Cost management review geared to satisfying all parties

Published In: InClean
Date Published: 3rd September 2003
Author: Alan Hardcastle

Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) cost management consultant, Pam Walker, finds perception is everything for this overhead. "The key to a good cleaning service is for everything to be cleaned properly and left as it was found. Basically if the job is done well then no one notices anything.
"It's very satisfying to provide a client with a cost reduction solution that not only saves money - as much as 35% - but also makes their life easier by freeing them up to focus on their job while at the same time saving their company money," comments Walker.
She adds, "I find that when companies want to review their cleaning contract, it can create a divide between management and staff. Management are looking for the best price to cover the services needed while staff prefer a status quo because they're comfortable with the cleaner."
So in order to achieve successful recommendations for this cost category, ERA reviews the situation by talking to relevant staff to acknowledge concerns and explain the difficulties and costs associated with multiple suppliers.
In some instances there are no specifications listed so these need to be prepared, tailored and agreed upon by the staff at each site - from such considerations as frequency and times to specific specialty tasks and contact details for a key staff member.
Another issue that ERA comes across is underquoting due to a genuine mistake when compiling the quote, intentional underquoting to win the contract or an unexpectedly fussy customer.
Walker finds the most effective way of handling this kind of situation is to pre-empt the situation by asking clients for a floor plan, full details of the areas that are going to be cleaned and by also arranging site visits. This ensures that the cleaning contractors are fully aware of the requirements and any peculiarities of the site.
"This doesn’t always guarantee 100% success but goes a long way to resolving the situation. Combined with our careful management we have a greater chance of keeping all parties happy."
Once ERA has a full picture of the requirements, a brief is put out to the market and a supplier chosen. The most effective implementation has been for management to take the cleaners chosen around each site to introduce them to the staff.
"We maintain contact with the new cleaners for the first couple of months, review the evaluation reports and check with staff to gauge that service levels have remained consistent and staff are happy. If there are any issues we are involved in the discussions straight away in order to avoid them compounding.
"While on a positive note, if further services are required or there's changes that need to be considered then we review the brief and again monitor the service levels," concluded Walker.