Any outsourcing arrangement involves a range of complex issues related to personnel, management sponsorship, and strategic fit and alignment. A facilities management (FM) initiative, by its nature, must address a number of unique criteria related to these issues. Moreover, unlike most outsourcing initiatives that focus on a discrete function or service, FM impacts customers every day in a variety of ways. If a building is too hot or too cold, if the lobby is dirty, if snow isn’t cleared from the parking area, customers will take note and make themselves heard.
Given the ubiquity of services delivered within a business facility – HVAC, sanitation, security, landscaping – and all the potential points of failure on any given day, an FM provider and client team face a formidable “devil in the details” task.
To address these challenges, executives on both the client and provider side need to prioritize to ensure that the right activities are receiving adequate management attention. Specifically, relationship management, communication, executive sponsorship and alignment of incentives are critical to success, while technology alignment, contractual clauses and change orders tend to be less essential.
By making a distinction between critical activities that deserve a high degree of management attention, and activities that may merit less consideration, executives responsible for implementing and managing an FMO initiative can focus on what truly matters.
A new ISG white paper examines key functions in facilities management outsourcing, describing specific considerations and challenges for each. Please share your observations on successful FMO strategies.
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