elevator consulting

Three things Hospitality Hotels can do to save cost immediately

In today’s times, the cliché doing more with less has never been so true; life just isn’t the same. We all wear multiple hats with less staff and more responsibilities while managing procedural changes and working within a budget. One significant opportunity to reduce your costs and headaches is to look at the elevators and escalators in your hotel.

What are 3 things Hospitality Hotels Can do to Save Cost Quickly?

Following these three simple tips will save your hotel significant money in costly repairs and service calls. It will also prolong the life of your equipment, and keep your hotel guest experiences (and their 5-star reviews!) seamless:

1. Know your elevator service contract

This contract tells you everything that is covered; however, it is usually written in a highly technical way. This prevents most of us from understanding it. It is very common to be charged for items that are covered in your contract. Or to be overcharged for labor. Inputting the contract service levels, terms, and conditions to an elevator maintenance software is extremely helpful. This allows for automation of this difficult task. It is the building’s responsibility to keep the elevator maintenance records readily available. Elevator monitoring in all aspects is needed. Your equipment records are critical, especially to know the history of the work. Furthermore, it is a requirement to remain code-compliant.

2. Keep records

It is critical to know what an elevator service provider is doing for your equipment and the service levels. If you call for service, you should know if that service is covered in your service contract or if it’s considered overtime. You should record when the service provider arrives, and how long they are on site so you know how much you will be charged when you receive the bill. These records are required by code and will also help you with your expenses. When the bills arrive you will know exactly how much is owed. This will save several thousands of dollars.  

3. Make sure you are getting preventive maintenance

The trend in the elevator industry is to receive callback or break-fix maintenance. The elevators are notorious for breaking when you are full. Of course, it happens on weekends. If you have the service providers providing preventative maintenance, this can be avoidable. If the equipment is properly maintained, it is highly unlikely that you will have unnecessary callbacks. The key to keeping elevators running optimally is taking consistent care of the equipment. Too often we see equipment needing modernization prematurely due to lack of preventive maintenance. Costly repairs may also be avoided with consistent routine preventive maintenance. 

The hospitality industry has been hit hard on all levels lately. These three simple actions can help you run a smooth building operation and improve your bottom line.  There is elevator maintenance monitoring software that can automate the process; if this is not an option then simple pen and paper can be used as a log to keep records. Allow your hotel team to focus on their primary customer responsibilities and preserve your hotel ratings — and the customer experience — by following these three key steps.

Poor Elevator Maintenance and Service Are Bleeding Hotel Building Budgets

The Elevator Consultants (TEC) has worked with hundreds of buildings with elevators, and building owners’ concerns are typically the same. 

The hospitality industry faced especially hard challenges over the last year and continues to struggle to make ends meet. Managers and building engineers have more on their plates than ever before, and the last thing they want to be concerned with is the elevators or escalators; however, these are critical transportation routes for guests to get to their rooms. Take this away and you have angry guests who write bad reviews… not to mention the risk of being shut down because in some cases the hotel is not following the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) requirements for elevators. People are always asking how long an elevator can be out of service for, and what the ADA requirements. Significant or frequent downtimes are simply not acceptable. Hotel Budgets Suffer Due to Poor Elevator Maintenance

Elevator Maintenance Challenges in Hotels

Hotels are typically overpaying and underserved in all aspects of elevator maintenance. It is common for hotels not to receive the code-required maintenance. In many cases, service providers billed costly repairs when the issue was only minor. A hotel was told they needed an entire modernization when they only needed a repair that was covered in their contract. Another hotel’s management received claims that the parts were unavailable, even though they were readily available. TEC Assist is actively resolving these issues.

Hotels just don’t know – nor should they know. They are not elevator industry people. Hotels that have hired an elevator consulting firm have received their return on investment immediately. It is common for hotels to have an elevator audit report completed so they can have an understanding of their equipment. This process allows the hotel to clearly understand what the contract includes, whether the provider is fulfilling it, and the status of deferred maintenance, capital planning, and more. A simple elevator audit report provides the foundation for addressing issues and eliminating future headaches.

Just like using a smartphone and apps to do more with less, there are modern tools that hotels can take advantage of to keep things on track and even increase their property value. These include leveraging elevator monitoring software (The ElevatorApp, for example), and a platform to order services as needed. These simple steps have shown to help hotels get control of their elevator equipment operation and save money for their bottom line, remain ADA compliant, and keep their guests happy and returning.  

Three Things Buildings Can do to Save Elevator Cost Immediately

In today’s tumultuous and fast-paced times, the cliché “doing more with less” has never rung so true. We all wear multiple hats with less staff, more responsibilities, procedural changes, and the pressure to work within a budget. One significant cost-saving measure is to optimize the performance and reliability of the elevators and escalators in your buildings.

What are 3 Things Buildings Can Do to Save Elevator Costs Quickly?

By doing this, you will not only be able to keep costs low, but you will also avoid unanticipated costs. Protecting these assets will enable you to better weather the lean times. Consider the following tips:

Make preventive maintenance a priority.

The trend in the elevator industry is to receive a callback or break-fix maintenance. The key to keeping an elevator running to its optimal life cycle is taking care of the equipment. Too often we see equipment needing modernization prematurely due to lack of maintenance. There are also costly repairs occurring as a result of routine maintenance not being completed. If you are getting preventative maintenance, you will not have unnecessary costs. If you are being charged for services and not receiving services, an elevator consultant can help with this. Maintenance consulting is a core service of most elevator consultants. Implementing elevator maintenance software will eliminate missed maintenance and notify you of all services received. 

Know your elevator service contract.

This contract tells you everything that is covered; however, it is usually written in a way that is too technical for a layperson to understand. It is very common to be charged for items that should have been covered in your elevator service contract. Inputting the contract service levels, and terms and conditions to an elevator maintenance software is extremely helpful in automating this difficult task. It is the building’s responsibility to keep the elevator maintenance records readily available. Elevator monitoring in all aspects is needed. The records of your equipment are critical especially to know the history of the work.

Keep detailed records of elevator maintenance and service.

There is no better way to know if your equipment is receiving preventative maintenance and if the elevator companies are following the service contract than to keep records. There is elevator maintenance software that can automate the recordkeeping for buildings and report out the updated records in an instant. These records give critical benefits to the building. The building can determine if their contract is being fulfilled, if they are overpaying for service, or if they are receiving service at all. Is the building owe money? The building records are owned by the building, which is not the case if you use an outside party. The building’s data is based on the building’s process and procedures. 

These few steps allow the building to have control of its elevators and escalators. The unknown becomes known, thereby reducing unnecessary repairs, costs, and downtime—all of which allow the building personnel to do what they do best. So, it might be time to take a fresh look at your building’s elevators and escalator maintenance and service contracts and verify if you are getting what you paid for. Working with an elevator consultant and implementing elevator maintenance software can make this process even easier. You may be surprised at the thousands and sometimes millions that are recovered for our clients.

Elevator Consultants Release Playbook for Operational Efficiency

CHICAGO—December 13, 2019—The Elevator Consultants has created a playbook offering step-by-step guidance for building owners and property managers. It assists in managing their elevators, escalators, and other vertical transportation equipment. The Elevator Playbook is packed with information and everything you always wanted to know. It also covers things you should know about your vertical transportation.
When elevators go down, it can create anything from inconvenience to outright havoc. This affects the people who occupy, visit, own, or manage the building. The people most affected by elevator operational downtime often have limited insight. This is because this equipment is highly specialized and mechanically complex.

The Elevator Consultants aims to change that by empowering buildings with the information they need. This assists in keeping their elevators running smoothly and efficiently. The Elevator Playbook was created from decades of specialized vertical transportation experience. It contains vital information.

What Vital Information Does Elevator Playbook Contain?

  • How to analyze your service records for actionable information, and the importance of keeping your record of maintenance.
  • How to understand service contracts and the key terms and conditions you need to protect the building, tenants, and ownership
  • How to determine if your elevator performance is within industry standards and methodologies to track performance including usage, downtimes, entrapments, and other issues.
  • How to stay on top of code requirements which is crucial for elevator safety and avoiding costly noncompliance fees.
  • How to know your equipment and get some working knowledge of your equipment so you can make the best decisions for it.
Elevator consultant playbook

The Elevator Playbook breaks down the complexities of vertical transportation management. This helps building owners and property managers be on a more level playing field regarding vertical transportation. By providing information and industry knowledge, the playbook helps users. It includes trends, research, emerging technology, and more. The Elevator Consultants gives building personnel the confidence to make decisions. It alleviates concerns about day-to-day vertical transportation operations.
Why worry about your elevators when you can get to know them? Visit theelevatorconsultant.com to request a copy of The Elevator Playbook. You can also find more information on how The Elevator Consultants can help you with your elevator management needs.

Three Key Strategies Buildings with Elevators Want To Adopt

The Elevator Consultants has offered up strategic best practices for owners with elevators in their buildings. This is in response to several elevator and escalator-related incidents nationwide.

Some elevator best strategic practices

Following incidents such as Chicago’s Hancock Building elevator plunging 84 floors in November 2018, a Texas hospital employee being seriously injured in an elevator accident, and the housekeeper who was trapped for three days in a Manhattan elevator, The Elevator Consultants offers three key strategies. These strategies help building owners ensure elevator maintenance and safety.

Reevaluate Your Elevator Service Contract

You may be shocked to learn just how often buildings are being charged for services they are not receiving. This includes premature modernizations, parts not available, unnecessary repairs, and redundant service calls and break/fix maintenance.
The lesson learned here is that regular inspections are not enough. They do not ensure your equipment is maintained to industry standards. Building owners and managers have to actually enforce their service contracts and ensure necessary maintenance is being done.

Include KPIs and Accountability Measures in Your Elevator Contract

Buildings implement a number of policies and SOPs to dictate their use. This includes owners’ rules and regulations, insurance requirements, and building safety regulations. It is relatively easy to include elevator service provider requirements in these policies.
The building should also instate an elevator service contract. This contract should include terms and conditions that align with the building and its operational needs. That contract should have key performance indicators and service level agreement terms. These hold the elevator service provider accountable for errors and gaps in service.

Keep Detailed Records

Buildings can monitor service providers manually. But why do this when the advancements in technology have made it so much easier? Technologies like ElevatorApp, our elevator monitoring software, can automate the process of identifying and resolving issues with much more efficiency than manual methods. Moreover, the building owner then owns the data. This data has detailed information about all aspects of your equipment, including a detailed onsite service and repair record and all history—even if you change service providers.
Many owners work with an elevator consultant. This ensures correct interpretation of data, fast resolution of problems, and protection of your capital assets—elevators and escalators.

Elevator Modernization & Upgrades: Three Bids, and the Viewpoint of an Elevator Consultant

“I have three bids.” This is very common for an elevator consulting firm or vertical transportation consulting firm to hear from building owners, property managers, and facility managers. This includes whether they are commercial, condominium association, developers or the like. Typically, this happens when they are completing an elevator repair, upgrade and/or modernization.

Elevator Modernization & UpgradesThis holds true for elevators, escalators, lifts, dumbwaiters, etc., and other similar projects.

In this blog post, let us unpack some of the hidden problems in the “I have three bids” idea when it comes to elevator repairs, modernization, or upgrade projects.

Building owners often feel that the bids they receive are accurate for their project. They believe an elevator contractor can be chosen based on one of these submissions. Typically, three or four elevator companies are called in to provide bids. Owners usually assume the proposals will be similar. They instructed the companies that the elevators need to be “modernized,” “repaired,” or “upgraded.”

Each company then bids on the repair, upgrade, and/or modernization. With bids in hand, the building is ready to select a vendor to complete the work. At this stage, however, many owners realize that interpreting the proposals is not their domain. Consequently, they often turn to an elevator consulting firm for expert guidance.

Why This Might Not Be Ideal for Your Elevator Modernization, Repair, or Upgrade

This is a very common process-building experience. Unfortunately, it does a disservice to the building and all parties with fiduciary responsibility to the project. Elevator companies that bid on the project may submit proposals. These often appear similar in some areas yet differ greatly in others. This can expose the building to change orders and code violations. An elevator consulting firm adds real value by getting involved early, framing the project, and ensuring it includes all necessary work.

To eliminate needless costs and reduce risk, the building should have an elevator consultant assess the equipment. They focus on repair, upgrade, or modernization. After completing the assessment and understanding the building’s needs, the consultant writes a complete scope of work. This scope typically follows the International Building Code and elevator industry best practices. These steps help eliminate change orders. In addition, they provide the building with the vertical transportation it requires within budget.

A few simple steps like these are critical to a successful elevator, escalator, lift repair, upgrade, and/or modernization project completed on time, within budget, and code compliant. If you are thinking of undertaking a major elevator repair, elevator modernization or upgrade, please reach out to us for a consultation.

The Elevator Consultants, a Leading Vertical Transportation & Elevator Consulting Firm, Post ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Responsibilities

March 31, 2018 – Chicago, Illinois. The Elevator Consultants, a leading elevator consulting and vertical transportation consulting firm, helps building owners and property managers improve elevator efficiency. They also help increase the bottom line. The firm is proud to announce an important post to its blog on ASME A17.1/CSA B44 responsibilities. It specifically addresses confusion among building owners. They may not understand that the ultimate responsibility is theirs, not the property managers.

ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Responsibilities - Who is responsible is a question better asked sooner than later. Read on to learn why.ASME stands for “American Society of Mechanical Engineers” and is the governing body for elevator safety standards.

“The worst-case scenario occurs when one party thinks the other is responsible, and no one takes the appropriate safety and compliance steps necessary as required by ASME A17.1/CSA B44,” explained Laurie Axium, marketing manager at The Elevator Consultants. “Our blog post helps sound the alarm for building owners to have a frank discussion with property managers as to the need to comply with ASME A17.1/CSA B44. As leading elevator consultants, we often provide an external voice for building owners. This ensures things are in proper order.”

To browse the post on ASME A17.1/CSA B44 issues, visit https://theelevatorconsultant.com/asme-a17-1/. To learn more about the firm’s vertical transportation consulting services, please visit the website. Interested parties are urged to reach out via the website or call 312-519-9949. This is for discussing a potential business engagement.

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? A QUESTION ON ASME A17.1/CSA B44 ASKED BETTER SOONER THAN LATER

Major buildings and their vertical transportation assets are complex. They are not only “mission critical” to the operation and safety of a building but also challenging from a human management perspective. Building owners may mistakenly assume that the property management company handles ASME A17.1/CSA B44 compliance. Meanwhile, property management companies often concentrate on day-to-day operations and may misunderstand or overlook compliance requirements.

The phrase “My property manager handles my elevators” is common among building owners. However, that level of reliance may fall short when a regulatory agency conducts an inspection or when an incident leads to litigation.

The new post explains that the ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevator and Escalator Safety Code states that this responsibility falls on the building owner.  Those involved in managing vertical transportation assets are urged to read the important new blog post. They are encouraged to reach out to a professional elevator consulting firm. This serves as an outside voice to ensure proper regulatory compliance.

ABOUT THE ELEVATOR CONSULTANTS

The Elevator Consultants is a leading elevator consulting firm. They help building owners, property managers, building engineers, facility managers, and REITs oversee and optimize their elevator and vertical transportation assets for greater efficiency. This helps increase the bottom line. Service offerings include elevator consulting services like elevator audits and elevator due diligence. They also provide elevator cost reduction and elevator management services. The firm offers elevator service monitoring software to escalator and elevator insurance claims. Additionally, they provide consulting services, elevator modernizations, and new elevator maintenance service contracts. Anyone looking for an elevator advisor, elevator expert, or elevator consulting firm is encouraged to reach out for a no-obligation consultation.

Media Relations
Web. https://theelevatorconsultant.com/

Building Owners and Elevators: The Need for an Elevator Consultant

Building owners rely on their resident “elevator expert,” usually the elevator service company for information on the health and status of their elevators. It’s akin to the situation when one brings his or her car into the proverbial car mechanic.

Need for an Elevator ConsultantSometimes it’s not clear what’s actually wrong, and sometimes you can be “taken for a ride” do to your lack of knowledge. The problem is that you – as the car owner, or the building owner – don’t have the skill and expertise needed to evaluate what’s really going on.

A Typical Conversation between Mechanic and Owner

Here’s a typical conversation:

A “building owner’s” car (a.k.a., elevator) is making an odd noise, so the building owner takes his car into a mechanic. The mechanic (a.k.a., elevator service company) takes a look, “fixes” the car, and the conversation goes something like this:

Mechanic says “I fixed it, that will be $2,000”.

Building owner pays the $2,000 and drives away. Three hours later, the noise starts up again, so the building owner goes back to the mechanic and says, ““the noise is back.”

The mechanic takes a look at the car, fixes it, and says “I fixed it, that will be $5,000.”

Building owner says, “What did you do?”

Mechanic says “The drive pulley needed tweaking”.

The building owner wonders what is a drive pulley. But the car is working without the noise, so he pays and leaves. Two days later, the building owner hears the noise again, and goes back to the mechanic.

Building owner says “The noise is back. Fix it.”
Mechanic looks at the car, fixes it, and says “I fixed it, that will be $12,000”.

Building owner says “WHAT!!??!!”
Mechanic says “Yep, I fixed it that will be $12,000.”

Building owner says “What did you do?”
Mechanic says “The drive pulley needed replacing.”

The building owner has no choice but to pay. Five days later, the noise returns, and the building owner has to bring the car back to the repair shop.

And so the cycle repeats – whether it’s cars, or whether it’s elevators. The “elevator service company” knows a lot more than the owner, and the owner can be “taken for a ride.” What happens with cars can also happen with your elevators. Building owners and management are vulnerable when it comes to elevators and other vertical transportation assets in their buildings.

Ending the Vicious Cycle

This scenario can be what happens with the elevators, escalators, lifts, etc., of the buildings. The building owner probably doesn’t know what a drive pulley is or the function of the drive pulley on his car, just as the building owner or property manager does not understand the mechanics of the elevators or escalators in their building. Building owners sell the building with these problems, and property managers move on to new buildings, leaving the existing problems. This is a vicious cycle that happens on a daily basis to buildings. This is one of the problems The Elevator Consultants solves; we end the vicious cycle.

Elevator Consulting: Hire the Experts

As experts in elevators, we can assist building owners to “not be taken for a ride” and to truly understand the status of their elevators and other vertical assets in any building – before, during, and after a sale. If you’re looking for an elevator consultant to help, reach out to us for a consultation today.

The Elevator Consultants Announces Post on Need for a Maintenance Control Program for Elevators and Vertical Transportation Assets

Chicago, Illinois – February 28, 2018. The Elevator Consultants, a leading elevator consulting and vertical transportation consulting firm, is proud to announce a new post to its blog. This post is on the issue of what a Maintenance Control Program (MCP) is. Additionally, it explains why it is necessary for building owners with respect to elevators and other vertical transportation assets.

Maintenance Control ProgramThe post explains that the code in ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevator and Escalator Safety section 8.6 requires that a maintenance control program (MCP) is present for each conveyance. A conveyance is an elevator, escalators, lift, dumbwaiter, moving walkway and the like.

“We use our blog to bring attention to some of the key issues with respect to elevators and other vertical transportation assets,” explained Laurie Kohl, manager at The Elevator Consultants. “This post goes into detail about what a Maintenance Control Program (MCP) is, and why one is required for building owners to have.”

There, one can not only read about what a Maintenance Control Program is with respect to elevators and vertical transportation assets. Interested persons can also reach out to the experts at the Elevator Consultants for a consultation on their elevator and vertical transportation needs. No two buildings or situations are entirely alike. Therefore, the best first step is a consultation and possible engagement. To read more, for example, on elevator due diligence.

Background on maintenance control programs and elevators / vertical transportation assets

Here is background on this release. The question is often asked, “Why aren’t building owners complying with ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevator and Escalator Safety section 8.6?” This is a very common problem for building owners. It is evident from failed inspections, maintenance problems, and even lawsuits or litigation. The building owner is paying for a maintenance contract to maintain the elevators, escalators, lifts, etc. They are paying, which goes hand in hand with a Maintenance Control Program (MCP). Consequently, the equipment should be compliant. However, this may not be the case. Most building owners are paying for maintenance services that they are not receiving. If the building owners enforced their required maintenance, they would be compliant with a Maintenance Control Program (MCP). This would result in safer equipment and saving unnecessary cost. The post goes into more detail on this problem and issue.

Interested persons, especially building owners, investors, and REITS (Real Estate Investment Trust) management are urged to reach out for a consultation once they are aware of this important issue.

About the elevator consultants

The Elevator Consultants is a leading elevator consulting firm helping building owners, property managers, building engineers, facility managers, and REIT’s oversee and optimize their elevator and vertical transportation assets. By doing so, they achieve greater efficiency and increase their bottom line. Service offerings include elevator consulting services like elevator audits, elevator due diligence, and even elevator cost reduction. There are also elevator management services. The firm provides elevator service monitoring software to escalator and elevator insurance claims, not to mention other consulting services. These include elevator modernizations and new elevator maintenance service contracts. Anyone looking for an elevator advisor, elevator expert, or elevator consulting firm, is encouraged to reach out for a no-obligation consultation.

Media Relations
Web. https://theelevatorconsultant.com/