For a company with low churn and a concentration of routine work orders during a strong growth phase, workload should be estimated based on which metric?

• A. By service standards
• B. By cash flow
• C. By number of facilities
• D. By population

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that routine maintenance workload tracks how many people are using and occupying the spaces. When growth adds occupants, the demand for routine tasks—like HVAC use, lighting, plumbing, cleaning, and regular inspections—tends to rise in line with that population. If churn is low, occupancy levels become a reliable predictor of future work orders because the volume of maintenance tasks closely follows how many people need the space and how much it’s being used. Financial metrics like cash flow or service targets don’t directly measure the amount of maintenance work needed, and the number of facilities alone can mislead—two facilities with the same count can have very different occupant loads and maintenance demands. Therefore, estimating workload by population provides the most direct linkage to expected routine tasks during a growth phase.