Facilities Management Professionals Have Their Responsibilities Expanded Due To Covid-19

 

Facilities & office management staff at both large and small businesses have seen their responsibilities grow tremendously in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis. Needs & expectations continue to rise in big metropolises like New York, which were the worst impacted. For instance, office cleaning in NYC has been forever altered by the addition of disinfection methods, and staff seating patterns are now being scrutinized. Because of high real estate prices in major cities, employees were seated in ever-closer proximity until the pandemic reversed the trend.

Many workplaces are now being designed in novel ways; Almost everything about post-pandemic measures falls under the purview of facility management. HVAC system filtration has become a hot topic for some workplaces. Using it to add more fresh air and filter indoor air with more sophisticated filter media are options companies can consider. If there are temperature checks at building entrances or any other screening of employees and guests, they also fall under the facilities management reals.

Many requests and questions arise on short notice, and teams need to be ready to respond. Employees need answers for peace of mind. When firms allow more employees to work remotely on a permanent basis, some reduce or reconfigure their office space. Ordinarily, workplace relocation and modifications are planned in the mid & long-term, allowing for an orderly path toward completion.

However, the present operations are taking place under different conditions, resulting in new time constraints and unanticipated scenarios. Today's facilities experts are developing new work plans and templates that enable much faster transfers and consolidations within the same business. As businesses consolidate into fewer office spaces and want to minimize overcrowding, it necessitates a reconsideration of how space is used. The one clear thing is that whatever the interior layout, outstanding office cleaning will be needed. 

Outsourcing Cleaning to Reduce Budgets, Improve Service

 

These days most companies use an outsourced janitorial service to get the best service they can for the available budget and even more started during the coronavirus pandemic. It's especially pronounced in large metropolises like New York, where companies search for the most effective officecleaning NYC offers. Top contractors have trained technicians who are well managed and thoroughly knowledgeable about both effectiveness (including disinfecting and sanitizing) and efficiency. Crews using the most efficient techniques can produce superior results in a fraction of the time of untrained in-house staff.

Keeping offices clean according to the highest standards requires retraining and reequipping teams periodically, sometimes often during an extraordinary event like the pandemic. It also means staying abreast of the most advanced implements, eco-friendly cleaning products, and work methods to produce the best results in the least possible amount of time. It's challenging for the in-house team to keep pace because the facilities management professionals who manage them have varied duties – making it harder to focus significant time on updating cleaning methods and the products used.

Daily cleaning checklists are the backbone of efficiency for an outsourced office janitorial service. When you select a contractor for your company, begin by walking your space with one of their managers and going over every detail. Especially at the start, crews need detailed instruction about their daily priorities because no two companies are alike. Checklists also make oversight and management more efficient because they are standardized for whoever uses them on a given day. Leaving evaluation to personal opinion is never a recipe for efficiency or fairness. Consistency improves efficiency and cleaning results.

Some companies outsourcing their daily office cleaning have a hybrid model that includes in-house staff and an outsourced janitorial service. In these scenarios, it is typical for the in-house team to work during the daytime for immediate housekeeping needs and the finishing touches that make an office look well-tended. During the evening and overnight off-hours, the cleaning service crew comes in to handle the heavier tasks like trash removal, vacuuming, mopping, restroom cleaning, and much more. It lightens the budget in the in-house staff and lets them focus on keeping things tidy and neat all day.