How do you control quality and costs of outsourced FM services?

1 Define your needs and expectations

Before you outsource any FM service, you need to have a clear understanding of your facility needs and expectations. What are your goals, priorities, and requirements? What are the scope, quality, and frequency of the service? How will you measure and evaluate the service outcomes? By defining your needs and expectations upfront, you can communicate them effectively to your potential FM providers and select the one that best matches your criteria.

2 Negotiate a fair and flexible contract

The contract is the foundation of your relationship with your FM provider. It should reflect your needs and expectations, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and risks of both parties. It should also include the terms and conditions of the service delivery, such as the service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs), payment methods, and dispute resolution mechanisms. A fair and flexible contract will help you avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and hidden costs in the future.

3 Monitor and review the service performance

Once you have outsourced an FM service, you need to monitor and review its performance regularly. You can use the SLAs and KPIs defined in the contract as the basis for your evaluation. You can also collect feedback from your facility users, staff, and stakeholders to assess their satisfaction and expectations. Monitoring and reviewing the service performance will help you identify any issues, gaps, or opportunities for improvement and take corrective actions accordingly.

4 Communicate and collaborate with your FM provider

Communication and collaboration are essential for maintaining a positive and productive relationship with your FM provider. You should establish clear and frequent communication channels, such as meetings, reports, emails, or phone calls, to exchange information, updates, and feedback. You should also foster a collaborative culture, where you treat your FM provider as a partner, not a vendor, and share your vision, goals, and challenges. Communication and collaboration will help you build trust, mutual understanding, and alignment with your FM provider.

5 Seek continuous improvement and innovation

Outsourcing FM services does not mean that you can sit back and relax. You should always seek continuous improvement and innovation in your facility operations and services. You can do this by setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) objectives, benchmarking best practices, and implementing new technologies or solutions. You can also involve your FM provider in your improvement and innovation initiatives, as they may have valuable insights, expertise, and resources to offer.

6 Evaluate the value and impact of outsourcing

Finally, you should evaluate the value and impact of outsourcing FM services on your facility performance, costs, and user satisfaction. You can use quantitative and qualitative methods, such as cost-benefit analysis, return on investment (ROI) calculation, surveys, interviews, or case studies, to measure the results and outcomes of outsourcing. Evaluating the value and impact of outsourcing will help you justify your decision, demonstrate your achievements, and identify areas for further improvement or optimization.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?