Being a partner in life for our clients, their employees, and even our clients’ customers. That’s the objective we aim to achieve at Multi Masters Group. Koen Van Riet, Commercial & business manager at Multi Masters Group, not only tells you how we accomplish this but also how you as a client benefit from it. “A partner in life not only takes worries off your hands but also shares responsibility for your organization, employees, and your company’s customers,” he says.
Change of era
Multi Masters Group aims to be a partner in life for everyone. Not just another service provider doing its job, but a true partner. But why is that so important? “We are currently not in an era of change, but in a change of era,” explains Koen Van Riet. “In recent years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, people’s views on life have completely changed. Both on a personal and professional level. This has brought about many new challenges. Some examples include the demanded flexibility, digitization, labor shortages, and attention to CSR.”
A new vision
Flexibility
“There has been an extreme demand for flexibility. On the one hand, employees expect this from their employer. They want hybrid working, but they also expect that working in the office offers much more luxury than working from home. A place where everything is clean, safe, and pleasant. Not only the employee and the company but also the customer of the customer increasingly demands flexibility. Just like each of us is accustomed to as individuals; everything must be fast, simple, and fun. The benefits you receive as a customer, you also want to experience as a company. Think about the fast delivery times nowadays.”
Digitization
“Research by McKinsey has shown that digitization during the COVID-19 period has advanced by 7 years. In a world of digitization, one year is already significant, let alone 7. And it’s here to stay. Just look at the rapid rise of OpenAI, ChatGPT, Metaverse, etc. As a customer, you expect your suppliers, partners, etc., to adapt to all the new possibilities.”
War for people
“Another challenge today is the war for talent. Although I would rather call it the war for people. You no longer have the luxury of choosing talent. You will have to find people, develop talent yourself, and ensure they feel good. Because another major challenge today is retaining good employees.”
CSR
“What does your company do for the planet? You can no longer hide from this question. You cannot be neutral on CSR; you must make a statement and take real action. In 2024, large and medium-sized companies are even required to produce a sustainability report. And importantly, due to the oversupply of job vacancies, there are more than enough choices. The younger generation consciously chooses companies that provide added value in addressing (major) social issues such as the environment, the planet, but certainly also for the employees themselves.”
A proactive partner as a solution
These factors mean that you also have new needs as a customer. “There is no need for just any cleaning company or a ‘standard’ technician. What is needed is a partner who thinks along with the customer and tackles current and future challenges,” continues Koen. “A partner in life will not only bundle some services, execute and coordinate them but also think strategically with the customer. They will act as experts in their field and provide advice on continuous improvement and more efficient operations.”
“In the ideal scenario, we aim for an IFM approach (Integrated Facility Management). In this case, as a customer, you outsource both the operational and strategic aspects of facility management completely. Even including all ancillary activities. This approach is well-established in many countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and also in our neighbouring countries. However, in our country, we see a more cautious approach. The market is not yet 100% ready. The ideal solution: we take an intermediate step with bundled services outsourcing. This way, you already enjoy some of the benefits of IFM without fully letting go of the facility services. You ensure that you have fewer points of contact for a combination of services. But not everything. This means that as a company, you can still handle a certain part yourself or turn to another partner.”
The evolution of facility management
1. In-house
You manage your facility services with your own staff. For example, cleaning by in-house cleaning staff, green maintenance by your own gardening service, etc.
2. Single service outsourcing
You entrust certain facility services to different external providers.
3. Bundled services outsourcing
For a more efficient approach, you engage an external partner for multiple facility services.
4. Integrated Facility Management (IFM)
The complete facility maintenance of your building(s) is handled by a single partner, for example, Multi Masters Group. Cleaning Masters takes care of cleaning, Green Masters for green maintenance, Techni Masters for technical maintenance, Security Masters for security, etc.
The strength of bundled services outsourcing and IFM
So, what are the benefits of bundled services outsourcing and IFM? And why is single service outsourcing not ideal? “With single services outsourcing, you have a different partner for each facility need,” explains Koen. “Each supplier operates in their own way, with their own methods, objectives, values, or culture. And we haven’t even mentioned communication and reporting yet. There is no cohesion or reinforcing effect between the different suppliers.”
“With an IFM approach, you entrust all services to the same partner. You have a single point of contact. It’s a worry you can completely hand over to your facility partner, so you can concentrate 100% on the core business of your company, which is what really matters to you. With bundled services outsourcing, you still enjoy a large part of these benefits:
- A well-maintained, safe, clean working environment leads to higher employee productivity
- You have less to monitor, plan, etc., and therefore have more time for other things
- You benefit from your facility partner’s innovative initiatives
- You can include your partner’s sustainable initiatives in the mandatory sustainability report
- …
“So, a partner in life not only takes worries off your hands but also shares responsibility for your organization, employees, and your company’s customers. By taking your facility concerns off your hands, a partner in life ensures that you gain efficiency. They continuously look for ways to optimize service by staying up-to-date with the latest techniques and trends. What’s more, a partner in life even takes initiatives towards CSR, so that your organization can benefit from it as well.”
