Building management and maintenance are major operational challenges for any company that operates out of an in-person location, and BPO facility management is one of the most effective ways to take on this challenge.
Managing any type of physical space, from offices to retail locations, involves advanced coordination and day-to-day supervision that can be difficult for business owners to keep up with on their own. By outsourcing workplace management to an experienced third-party team, companies can focus on their core operations without having to worry about facility issues interrupting business.
As a result, BPO facility optimization is one of the fastest ways companies can reduce overhead and improve efficiency.
The Role of Facility Management in BPO
One arm of business process outsourcing involves hiring a third-party firm to manage common back-office tasks, such as customer service, HR, data entry, and overall office administration. By outsourcing facility operations as a whole, companies can offload the stress and logistical challenges associated with maintenance, vendor coordination, and other tasks.
Instead of scrambling to address issues as they arise, business owners can rely on their BPO partners to keep their offices, manufacturing spaces, and retail outlets fully operational and supplied, thereby supporting their employees and customers.
Understanding BPO Facility Management Services
Facility administration encompasses a wide range of tasks, which is one of the reasons outsourcing is such a popular solution. Business owners can outsource an entire subset of workplace operations so they don’t have to keep up with the countless changing factors that could impact a physical workplace. BPO representatives will set up the systems to handle all building-related tasks, coordinate labor, and act as liaisons for any additional issues that come up.
Key Functions and Responsibilities Handled by FM Providers
As a type of logistics BPO, facilities management outsourcing focuses on coordinating resources, labor, and activities involved in conducting business in a physical location. That includes core tasks such as:
- Scheduled preventive maintenance
- Emergency maintenance and work orders
- Vendor management
- Office planning and space utilization
- Sustainability and energy efficiency
- Workplace safety and compliance
- Ordering and maintaining a steady stream of necessary supplies
Driving Operational Efficiency Through Outsourcing
Using BPO services to coordinate workspace needs can directly improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of any business. It has the potential to decrease facility-related expenses while also providing enhanced support to on-site team members.
Streamlining Non-Core Operations for Greater Focus
In-house building administration often involves inefficient manual systems that can be distracting for employees. BPO streamlines maintenance, inventory, and vendor management to ensure that building services are always functional and available.
When an issue does occur, intelligent work order software and maintenance dispatch systems can find a quick solution without disrupting employee workflow. This enables in-house staff to focus on the core tasks of the business and enhance their overall performance.
Reducing Overhead with Scalable Management Solutions
Managing all of the complexities of building administration internally can quickly add up. There is a significant amount of overhead involved in building renovations, maintenance, sustainability initiatives, managing office supplies and inventory, and coordinating each of these tasks. Additionally, maintaining one or more employees for these tasks, their training, recruitment when necessary and overhead is another expense to eliminate.
BPO providers have streamlined systems designed to handle each of these tasks efficiently and in a cost-effective way. They also have well-established vendor relationships and the ability to use bulk purchasing to keep costs low for all clients, ultimately slashing overhead costs while maintaining a high standard for building conditions. As business needs expand, BPO teams can help your business grow through their scalable systems and services.
Benefits of BPO Facility Management
Outsourcing building administration has several immediate benefits for businesses of any size in any industry:
Enhancing Safety and Risk Mitigation
All workplace facilities should meet a high standard of physical safety to ensure the well-being of employees and customers. BPO providers conduct regular maintenance and safety checks in accordance with regulatory guidelines, ensuring that buildings are always up to code and any maintenance-related hazards are promptly addressed.
Achieving Workplace Productivity and Cost Savings
Facilities administration involves a high level of hands-on management that can easily disrupt workplace operations, especially when employees don’t have reliable systems for managing their needs and concerns. By offloading vendor management, work order systems, and standard maintenance to a qualified third-party provider, companies can enhance employee productivity while also reducing overhead and realizing significant cost savings.
Implementing Effective BPO Facility Strategies
To get the most out of outsourcing solutions for facility administration, it’s important to be strategic and work in close partnership with your BPO provider.
Assessing Internal Needs Before Outsourcing
Before jumping into a partnership with a BPO provider, conduct a thorough needs assessment of your building-related and back-office tasks. You want to ensure that you hire a provider that can handle all your needs, from maintenance to compliance.
Strategies for Optimal Space Management
Collaborate with your BPO partner to come up with building layouts and space optimization plans that work for your team. You want to strike a balance between maximizing the potential of each square foot and providing your team with the space and resources they need to succeed. Collaborative workspaces, hot desks, and cross-functional spaces can all be effective tools for optimizing your workspace.
Setting KPIs and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
When getting started with a BPO partner, develop clear guidelines for what success looks like when it comes to facility administration. Establishing KPIs (key performance indicators) is one of the most important outsourcing strategies to set you up for success.
For many businesses, managing building issues internally involves scrambling to keep up with workplace needs and putting out fires as they pop up. BPO providers should go above and beyond and use data-driven KPIs to set your facility up for success. That also involves overseeing SLAs (service level agreements) and setting standards with vendors on your behalf, ensuring consistent implementation of facility management practices.
Continuous Improvement and Feedback
Implementing feedback is a critical element of managing a building. Successful BPO providers will work with your team to constantly enhance the workspace across several metrics.
Embracing Regular Maintenance Practices
BPO providers should strive to optimize maintenance practices to support continuous improvement and enhance cost savings. Standard maintenance is crucial for preventing costly repairs in the future, and it can also help companies identify issues before they become major problems.
Utilizing Feedback for Process Enhancement
It’s important to set up a system for sharing and implementing employee feedback. Getting input from the people who spend the most time in your buildings is the best way to create more efficient, effective, and timely systems. Working with an outsourcing consultant or BPO liaison can help you set up systems for collecting feedback and adjusting operations accordingly.
Get Started with Smarter BPO Facility Management Today
BPO facility management enables businesses to allocate more resources to their core operations without being hindered by the complexities of building maintenance and office administration. By decreasing overhead, enhancing workplace efficiency, and upholding high standards for safety and compliance, outsourcing providers simplify the entire process of operating a business facility.
At Confie BPO, we provide comprehensive building maintenance and administration support for businesses of all sizes. Our scalable, reliable support makes it possible for companies to get what they need out of their facilities without any of the logistical or financial stress. Get more out of your facilities today by connecting with the Confie BPO team at 800-684-2276 or submitting a request online.
