In the organisation of services for a building or business, whether this is managed directly or by a facilities management specialist, there will be a number of services that have particular requirements making them candidates for outsourcing to expert professional providers. These non-core services such as I.T and security can be outsourced to any number of businesses. To make a success of outsourcing there are several points to keep in mind.

Expertise
The reason you are outsourcing a noncore service is because it does not fall into your area of specialism. This means that the first challenge is locating a suitable business to partner with. Evaluate potential outsourcing partners so that you can choose a company with the relevant expertise that you can trust. Case Studies, testimonials, recommendations from others in your field all play a part, but in the end, it will come down to starting a conversation with your preferred provider and finding out if your businesses are compatible.

Expectations
When entering into discussions about an outsourcing arrangement both service provider and customer need to be clear about their expectations of themselves and each other. If the driving factor is service improvements, then these inevitably come at a price. Expecting to see cost reductions along with increased manpower may not be achievable. The service provider needs to be clear about their capabilities and what can realistically be achieved in a given time frame and price structure.

Process
Once your provider is in place it is important to start putting new processes, people, and workflows in place as soon as possible to minimise any ramp up period where you get used to how the provider works, and they can understand your operational needs.

Culture
Outsourcing will undoubtedly have an impact on your organisational culture. Getting to know your service provider and their culture will help you integrate their service into your business. Identify shared policies or values that could strengthen your working relationship. Above all communication is the key to the early phase of any outsourced arrangement.

Decision Making
Companies and service providers need to come to a clear understanding of who has the authority and decision-making power for the affected business functions. You can write this into the service contract and make everyone involved aware of where decision making, and authority lie.

“Delegate your weaknesses so you can focus on your strengths” is a maxim that is commonly heard in relation to outsourcing non-core services. Sentinel Group Security (SGS) have a track record of working with management organisations, providing bespoke integrated security solutions for a wide range of industries. With a commitment to a culture of continuous improvement and performance management, SGS will be happy to discuss your security requirements. Please get in touch to learn more about what we can offer.