Proactive Facility Maintenance Protocols

Proactive Facility Maintenance Protocols

Read about Proactive vs. Reactive FM Protocols in Retail & Restaurant Facility Business’s July Edition in an article written by Megan Varano, our Senior Director of Operations of Facility Maintenance.

Changing the game from reactive to proactive facility maintenance protocols.

The last decade-plus has brought tremendous change in the FM industry. It’s been thrilling to be part of the evolution. Working on both the retail and the service sides has given me a unique perspective on both the challenges and the opportunities.

Megan Varano, Powerhouse

I started out managing work requests on pieces of paper. The dispatcher would take a phone call or read an e-mail and then write out the dispatch to the field; the work request was then paperclipped to a bundle and hung on the wall. While it sounds archaic, this was in 2005!

Over the next 10 to 15 years, several work order management systems were introduced. As a service provider, these management systems obviously helped organize our vendors — but perhaps the biggest shift was for our customers. As more companies invested in CMMS systems, these investments resulted in increased visibility toward store needs, costs and execution. As our clients gained visibility and control over location expenditures, it began to drive further accountability at the vendor level. The result? The evolution of vendor score carding and, eventually, financial management / prioritization.

Now we are headed into the age of proactive vs. reactive FM. Once reserved for basic recurring needs such as HVAC PM programs, janitorial programs and exterior services, we are now evolving into proactive cosmetic repair — not only to maintain brand standard but also to better manage budgets. In this next evolution, I’ve seen and executed two options: proactive brand standard checklist implementation and proactive service bundling.

Proactive Brand Standard Checklists

Proactive brand standard checklists are typically executed by your go-to handyman. If you are lucky, he or she has been servicing your location on a recurring basis for years.

First, engage your local jack-of-all-trades with a checklist of your highest priority needs. Needs may range from lamp outages or color consistency to securing door hinges and cleaning scuff marks off walls. The idea is to engage a partner who can be set up on a recurring schedule with the intent of agreeing on a price up front for the checklist.

This can be a risk to the vendor as it is agreeing to complete the list on each service without knowing the site condition. The keys here are consistency and committing to a set duration for the program — to ensure both parties win, and that the stores are brought up to and maintain corporate brand standard.

An added benefit is forming a habit with store managers. They will know their service provider comes in on a regular basis to complete that checklist. Both parties form a relationship, and, not only are brand standards maintained, but unnecessary reactive work is prevented. Fewer reactive service dispatches also drives less office work and fewer store service disturbances.

Proactive Service Bundling

The concept of bundling is a slightly different approach. It primarily looks at reducing trips for needed items vs. proactively addressing cosmetic items not called out by the field.

First, establish a timeline during which you hold service. Essentially, you can do this in two ways: (1) Set each store on a recurring timeline window. For example, stores in X market have services bundled from Jan. 1 until Feb. 15 and those non-critical tasks are completed by Feb. 28. Market Y has services bundled from Jan. 15 to Feb. 28 and completed by March 15. This staggers the work execution for your vendors and keeps costs from hitting at the same time.

Or you can opt for a completely opposite approach: (2) Begin bundling once your first non-critical task is received. Each store will be on its own schedule, all based on when the first need is requested from the site. Hold that dispatch for a determined amount of time and during that time collect all other non-critical tasks to be dispatched in tandem. This method saves trip charges and, in most cases, it also saves labor by picking up efficiencies onsite as well as having less time spent in your stores.

The proliferation of the data from CMMS systems has enabled both concepts to be deployed. Ultimately, what our clients choose depends on what their need is. If the need is maintaining brand standard, a proactive list is best. If the need is to reduce cost and vendor time onsite, then a bundled service is better.

Both paths require a vendor that can execute and manage your approach with a technology driven solution. The market contains many options. My experience has allowed me to work with some of the best options in the industry and can speak to the efficiencies we’ve realized on the vendor side.

Planned services, while helping address your client’s driver, also enable fewer touches and overall time management of the work order. (To clarify, this can only be achieved if you have the right technology solution in place. If your provider does not have the technology to handle this, it will ultimately result in more touches and sloppy, untimely delivery of reporting.)

After weighing your options, it comes down to what’s right for your stores. Ultimately, you’ll want your stores to be your partner; the more they understand the goal, the more successful they’ll be.

Next Steps & Action Items

  • Investigate what a proactive checklist would look like for you:

– Look at historical work order data to identify where most of your cosmetic money is spent. Is it loose door handles, scuffed walls or perhaps peeling wallpaper?

– Walk your proposed checklist in a handful of stores. Identify what your checklist captured and missed; modify before finalizing. I suggest having more than one set of eyes engage in this step.

  • Investigate the call volume you receive per store for non-critical requests that can be handled by a handyman. Identify the average received in a given time period to identify what a good average “bundle” period would be for your stores. Don’t be afraid to modify the bundle time per market or even per store for your high revenue locations. The secondary benefit of this data pull will be its ability to provide the groundwork for your financial synopsis on the savings this could potentially drive.
  • Work with a few key players on your operations team to discuss the approach that fits best.
  • Make sure you have the right partner. Not only do you want to review expectations, but you want to determine if they have what it takes to deliver. Without the right technology, your vendor will be unable to deliver.
  • Implement the best solution for your organization.

 

Click here to read Megan’s article in Retail & Restaurant’s July issue.

Did You Know Powerhouse is Redefining Excellence in Exterior Services?

Did You Know Powerhouse is Redefining Excellence in Exterior Services?

LANDSCAPE SERVICES

  • Ground Services & Clean-Up
  • Hardscapes
  • Irrigation
  • Tree Trimmin

PARKING LOT

  • Pressure Washing
  • Sweeping
  • Striping
  • Repair & Sealing
  • Concrete Repairs
  • ADA Compliance

SNOW & ICE MANAGEMENT

  • Snow Removal
  • Hauling
  • De-Icing

People, process and technology are the driving forces behind delivering excellence for our nationwide customers.

With a combined 100 years of experience in the exterior services business, our team understands what it takes to be a great partner. Our unparalleled sense of urgency and ability to problem solve make us the easy button for all of your exterior service needs. At Powerhouse, outstanding customer service isn’t an idea, it’s our culture. Let us make a raving fan out of you!

Have questions?

Email us! We are ready to service your properties, any season, any time!
Learn more about what Powerhouse has to offer!

We Expanded to the Midwest!

We Expanded to the Midwest!

Did You Know? We opened an office in Columbus, OH!

Columbus, OH – May 2019 – Today the final touches hit the walls of Powerhouse’s newest office on Executive Parkway, expanding our presence to the Midwest. This Columbus office was created with dedication to Powerhouse’s Exterior Services line of business. 

Positive Customer Impact

As Powerhouse’s reputation with our customers has grown over the years, so did the requests to handle their Exterior Service needs. Although we already had an experienced team focused on this line of business, we wanted the best of the best handling our customers’ Exterior needs. So, we hired the best of the best and built them this Exterior Services Center of Excellence in the heart of Ohio.

Exterior Services at Powerhouse has never been more efficient. Now our customers can go to one place and speak with one team for all their Exterior needs and rest assured that this office is still all Powerhouse with Powerhouse culture and Powerhouse customer service. 

The Team

This team is being led by Eric Brownlee as the Senior Director of Operations. Eric has over 15 years of industry experience. He is our subject matter expert in the following aspects of Exterior Services and is ready to lead his team to begin redefining excellence in Exterior Services.

  • Spanning Landscape
  • Snow and Ice Management
  • Sweeping
  • Other Exterior Services, Construction and Brand Implementation and Sign Conversion Programs

 

For more information on Exterior Services:

Eric Brownlee
Office: 817-297-8575 X 5304
Cell: 740-616-1731
Eric.brownlee@powerhousenow.com

For more information:

Sales: sales@powerhousenow.com
Marketing: marketing@powerhousenow.com

Did You Know? We Rebranded Just a Little Bit!

Did You Know? We Rebranded Just a Little Bit!

POWERHOUSE

Crowley, TX – April 10, 2019 – Today we announce the change of our company name from “Powerhouse Retail Services” to “Powerhouse”. We are just “Powerhouse” now and have renamed ourselves to bring attention to what “Powerhouse” means, as well as to open ourselves to the many other sectors and industries, outside of retail, that we have been participating in this past decade.

 See our official press release here.

Positive Customer Impact

A powerhouse is something of great energy, strength or power. As Powerhouse has maintained this definition since the beginning, we believe it’s the only word in our name that needs focus and repetition. 

Our Vision is “To have a positive and lasting impact on others,” and as our company and employees have proved this Vision and the definition of powerhouse to our customers since 2004, we’ve grown! We want all our customers, inside and outside of retail, to be assured that this is the company for the job. So, we dropped “Retail Services” and announce “Powerhouse” and our Industries of emphasis –

  • Commercial Real Estate/Property Management
  • Financial Services
  • Grocery/Convenient Store
  • Healthcare/Senior Living
  • Hospitality
  • Restaurant
  • Retail
  • Telecommunications

 

For more information on Powerhouse Industries:

https://live-phn.pantheonsite.io/industries/

 

To get started on your project today:

Contact Us

 

For more information:

Sales: sales@powerhousenow.com

Marketing: marketing@powerhousenow.com

CONTACT US:
812 South Crowley Road, Ste A
Crowley, Texas 76036
PHONE: 817-297-8575
FAX: 682-233-7050

VISION: TO HAVE A POSITIVE AND LASTING IMPACT ON PEOPLE.

Copyright 2021 Powerhouse | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

CONTACT US:
812 South Crowley Road, Ste A
Crowley, Texas 76036
PHONE: 817-297-8575
FAX: 682-233-7050

VISION: TO HAVE A POSITIVE AND LASTING IMPACT ON PEOPLE.

Copyright 2021 Powerhouse | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

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Exterior Maintenance Services for Warm Weather

 

Powerhouse offers a comprehensive group of national commercial landscape maintenance services for commercial properties. Our services are squarely focused on keeping your facilities looking their absolute best. Our national landscape maintenance services include tree maintenance services irrigation system maintenance, grounds maintenance and cleanup, and porter services.

Our team is experienced with managing national commercial landscape portfolios. We combine our national landscape maintenance services and our full suite of national facility maintenance programs including national commercial parking lot services and national commercial power washing programs that will ensure that your company’s facilities always have a warm and inviting look.

SNOW AND ICE MANAGEMENT

De-icing Services

Snow Plowing

Snow Hauling

Pre-treatment Applications

Sidewalk Snow/Ice Management

Parking Garage Snow Management

PARKING LOT SERVICES

Pressure Washing

Sweeping

Striping

Repair & Sealing

Concrete Repairs

ADA Compliance

Porter Services

Emergency Debris Removal

Trash Receptacle Maintenance

LANDSCAPE SERVICES

Grounds Maintenance & Clean-Up

Hardscapes

Turf Maintenance

Fertilization and Weed Control

Mulch Application

Pruning and Landscape Bed Maintenance

Seasonal/Regional Site Cleanup

Irrigation Services

Landscape Enhancement Services

Tree Removal and Maintenance

Palm Tree Maintenance

Storm Cleanup