Selecting the best facility management agency is a crucial matter that can tremendously improve your business operation, maximize employee satisfaction, and elevate the overall worth of the property. The questions you ask are essential when looking for someone to manage and improve your facilities. This guide comes at just the right time, as it’ll give you the right questions to ask when hiring a facility management agency so that you can make an informed and beneficial decision.
According to recent studies, organizations utilizing corporate facility management agencies have achieved an impressive 20% increase in operational efficiency and a decrease of approximately 15% in maintenance costs. These numbers highlight the need for a good facility management partner. Right questions during the hiring process will help you find an agency that understands your needs and can offer genuine results for your business.
Pre-Assessment Questions
Before getting into the details of what they will be providing you, you’ll want to learn more about the facility management company’s general background and capabilities. Here are several essential questions to consider in advance of the assessment:
Company Background and Experience:
- How long has your company been offering facility management services?
- What is your company’s purpose, mission, and core values?
- Can you briefly describe your company’s growth and major milestones?
- What makes your agency unique from other facility management companies?
Industry Presence:
- What industry have you worked the most in?
- Are you a member of any particular trade associations or industry organizations?
- Do you have any awards or recognition for your facility management services?
Service Coverage:
- What areas do you serve?
- For one client, have you overseen multiple locations?
- Are you able to provide facility management services 24/7 including on holidays?
- Do you have the ability to offer custom service packages that suit individual client needs?
Client Portfolio:
- What are some examples of clients you currently work with, and what type of facilities do you manage?
- Have you previously worked with businesses similar to ours, in size and industry?
- Can you provide references from clients you’ve had a long-term relationship with?
- Please give examples or evidence of how you’ve positively impacted client operations.
These pre-assessment questions give you an insight into the facility management agency’s experience and their reputation in the industry as well as how well they complement your organization. Notice how they respond to these questions. It can teach you their style of messaging, and how available they are.
A good facility management company will be able to provide you with ample details answers to all these questions. They should also be willing to provide you with client testimonials and case studies that demonstrate their expertise and what they’ve achieved for other companies.
Focus on partners by searching for a history of industrial success and a practical commitment to improvement and innovation in their solutions among your top facility management agencies whenever we perform evaluating the greatest in the business.
Service-Related Questions
When you now know enough about the background of the facility management agency, you can go into specifics about the services they provide. The following questions in this section will give direction in general capabilities and sector-specific experience
a. Core Services
Maintenance Capabilities:
- Which maintenance services do you provide (i.e. preventive, corrective, predictive)?
- What’s your process for handling emergency maintenance requests?
- What success have you had with other maintenance clients?
- How do you manage energy and sustainability practices within maintenance?
Cleaning Services:
- What cleaning services do you offer (daily janitorial, deep cleaning, specialized cleaning, etc.)?
- How do you maintain a consistent cleaning standard throughout the different areas of a facility?
- What green cleaning habits do you practice?
- How do you manage cleaning in sensitive areas or those with heavy foot traffic?
Technical Support:
- What are the types of technical systems you support (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc.)?
- Do you employ in-house technicians, or do you subcontract?
- How do you keep yourself updated about the latest technical advancements in facility management?
- Can you provide tech support at a distance when needed?
b. Sector-Specific Experience
Each sector has different demands for facility management. Inquire about the agency’s experience in relevant sectors:
Aviation Facilities:
- What about the particular security and cleanliness demands of airports?
- What experience do you have in terms of airside and landside operations?
Banking Institutions:
- How do you make sure that sensitive areas in banks are secure?
- How do you protect the privacy of financial information?
IT Complexes:
- How do you manage the high number of visitors within the premises?
- What experience do you have in maintaining clean room environments?
E-commerce Operations:
- How do you optimize facility management for high-volume distribution centers?
- What solutions do you offer for managing returns processing areas?
Logistics Centers:
- What’s your strategy for managing 24/7 operations facility—wise?
- What is your experience with managing large warehouse spaces?
Educational Institutions:
- How do you maintain a safe and sanitary environment that protects students and staff?
- What experience do you have with managing diverse campus facilities (classrooms, labs, dormitories, etc.)?
Manufacturing Plants:
- How do you manage facility management in industrial environments?
- How do you ensure safety, what protocols do you have in place for manufacturing environments?
Healthcare Facilities:
- What do you do to maintain the strict cleanliness standards that are necessary in healthcare situations?
- What is your experience with specialized medical equipment?
Retail Establishments:
- How do you do maintenance without disrupting shopping experiences?
- What are your solutions for visual merchandising support?
Shopping Malls:
- How do you balance the different needs of a mall tenant?
- How reliable are you in keeping common areas organized and clean?
By asking these service-related questions, you can assess whether the facility management agency has the necessary expertise and experience to meet your specific needs. Look for agencies that demonstrate a deep understanding of your industry and can provide tailored solutions to address your unique challenges.
4. Operational Questions
Getting to know a facility management agency inside and out is key to making your organisation run smoothly. Here are some operational questions to consider:
Staff Training and Qualifications:
- What kind of qualifications/certifications does your facility management staff have?
- How often do you train and up-skill your employees?
- Do you provide sector-specific training?
- How do you keep your staff up to date with industry best practices?
Quality Control Measures:
- What methods do you use to monitor and control quality?
- What metrics do you use to measure and track the performance of your facility management services?
- Could you list a few of the KPIs by which you measure success?
- How frequent are quality audits and what does this involve?
Emergency Response Protocols:
- How do you manage emergencies that might arise in your facilities?
- What is your turnaround time for addressing urgent matters outside of your standard operating hours?
- Do you have a devoted emergency response team?
- How do you communicate with clients in the event of an emergency?
Reporting Systems:
- What kinds of reports do you share with clients, and how often?
- Do you have the ability to tailor reports according to our needs and preferences?
- Do you provide real-time reporting or dashboard access to clients?
- How do you leverage reporting data to improve your services continuously?
Additional Operational Questions:
- What is the method you use to schedule staff to maintain consistent coverage?
- What process do you have in place for managing client feedback and complaints?
- How do you ensure that all necessary regulations and standards are met?
- How do you work to limit interruptions to our day-to-day business?
When evaluating responses to these operational questions, look for agencies that demonstrate:
- An ongoing commitment to staff development and training
- Strong quality control measures with clear performance metrics
- Emergency Response Process Guidelines
- Wide-reaching and configurable reporting features
- A problem-solving and service improvement pseudo-pioneering advance
Note: You should be able to ask potential facility management partners for specific examples of how their operational practices have benefited other clients. And this very agency must also be flexible in how they do things to suit your.
Technology Integration Questions
Followed by the digital age, today’s technology is vital for successful facility management. Questions to assess an agency’s tech capabilities include:
Monitoring Systems:
- What forms of surveillance systems do you use (CCTV, environmental sensors, etc.)?
- How do you secure and protect monitored data privacy?
- Will your monitoring systems work with what we have now?
Digital Reporting Tools:
- What types of digital tools are helpful for reporting and communication?
- Do they offer a web portal or mobile app that clients can use to access real-time data and reports?
- What is your process for verifying the accuracy and timeliness of digital reports?
Smart Facility Solutions:
- What smart building technologies do you promote?
- How their smart solutions can enhance energy efficiency & occupant comfort?
- What kind of experience do you have with rolling out Internet of Things (IoT) devices at facilities?
When evaluating responses to these technology questions, seek agencies that:
- Have proven understanding of industry-leading facility management technologies
- Know the implementation and management of smart building solutions
- Provide flexible integration capabilities with legacy systems
- Take a technocratic approach that focuses on the security and privacy of data
Any progressive and innovative facility management agency will outline how the deployment of technology drives their operations and the value-added services they can provide.
Commercial Questions
Finally, the commercial side of partnering with a facility management agency is an essential understanding. Think about asking these questions:
Pricing Models:
- What types of pricing models do you provide (fixed fee, cost-plus, performance based, etc.)?
- Are you able to provide a cost breakdown for each service?
- Any extra fees or charges we need to know about?
Contract Terms:
- How long are your service contracts, on average?
- Are your contracts flexible; can we scale up or down the services if needed?
- What are your terms for terminating or changing the contract?
Service Level Agreements (SLAs):
- Which key performance indicators (KPIs) are represented in your baseline SLAs?
- Do we customize SLAs as per our own needs and priorities?
- What do you do when SLAs are breached?
Performance Guarantees:
- Do you provide any performance guarantees or warranties with your services?
- What remedies are available for the level of service not being met?
- Can you provide examples of how you’ve handled performance issues in the past?
When evaluating responses to these commercial questions, look for agencies that:
- Provide clear and flexible pricing options
- Offer clear and fair deal conditions
- Are willing to adapt SLAs to meet your business needs
- Offer meaningful performance guarantees to back their services
The key thing to keep in mind is that you should be looking for a facility management partner who not only fits your needs operationally but is also within your budget and business goals.
In closing, if you ask all of these questions, you will make an informed decision when hiring a facility management agency. Careful screening of potential partners through their experience, services, operational practices, technological capabilities, and commercial terms will enable you to choose an agency that will efficiently aid your facility management requirements and be a successful partner for your organization.
