Building facilities (pt 2)

We know, from our original investigations and agreements, which services facilities managers have to provide and the standards that are expected. The services will include most of the following: cleaning, telephones/reception, catering, car parking, security, grounds maintenance, mail and messengers, car fleet, couriers, space planning, mechanical engineering, moves, electrical engineering, furniture and furnishings, building fabric maintenance, utilities purchasing, small IT systems, lift maintenance, reprographics, special events, health & safety.

The standards agreed should be at a level acceptable to the organisation and the customer. To place the standards too high is to pay for something that is not wanted and to place them too low will, of course, ensure that delivery does not match need.

Standards may vary from area to area around the building and these factors must also be taken into account. Offices and hospitality areas occupied by the board may demand higher standards. Areas such as catering, reception and toilets will need extra attention and there may well be areas that need some special treatment such as laboratories, computer suites and libraries.

Factors affecting the timing of service delivery must also be considered, for example:

•  times when cleaning is/is not permissible
•  coverage required of security guards
•  restaurant opening hours (breakfast to late meals for shift workers)
•  delivery of post

Do not forget our previous comments about making facilities management a visible process. If you are not seen doing it, the role may be viewed as easy or automatic.

One important factor to take into account is that of image. The image that the organisation wishes to portray will depend, among other things, on the industry sector that it is in. Hi-tech organisations wish to portray a hi-tech image; local government often wishes to show a low spend but accessible image; financial institutions wish to portray a secure but welcoming and easy access image. Whatever image is desired, it will affect the standards of service displayed in those visible areas, such as reception, hospitality and meeting rooms.

We have previously discussed the need to balance organisational, customer and facilities management expectations in order to determine service needs. The same balance must be considered with reference to the service deliverers. If we want to ensure successful delivery of services we need to give thought to the needs of those service deliverers whether they are in-house or contractors. In-house teams need to be made aware of their responsibilities not just by the issue of job descriptions (which are normally only used for appraisal purposes) but by the issue of easily understood job briefs.

The same goes for the contractors. We need to consider their expectations which will include:

•  reasonable profit
•  full understanding of the requirement that is to be placed upon them
•  reasonable contract length to ease amortisation of set up costs and to give some stability
•  reward for innovative suggestions that help reduce revenue costs
•  agreed rules of engagement
•  agreed rights and duties of both parties
•  harmonious relationships with the in-house management team including agreed points of contact

The facilities manager's expectations will include specific items on the required approach to service delivery that he will want to see in tender returns. These are official responses from the managing agents, managing contractors and single-discipline contractors shown in options 1,2 and 3. They set out the provider's methodology and information on pricing such as supervision ratios, expertise and wage levels to ensure that they are not out of touch with the norm.

We must also consider what management controls we wish to implement including regular meetings with the contractor, who is to attend and what information we wish to be brought to the meeting for performance monitoring and financial control purposes.

Whatever image is desired will affect the standards of service displayed in those visible areas, such as reception, hospitality and meeting rooms

The facilities manager can then determine the contract strategy that is to be adopted. Various options exist and contractors will adopt any in any combination. There are four basic options available, (see diagrams for options 1,2 and 3), and you must be clear about the style you want to adopt to enable you to fix your strategy to match the outcomes you, your organisation and your users are demanding. Option 4 which comprises in-house management with synergetically packaged contracts, is built out of the areas highlighted in option 3. Bear in mind one multi-discipline contractor could take the role of the lead contractor.

Any combination of these options may be acceptable but because of the drive to achieve lower costs, the use of less management time and demonstrable value for money, the more professional facilities management teams are moving increasingly towards multi-discipline contracts.

From this point the facilities manager can put together the tender documentation to suit the chosen contract strategy option. This must include a specification of requirements that is easy to read and understand; clarity of need is vital if it is to be understood and if pricing is to be correct.

As much information as possible should be given to the contractor to enable a fully costed return and careful analysis and interviewing must be undertaken to ensure the best contractor is selected for the task.

The information should include a statement of your expectations in terms of competence and ability of staff. It is quite apparent from the options available where points of contact, management and communication abilities are required between client and contractor and contractor and subcontractors.

We recommend the use of 'output' or 'performance' specifications as they focus on need and objectives rather than on trying to tell the contractor exactly what must be done order to effect delivery. Focusing on the achievements required, enables the contractor to use his expertise and initiative to determine how best to deliver services.

If one tries to write a fully inclusive traditional, input specification then one needs to have the expertise, and experience of a specialist contractor. Output specifications are shorter, more easily understood and usually offer better value for money. They also offer more opportunity for the contractor to develop ideas for innovative improvement including revenue savings. But facilities managers should check on staff numbers to be employed particularly when TUPE (legislation governing the transfer of staff) is invoked. Previous numbers of staff used will be known and the facilities manager needs to consider whether those numbers were of the right order, or if change is necessary.