect or engineering firm may have to artificially inflate the condition of your buildings in hopes of downstream design work, we have no such conflict of interest. We don’t offer design services, so we have no downstream benefit in making your buildings look worse than what they really are. In fact, stewarding your buildings and capital assets is our bread and butter; our mission is to help you get the most out of them.
Asset Database Development and Management
Facility Condition Assessments are nearly as valuable as they are current. And keeping up with the condition of your assets is critical to proper maintenance and capital replacement. If we only change the oil in our car once, the engine won’t last very long. Buildings are no different, we need to keep a database of the condition of our assets to understand when the next oil change is required. And then, the next step is keeping an eye on how many miles we’ve put on the building to understand when it’s due for the next oil changes. Roofing, HVAC, electrical, flooring, etc., they all need changed at some point and this is relatively predictable when we’re keeping a pulse on how well your buildings are running.
Our proprietary Asset Management Software is what makes us distinct and this is what initially launched Capital AE into the market. A facility condition assessment that isn’t outdated immediately after it’s printed seemed like a novel idea! We created an asset inventory and management tool that made sense for building owners to proactively manage their portfolio through unique dashboards, custom queries, and reporting tools. We break down the assessment into meaningful categories that you can understand and use to make wise decisions moving forward. Best of all, your living/breathing database won’t collect dust on the shelf until the next facility condition assessment is done in 10 years had you gone with the industry standard.
Capital Planning
Ask yourself these questions and consider giving us a call:
- Do I understand the condition of my facilities?
- Do I have the tools to manage my assets with excellence?
- Am I setting aside the right amount of funding for capital projects?
- Among my assets, which need to be replaced in the next five years?
- Am I saving the right amount to pay to replace my roof in a few years?
Have you identified which assets you plan to replace in the next five years? Is this approach in alignment with your organization’s mission and vision? Capital AE uses principles founded in decades of experience in construction and facility management. We leverage APPA’s Standard 1000 to ensure we are following good capital planning practices through a total cost of ownership perspective. Our approach ensures a sustainable portfolio and operational mission. We meet our clients at all levels of asset management maturity; from not sure what you have or what to replace next to providing audit services on Comprehensive Asset Plans for full scale Property Management firms.
Our approach to Capital Planning starts with getting to know who our clients are and where their priorities stand. Are you in this for the long run or are you simply doing the bare minimum since you plan to sell and move on soon? Are you concerned about infrastructure, energy and sustainability, or more focused on aesthetics? We start by developing a weighted risk matrix that is customized to your organization and the asset planning journey begins to take shape from there.
Bond Planning and Program Management
Are you preparing to finance a major capital replacement program and not sure how to prioritize the assets and allocate the funding? We specialize in program management and bond planning. Deciding which assets to replace, forecasting cash flow, determining when to sell the bonds and whether it should be in one pass or multiple, combining solicitation and contracting packages to reduce overhead, streamlining the construction process, and capitalizing on economies of scale are all factors we take into account as we customize a plan for you.
We’ll help ensure you don’t get caught saw cutting your fresh parking lot because you forgot to replace the water line that runs underneath it first. Our goal is to ensure you invest strategically as these financial opportunities don’t come around very often and your reputation relies on good stewardship.
Net Book Value Support
Good accounting practices are essential to keeping tabs on the value of your portfolio. We find that many organizations don’t have the capacity to maintain their Net Book Value database. When assets are replaced, the facilities department isn’t always communicating with the accounting department. This results in compliance issues when it comes to the annual audit.
Given our expertise is in asset management and database development, it will come to no surprise that we help our clients in this arena as well. Asset Management Database services are not a bridge too far from Net Book Value support. Often, we’re able to export our Asset Management Database in a format that can allow for quick polishing of the Net Book Value report. Having a Net Book Value report comprised of realistic assets with accurate values, amortization methods, and depreciation schedules is critical to understanding the true financial picture for any organization.