Ways to make a cleaning tender and contract as successful as possible for all parties involved was the focus of PRISMA Facilities Management director Jack Crutzen’s presentation on Day 2 of this year’s CleanNZ Expo.
[quote]“I often come across cleaning service providers who struggle to find out what the real objective is of their client.”[/quote]
Delegates of this year’s CleanNZ Expo left with a greater understanding of what the FM industry expects from cleaning service providers thanks to PRISMA Facilities Management director Jack Crutzen, who on Day 2, shared advice on how to make cleaning tenders and contract management a success, based on his own market observations from the NZ cleaning industry.
“The purpose of my presentation is to bring the client or ‘facility manager’ closer to you, the cleaning service providers, because I still see a lot of good, but more bad and ugly in this industry,” said Crutzen.
“Many facility managers do not understand the value of the cleaning industry which is a shame because cleaning is a very valuable industry that affects many businesses, more than they sometimes realise.”
Crutzen began by pointing out some market observations from NZ’s cleaning industry, as well as drivers for successful cleaning service providers.
“I often come across cleaning service providers who struggle to find out what the real objective is of their client,” he explained. “This is vital. Without knowing their objective, how you can really deliver a service which they accept and don’t complain about the cost?”
“I also see diversification of service offering. Many cleaning companies today want to be the ‘one-stop shop’ for customers, providing a whole range of cleaning services.”
Crutzen said training is also crucial.
“I see so many contracts that are not well managed because there isn’t enough trained staff, and there is also a lack of qualified supervision. This can create issues in the delivery of a cleaning contract.”
He advised attendees to quickly adapt to where the need is and consider offering more services than just cleaning.
“You need to think: ‘how can I make the life of a facility manager easier?’ That’s what they want. They don’t want problems – and if there is a problem, fix it as quickly as possible and be transparent about it. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you can admit it and get on with the job you can still win the contract.
“Create standard contracts and templates for recording and reporting metrics, and try to capture information using smart tools like tablets and apps. Be an enabler of productivity.”
