Putting the final touches on a 2017 budget plan? Need to wisely use remaining capital funds this winter? Uihlein Electric shows you how to get the most value from your facilities investment.
Uihlein Electric Helps with Budgeting, Maintenance, and Special Projects
Plan for Preventative Maintenance
Include preventative maintenance in your forecast, along with next year’s plan for capital expenditures in facilities, communications, and equipment.
In a tough economy, preventative maintenance contracts sometimes take a back seat. But this is one item you shouldn’t overlook in any economy. Preventative maintenance will keep your current HVAC, security and communications systems running longer. Regular maintenance extends the life of a system, allowing you to allocate funds where they’re needed more urgently.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to facility systems maintenance. But the steps you take now can have long-term benefits for business continuity and minimizing risk.
Budgeting Resource
If your plans include construction, energy initiatives, technology improvements or a maintenance program, your electrical contractor will help outline the budget. They can quickly pull together costs and uncover ways to improve the outcome. Investing in the right equipment, lighting, and communications upfront will make your facility budget go farther in the long run. Examples include:
- Using existing architecture to reduce build-out costs
- Integrating energy-efficient equipment and lighting for long-term savings
- Incorporating lighting to improve aesthetics and employee/visitor satisfaction
Another way to save is by having a shared approach between sub-contractors. Coordination decreases the chance of rework and can reduce installation timelines as well as costs.
When installing new systems, work with a sub-contractor who is a trained, value-added reseller. It helps ensure you get the best value for your equipment purchase and that your system will be installed and set up correctly the first time.
What’s Your Sustainability Plan? Do the Math
As more businesses seek to reduce their fossil fuel dependency, it’s important to perform a diligent assessment of using alternative energy sources. Carefully evaluate the real impact it may have on your facility and your budget.
Your electrical contractor will have the latest performance metrics. They can create an energy consumption model that may determine which alternatives would work best for your facility and succeed in saving energy.
Too often, plans not thoroughly vetted, don’t provide the returns forecasted. Only after a project starts, it’s discovered additional work and equipment are needed to integrate backup systems for data, security, lighting, communications and fire prevention. Thorough planning is well worth it.
Should plans to move toward a more sustainable facility falter because capital expenses to convert facility systems are perceived to be too high, one option is to move to greener systems gradually. Introduce compatible, energy-efficient equipment now to integrate with solar power or wind-based energy sources added later.
Tap Into Your Contractor’s Extra Value
Look closely at the value your construction partners can bring. Uihlein Electric finds ways to meet your most pressing problems and works with you all the way through project completion.
Uihlein delivers extra value because we:
- Stand behind our service long after the job is done
- Quickly provide cost estimates for immediate or future capital expenditure planning
- Offer solutions that drive long-term value
- Offer complete capabilities from electrical, technology and communications to building automation and facility maintenance
- Support customers with 24/7 emergency service
- Have successfully served the business community for over 100 years
