In-House Teams vs Outsourced Facility Management: Who Runs It Better?

Managing a large facility’s needs can be overwhelming. You’re juggling everything from IT systems to landscaping while trying to follow strict compliance standards. Should you keep these duties in-house, or outsource them to a Total Facility Management (TFM) provider? At Bona Fide, we specialize in delivering seamless solutions to facilities of all sizes. We’ve gladly streamlined entire facility systems, and taken care of just a small portion that the property manager didn’t have staff for. Let’s discuss what might work best for your needs.

On the surface, it may seem logical to use your homegrown maintenance and operations employees. They’re already on payroll, they know the building better than anyone, and it may seem like a practical way to keep costs down. In most of these cases, the operations manager thinks of the facility’s needs in terms of the HVAC machinery, janitorial, landscaping, and basic plumbing and electrical needs.

But how many times a year do you have to hire outside contractors to fix larger problems? And when considering the entire facility, how many employees are included when you examine needs in IT like telephones, computers and servers, cybersecurity, and the building’s security systems? Who maintains the security cameras and electronic locks? Who orders supplies and maintains stock rotations? Who does preventative maintenance to avoid mechanical failures? TFM companies like Bona Fide bring expertise and organization to centralize and monitor diverse services that go beyond basic repairs and cleaning.

IT support and cybersecurity services for commercial facilities — Some facility managers consider IT as a different department, but TFM providers like Bona Fide consider it an essential part of a functional building

Overview of In-House Facility Management

Of course, many companies and agencies might prefer to keep facility management in-house for security reasons, especially for sensitive areas like cybersecurity. Having direct oversight with your facility’s security on all levels is very important. Managing everything internally ensures you keep full control over operations. For government agencies, this helps the staff stay in alignment with government protocols and goals, and can make decision making faster.

At the same time, good help is hard to find. The high costs of hiring, training, and retaining specialized staff (like IT and cybersecurity experts) can add up. In addition, scaling your staff for fluctuating needs like seasonal landscaping or tech upgrades can be nearly impossible. This can lead to resource strain across diverse services and departments in the office. Even if you’re not directly responsible for IT upgrades, for instance, others in the office will feel the pain.

Overview of Outsourced Facility Management (TFM)

4 panel picture of people mopping, leaf blowing, mowing grass, and cleaning offices | Total facility management — We take the burden of increasing temp staff for seasonal or unexpected projects

In comparison, outsourced TFM involves contracting a outside company to manage all of the facility’s needs. The TFM company provides expertise in various fields (landscaping, IT, cybersecurity, cleaning, etc.) while taking into account the staffing and logistical requirements.

These tailored services ultimately lead to cost efficiency by providing specialized teams without in-house overhead or time investment. TFM companies have multiple properties and crews, thus, they are able to provide flexible staffing for varying property demands. Often, they’re also able to provide reduced costs on products due to discounted rates for multiple properties.

In addition, TFM companies are obligated to maintain industry best practices and stay up to date on all compliance requirements. From a manager’s point of view, getting updates on projects or making requests is simplified to calling a single-point of contact.

Of course, concerns about security are natural. Any third-party access to your security or computer systems requires confidence in the provider. And becoming dependent on a single vendor requires partnering with someone that has a strong reputation for reliability and good communication.

Comparative Analysis: In-House vs. Outsourced for Government Contracts

Money’s the answer, what’s the question? Experience shows that partnering with a TFM company makes the most financial sense in the long-term life of a building. In terms of cost efficiency, in-house employees have high upfront and ongoing costs for staffing turnover, equipment, and unexpected repairs. Outsourced services bring predictable budgeting and cost-effective flexibility.

When it comes to the expertise and quality of services, we can only talk about ourselves and our experience. Many in-house crews lack specialized skills across diverse areas. They may be able to make minor repairs to HVAC equipment, for instance, but may lack the technical know-how to perform preventative maintenance or major replacements. In addition, our teams maintain current certifications to remain compliant with government standards.

Certification and Compliance aren’t just fancy badges. These programs are designed to give you confidence in the training and ability of the service provider.

As mentioned, in-house teams can struggle to scale their resources in order to deal with an unexpected issue or large project. By contrast, we are scalable and flexible. Quickly adjusting resources by pulling from other crews is in our wheelhouse.

Of course, security and compliance are of the utmost importance. And by maintaining control over sensitive data, in-house teams may create the impression of security. But they may also lack the cutting-edge tools and resources that provide real security.

For example, our teams working across the country stay aware of emerging threats in cybersecurity before they’re reported in the media (or at all). This allows us to pool our knowledge base to the benefit of everyone we work with. And, of course, we’re required to meet strict government compliance standards (FISMA, NIST) with proven security protocols.

Why Choose Outsourced TFM for Your Facility?

As we’ve seen, TFM companies (should) have a more diverse set of skills and resources to address nearly every aspect of a facility’s day-to-day operational needs. At Bona Fide, we’re trusted by Federal, State, and local businesses to ensure their buildings function smoothly.

Putting comprehensive service integration (maintenance, landscaping, janitorial, IT, cybersecurity, plumbing, electrical, etc) under one roof and one point of contact greatly simplifies your workflow and reduces day-to-day stress. And you can have peace of mind knowing that you’re in constant adherence to government regulations and security and safety standards.

Conclusion

Ultimately, outsourced TFM often provides better cost-efficiency, expertise, and scalability for government and private facilities.

At Bona Fide, we deliver seamless, compliant, and high-quality services while reducing your workload and stress.

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If you have a large facility that needs professional care, please CONTACT US