What can we do to make the delivery of facilities management to stores a more efficient process?

From cleaning to odd jobs and repairs, making sure that stores are safe, clean and tidy is just as important as stock availability and window dressing.

You have the choice of letting store managers handle this, or working with a third-party service provider. Facilities management provider Anabas works with retailers including Body Shop, Gap and Crabtree & Evelyn. Managing director Mark Cooper says that whatever types of suppliers you work with, there are several issues to consider.

The first is compliance. Anyone working in a retailer’s stores should have undertaken health and safety training, and have the legal right to live and work in the UK. This is especially important with cleaners who are handling hazardous substances, and those who require protective equipment.

The second is cost. Many store managers arrange services such as window cleaning locally – but does this give the best deal? Cooper says that you need central visibility of costs if you are to ensure value for money.

And the information you track on facilities management should also extend to some key performance indicators. Cooper says that Anabas has a system in place to measure performance, which allows it to prove to customers that its cleaners turn up on time and work to the correct standard. So as well as having an oversight of who does what, it is crucial that the quality of work undertaken is being measured and recorded.