Operation & Maintenance Manuals

The operation and maintenance manual (O&M) defines the requirements and procedures for the effective operation, maintenance, decommissioning and demolition of the building. The operating and maintenance manual includes details of the building's construction, history and maintenance, instructions for its operation and maintenance, and guarantees and warranties.

With the ever-increasing complexity of buildings, so increases the volume of operation and maintenance (O&M) information required to ensure the services are operated correctly. 

 Much of the required information will already exist in one form or another, a manual collates all of this information in one manageable document. Typically, a manual will include: 

• Comprehensive explanations of the core concepts of design or architecture.
• Lists of building standards (including dimensions, finishes, cladding, doors and windows, roof design, etc.).
• Versions and revisions of drawings and specifications.
• Documentation on commissioning and various test results.
• The inclusion of guarantees, warrantees and certifications.
• Clear guidelines for its use and maintenance (covering health and safety records, equipment and manufacturer 's instructions for effective and proper service).
• A full list of assets of all plants and equipment built.
• Outlines or instructions relating to maintenance, maintenance , operation, demolition, decommissioning and disposal.

Throughout the life of the buildings, the building owner's manual can be established to represent improvements to the structure of the building or its structures, along with descriptions of the maintenance that have taken place. The building owner's manual may also include a non-technical 'building user guide' with information for users on environmental controls, access, safety and security systems, etc.

At Concept to Delivery Group, we would provide you with a suggested manual template for review and sign-off by all stake-holders prior to population to ensure satisfaction and reduce any requirement for revision.   

Manuals can be provided as electronic soft copies or as hard copy formats. With advantages and disadvantages to each type. 

As O&M manuals are intended to remain as 'live documents' to be up-dated throughout the life of the building, editing hard copies can prove difficult and time-consuming. An increasingly popular choice is for the manuals to be up-loaded to web-based portals that can be accessed by all stake-holders, with specific editing rights allocated to appropriate parties. 

Pricing for O&M Manuals / Health & Safety Files and other handover documentation is job specific and takes into account many factors. Therefore, please contact us to discuss the project and we will provide you with a budget by return. 

Note: Specialist subcontractors such as BMS systems or AV for example may provide their own O&M Manuals in their own layout which are then included within the main O&M Manual unchanged.