For Facility Managers Only: How to Write Effective RFPs

For instance, the RFP covering custodial services for an office building might state that all carpeted common area walkways are to be vacuumed every visit, but carpets in office areas are to be vacuumed only twice per week. Specifying both the cleaning task and the frequency allows building managers to be better able to compare apples with apples when evaluating pricing and when selecting a cleaning contractor. 

However, an effective RFP requires that building managers stay up to date with the latest cleaning technologies and advances. Not doing so can be costly, and in some cases, environmentally unfriendly.

For instance, the RFP of a small college required all floors to be refinished three times per year. Refinishing floors is one of the most labor-intensive – that is, most costly – services in the professional cleaning industry. Furthermore, we must recognize that cleaning solutions used to perform floor care are very powerful chemicals, even if the solutions used are green-certified.

However, with new floor cleaning methods and products, very often floors need only be refinished every twelve to eighteen months, sometimes longer intervals. Stretching refinishing cycles like this invariably is a significant cost savings as well as healthier for the environment.

There are other examples, as well. 

In another situation, the RFP requested that carpet be cleaned using the extraction method two or three times per year. However, very often, carpet can be cleaned two or three times by shampooing or using dry carpet cleaning technologies before requiring extraction. Extending the time between carpet extractions once again helps reduce costs. Further, these methods help ensure areas are open to foot traffic much faster, minimizing disruption to building users.

And one more thing. IoT, the Internet of Things, is playing a bigger and more prominent role in professional cleaning. One of the features of IoT technology is that it can help improve worker productivity. Once again, cost savings are possible.

So, how can building managers, update their RPFs and take advantage of many of these new cleaning products, procedures, and technologies that can help reduce cleaning costs? Secure Clean advises our customers to do the following:

Review your RPF every year. All too often, old RFPs are just given a new date. If there is one point we hope we have made here, it is that cleaning has changed and is changing fast. There have been many advances. Just posting a new date on an old RPF won’t work any longer.

Please don’t do it alone. Most building managers wear many hats and have a lot on their plate. Staying up to date with the latest cleaning technologies requires consultation with a specialist in the field. We suggest that building mangers meet with janitorial distributors, cleaning consultants, or cleaning contractors, and walk their entire facility. This will help them prepare what is called a SOW – Scope of Work. We have provided this service for building managers. The SOW answers three crucial questions: what tasks are necessary to maintain the facility, how often these must be performed, and the outcomes expected.

Attend industry tradeshows and seminars. The professional cleaning industry has become very transparent. Many tradeshows and industry seminars are now open to building managers. Most manufacturers, distributors, and cleaning contractors want their customers to know as much as possible about professional cleaning. The reason for this is simple: the more they know, the wiser the decisions they can make to ensure their facilities are kept clean, safe, and healthy…the ultimate goals of professional cleaning.