Facilities oversees a variety of functions and responsibilities, some of which cannot or should not be outsourced. Leaders therefore need to carefully evaluate possible outsourcing opportunities to ensure that some benefits (such as financial savings) are not outweighed by other costs like a reduction in response time to customer calls.
Leaders seeking step-by-step guidance to evaluate the viability of an outsourcing arrangement can use EAB’s Facilities Outsourcing Decision Worksheet. The worksheet quantifies ten separately weighted criteria to provide an outsourcing possibility score.
While cost and service levels considerations often drive the search for a vendor, it is important for institutions to find outsourcing partners with proven higher education experience, clear and transparent processes, and a deep bench of managerial talent. Vendors will provide case studies of their past performance, but leaders can independently evaluate potential partners using the following questions.
After selecting a partner, leaders must craft a contract that establishes service levels and governs the outsourced relationship. This is critical to do correctly, as a poorly defined contract can prevent the partnership from succeeding.
While a well-structured contract lays the foundation for an effective working relationship between the institution and vendor, it alone is not sufficient to ensure the relationship proceeds smoothly. Successful outsourcing partnerships require management on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis. The essential components to vendor management are contract managers, quality assurance, and communication.
Scope an empowered contract manager role: Ensure the contract manager has a high level of authority, clear expectations, and a non-financial focus. Use robust quality…