Today, the success of your business boils down to more than just how much money and effort you are investing into optimising your operations.
To be successful in the ultra-competitive business environment and reap the benefits, you need to take a holistic approach towards managing your business.
This involves every aspect of your business; from how efficiently you source your materials to how well your team is performing.
While you may already be considering ways to improve these aspects of your business, one factor you may not be considering—but which still has a noticeable impact on your performance and the bottom line, however—is managing the cleaning and maintenance of your commercial facilities.
When it comes to keeping your premises clean, well-functioning, safe, and comfortable for your teams and customers, you need to go above and beyond doing the daily cleanup or periodic vacuuming. You must leverage a thorough approach to your facility maintenance, otherwise, it could lead to unforeseen inefficiencies in your business.
The challenge, however, is when you have other responsibilities to take care of, tending to your cleaning and maintenance needs can take the backseat. This generally results in you being unable to realise the full potential of your business.
What steps can you take to overcome this hurdle? There are two clear options; employing an in-house team to take care of your needs or hiring a facilities management company. But, in order to make the right decision you need to know how exactly facilities management can add to your business.
Before we decide on what approach to facilities management is best, it’s vital to gain a deeper understanding of how facilities management can affect your business.
The consequences of poor management are wide ranging. Firstly, neglecting your facility management needs make your space look dingy, leaving your employees and customers unimpressed.
Another thing to note is that your facility is like the engine of your business and, with the majority of Australians spending nearly 40 hours a week in the office, it’s almost like your teams’ second home. Having a place that is safe, comfortable, and functional to work in can help them be more productive and improve engagement at work, which will ultimately lead to better results for your business.
Now to answer your question; should you hire a professional facilities management company or employ an in-house team? Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.
Having an in-house team will give you hands-on control over how and when you conduct your maintenance and cleaning operations, because not all facilities management companies have a flexible schedule. But you may not have the investment needed to employ a comprehensive facilities management team.
Outsourcing your cleaning and facility management responsibilities to an experienced facilities management company, on the other hand, takes the burden off you, as these companies take care of everything related to upkeep.
From conducting cleaning operations at a time that’s convenient for you and your staff, to performing preventive maintenance to avoid any major repairs down the line—you can delegate overseeing these responsibilities to a flexible facilities management company.
You also gain their expertise and experience working with many businesses across industries, as they leverage the most efficient workflows and sustainable practices to perform maintenance and help you meet various regional, national, and international health and safety standards.
Facilities management companies also offer you cost-efficiency in the long run, as the value you gain partnering with them far exceeds employing your own team.
Another thing you may receive with the right facilities management companies is that many of them leverage advanced software solutions to bring a level of sophistication and precision to your maintenance activities that add value to your business.
Although often overlooked, facilities management can be an effective tool in your arsenal to help you achieve your business goals.
While you may find it difficult to manage your facilities management requirements amongst other responsibilities, working with a professional outfit can help reduce the burden and take care of the hard work for you.