FEATURE
“When operatives become more familiar
with a site, they get a better understanding of the challenges it presents.”
empowered to talk to facilities managers and proactively solve small requests without delay.
The right balance between people
and technology All of this may seem to be an argument in favour of good old-fashioned hard work and ditching the ultra-flexible, lean working practices of modern contracting. It may even be taken as a case against outsourcing grounds maintenance in the first place. However, it’s important not to see these things as being mutually exclusive.
While the pendulum has swung too far in one direction, there is a middle ground to which we can return. Grounds maintenance companies can modernise, stay agile and take advantage of digitisation, while still fostering those vital relationships and invest in people for better service delivery.
This is the model that we have sought to build at GRITIT Grounds Maintenance – and it can and does work. Although we service hundreds of sites in each region, wherever possible we seek to ensure that the same team members care for each of these sites. As a grounds
www.tomorrowsfm.com
maintenance company that is part of a winter gritting firm, we also have an opportunity to retain more staff during the quieter winter periods (GM staff can join the gritting operation if they so choose). However it is achieved, better retention is key for any grounds maintenance firm seeking to invest in their staff, and it has given us the security to invest more in training. We think that the investment pays dividends as skilled team leaders and operators do become more effective and serve as better ambassadors for both our own and our clients’ businesses.
This back-to-basics approach to people is a somewhat different way of disrupting an industry, but it is long overdue for grounds maintenance. Even as GM returns to its roots, new technology will be vital to growing its future. From smart devices on site, to databases at the back end to client portals and apps – better technology can help service providers more efficiently plan, monitor and record activity, while allowing busy clients to save time and resources monitoring their GM contracts. It’s always been about delivering the small details that matter most, whilst passing on the savings that come through working better and on a larger scale.
www.gritit.com TOMORROW’S FM | 25
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