In Part I of our three-part series on asset management, we explained what separates decent facilities asset management from great asset management—and how that affects your facility maintenance budget. As we said, any facility maintenance company should provide great service if they hope to compete for your business. Managing your assets and providing great service around a proven asset management platform is what really separates a facility maintenance services provider like CLS from the competition.

At CLS Facility Services, our asset management platform includes a comprehensive inventory of each customer’s facility assets, whether they be HVAC, lighting and electrical, signs or other assets. When we say comprehensive, we mean it. It includes:

  • A comprehensive database of all HVAC units at all locations, including make, model, age and other key information
  • An updated inventory of all your facility assets—HVAC, signs, lighting, etc.
  • A record of every HVAC, electrical, sign, plumbing and general repair service call over the last three years?
  • Warranty information on each asset

Not all asset management systems include these key pieces of information. Yet they should, because you as the facility “quarterback” for your business need to make informed and intelligent decisions about maintenance and repairs in a proactive – not reactive – fashion.

There are lots of smart decisions to be made about all your facility assets—and one of them is when to replace an asset such as an HVAC unit. That’s where CLS’ Capital Expenditure, or CAPEX program, comes in.

What is CLS CAPEX?

Imagine that you had the opportunity to proactively upgrade your facilities’ HVAC Equipment and to do so in a cost-effective manner. By doing so, you will cut your annual maintenance costs, reduce your annual energy costs, avoid costly temporary cooling and heating costs, and improve air quality in your facilities. Is it possible to accomplish all this and earn a big pat on the back from your boss for saving your company money?

The answer is a resounding YES. With CLS CAPEX, customers can make smart decisions about the HVAC equipment at each of their locations, and save lots of money in the process.

Why is CLS CAPEX necessary?

It would be nice if HVAC units lasted forever—but they don’t. Even with proper preventive maintenance, unit efficiency decreases with age. Inefficient units consume more energy, deliver inconsistent heating and cooling, and often break down, leading to costly emergency calls and repair bills. The more older units you have in your portfolio, the higher your costs climb.

A unit that’s between 10 and 15 years old is a prime candidate for replacement. That’s where CLS CAPEX comes in.

How Does CLS CAPEX Work?

CLS CAPEX ensures that all decisions about your HVAC equipment are data-driven and designed to deliver maximum value for your business. Our process dives deep into your entire HVAC inventory. At the outset of evaluating your portfolio, we consider unit age, location, geographic and locational variables (for example, coastal locations and high cottonwood areas), and your total repair and reactive maintenance spend on specific units. We take into account lease information, which stores are flagships, and much more.

With data in hand, our HVAC analysts develop recommendations for which of your HVAC units could make the most sense to replace. We review these with you, adjust them as needed based on your feedback, and then work with you to arrive at a final CAPEX replacement list.

Finally, we initiate the crucial last step—on-site unit replacement surveys. These detailed surveys identify and quantify location-specific variables that help us develop formal proposals. Such variables include, but are not limited to: equipment condition; whether or not a curb adapter is needed; tonnage verification; the sufficiency of crane access, if necessary; and analyses of wiring and ductwork.

CLS CAPEX Benefits

So how does CLS CAPEX benefit customers like you?

  • Reduced capital costs: Purchasing multiple units together reduces capital costs through increased buying power.
  • Operational savings: New units are much more energy efficient than their predecessors, given new technologies currently available. They deliver immediate and long-term energy and maintenance savings, in addition to better air quality.
  • Lower repair costs: Installing new units will start new warranties on those units, which minimizes repair costs in the years to come.
  • Fewer breakdowns, more efficient operation: Finally, replacing older units now will limit breakdowns, mitigate the expense of temporary heating or cooling, and eliminate unwanted lead time on new equipment installations.

More Asset Management Insights on the Way

In Part III of our three-part series on asset management, we’ll take a deeper dive into the asset management technology solution we pioneered here at CLS and explain how that helps customers track, manage and make smart decisions about all their facility assets that save big money and keep budgets in check.

If you are looking for a facility management company with close to 50 years of experience managing multiple locations nationally, learn more about CLS Facility Services by contacting us at 800-548-3542 or by filling out our contact form.