We’re excited to announce that we’ve recently let a new and comprehensive cleaning contract with Bidvest Noonan covering all FM managed buildings, including the Schwarzman Building.
This covers space cleaning, window cleaning, feminine hygiene, consumables and chemicals provision. A reactive cleaning service is also available on a chargeable basis, which covers emergency and reactive cleaning out of hours and also events support.
Background to the decision to tender
Over the last decade the cleaning industry and its customers have evolved considerably. We felt that it was both sensible and best-practice to explore the current marketplace and the cleaning value proposition available to the University.
Tender objective
The objective of the tender was to provide the University with services that ultimately offer best value and minimises risk.
It was intended that the services in scope would contribute to a safe, hygienic and pleasant environment for all building users, maintain the image and reputation of the University, delay asset degradation, and embed best practice into every aspect of management and operational delivery.
Critical success factors
The critical success factors we sought to achieve for this tender were:
- Value from economies of scale
- Contract scope consolidation
- Purchasing power from the supply chain
- Value from innovation
- Process and methodology
- Technology (equipment, cobotics etc)
- Product choice (effectiveness and sustainability)
- Flexible resource structure (management and operational efficiency)
- Value from supply chain experience and specialist knowledge
- Cleaning in similar building environments and setting (New and heritage)
- New ways of working and relationship with cleaning demand
- Minimising disruption to customers
- Learnings from the Covid 19 pandemic
Cleaning strategy
The cleaning strategy required to achieve the objective and critical success factors was to single source a supplier thus creating the operational and commercial efficiencies necessary whilst introducing robust service levels and innovative new ways of working.
Outcome
So what have we achieved?
- Consolidation of suppliers from four to one cleaning provider and also a single source for all ancillary services such as feminine hygiene, nappy bins, air fresheners and window cleaning. This means only one point of contact for all queries and also significant resource savings in relation to management and invoice processing.
- Technological changes including the use of hand held battery operated cleaning equipment, cobotics and also real time cleaning data through Timegate, which links attendance to payroll and provides an extensive resources reporting tool.
- A flexible contract structure that allows for changes to not only the estate and buildings in scope, but also to changes within buildings as required.
- Additionally, we have introduced a robust consumables and chemicals management process which provides greater control and accountability.
University wide availability
The tender scope was initially limited to FM-managed buildings only. However, now that the contract is successfully mobilised, the contract is available to the wider university with the option of managing the contract directly or via the FM Contracts Team for a small management fee.
Please contact Richard Alexander in the FM Contracts team for further information and guidance.
