Encompass Insights

Management often tosses out or discontinues good facility programs because they believe it didn’t achieve the desired outcome.

But don’t give up so easily. Tossing out the entire initiative and simply dismissing it because it “doesn't work” deprives you of the opportunity to learn more about your organization. Instead, you need to look deeper to understand what went wrong and how you can remedy it.

Here's how you can dissect your initiative to figure out why your facility program didn’t work and how you can get back on track. 

When it comes to implementing new initiatives at your facility, your motto should often be: 50% is better than none.

Now, for those of us who tend to be perfectionists, that sounds like a slap in the face. How could I think of standing up a program I know isn’t the best?

Many organizations are reluctant to implement new initiatives because of hurdles in adoption or uncertainty in the outcome. However, when something is critical, you're better off moving forward and getting those that are "convertible" on board than working tirelessly to slowly move the difficult ones in your direction. 

With so many tasks tugging at you every day, being strategic is not always an easy feat for managers. Prioritizing daily activities may seem pretty self-evident, but prioritizing long-term changes across your organization, well, that's a different story.

Here are four questions you should answer to evaluate the soundness of that new process or project you’ve been wanting to get off the ground for a while. 

Is culture something you either have or don't have, or is it something that you can actively build?

Both.

For many individuals, corporate culture sounds like a very abstract, fluffy thing you use in Marketing and that's it. But truly successful companies make culture an integral part of their operations. If you’re interested in improving the company culture at your facility, it’s something that can be done; you just need to know how to go about it.

In last week’s post we discussed how important it is to understand your facility’s cost structures, especially when it comes to staffing. We also covered employee health care, performance, stability, and retention.

This week we’re answering the question: When it comes to deciding between hiring full and part-time employees, how do you quantify your decision? 

There is no cookie-cutter answer for how you balance your team. It requires a deep understanding of your operations and your people. Nonetheless, here's how you might make a more informed decision. 

Understanding the financial and operational structures of your facility and how they go hand in hand can save you money.

One issue that regularly comes up when it comes to cost structure and planning is staffing, and whether full-time or part-time employees provide the bigger bang for your buck.

So what are the common misconceptions behind this debate and what is actually more cost effective?

Let’s take a look. 

When it comes to crafting your facility maintenance RFP, it’s important to first outline the basics, including:

• A clear definition of required tasks
• An understanding of your service cost structure
• Required skills and qualification
• A request for options and costs of add-on and a la carte items

Having these RFP basics in place will help you get started on the right foot with any new vendor and help them better understand your organization’s needs and expectations. 

But you shouldn’t stop there.