Building drawings and facility information have long been undervalued, often relegated to storage rooms or legacy systems, considered a necessary cost rather than a strategic asset.
However, this information is far more than a historical archive. It is the foundation for ongoing operations, informed decision making, and long-term resilience. As buildings age and evolve, the value of preserving and streamlining access to this data becomes increasingly critical.
“I went through a situation where drawings hadn’t been updated in 25 years and a vendor based their scope of work and proposal on those, only to find out there were significant changes and they were going to have to increase the labor by almost 50% for their project,” said Gretchen Martin, CBRE Property Manager and IFMA Pittsburgh Treasurer.
“I had another instance where I needed some drawings, but they’d been destroyed in a flood because nobody got around to digitizing them,” she added.
“Drawings are crucial in bigger projects and emergencies, and access to them digitally is invaluable! The quicker the access, the less mitigation work needs performed. The more up to date they are, fewer surprises pop up as well. Nobody realizes how critical they are until they don’t have them or don’t have updated ones,” she said.
From an operational standpoint, accurate and up-to-date building documentation is essential for maintenance and upkeep. Facilities teams rely on original construction drawings, mechanical schematics, and electrical layouts to understand the infrastructure they are required to maintain. Without these documents, basic tasks such as locating shut-off valves, isolating electrical circuits, or troubleshooting HVAC systems become unnecessarily complex and inefficient. In contrast, when this information is readily available and organized, teams can act with precision, reducing downtime, minimizing disruptions, and lowering maintenance costs.
The importance of accessible building information becomes even more pronounced during emergencies. In the event of a major water leak or fire, time is of the essence. Emergency crews, first responders, and facility teams need immediate access to floor plans, sprinkler system layouts, fire exits, and critical utility connections. Delays caused by digging through archives or dealing with incomplete records can lead to greater damage, safety risks, and liability. By treating this data as a strategic asset digitized, updated, and accessible, organizations can significantly improve emergency preparedness and response.
Dean Stanberry, from IFMA, believes that the U.S. is behind other regions who have already institutionalized these processes and formalized it in regulation. U.S. firms doing business in other regions will need to adapt—or risk losing business.
Equally important is the role that historical building information plays in renovations and retrofits. As buildings age, they undergo numerous modifications both minor and major. Walls are moved, systems are upgraded, and infrastructure is rerouted. Ideally, each change is documented. However, the reality is that these updates are often recorded in fragmented formats, across different systems, or buried in outdated CAD files, PDFs, or hard-copy markups. Years or decades later, when a major renovation is planned, the absence of organized and comprehensive historical records can lead to costly delays and unforeseen challenges.
“I can’t tell you how frustrating it is as a vendor to provide a quote for replacement of equipment, tenant improvement, or new unit installation without drawings,” said Joe Bucci, ABM Building Solutions.
“If forced to do it without drawings, the number will either be too high or too low, resulting in unnecessary change orders,” he explained. “The design costs also go up because the engineer of record must make site visits, and site visits are not done for free. As a property manager, the best thing you can do for your customer is to have the hard copy drawings digitized and backed up on the cloud.”
For example, if modifications to electrical or water systems were made in the past but not properly documented or indexed, locating critical components or understanding system interdependencies during a retrofit can be a guessing game. This lack of clarity can lead to extensive exploratory demolition, increased risk of damaging existing infrastructure, and inflated project timelines and budgets. Conversely, when historical changes are preserved, integrated, and easily searchable, they empower engineers and contractors to design and execute renovations with accuracy and confidence.
This is where instant access to critical building information plays a transformative role. Organizing building documentation within centralized, cloud-based mobile platforms ensures that both original plans and all subsequent changes are continuously recorded, updated, and made available for future use. These systems provide a living history of the building, bridging the gap between past, present, and future.
Building drawings and facility data should not be seen as static records tucked away for compliance or record keeping. They are dynamic, evolving assets critical to maintaining building integrity, enabling informed decision making, and safeguarding long-term value. Their preservation, accessibility, and strategic use can dramatically reduce operational costs, enhance emergency response, and streamline future renovations and retrofits, especially as buildings age and adapt over time.
Suri Suriyakumar is the CEO of ARC Facilities, a facilities management software and documentation solutions provider.