The right vendor relationship can save facilities managers from spending a lot of time toiling away at issues better fixed by specialists.
Determining which vendor to work with can be a long process that involves many steps, only adding to the growing complexity of facilities management. These soft skills that involve negotiation, communication, and collaboration with many teams, like vendors, are important—but often underestimated.
Before engaging with potential vendors, get clear about what you need the vendor to do. A comprehensive request for proposals (RFP) document gets all the must-know information in one place, with a description of the project or ongoing program, a detailed scope of work, and contract terms that share when payments will be issued, or the length of the engagement before the relationship is reevaluated. Know ahead of time what aspects of your project are most important, like price versus expertise, so you can more easily weigh the pros and cons of each.
To secure the right vendor, there are a few tried-and-true shortcuts. Facilities Management Advisor spoke to Robert Alemany, a director of facilities at a school in New York City, to identify some “green flag” ways to get a quick sense of the types of vendors that would be good partners in the long run. Alemany’s experience has included supervising contracted services, managing staff operations across multiple buildings, and overseeing significant renovation projects.
Green Flags for a Potentially Great Vendor
Recommendations from Colleagues
With so many online vendors, a solid recommendation helps cut through the chaff. Alemany says that many of his best vendors were sourced through industry colleagues. This was especially helpful since the vendors had already demonstrated knowledge of the type of work he was seeking, like the do’s and dont’s of working at a school.
For FMs without a large network of people in the same role or type of organization, Alemany recommends putting in the legwork to build one. “If a group like that doesn’t exist, begin cold calling people and make one! If you can build a group of people with similar roles, it’ll be incredibly useful for many reasons—one of which is to get good recommendations,” he says.
Solid Communication
The way vendors communicate with their prospective customer can indicate a lot about their level of customer care. Vendors can communicate trust and expertise—or not—by responding quickly to questions and by being transparent and comprehensive about aspects of their work, like their processes.
Quality communication during the RFP process should translate to regular, proactive updates throughout the vendor relationship that might help prevent costly surprises when unexpected issues arise.
Response to the RFP
Vendors may tend to be more hands-on than administratively minded, especially for small businesses, but regardless, a strong response to your RFP provides a lasting first impression.
Do they respond to all of your criteria and questions? Do they have a robust plan for the work and demonstrate expertise? Do they mention major industry players that they’ve worked with before? What about mentions of all the relevant policies, procedures, and audits they’ll need to consider? How do they suggest measuring their performance or handling feedback?
Middle- to High-Road Pricing
With at least three RFP responses in hand, the saying that you get what you pay for is worth repeating. Assess vendors with deep experience and expertise, rather than looking at the price tag first. Common sense says to aim for the middle- to higher-end-priced vendor.
On a similar note, assessing the financial stability of a vendor helps FMs understand if vendors have the ability to provide consistent and high-quality services. Strong finances should mean that the vendor can invest in quality equipment to carry out your work and train their staff well.
Availability and Flexibility
Finding a vendor for a one-off project is one thing, but for ongoing projects or maintenance, FMs should get a sense of how available and flexible the prospective vendor is to deal with any unforeseen situations or emergencies.
Get a sense of how customized the vendor’s proposal is to your work. Since no facility work is exactly the same, a vendor’s approach should show a unique approach that is considerate to your needs—this also signifies that the vendor is likely to be able to scale up if need be.
A Good Vibe
This green flag is difficult to quantify on a rubric, but Alemany suggests that FMs meet vendors in person first. “Do an old-fashioned face-to-face meeting so they can tour the space, but also so you can get a ‘feel’ for what it would be like working with them,” he says. Alemany recommends that FMs ask themselves, “Is there chemistry? Do they seem like a company that wants to work with you or one that wants to work for you? Do they understand your needs as an organization? Do they know what they are doing?”
Getting a sense of who the FM contact is and the company they represent might be one of the most important aspects of choosing a vendor, Alemany says. “Nothing is going to be 100%, and we can all get it wrong sometimes. But you have a better shot if you can take some time getting to know the people that’ll be doing the work because, ultimately, it’s a vendor relationship that you’re seeking.”
Shared Values
While not a must-have, choosing a vendor who shares values similar to your company’s can be beneficial when making the final decisions on a provider. For instance, selecting a vendor who only uses eco-friendly materials might be a bigger green flag with your boss than you realize, as many companies look to illustrate their ethics and corporate responsibilities to prospective investors and customers.
The Final Assessment Isn’t Forever
Choosing the right vendor is an exercise in trust and assessment, but don’t worry: A strong exit strategy written into your contract means unworkable engagements with vendors won’t have to last forever or hamper your budget.
For another perspective on this important choice, read “With the Right Third-Party Vendors, Facilities Managers Can Thrive” on Facilities Management Advisor.
Ali Hickerson is a freelance journalist, content writer, and strategist based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Outside of Facilities Management Advisor, Ali’s recent bylines on health and workplace issues have crisscrossed the country and helped advocate for programs and policies that work to create a healthier, more humane, and equitable world.