Budgets are one of the most contentious issues in facilities management. Whether department allocations have gone up or down, our industry surveys over the years have shown budget to be the primary or secondary challenge to FMs, topped only by sustainability – which is also putting a strain on the finances. Research has repeatedly shown that Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012 and forming the largest percentage of the population) is particularly conscious in this area, preferring to buy from sustainable brands and work for organisations with sustainable credentials. Compounded by this is the pressure to maintain high performing workplaces to entice hybrid and remote workers back to the office, attract new talent, maintain strong brand image, and create a positive customer experience.
Sky high standards
Whether using an in-house team or a service provider to meet some or all these pressing workplace challenges, keeping standards high across one or multiple sites can be tricky. And where a service provider is used, value for money is also a key expectation.
Our most recent UK FM trends survey flagged that nearly half of respondents (46 percent) found providing supporting evidence or data to prove compliance standards is a challenge. Regular auditing is a good way to track service quality, adherence to contract terms, and compliance. This helps FMs understand which areas need more attention or perhaps even flag that training is required.
Right time, right place
Those managing the budgets will be relieved to learn that the auditing process can be managed through a CAFM system rather than outsourcing to a third party. In QFM, the auditing process is extremely adaptable, giving FMs the flexibility to plan what to inspect, how often, what questions should be asked, and who should do it. First, forms or checklists can be created to enable the operative to capture the correct information (this could include number of samples to be taken, number of fails, reason for failure etc); the system then randomises the dates and locations for inspection (which can then be presented in walk order for the auditor); remedial work can be easily raised against any failures in the sample; and finally all data can be reviewed within QFM, Excel or BI reporting tool to assess the results and identify trends.
Audit types
Different types of audits can be performed to monitor standards across different areas, such as the below examples:
- Work audits: Each month check 5% of planned maintenance tasks that have been completed by external contractors to ensure compliance with internal guidelines
- Room audits: Check 50% of ‘high risk’ rooms each week to ensure cleaning meets the prescribed standard
- Service audits: Each month review 200 samples of carpet from 80 randomly selected locations, checking that they are being “kept clean and free of stains”. Compare these against the contractual benchmark of 2% allowed failure rate for this service.
Managing quality in this way not only helps maintain a competitive, comfortable and welcoming workplace, but it also can help FM reduce spend significantly. From a regulatory perspective, regular auditing demonstrates and improves compliance, helping avoid hefty fines. Looking at the audit data can help the facilities manager to take action to improve service quality, reducing the frequency of remedial visits and wasted resources. Data can also pinpoint if a particular operative is responsible for a larger than average share of the failures so that training can be offered, which can also improve their first time fix rate. And having more work completed to a high standard allows more deadlines to be met, with a potential to reduce expensive overtime hours.
For more information about audits, contact us for a demo or read about QFM Audits here.
