04 Dec Choose a single facility maintenance project manager

4 reasons to look for a single facility maintenance project manager

Tips to help you choose the right building maintenance contractor

It’s an unsettling situation: you’ve entrusted the integrity of your facility to a particular project manager, only to find that you are suddenly unable to speak with that person again.

And it’s not unreasonable that you’ve assumed, as a facility owner or manager, that the contractor you negotiate with, inspect site with, and deal with, will ultimately be responsible for both works carried out on your site, and any subsequent enquiries or concerns.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

Why is a maintenance project manager sometimes replaced?

Changes in representation can have an innocent explanation. Reasonable issues can and do arise which may necessitate a contact transfer. For example, your project manager may feel the work is better suited to a more specialized colleague; or perhaps they realize they’re unable to allocate adequate time from their current workload.

Other reasons are more concerning. Loss of contact can indicate a transient culture within the contracting organization, or perhaps a lack of efficiency and structure. Sudden and unexplained changes can also be signs of issues at an organizational level, particularly if they occur repeatedly.

Regardless of the reason, you should always be notified prior to the change, and offered the opportunity to discuss alternative arrangements with your contractor.

It’s a situation that can easily lead to confusion, disruption and even problems with subsequent workmanship – which is why a single point of contact can be so beneficial for the integrity of your facility.

The benefits of working with a single maintenance project manager

Maintaining a single point of contact with a contractor carries many advantages – not least the peace-of-mind it gives you as a facility owner or manager. Here are a few of the key reasons to maintain lasting relationships with a specific project manager.

1) Reduced chance of confusion

Communication between two parties can be difficult at the best of times. And it’s nearly always affected by ‘noise’ (caused by psychological, physical, environmental or semantic factors), which impacts the accurate exchange of information.

Communicating with multiple contacts, or adding unnecessary parties to technical discussions, only increases the risk that requirements will be confused, misinterpreted or overlooked.

By contrast, working with a single project manager allows direct communication and a greater chance that your requirements will be clearly understood.

2) Better continuity of service

In your facilities management role you have a broad range of responsibilities. It’s almost inevitable that some information will be overlooked during change-of-hands procedures. That’s why having the freedom to speak to your knowledgeable project manager in detail, any time, helps to insure your facility.

Having a long-term contact to deal with also helps any new staff to receive critical information about the facility they manage, as well as current recommendations for ongoing proactive maintenance.

3) Avoid wasting time on re-briefings

As a facility manager or owner your time is valuable! Wasting it on repeated contractor briefings is always frustrating – and each time you have to “bed in” a new contact, you may have to repeat time-consuming activities like site inspections, proposal reviews, and pre-start meetings.

Every transition to a new project manager represents time and energy that you could better use for other aspects of facility management.

4) Inside knowledge of facility conditions

Facilities – particularly those with numerous roof penetrations – will often experience recurring leaks and predictable deterioration. Over time, a single Project Manager will come to recognize the unique challenges facing your roof, and develop strategies and plans to address or avoid them.

Long term contractor contacts have an understanding of the historical context of a facility’s roof issues, and are capable of drawing conclusions based on that knowledge. This maximizes the value you’ll receive by reducing site-management requirements and allowing a ‘set and forget’ approach to roof maintenance.

How to ensure you deal with a single project manager

There are a few steps you can take to ensure the project manager responsible for starting your roof works will also see the job through:

1) Include management requirements in your contract, naming a specific project manager and stipulating acceptable contact-transfer circumstances.

2) Meet with your project manager’s supervisor, manager or director and obtain their assurance that your contacts will remain reliable. This is also an excellent way to assess the contracting organizations management culture.

3) Request direct contact details for your project manager and bypass administrative lines. Your project manager should be happy to oblige, and should always be available via multiple channels.

Need a reliable project manager for facility? Talk to R&BS

Contractors who are unable or unwilling to allocate dedicated representatives to a commercial job may be capable of delivering the works; yet this will inevitably be overshadowed by their inability to deliver you a seamless customer experience.

The bottom line is that project managers should relieve your maintenance burden, rather than creating additional management requirements!

For a complimentary, no-obligation 30 minute consultation with an experienced roof maintenance project manager, call R&BS now on 1800 550 037 or fill out the contact form below for a fast response.