How should I go about outsourcing facilities management?

For some, facilities management outsourcing stories don’t show the greatest success. In fact, surveys show that one in four outsourced Facilities Management services is brought back in-house within two years. 

So, what makes the other 75% successful? Take a look at a few of our do’s and don’ts!

Don’t:  Be prescriptive. The firm you choose already has standardized programs and proven best practices and if they can’t do the work the way they know best, you won’t see the results for which you are hoping.

Do: Specify the results and service levels you expect to see. That way, the providers can use their set of best practices to make sure your Institution has the outcome you want.

Don’t: Be too focused on price or cost reduction. While cost is certainly important, lowest price may = highest cost in the long run when you factor in quality, risk, protection of your assets, customer satisfaction and the cost of changing vendors.,

Do: Weigh the costs and the benefits. You don’t want to spend more money than your budget allows on outsourcing your services. So, make sure you aren’t spending or skimping too much. It’s all about finding that sweet spot!

Don’t: Only outsource small portions such as cleaning a handful of buildings or specific maintenance tasks. While some local vendors can be utilized for these small projects, it can be beneficial to consider a more wholistic and integrated Facilities Management model to glean the full advantage of outsourcing.

Do: Establish a collaborative and seamless relationship with your Provider. Make them part of your team. Delegate but don’t abdicate.

Outsourcing can work well. It can also fail. It’s all about having an RFP process that provides the potential Providers the necessary data to develop an informed plan/proposal and provides a mechanism for the Institution to select the “right” Provider.  We can help with the process based on our extensive experience and track record.