ENForget an Inspection? Prepare to Pay!
App Notifications Protect You: Don't Let Once-a-year Costs Sneak Up On You!
You know how it goes as a manager. Your daily to-do list is full of short-term tasks and it is easy to feel overwhelmed because the list continues to grow.
That is why long-term tasks are especially pernicious. Some never make the regular to-do list. Others silently slip past down at the bottom as the calendar moves forward.
Inspections and Certifications
Some of the most common long-term tasks are mandated by law.
Everyone remembers that they have to file their taxes. Inspections and certifications are also mandated. There are months or years in between each, but, miss one of them, and you have to pay — be it as a monetary fine, as a blight on your property, or as damage to your overall assets. It's in your best interest to have a reminder in place for:
- Fire code inspections;
- Fire extinguisher certifications;
- Membership in professional organizations;
- Septic tank inspections;
- Driver's licenses;
- Foundation inspections;
- Food handling permits;
- Radon and air quality inspections; and
- Pest inspections.
The list goes on and on, and grows according to your business and your type of property.
Gas or Solid-fuel Boilers
Here is one specific example to serve as a metaphor for long-term tasks.
Imagine you are a Facility Manager. Missing (or delaying) an inspection may not be a big deal in most cases. But gas and solid-fuel boilers are an common example. Though often a simple rubber-stamp task, you should ignore the law at your own peril. If you miss one and the municipality decides to investigate, you may be fined. In the Czech Republic the fines are up to 20,000 kc, or around 850 euro. A multiple-occupancy apartment building would be a lot more.
In any case, regular cleaning extends the life of the equipment and ensures that the environment remains safe for people, not to mention the overall global climate. A little bit of regular cleaning could result in significant savings. Plus, it is cheaper to pay a little to keep the boiler in working order than to pay a lot when there is a breakdown that requires service and special parts, or even more when you need to replace the appliance. There are many issues that can be found that reduce efficiency, like insufficient air supply to the boiler and excess dust or grime and leaks. Insurance can be affected if you do not have an inspection certificate. And, really, it can be a life-or-death issue: one unfortunate leak could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, not to mention the possibility of a fire.
And, lest you think that the municipality is understaffed and unlikely to send people into the field to verify compliance, many have an online database. The Czech Republic, for example, has the Integrovaný systém plnění ohlašovacích povinností (ISPOP), which translates to the Integrated system for fulfilling reporting obligations.
Other businesses and occupations have their own specific long-term tasks that, if not handled on time, prove costly in one way or another.
FacilityApp.cloud
It might be a good time to fight fire with fire: If the government uses technology, then you should, too.
FacilityApp.cloud is an app developed by Alfaveo Bespoke Software, on the Jetveo Platform and App Builder, that digitalizes the facility management of companies.
Establish notifications to remind you when you need to deal with inspections and certifications. Perhaps create an automated reminder X-number-of-days before the deadline.
More importantly, it is great to have a history of the inspections and an online, searchable database that will enable you to have everything in one place.
If a Facility Management app would help you to simplify your to-do list, go to FacilityApp.Cloud for more information and to see a demo app in action.
