Outsourcing
Part 1: Finding Green Cleaners
Part 2: Crafting an RFI for Green Cleaners
Part 3: What to Put in a Green Cleaning RFP
Finding Green Cleaners
By Stephen Ashkin and Jennifer Corbett-Shramo
November 2008
In the quest for finding a quality green cleaning contractor, facility executives should follow two simple steps. First, develop, distribute and evaluate a Request for Information (RFI) from potential service providers. Then, develop and evaluate a Request for Proposal (RFP) from the prequalified field.
Both steps are part of the same goal: Narrowing the field to only those providers that facility executives are sure can handle the job and can provide the best value. After all, there is little value to receiving and evaluating 100 proposals, if only five are actually capable of delivering the desired quality of cleaning.
The RFI step allows facility executives to separate contractors that are capable of providing the appropriate green cleaning services from those that are not. While the RFI may add a week or two to the process, the net result can significantly reduce complaints, add years to a successful contract relationship and lower overall cost, which includes the cost for the process of contracting itself.
When developing the RFI, facility executives should keep in mind that the goal is to understand the depth and breadth of the skill and services to be provided. To gather the necessary information, facility executives should carefully craft the type of questions to separate honest and clear answers from good sales and marketing.
