7 benefits of outsourcing your FMS needs

When does it make sense to outsource?

One of the biggest concerns that springs to mind when the idea of outsourcing is mentioned, is a loss of jobs. In actuality, the point at which most companies will reach out to our team at Royal Services in search of support with their facility maintenance services is when they are rapidly growing, or when things have gotten out of control and they need to rein things back in.

We typically do not bring on new clients who end up immediately reducing their workforce. In fact, we are often brought on to support the existing staff as the sheer volume of work has gotten, or is about to get, out of control. Partnering with Royal is a great flexible option which keeps your overhead and fixed costs under control, allows you to scale your portfolio up or down, strengthens your brand, and provides your employees and customers with the premium in-store environment they deserve.

A good example of the most popular scenario that we experience happened just last year. We were contacted by a multi-site national retailer with 60 current stores, 15 new ones planned to be built next year, and only one person internally overseeing the entire network! The poor guy had reached tipping point and it was a case of increase the fixed overhead by hiring a handful of new internal employees, or partner with a company such as Royal.

When adding us to your team, you immediately have access to our trade experts who bring a first class level of knowledge from HVAC and plumbing, to electrical and general repairs. To hire this knowledge base onto your team would cost a fortune, and would be an HR nightmare! There would then be the uncertainty associated with downturns in the economy which could lead to many of these individuals having to be laid off. The flexibility to scale up or down with very little required effort is very appealing, as is the immediate access to an incredible network of minds.

When outsourcing, your stores benefit in the following ways:

• You receive a higher level of customer service - with limited internal resources, and the constant need to put out fires, some service requests will go unresolved for weeks, maybe even months when you are working internally.

• You don't have to chase vendors around - this burden now falls on our shoulders. You only have one person to manage, and that's us!

• You receive excellent data that is stored and available to you 24/7 - RAZOR, our proprietary CMMS platform allows you to place service requests, monitor trends and create capital replacement budgets all through one database.

• Faster service - We use our leverage with vendors to provide service that is more effective and efficient than if you were to source it yourself.

• You benefit from value add services - We have the expertise, buying power, resources and leverage to track and enforce warranties, communicate with your landlord, and eliminate unnecessary trips which saves you time, money, and store disruption.

• You have no after hours responsibilities - With our provision of 24/7/365 service, you no longer have to worry about after-hours calls. This means that you can sleep easy, spend quality time with your friends and family, and have a more predictable schedule.

• Your costs are reduced - You do not need to have a fully developed internal team to manage your branded environments. Instead, you partner with us and immediately have access to our entire team. If the economy starts to nosedive you just send less work our way. This agility to quickly scale up or down is one of the most appealing aspects of partnering with a project management company such as Royal Services.

All in all, it sounds like a pretty good deal if you ask me!

Our team at Royal benefit as we become more efficient, our project managers have a heavier workload which means they keep their jobs and our vendors benefit as they have more work (this is especially important with many of the smaller owner operator technicians who have played such a huge role in our success over the past 25+ years). They then give us more leverage which means you get better service and the cycle starts all over again, only now all parties have a smile on their face. Most facility management companies are looking for a zero-sum game. We are looking for success and sustainability which can only be made possible by creating win-win situations.

One of the most important things to remember when starting a relationship with a project management company is to start off on the right foot. A smooth on boarding process needs to be in place to prevent items falling through the cracks. It is imperative to have exceptional communication between both parties, and the new arrangements and SOPs need to be clearly conveyed to the staff in the field.

As you may have read previously, at Royal we focus on developing long term partnerships and are constantly looking to find win-win-win situations where all involved parties can thrive. Zero-sum games are unsustainable and only benefit one group, and unfortunately it's not you. At Royal, we are looking to develop a long-lasting relationship where we become an extension of your team, rather than someone that replaces it.

Stephen Covey (1989) described this idea perfectly: "Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!"

We are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have about the way in which we operate. If you are looking for specific information, or are just looking for suggestions from someone with a different perspective, we would love to help you. Please feel free to call me any time at 913-387-2841 or reach out through jleeper@royalsolves.com.