Keeping your facilities in order and well maintained is a challenging enough without adding budget cuts and belt tightening to the mix. Many Facility Managers are left looking for ways to save money. Perhaps as a Facilities Manager you have considered hiring your own in-house cleaner or team of cleaners. In this economic climate we all have to look for creative ways to save money and do more with less, but will handling your building maintenance and cleaning alone really save you money? What is the real cost of in-house commercial cleaning when you examine the hidden costs of DIY cleaning? And could outsourcing your commercial cleaning to an experienced company actually save you money?
Sometimes The Best Way To Get From Point A To Point B Is A Straight Line
We all like to think we can do just about anything well and Facility Managers are notoriously good multi-taskers and yet, how many DIY projects end up costing more than if we just let a professional handle it from the get go? An in-house cleaner or team of cleaners is essentially a business within your business. Do you have time right now to start a new business without taking away from your current responsibilities?
Even if you figure out how to do it well, there are still hidden costs to in-sourcing. Managing any group of employees presents unique challenges and adding a cleaning team adds yet another layer to your management responsibilities. Duties like recruiting, hiring, training, background checks, disciplinary action, firing, overtime control and payment and benefits administration can add up quick and require valuable resources better directed to your bottom line.
Can’t I Just Add Responsibilities To Employees I Already Have?
Don’t be tempted to direct cleaning responsibilities to an existing employee. Most Facility Managers who attempt this fail. Either the work goes undone or poorly done or employee morale and turnover suffer. When you rely on existing personnel to take on cleaning duties in an attempt to save money, it is easy to end up with unhappy employees and a dirty facility. Do you think Linda in the warehouse wants to clean the restrooms her coworkers use everyday? Try to off load cleaning duties on existing staff hired for other things and you are likely to see more turnover than normal as responsibility shifting, unkempt facilities and worker burnout prevail.
Why Does Hiring A Professional Commercial Cleaning Service Matter
The average employee simply does not have the training to do the work of maintaining your facility. Think cleaning is about little more than some Windex and a toilet brush? Think again. Proper janitorial and cleaning requires the training and know how to deliver a clean looking and healthy workplace. Trained professional cleaners understand issues like chemical safety and safe chemical storage, the hazards and avoidance of cross contamination and the proper use of equipment. A trained, professional cleaning staff understands cleaning principles like touch points, hot spots and cleaning to minimize the spread of communicable diseases. Shortcuts in facility cleaning and maintenance don’t save money, they only cost money and create obstacles down the line.
The Hidden Costs of In-House Cleaning
Think about the ramifications of running what is essentially a business within your current business. There are hard costs associated with the employees, the tools and the management. You must consider an employee’s hourly rate, liability insurance, payroll and benefits administration. There is recruiting, hiring, training, turnover, termination and unemployment that all add up. Likewise, there is the real cost of supervising additional employees you have to consider. Then there are the costs of purchasing, servicing and replacing cleaning equipment. Additionally, supplies like cleaning products and paper products are going to cost you and you won’t be getting the bulk discounts your professional janitorial company does, you simply don’t have the purchase power they do.
Shift Management & Liability to A Building Services Maintenance Professional
Outsourcing cleaning to a professional cleaning company can help save you money and protect the valuable asset that is your building. The idea is simple enough, focus on your business and let your professional commercial cleaning company focus on theirs. The best, most experienced commercial cleaning companies keep up with changes in the cleaning industry and new federal and state regulations so that you don’t need to. The real pros are fully aware of the liabilities associated with maintenance tasks and the people performing them. They have options like general liability insurance and an umbrella liability policy to provide an extra layer of insurance to shield you and your company from third party litigation.
The Benefits Of Outsourcing Your Facility Maintenance
While many Facility Managers consider in-house cleaning in an attempt to cut costs, it is clear that outsourcing your cleaning can have significant benefits. What are some of these benefits? When you partner with a professional Michigan cleaning company, you eliminate the costs associated with procurement, maintenance, inventory, equipment, supplies and even employee uniforms. Likewise, you eliminate the issues associated with using your own employees to undertake facility services. When you use a commercial maintenance company, you get expert work with the most up to date equipment and products and you get to focus on what you do best. Outsourcing your cleaning and maintenance to a trusted, professional janitorial company that specializes in such services also saves you money in the long run when it comes to the indirect and often hidden costs of trying to handle your building maintenance in-house. Find the right professional building services contractor and you can forge a partnership that can transform your facility.
Leave a Reply