A building exists to serve the user ’ s space requirement. The essence
of maintenance is, therefore, to maximize the service life of a building, by delaying
deterioration, decay and failure. Building maintenance management is a complex
and multi-faceted thought process that involves planning, directing, controlling
and organizing resources for the sustenance of the building ’ s functional
performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative maintenance
management model for university buildings in Malaysia. A number of studies
have investigated the maintenance management of buildings; however, most
of the studies have observed maintenance management procedures that were
corrective and condition-based. Although this research is specifi cally proposed
for university buildings, however, many public and private sector institutions face
similar maintenance management problems. Therefore, this research has broader
applications. This research emerged from the need for an alternative building
maintenance management system that refl ects current thinking on the effi cient
and effective use of maintenance resources.

• Case for alternative approach to building maintenance management of public universities