Elevators and escalators are integral to buildings, providing seamless vertical transportation for all users; tenants, employees, and visitors. When issues arise whether mechanical failures, interpreting invoices, understanding proposals, reviewing contracts, parts availability, compliance concerns, or maintenance challenges building owners often turn to specialists known as elevator consultants. But what exactly does an elevator consultant do, and why are they indispensable? This niche is a critical profession used by anyone who has an elevator.
Defining Elevator Consulting
Elevator consultants are independent experts who ensure that elevators, escalators, and other vertical transportation systems in a building operate to performance standards, safely, efficiently, and in compliance with regulations. Unlike elevator service providers, who profit from selling parts or repair services, consultants provide unbiased, professional advice tailored to the unique needs of a property.
Key responsibilities include:
- Auditing elevator performance and maintenance practices.
- Identifying inefficiencies or unnecessary costs.
- Reviewing documentation provided by the service provider.
- Advising on modernization, upgrades, and new installations.
- Ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal safety codes.
- Acting as a liaison between building owners and service providers.
The Value of an Elevator Consultant
Hiring a professional elevator consultant can save building owners time, money, and hassle. Here’s how:
1. Unbiased Oversight
Most building property managers, building owners, and facility managers rely entirely on elevator service providers for maintenance and repair decisions. However, these elevator service providers may prioritize their internal company needs over the building’s needs. An elevator consultant ensures transparency, reviewing proposals, elevator parts availability, records, contracts, invoices, etc. to protect the client’s interests.
2. Cost Savings
Elevator Consultants identify overcharges, obsolescence, missed maintenance tasks, and unnecessary upgrades. They can provide maintenance plans to avoid downtime and extend the life of the equipment. For example, audits often reveal cost-saving opportunities, such as building favorable contracts or shifting to more efficient maintenance strategies.
3. Safety and Compliance
Elevators must comply with stringent safety codes and standards like ASME A17.1 and other local jurisdiction requirements. Consultants ensure these requirements are met, minimizing liability risks and improving passenger safety.
4. Expert Guidance
Whether you’re modernizing outdated equipment, planning an elevator modernization, or troubleshooting persistent issues, an elevator consultant provides the technical expertise and industry insights needed for optimal solutions.
Services Offered by Elevator Consultants
The Elevator Consultants, a leading name in this field, provides a broad spectrum of services:
- System Audits: Comprehensive evaluations of existing systems to uncover inefficiencies and maintenance gaps.
- Contract Review and Negotiation: Review service agreements to ensure fair terms and clear deliverables.
- Modernization Specifications: Guiding modernization projects to improve reliability, energy efficiency, and user experience.
- Due Diligence: Inspecting systems before buying or selling a property to identify potential costs and risks.
- Invoice Reconciliation: Verifying the accuracy of billing and eliminating overcharges.
- Solve your Concerns: Whatever your elevator issues, a consultant will solve them if given the correct information and history.
Real-World Impact: A Case Study
A nationwide real estate firm managing 180 elevators partnered with The Elevator Consultants to address frequent malfunctions and compliance issues. An audit uncovered significant inefficiencies, including missed maintenance and $41,000 in fines due to overdue inspections. By implementing the consultant’s recommendations, the firm reduced maintenance costs by 30% and significantly improved safety and reliability.
Why Should You Hire an Elevator Consultant?
Elevators are critical infrastructure, seamlessly moving people and goods in commercial and residential buildings. However, ensuring their optimal performance, cost, safety, and compliance with ever-evolving standards can be a complex and daunting task. This is where an elevator consultant becomes an
invaluable ally. Hiring a vertical transportation consultant also called an elevator consultant can be the smartest decision for building owners, property managers, and facility managers.
1. Ensuring Contractual Compliance
One of the most overlooked aspects of elevator maintenance is the service provider’s adherence to contractual obligations. Elevator maintenance agreements can be dense, technical, and filled with jargon that makes it difficult for building managers to assess whether they’re getting the services they’re paying for. Consultants cut through this complexity by:
- Auditing maintenance agreements to verify that the service provider is performing the promised tasks.
- Identifying gaps in service, such as skipped preventative maintenance or subpar repairs.
- Offering contracts to include stronger terms that prioritize your building’s needs.
- ElevatorApp is an elevator service monitoring software that can be used by all buildings and integrates with existing building systems.
By holding elevator service providers accountable, consultants ensure that you’re not overpaying for services, being shortchanged on essential maintenance, or paying for something you do not need.
2. Optimizing Equipment Performance
Frequent breakdowns, noisy operation, mis-leveling, or slow response times can lead to frustration among tenants and occupants while increasing long-term repair costs. An elevator consultant diagnoses these issues and provides actionable recommendations. Here’s how they improve performance:
- Comprehensive Audits: Assessing systems to determine whether components are operating at peak efficiency and recommending necessary upgrades or replacements.
- Maintenance Oversight: Ensuring that tasks such as lubrication, cleaning, and adjustments are performed correctly and on schedule.
- Equipment Guidance: Suggest targeted upgrades, such as door lock monitoring (DLM) or energy-efficient systems, to improve safety, increase performance and reduce operational costs.
The result is smoother, faster, and more reliable elevators that enhance tenant satisfaction and reduce downtime.
3. Upholding Safety and Compliance
Compliance with safety regulations is not just about passing inspections. Elevator consultants bring in-depth knowledge of local, state, and federal codes, including ASME A17.1, to ensure that every aspect of your system meets or exceeds legal requirements. Their role includes:
- Conducting safety assessments to identify potential risks such as door malfunctions and inadequate safety sensors.
- Verifying that all testing and maintenance logs are properly documented and up to date, as required by law.
- Recommending upgrades to ensure compliance with new regulations, such as ADA requirements or energy codes.
By proactively addressing compliance, consultants help you avoid costly fines and reduce liability risks.
4. Cost Savings Through Expertise
Elevator consultants often identify inefficiencies and overcharges that building managers might overlook. Their expertise can lead to significant financial benefits, such as:
- Eliminating Overcharges: Review invoices and proposals to uncover unnecessary charges or billing errors.
- Extending Equipment Lifespan: Implementing a reliability-centered or building-specific maintenance plan to prevent wear and tear and avoid premature replacements.
- Optimizing Energy Usage: Recommending energy-efficient upgrades that reduce operational costs over time.
The ROI on hiring a consultant often outweighs the initial investment, with cost savings realized across the engagement.
5. Reducing Downtime and User Disruption
Elevator malfunctions can cause major inconvenience, particularly in high-traffic buildings such as office buildings, hospitals, hotels, and residential complexes. Consultants minimize downtime by:
- Diagnosing and resolving recurring issues that lead to breakdowns.
- Monitoring maintenance schedules to ensure timely servicing.
- Coordinating with service providers to address urgent repairs efficiently.
By prioritizing uptime and reliability, consultants help maintain tenant satisfaction and preserve your building’s reputation.
6. Providing Objective Expertise
Unlike service providers who may have a vested interest in recommending expensive repairs or upgrades, elevator consultants work solely in the client’s best interest as your advocate. Their unbiased guidance empowers building owners, facility engineers, maintenance engineers, and property managers to:
- Make informed decisions about repairs, replacements, or upgrades.
- Evaluate competing proposals for equipment upgrade and replacement projects as well as modernizations.
- Choose the best maintenance contracts tailored to their building’s needs.
With their technical acumen and industry insights, elevator consulting firms ensure that you’re not just solving immediate issues but also planning strategically for the long-term health of your vertical transportation systems.
Elevators as Strategic Assets
Hiring an elevator consultant or vertical transportation consultant transforms your elevators from potential liabilities into strategic assets. Their expertise ensures that systems operate efficiently, safely, and in compliance with elevator and escalator regulations while saving you money and minimizing downtime. By partnering with a professional elevator consulting firm, you gain peace of mind, protect your investment, and provide tenants with the reliable service they deserve.