What Maintenance Records Are
Maintenance records document every maintenance activity performed on building systems and equipment: what was done, when, by whom, what was found, what parts were used, and what the outcome was. They are the operational history of the building — the equivalent of a patient's medical records. Without them, the building's maintenance history is unknown.
Planned Preventive Maintenance Record
Facility Management Team
Asset / Equipment
AHU-03 (Air Handling Unit, 3rd Floor)
Asset Tag
HVAC-AHU-003
Location
3rd Floor Mechanical Room
Maintenance Type
Quarterly PPM — Filter change, coil cleaning, belt inspection
Scheduled Date
15 March 2024
Completed Date
15 March 2024
Technician
[Name] / HVAC Team
Findings
Filter replaced; coil cleaned; belt tension OK; drain pan clear
Next PPM Due
15 June 2024
Types of Maintenance Records
| Record Type | Content | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| PPM (Planned Preventive Maintenance) | Scheduled maintenance tasks, checklists, completion records | Daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual per schedule |
| Reactive / corrective | Breakdown reports, repair details, parts used, root cause | As incidents occur |
| Work orders | Request, assignment, execution, completion, sign-off | Per task |
| Equipment logs | Running hours, operating parameters, alarms, faults per equipment | Continuous (BMS) or periodic (manual) |
| Spare parts | Inventory, consumption, reorder levels, supplier details | Updated per transaction |
| Contractor records | Vendor performance, SLA compliance, warranty tracking | Per service visit |
| Inspection reports | Periodic condition assessments by FM team or external inspectors | Monthly/quarterly/annual |
Maintenance Performance Metrics
| KPI | Good Practice | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPM compliance rate | ≥ 95% | 80–95% | < 80% |
| Planned vs reactive ratio | 80:20 or better | 60:40 | < 50:50 (mostly reactive) |
| Work order completion rate | ≥ 95% within SLA | 80–95% | < 80% |
| MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) | System-specific (lift: <2 hrs) | 2–8 hours | > 24 hours |
| Equipment availability | ≥ 98% (critical systems) | 95–98% | < 95% |
| Maintenance cost per m² | Varies by building type and market | Benchmark against IFMA/RICS data | No tracking |
CAFM/CMMS Systems
Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) or Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) replace paper-based maintenance tracking with digital systems that provide:
- Automated PPM scheduling and alerts
- Work order lifecycle management
- Equipment asset register with maintenance history
- Spare parts inventory management
- KPI dashboards and reporting
- Mobile access for technicians
Examples: Planon, Maximo, Archibus, eMaint, FMX, or simple cloud solutions suitable for Bangladesh buildings.
Bangladesh Context
- Paper-based systems dominate: Most Dhaka buildings use paper logbooks, if anything. Digital CAFM adoption is very low.
- Mostly reactive: Many buildings operate in reactive mode (fix when broken) rather than planned preventive maintenance. Ratio is often 70:30 reactive:planned.
- Staff capability: Maintenance technicians may have limited formal training. PPM checklists and procedures help standardise quality.
- Starting digital: Simple cloud CMMS (e.g., eMaint, Fiix, or even structured spreadsheets) can dramatically improve visibility for under $100/month.
- MNC expectation: MNC tenants expect PPM compliance reports, equipment history, and maintenance KPIs. Providing these differentiates a professional building.
References
Insights & Guidance
- 7 types of maintenance records: PPM, reactive, work orders, equipment logs, spare parts, contractor records, inspections.
- Key KPIs: PPM compliance ≥95%, planned:reactive ratio 80:20, work order completion ≥95% within SLA.
- CAFM/CMMS replaces paper logbooks with automated scheduling, tracking, and reporting.
- Most Dhaka buildings are paper-based and mostly reactive (70:30 reactive:planned). Digital systems are affordable (<$100/month).
- Maintenance records are critical for insurance claims, due diligence, and demonstrating professional management.
Maintenance records prove that a building is actively managed and equipment is properly maintained. During due diligence, maintenance records reveal the building's true operational quality — better than any brochure. For insurance, "we maintain everything" is an opinion; "here are 3 years of PPM records with 95% compliance" is evidence. For operational performance, you cannot improve what you do not measure.
- Deferred maintenance — without PPM tracking, maintenance gets skipped. Equipment degrades, failures increase, costs escalate.
- Insurance disputes — insurer argues negligence because no maintenance records exist for failed equipment.
- Due diligence red flag — poor or absent maintenance records reduce building valuation and deter quality tenants.
- Repeat failures — without root cause analysis and history, the same breakdowns keep occurring.
- Knowledge loss — staff leave and take all maintenance knowledge with them. No records = starting over.
- PPM schedule with completion records (minimum 12 months)
- Work order log — open and closed
- Equipment asset register with maintenance history
- Spare parts inventory and consumption records
- KPI reports — PPM compliance, work order metrics, equipment availability
- Is there a CAFM/CMMS system or structured logbook?
- Ask to see last month's PPM completion records — do they exist?
- Check plant room — is equipment clean, labelled, maintained? Or dusty and neglected?
- Are work orders tracked or just verbal requests?
- What system is used for maintenance tracking (CAFM, spreadsheet, paper)?
- What is the PPM compliance rate?
- What is the planned vs reactive maintenance ratio?
- How many years of maintenance records are available?
- Can you provide a sample PPM report for the last quarter?
- CAFM implementation — FM technology consultant for system selection and setup.
- PPM programme design — FM consultant with asset management expertise.
- Maintenance audit — independent FM auditor for maintenance quality assessment.