For technical managers
Make the digital infrastructure plannable in your maintenance plan.
A long-term maintenance plan schedules the roof, the façade and the installations down to the year. The digital infrastructure is often missing, or hidden in an "other" item. Yet those components age faster than the building.
The IT-Label gives you a reliable baseline: what is in place, how it performs and what is needed. That lets you include fibre, cabling, network equipment and building systems in your maintenance plan and budget, with well-founded measures and a clear schedule.
Why IT belongs in the maintenance plan
- It ages faster. Cabling often lasts twenty years or more, but switches, access points and software much shorter. Without a plan, replacement always comes as a surprise.
- Tenants ask about it. A building that lags behind digitally is harder to let. See tenants.
- It affects the budget. Both investments and running costs. Read CAPEX, OPEX and IT.
- Rules are changing. For example for building automation and fibre-ready buildings. See IT and regulation. Also keep an eye on the Smart Readiness Indicator, which may become mandatory for large non-residential buildings.
IT in your maintenance plan: what to include
| Component | What to record |
|---|---|
| Connection and entry | Type of connection, route into the building, second entry, contracts and who holds them. |
| Structured cabling | Category (for example CAT6 or CAT6A), coverage per floor, test reports and documentation. |
| Patch cabinets and technical room | Space, cooling, power supply and a UPS if present. Heat and dust shorten the life of equipment. |
| Network equipment | Switches, firewall and access points. These age much faster than the building, so plan replacement separately. |
| Building systems | Building management system, access control, cameras and sensors, and how they are separated from the tenants' networks. |
| Indoor coverage | Mobile coverage inside, especially after insulation work or new glazing. |
Running costs such as subscriptions, management and licences belong in the budget rather than in the plan itself.
In five steps
Establish a baseline
A pre-inspection or IT-Label audit records what is in place and how it performs.
Determine who owns what
Use the IT Demarcation List to separate owner and tenant components. Only the owner's part belongs in your plan.
Add components to the plan
Per component: condition, expected life (from the supplier or installer) and the moment of replacement.
Plan towards the desired label
Which measures lead to a higher level, and in which year do you schedule them?
Update at recertification
The IT-Label is valid for two years. The recertification is a natural moment to update the plan.
Free checklist for your maintenance plan
Which IT components belong in your maintenance plan and what do you record? Printable and easy to save as a PDF.
Download the maintenance plan checklistDo you work with condition assessments according to NEN 2767? The IT-Label does not replace them. It complements them for the digital part, with a fixed method and measurements on site.
The best place to start
The usual first step: Pre-inspection. We walk through your building and tell you which label it is likely to achieve, and what it takes to reach the next level.
Want to know more first? Read how the IT-Label works or see the six levels.
Also of interest
- Property owners: Show what your building offers digitally, instead of just promising it.
- Tenants: Know what you are getting before you sign.
- Investors: See the digital risks and investments before you buy.
- Real estate agents: A clear answer to the question: "What about the internet?"
- Valuers: IT infrastructure: the overlooked value driver in valuations.
- Operators: For business centres and flexible offices, good WiFi is not an extra. It is the product.
- IT professionals: Get a grip on the part of the network that is not yours: the building.
Want to talk it through?
Tell us about your building or your plans, and we will help you find the best first step.