Taking up the mop

by Stephen White

Those responsible for facilities management (FM), the all-encompassing term for janitorial, sanitorial, breakroom and a myriad of other products/services, need help. Are OP dealers the right people to give it?  

The FM sector is large and complex, delivering a wide range of products and services both hard - building fabric - and soft - catering, cleaning, health and safety, mailroom, etc. Estimates vary, but market research suggests that in the UK alone the sector is worth between £40-£95 billion (US$73-$145 billion). Surely then, that leaves plenty of room for the office products industry?

The answer at this moment is possibly so, possibly not. In office products, FM is often bundled in as a term to be used alongside Jan/San and breakroom supplies to describe products consumed in an office beyond traditional office supplies. The logic goes that if you're a dealer that is able to source all of the above, then you can offer the full range of products to your customer's facility manager. The only problem is that FM covers a dizzying array of areas, dependent on the industry or an individual's role(s).

The modern facilities manager faces a mountain of responsibility because the range of services covered under the term of FM have expanded considerably in the last couple of decades. An FM manager in the 1970s, for instance, probably had responsibility for cleaning, catering, security, maintenance and call support services (postroom, switchboard, reception and porterage). All in the comfort zone of the office product dealer and its wholesaler. Since then things have expanded dramatically.

Today, managers working for a large organisation could probably list well over a hundred different services they are responsible for.

Modern FM

Modern FM service portfolios can include an ever-growing list of a diverse range of in-house and outsourced services such as payroll, energy management, helpdesks, travel, IT and logistics.

In-house services can encompass everything from reprographics, audiovisual support and bicycle maintenance to document management, community support and corporate social responsibility. A focus on work-life balance and 'wellness' has led to the managing of fitness gyms, crèches, dental and medical centres, ironing, laundry and car valeting. In other words, there is very little that could not and does not fall under the remit of a facilities manager.

Today's workplace, and the nature of the work that takes place there, has altered considerably. The growth of information technology has changed the nature of building services, shifting demographics have led to different demands for catering and welfare facilities, and new ways of working have created new requirements for companies to support home and mobile workers.

Under pressure to reduce costs, facilities managers are also under-resourced and face a mountain of invoices from a varity of suppliers. With so much on their plate, it's unsurprising that these managers are eager to get as close as possible to a limited or even single-source supplier.

Relieving the burden

There are many office products dealers now offering their services to relieve their plight, and plenty of examples of businesses combining their everyday stationery purchases with facility supplies in order to reduce and streamline purchasing costs. But there are few that can provide the total solution.

However, if you're an office products dealer, the range of product and potential for added value could be about to increase exponentially. The major wholesalers in the US and Europe have all stressed the importance of Jan/San, breakroom and FM supplies in the past year.

In fact, OPI was at a presentation recently where one senior executive at a UK wholesaler outlined a future for their company where they provide dealers with the opportunity to supply absolutely anything an office or business could require.

Interestingly, the numbers suggested gave the potential size of market somewhere in the middle of that magic £40-£95 million range.

There are rumours in the US market that at least one of the large wholesalers is ready to partner with one of the major industrial cleaning organisations, thus converging office products suppies with that sector.
This will lower the barriers to entry yet further to anyone interested in supplying FM, Jan/San or breakroom products (and all of the above). It also means that dealers from both industries could very well be able to offer the other's line of products and services to existing customers.

Laura Guillame of MBS Dev explains that at the moment OP dealers have a technological advantage over the specialist suppliers. That gap will close, however. She also warns that OP dealers will have to learn quickly the unique demands of these markets.  

"Dealers are going to have to change the way they work" she says. "Take a restaurant, for example. There's no point turning up at 11am to discuss sanitorial supplies. That's way too late."
So while there is a possibility that the pond we've been swimming in could get a lot larger, it remains to be seen what happens when some of the big fish from the other side are let in.

Trends in the sector

Mike Schaffer, President of Tornado Industries, a leading manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment, offers the following 'Top Five Jan/San Trends of 2009'.

1. The Jan/San industry is no longer recession 'resistant'.
For years, the professional cleaning industry has been considered recession resistant, only marginally impacted by economic declines. We are no longer resistant; at best we are now recession 'resilient'. The industry is beginning to show signs of bouncing back, with most firms in the Jan/San industry leaner, more focussed, and responsive to customer needs and economic changes.

2. Cleaning and health are forever linked. What may have started as a marketing slogan is now scientifically supported in our industry. Our end-users increasingly associate proper cleaning with the betterment of health, hygiene and the environment.

3. Green is here to stay. If anyone still had remaining doubts about green cleaning, those dissolved in 2009. Our industry has now become a leader in environmental responsibility and other industries and market segments are following our lead.

4. Floorcare is becoming more sustainable. Along with becoming greener, more floorcare manufacturers are developing equipment that use less water, chemicals and energy.

5. Cutting cleaning costs without sacrificing health or appearance. End-users want to reduce cleaning costs without sacrificing the health of building occupants or a facility's appearance. They are turning to contractors for products and technologies that reduce costly floor finishing cycles and carpet cleaning frequencies.