| The Three Types of Facility Services Companies

There are many different companies within the category of facility services. These companies all fall into one of three groups, and understanding the groups will help you choose the vendor that’s right for your commercial facility. Each has its own advantages, so it’s important to know what you need.

| AGGREGATORS

For Facilities Managers with a portfolio of properties spread out across multiple states or even across the country, aggregators can be a good resource. These businesses maintain a list of third-party vendors from every trade you could possibly need with a single phone call. When they receive requests for service, they’ll distribute work orders as needed to cover the demand. Aggregators are able to process mass quantities of work orders this way, but it does have one shortcoming: you as the Facilities Manager are relying on their ability to source high quality service providers. The top companies in this group will have systems in place to catch and correct quality issues. But that still leaves you dependent on those systems and somewhat separated from the people actually doing the work.

| SELF-PERFORMERS

If your portfolio of properties isn’t as spread out, then you might be better suited to find your own network of vendors who perform the services you need themselves. You won’t have the benefit of an aggregator managing them for you, but you gain a direct working relationship with the technicians visiting your facilities. This option is great for Facilities Managers who like to be more involved with the trade services they hire. You’ll have much more control over the quality of the services you’re receiving and can decide whether the vendors are meeting your standards. The downside is that many of the vendors will be specialists. They’ll be expert plumbers or electricians, for example, but can’t help in other areas. You’ll be left sourcing your own alternatives for issues that fall outside of their expertise.

| FULL-SERVICE

What if you want the best of both worlds? That’s where true full-service companies come in. They’re not very common, but they come with everything you need including proper licensing, insurance, a team of their own technicians, and the skills to manage projects. It’s a hybrid approach that combines in-house technicians with a vetted network of service partners. They’ll work with you to create a maintenance plan including ongoing evaluations and emergency services. You’ll know that the work being done, whether it’s in-house teams or strategic partners, carries the company’s quality standards through to the end.

AAA Facility Services is a full-service company with professional technicians and a vetted network of partners. Contact us today to learn more about our services or request a quote.