- Elevators Have a Life Cycle
It is a fact that older units seemed to last much longer than equipment being installed today. There are many reasons, all stemming from the product offerings of the major companies. Without full knowledge, life cycles of less than 10 years can creep into your inventory. This can be eliminated by using IAEC Consultants who are looking out for your long-term capital planning, specifying robust systems that will reduce callbacks, increase uptime, and provide a solid system that can be modernized less expensively in 20 to 30 years. - Elevator Equipment Requires Maintenance
Maintenance is the sole contributor to equipment longevity. Bad maintenance is evident when callbacks exceed 4 callbacks per unit per year, when high cost repair proposals and bills start entering your inbox, and when proposals to modernize become the answer from your maintenance companies as to what to do next. IAEC Consultants specialize in evaluating the quality of your maintenance and can provide contract review and contract writing experience to get transparency to what you are paying for and accountability from your maintenance providers. If you question the quality of the maintenance you are receiving, call an IAEC Consultant to have an independent advocate working in your best interests. - Strict Inspectors are Your Ally
IAEC Consultants include Qualified Elevator Inspectors (QEIs), certified to ASME QEI-1, Standard for the Qualification of Elevator Inspectors. Not all inspections are equal, having all the issues found by an IAEC Consultant will save money in the long term, reduce incidents and hazards, and give you peace of mind that a professional is doing the right job. Having a full and complete inspection will likely reveal more than you want to know, but in reality you need to know to reduce your risk. You pay an elevator contractor monthly to maintain your equipment. A good inspection report can also highlight maintenance deficits that need to be addressed. A strict inspector is your friend. - Consultants are on Your Side
Having an advocate working in only your interest is the single biggest benefit to using an IAEC Consultant. Your maintenance provider will always have their business interest before yours, this is a reality. Knowing what is included in contracts, to not pay for covered services, is a single biggest abuse of some maintenance contractors. With an advocate with experience reviewing your maintenance contractor, you will have a powerful too, an IAEC Consultant on your side. - Contracts are Critical
Saving money is always to your advantage- or is it? With the number of options, it is not always clear what contract is right for you. Full maintenance contracts are likely your least expensive options though cheaper options seem less expensive until the billable invoices start coming in. IAEC Consultants are very experienced in reading and writing contracts, can evaluate existing contracts for improvements. It is always better to write your own contract than to use the boilerplate contracts which are excluding more and more services, sometimes without your knowledge of the significance of the contract language. We are here to help with experience and as an advocate to you. - Maintenance Records Are Important
The A17.1/B44 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators requires significant record keeping requirements. These are requirements you are obligated to follow. Can you get all the records the Code requires at any time? Can you name all the records required? IAEC Consultants have the knowledge to verify you have the necessary records. Your maintenance provider may have them, that is rarely the case our experience has shown. We can help with knowledgeable and experienced Consultants to assure the proper work is being done and being recorded as the Code requires. - Your Elevators Should Adhere to a Performance Criteria
Keeping your equipment operating in top notch condition is your goal. You contract with a maintenance provider, who may do work, but subtle changes occur, reducing operation slowing. Key performance Indicators are used by IAEC Consultants to assess the operation and make recommendations to bring the equipment back to top notch condition. This should be done annually to assure the maintenance is being performed as it is intended. - Maintenance Must Be Monitored
Maintenance Evaluation is needed to assure your equipment has the longest life possible. Smoothly running equipment helps your building by maintaining your good reputation as a healthy building, reduces hazards to it bare minimum, and keeps the maintenance contractors honest in their contracts. IAEC Consultants are your single best investment to assure the dollars spent on maintenance is being done per contract and with smooth operation and the longest life of your equipment. - Safety and Liability are Key
Nothing is worse than getting a call that there has been an injury on your equipment. Safety must be the priority of you and all contractors you engage. Experienced IAEC Consultants are available to review any situation when an independent reviewer is needed. When a liability incident occurs, knowing there is a resource available when needed is what we do at IAEC. Reviewing equipment regularly by IAEC Consultant will reduce these risks by seeing problems developing and providing experienced advice. - Specifications are Essential
When you are building new or modernizing your equipment, specifications are vital to the success of your project. IAEC Consultants specialize in specification writing and project management. Assuring the bid is complete and no surprise extras pop up are some of the benefits of using experienced consultants. - Consultants Solve the “Weird Issues”
Vertical transportation can behave in strange ways. When this occurs, IAEC Consultants specialize in review and evaluation of all vertical equipment to guide owners to properly repair and monitor maintenance providers to assure safe and proper operation. Finger-pointing is very common during these periods of strange equipment behavior. An IAEC Consultant serves as a mediator for all parties to team up and attack the issue directly. - Proper Design and Engineering Are Crucial
Beyond the standardized products offered by the industry manufacturers, the need arises for unique elevator designs to suit special customer needs and conditions. This may apply to new construction and especially to the alteration of older, obsolete elevator systems. IAEC members specialize in elevator design engineering and the provision of detailed, project specific drawings. This work often includes licensed professional engineering with stamped and signed certified drawings and calculations, as may be required by the authority having jurisdiction. For the more complex projects, the process works best to engage an IAEC designer or engineer to prepare the necessary engineering that can then be used as a part of the competitive bid documents. Done properly, project schedules can be assured, and change orders minimized with the completed design engineering in advance of the project bid and award.