4 Tips on How Facility Managers Can Do More With Less

In our business, we have the opportunity to work with many different types of companies, from Healthcare to Construction, Education to Financial and everything in between. These can be very large organizations down to relatively small ones. Although they may not seem to have much in common, there is one thing they all appear to share. They have been asked to "do more with less." Sound familiar? Its a phrase that is becoming all too common in our world and sometimes for a good reason.

So if you are trying to figure out how to do the same (or more) work, with less staff and less budget, we are here to give you some tips.

Tip #1: You Can't There, doesn't that feel better? Sometimes just admitting that you cannot physically do more with less is mentally satisfying. However, if you are like most of our customers, just saying this aloud doesn't make things better, and convincing leadership is even harder. If you can get away with Tip #1, you can stop reading. If not, read on.

Tip #2: Get Efficient The fact is that if you were able to quantify the work your team has been doing and can achieve the same or better results with fewer people or resources, then efficiency is the issue. Focus on everything that your department is responsible for and break it into deliverables and tasks.

For example, one item my department is responsible for is maintaining a clean facility. (Deliverable) One of the tasks of maintaining a clean facility is making sure our floors are clean and odor free. (Tasks)

Now that you have some "tasks," monitor HOW your team goes about making sure they complete each one and look for ways to improve their performance. Maybe you can find a way for them to shave 30 minutes off of their work by using a different method or by combining tasks to be completed by a team instead of an individual.

Tip #3: Shorten the List One way to do more is doing less. That sounds a bit backward, but it is all about prioritization. Making a list of expectations, deliverables and tasks are helpful, but once you RANK them in order of importance, it will be an eye opener.

Most Facility Directors' list of expectations is very long and maybe overwhelming to review. Once you add all the individual tasks (work), that needs to be done, you may lose hope. But don't give up just yet, look at the very bottom of the list and work your way up asking these questions.

1. Is this something that STILL needs to be done? Many times we find ourselves doing the same old thing even when we've forgotten WHY we started it in the first place. Scratch these off the list right away.

2. Can this be done by someone else? Maybe a different department can take on some tasks, or you may be able to outsource them to a professional. (See Tip #4)

Tip #4: Outsource to Professionals Once you have a clear understanding of all the expectations of your department and have the deliverables and tasks, it may be time to hire professional help.

Xtreme certainly fits this suggestion, but so do many other professional services companies. One of the biggest misconceptions is that hiring a professional services firm is TOO EXPENSIVE. However, the truth is that every customer is unique and many services can be tailored to fit any budget.

Hiring a professional services firm can provide you with insight, expertise and make suggestions that can SAVE you money in the long run. They do not replace your team in every case but rather take on important tasks that need to be completed promptly, while freeing you and your team to accomplish other projects.

One way Xtreme's customers use our tile and grout services is with their public restrooms. An expectation of every Facility Manager we work with is to make sure that the bathrooms are clean, odor free, healthy and give a great impression to all who use them. Janitorial services can provide some basic mopping and general cleaning, however, mopping tile and grout can be the worst way to clean a tile floor. We can clean and coat tile surfaces, horizontal or vertical, with our Hard Tile Clear Treatment, creating a nonporous surface that keeps dirt and grime out.

Meanwhile, the Facility Director can focus on the other million things they need to do and have confidence that the public restrooms are well maintained. The phrase "doing more with less" isn't going away soon, but having a strategy for handling it can give you some peace of mind.

If you would like to learn how Xtreme has helped our customers we would love to connect with you. Sign up for a free consultation today!

#FacilityManagement #TeamBuilding