How can you effectively manage FM providers for optimal performance?

Clear and accurate information and instruction followed by a timely follow up review of any job is essential. This will contribute to continuous improvement in all aspects of the deliverables and will inspire confidence between all stakeholders.

In my experience we must have a clear scope. Are we using performance or prescriptive design when preparing scope? We cannot manage the outcomes when it was unclear to the provider. I once had a challenge with a FM provider in terms of managing performance for cleaning services. The blinds were not clean in the facility because of how the scope was written.

Topmost to consider is Stakeholders ' expectations, needs and culture. This would help to avoid any misunderstanding, conflict or any dispute.

Define clear objectives and expectations. identifying the Scope of work and define it from all sides technically and commercially with measuring and evaluation the risk and add the control KPIs and the perfect plan will lead to performing the task in the best way and short time with minimal cost.

It all starts with the right Scope. Does the scope meet the expectations of the owner/management company? Does it address the base need for the work that is being requested? Are you covering all aspects of what is needed to complete the work? Consider the “what ifs” and add them in. A vague scope can be the downfall of a good contract and damage vendor relations. Communicate the scope and expectations to the vendor. Have them walk the job with you and present questions/highlight potential issues. Adjust the scope to address these items if necessary. “Leave no stone unturned”. Establish an open line of communication with the vendor being contracted. They need to know they can trust you as much as you need to know you can trust them.

"I couldn't agree more with this statement. Even I have faced an incident where our third-party vendor for housekeeping refused to pick up the plates from the floor and pantries. They said, 'We only have a contract for dishwashing; it's not our responsibility to pick up dishes from the floors!'" This led to a dispute between our vendor and my manager. It is important to set your exceptions and objectives very clear, even the smallest things should be taken into consideration while drafting a contract.

Clear Communication: Establish open lines of communication to ensure a clear understanding of expectations, goals, and performance standards. Regularly communicate organizational priorities and changes to align the FM provider with your business objectives.

Clearly communicate your expectations and requirements to FM providers right from the beginning. This includes establishing key performance indicators (KPIs), service level agreements (SLAs), and performance metrics that align with your organization's goals. Ensure that the expectations are realistic, measurable, and mutually agreed upon.

This works very well. Relationship Management with the stakeholder. I have integrated both internal team with external provider with a fm project and learnings were really achieved.

I have always said that, vendors and partners should be treated like an full time employees only, I have came across many instances where vendors are exploited with overload work,

Successful FM provider management involves more than contracts; it's about trust, collaboration, and treating them as strategic partners. Involve them in decisions, encourage knowledge sharing, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

The first step to building trust with suppliers is to understand their needs and recognize the challenges they face. This involves putting yourself in their shoes and understanding their perspective, as well as recognizing their business interests and goals.

I agree. Communication is key to trust, and to trust is key to a successful collaboration. Be visible and available to the vendors. Create an environment where they know they can come to you with questions and concerns. Be consistent with your contact with them. Meet regularly to “check in” and review how the work is going. Bring up areas that need more attention. Ask “do you have what you need to complete the work” and open yourself to “what can I do to help”. Always be of the mindset that “we need to work together to succeed”. They need to know what is expected and you need to understand what it will take to meet that expectation.

Yes, it is necessary to have a risk management plan. It will help you to ensure the safety & well being of vendor employees incase a foreseen events , such as an injury caused at site , 1) Who you be responsible to cover the med expenses of that employe? 2) What is the first course of action to be taken during such events ?

Risk Management: Develop a robust risk management strategy with the FM provider to identify and mitigate potential issues before they impact performance. Collaborate on contingency plans to handle unforeseen challenges effectively.

A comprehensive risk management plan is essential in FM, addressing hazards like health and safety risks and environmental impacts, and outlining providers' roles to handle uncertainties effectively.

Cette incertitude sur les estimations de f et G est assurément un handicap à la mise en œuvre rationnelle d’un plan de réduction du risque : jusqu’où est-il financièrement raisonnable d’aller ? C’est pourquoi dans un tel cas, l’appréciation subjective de la gravité du risque doit être laissée à ceux qui en supporteront in fine les conséquences, c’est-à-dire les actionnaires. On introduira ainsi un terme de gravité qualifié de « peur du risque » qui viendra s’ajouter aux conséquences directes et indirectes déterminées plus rationnellement

Review and if necessary make addendum for better services: Say suppose there is policy shift in organization and tells you to focus on sustainability in FM, then you need to make FM provider to ensure that every activity is done keeping sustainability in view.

For me these services agreements must be renegotiated. I have worked where the number of my buildings decreased and maintenance decreased. A different business model had to be analyzed for the vendor.

The dynamics of the workplace are ever changing. Staffing, suppliers, expectations, and perspectives are in perpetual motion. Review the original expectations and means to meet them with current situations. If something needs to be added to, or removed from the original contract it needs to be communicated and reasoned. Why has this changed? What do we need to do to address it? Addendums are there for a reason. They are added to protect the company/client, as well as the vendor.

Reviewing time to time the contractor work and providing him continues feedback good , bad ugly for him to deliver the best to best for our clients.

Performance Metrics and KPIs: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your organization's objectives. Regularly measure and evaluate the FM provider's performance against these metrics to identify areas for improvement

FM contracts are subject to periodic review and renegotiated to align with evolving needs, considering organizational changes and adjusting for mutual benefit.

FM providers are pillar of services you deliver: Don't hesitate to terminate or stop doing business once there is poor performance constantly, safety issues, or HACCAP controls breaches. Following Labor laws is also essential, if your FM providers are not following labors laws, this is biggest flaw.

Start your relationship with clear strategies and goals. Communicate how those are all being meet, or not met on a regular basis. Bring the shortcomings to the right people with the vendor. Check that they are being rectified. If a vendor cannot perform the duties as outlined in the contract, and have not been able to remedy failing areas, then the time for termination is at hand. Do not wait until the point of termination to backfill the provider. Be prepared to put the work out to bid while working with the current service provider. Let bidders know that there is a potential to take on a contract, without committing to it being certain. If a change is needed, be sure to have end dates and new start dates flow into one another.

One of most difficult decisions to make, organisation's interest should be taken into account rather than your own views and relationships with the vendor.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Clearly define SLAs that outline the scope, quality, and timeline of services expected from the FM provider. Regularly review SLAs to ensure they remain aligned with organizational needs and industry standards. Technology Integration: Explore technological solutions that can enhance efficiency and transparency in FM operations. Implement tools for real-time tracking, reporting, and analysis to identify opportunities for optimization. Regular Audits and Inspections: Conduct regular audits and inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards, regulations, and contractual obligations. Use these audits as opportunities to provide feedback and collaborate on improvement strategies.

Terminating contracts with clear criteria like breach, poor performance, or mutual agreement is crucial for FM providers to minimize disruptions and costs during transitions to new providers.

It is good to have trust and constant communication but to have utmost essential services at its best Facility manager has to do the following things: 1. Clearly defined numerical based FM services providers KPIs to hold every one accountable for services such as SECURITY, Canteen, Plumbing etc. 2. Provide essentials means timely to FM to get better services, don't delay in providing things like budget etc. 3. They must be paid timely to continue to provide good services.

Improvement, whether it is the improvement on the process, technology, quality or the people. Improvement provide positive impact on the FM business thus improve the customers satisfaction.

Ofcourse, it is pertinent to set goals with vendors or contractors and achieve. But it is more pertinent to meeting the contracts payment deadline. Let's cite an example, you contracted with a contractor on the delivery of consumables for soft services, the contractor delivered on the contract start date. But when it was to make payment there wasn't payment. Contractors frown at this, they may not say anything, but frankly this may also have effect on the next delivery of consumables. Hence it is important to note that to maintain a constant relationship with vendors, we must at the same time maintain on time payment deadline.

Training and Development: Invest in training programs for the FM provider's staff to enhance their skills and keep them updated on industry best practices. Encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the FM team. Recognize and celebrate achievements to reinforce a positive working relationship. By combining these elements, organizations can create a framework that promotes optimal performance from their FM providers, fostering a mutually beneficial and sustainable partnership. Regular assessments and a commitment to continuous improvement will contribute to long-term success.

One thing i learnt from my experience, management can't be done only by sitting in front of a desk and giving speeches.. All the above mentioned are great and highly useful when the manager put his/her toes into the team members shoes and walk in it. One must experience every single and small detail of what he/she is managing.. And then he/she would know the real deal of Working environment, capabilities and capacity.. God bless us all..