Want to attract people to the office? Find procurement leaders who value quality

People in property leadership roles want to make their workspaces attractive for colleagues. This means keeping them clean, operational and environmentally friendly, which requires the help of FM procurement teams. A challenge for these procurement teams, however, is that the industry is commoditised. So, value often comes second. To make workspaces really desirable, then, property leaders can drive change: find procurement specialists who will prioritise value.

With two-thirds of the UK workforce visiting the office at least once a week, property leaders want to keep workspaces desirable. To do so, however, they need procurement teams with a knack for managing facilities management (FM) suppliers. This matters because the quality of service these suppliers deliver, can profoundly impact the office environment.

When all goes to plan, FM suppliers keep the washrooms sparkling, the bins empty, and manage all manner of background jobs needed to keep the environment clean and safe. But when things fall apart, the workspace can be unpleasant. For example, if the person who cleans the kitchen is off for a week and not replaced, employees will need to tolerate a dirty kitchen. What’s better than a dirty kitchen at work? A clean one. At home. So, to keep employees excited about the office, finding reliable FM suppliers is really necessary.

This means that finding the right procurement team to hire and lead your FM suppliers, is also vital. If attracting your colleagues to a clean and enjoyable workspace is your goal, you need procurement people who can support this, by creating value in the supply chain. Tony Houlihan explores three ideas to help property businesses reach this goal…

Think differently

Because FM suppliers run low margin businesses, it’s a race to the bottom. Suppliers tend to squeeze every penny of profit out of delivering services. For example, if a staff member assigned to a contract leaves, they won’t necessarily be replaced. When your goal is to show abundant value, this doesn’t work.

It’s helpful, then, to have procurement teams that can apply an “encourage and reward” mindset. In practice, this means they’re open to new bidding processes. For example, they encourage suppliers to put forward innovation as part of the tender, such as how they recommend improving profitability, value for money, and environmental practices. Then, when suppliers are appointed, procurement can work these commitments into their contracts and offer appropriate incentives for delivery.

Get practical

Find procurement leaders who value strong practical experience. Rather than just looking at spreadsheets, FM procurement professionals must get out of the office and onto sites. Seeing real life scenarios in action, is invaluable. And while office time is also important, teams that are willing to go out and onsite, can engage with the services they buy on a more practical level.

Ideally, the procurement specialists you hire would visit a handful of sites and inspect them. Are the toilets clean? Do fire extinguishers work? Can they spot opportunities to reduce your carbon footprint? Find teams who aren’t afraid to speak with people. Look around. Get stuck in. And learn all they can. It’s the fastest way for them to understand the gaps and solve how to keep your colleagues, operations and the environment safe, in such a cost-conscious industry.

In the spirit of working with experienced people, find procurement leaders who expose their teams to the FM world. For example, would they offer those team members who have special potential the opportunity to study FM courses? Would they send their teams to FM events? Most people in FM face similar challenges, so, the more your procurement team is exposed to, the better solutions they can find.

The way I see it, this step is worthwhile investing in because, in the FM world, a little understanding and experience go a long way in showing value.

Set the tone with suppliers

Finally, look for procurement teams that can really collaborate with your suppliers. If you want to create tangible benefits in the service, then the way in which procurement works with suppliers counts for a huge amount. This is especially important because FM is complex. It’s different in each organisation: in some cases, these services are behind the scenes and in others, they’re front of house.

There are also many stakeholders – from employees who use the buildings, to procurement people buying the services, to your suppliers’ staff who do the work. It’s vital that everyone is on the same page.

So, having clear goals, standards and principles is immensely helpful. Find procurement teams that will engage suppliers early in the relationship, share their challenges and work together to find solutions. This sets the relationship up for success, right from the start.

To cement alignment within the complex world of FM, procurement should also instil robust onboarding processes and ensure they align with various standards. It will also be valuable if they can perform due diligence and give suppliers good processes to follow.

Ultimately, by adopting an “encourage and reward” mindset with suppliers, collaborating with them, and enhancing their team’s practical knowledge, procurement leaders can help you keep desirable workspaces.

But, what if this focus on people can be taken a step further? While they’re at it, could procurement also support social enterprises? For example, could they use a catering company that employs reformed prisoners, and gives them a new start? Apart from helping people, this could also help diversify your wider supply chain.

So, in a highly commoditised industry such FM, find a procurement team that can show value and support your goal of keeping the workplace attractive. With the right specialists, procurement can be a lever to help people – from office employees seeking a desirable workspace, to suppliers and even social enterprises.