AMC / O&M SLA
An AMC (or O&M contract) keeps installed systems performing after handover; its SLA is the measurable core — preventive-maintenance calendars, breakdown response and rectification times, spares terms, and the statutory tests and records the contractor must maintain.
Why it matters on an MEPF project
Buildings do not stay compliant or efficient by themselves: fire systems need scheduled runs and logged tests (the Fire NOC renewal reads those logs), electrical installations carry the 2023 safety regulations' testing duties, and HVAC performance decays without planned care. The AMC is how those obligations become someone's calendar — and the SLA is the difference between a contract and a hope.
Good SLAs are measurable and consequential: named PPM tasks with frequencies, response/rectification hours by severity, uptime or generation commitments where relevant (solar O&M), spares and consumables responsibility, and reporting that doubles as the statutory register. Comprehensive vs non-comprehensive (parts included or excluded) is the honest cost conversation to have upfront, not at the first failed compressor.
How it's specified in practice
| Parameter | Typical / working position | Governing reference |
|---|---|---|
| PPM programme | Task-and-frequency calendar per system | OEM schedules + statutory duties |
| Response/rectification | Hours by severity class, measured | SLA |
| Coverage type | Comprehensive vs non-comprehensive (parts) | contract |
| Compliance outputs | Test registers, NOC-renewal readiness, audit files | CEA Regulations / Fire renewal practice |
Common mistakes
- "Four visits a year" sold as an AMC — no task list, no SLA.
- Statutory testing assumed but never named in scope.
- Non-comprehensive coverage discovered at the first big part.
- No reporting, so renewal inspections start from archaeology.
Related on this site
One of 68 working definitions in the MEPF & solar engineering glossary. The buying side of the same decisions is in the buyer's guides; the numbers are in the calculators.
Frequently asked
What should a fire-system AMC include?
Scheduled pump runs and alarm tests, hydrant/sprinkler checks, extinguisher servicing per IS 2190, logged registers, and NOC-renewal test readiness — with response SLAs for failures. The log book is the deliverable; the renewal reads it.
Comprehensive or non-comprehensive AMC?
Comprehensive (parts included) buys budget certainty at a higher fee; non-comprehensive is cheaper until parts fail. Decide by asset age and risk appetite — and write either choice explicitly.
Standards referenced: CEA (Safety) Regulations 2023 (testing duties) · IS 2190 (extinguishers) · OEM schedules