How to sustain service delivery in difficult times

(Infrastructure Maintenance with Tunde Obileye)

The current economic situation has stretched the facility management industry and its practitioners to deliver strategic solutions with less in very difficult circumstances. As a result, the opportunities and challenges come in equal proportions. Focus, however, is on the opportunity to scale up the internal systems of the service provider (FM organization) to be more effective, efficient in productivity, which can increase customer satisfaction.

In a highly competitive market, service-based businesses need to capitalize on any opportunity to set themselves apart from their competitors.

While implementation and service management are important, perhaps the best way to demonstrate capacity for exceptional service delivery as an FM organization is to foster strong customer relationships based on the quality of its service. To achieve this, the following guidelines are provided to raise the service level in recommitting to customer satisfaction.

Communication

When it comes to clients, facilities managers cannot over-communicate. Clients feel more comfortable when they know what is going on. The level of communication must reflect timelines, context, and its ability to clearly identify the value addition to the client. In a world of constant connectivity, the ability of facility managers to cut through the flood of information with quality and timely answers can achieve much.

Service Management

Defining expectations is vital to service management. FM practitioners and organizations need to make sure that they are on the same page regarding what to expect (or not expect) from their service offerings. This includes what the services cover, potential limitations, costs, how to get assistance when required, and more.

This level of definition should involve co-operation from both client and service provider.

Technology

As services become increasingly digitized where possible, facilities managers can drive the use of technology to improve problematic processes. For example, technology can be used to capture and store data.

In general, service delivery automation is high return and low risk, and more FM organizations are finding ways to cut costs and provide a more satisfactory customer experience.

Resource Utilization

Every organization has limited resources and wish to utilize same wisely. It is therefore important for FM organizations to understand their current resource needs and anticipate future resource needs. They need to be able to track employee requirements and capacities. With this information, facilities managers can schedule in accordance with current projects, and ensure that no resource is over or underutilized.

Strong Culture

After establishing a feasible service concept, the next area of focus should be the culture which will be instrumental to achieving success. Employees should be aligned when it comes to a specific set of all-encompassing principles. It should be noted that whilst methodology is crucial to service delivery, this should feel more like a philosophy.

FM organizations should never take for granted that their culture is strictly internal because it also shows up in the way service is delivered, Relationship and interaction with clients is a reflection of the corporate culture and clients know it. The better the service provider understands it’s value proposition and what the organization represents, the more it translates to the clients. More often than not, clients know when a service provider and its employees are on the same page.