let’s talk shop Formulating The Request For Proposal By: Judy Gillies A five step development process to help ensure great cleaning service. I If you are a facility manager whose clean-ing is outsourced, chances are at some point you will need to develop a Request for Proposal, or RFP, for competitive pricing on your cleaning services. While you may have already developed RFPs for consumable products like mops, with so many steps and factors to consider, developing a cleaning RFP is a much more complicated and daunting process. Cleaning often ranks as the biggest line item cost in a facility’s budget. Getting the best value for the dollar is ex-tremely important. The RFP is a detailed document that out-lines the expectations and responsibilities for the contractor. The accuracy of this document is a crucial step in the process, as the contractor will use this to evaluate and price the cleaning of the building. Misunderstandings on this document may result in problems later and could lead to extra costs down the road. Take the example of Beth. Even though she had been with her orga-nization for a while, she had only recently been promoted to manager of facility ser-vices at her college when she learned that the cleaning contract was up for renewal. The same cleaning company had held the contract for nearly 10 years, but this time the school needed to go out for com-petitive pricing. Beth had no experience with cleaning RFPs and already had a mile long list of tasks requiring her attention. Five Step Process When working with clients, I recommend the following five step process: ● Review your current specifica-tion/Scope of Work/SOW: Buildings change, demands change and occupan-cy rates change. Make sure your current specification reflects the current status of your cleaning program and meets your requirements. Always review the language to eliminate vague phrasing like “as required” or “as needed” and replace it with clear and specific lan-guage. This makes issues that arise later easier to resolve, as the scope is clearly defined in black and white terms with no grey areas. ● Include accurate data: Accurate square footage with current floor types helps the contractor provide an accu-rate bid. You must be diligent in provid-ing this information, and it should be backed up with floor plans. A walking tour also helps the contractor under-stand the complexities of your building. Ensure that you provide an approximate occupant rate and specify if there is a period when your buildings require reduced service. ● Interview your current contractor: If your current contractor is going above and beyond their job assignments, chances are you might not be paying for these extra services and you may end up comparing apples to oranges when you go out for pricing. These extra services must be clearly documented so that all contractors are bidding on the same Scope of Work. This is also a good time to get some input from your current contractor on possible changes. ● Communicate your expecta-tions: Each facility is unique, and you may require more emphasis in certain areas. It is extremely important that you communicate these expectations in your RFP. You want to ensure that you select a contractor that can pro-vide data and expertise in areas such as Key Performance Indicators, metrics for monthly meetings, quality report-ing, sustainability initiatives and innova-tion. If you don’t communicate what you need, the contractor can only guess. ● Establish evaluation criteria: Your RFP must be developed so that you are able to evaluate all bids based on the same criteria. You need to assess whether the contractor has the right resources and ability to clean your facil-ity. Develop a list of technical questions to draw out this information. Detailed pricing sheets are also a must in order to break out things such as labor, equip-ment, cleaning supplies, overhead and profit for comparative purposes. You will also need to communicate the evaluation criteria to the contractor. A sample might be: ● Service and Innovation 25 percent ● Suitability and Experience 35 percent ● Financials 30 percent ● Vendor Presentation 10 percent Choosing the right cleaning contractor starts with a well-documented RFP. Beth was surprised at just how much in-formation and time were required. Without knowing these steps, she might have missed some key elements in the process and ended up choosing the wrong contractor as a result. The RFP is a very important document. If you don’t have the resources to devel-op it yourself, hire a professional to assist you. Judy Gillies is the founder and president of The Surge Group Inc., a cleaning consulting company located in Toronto that helps facilities managers improve their cleaning operations. She is one of the authors of Behind the Broom , A Manager’s Guide to a Professional Cleaning Operation. For more information about Gillies or to get your own copy, visit www.BehindTheBroom.com. www.CMMOnline.com 11
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