OpenWorks Versus Standard Janitorial Companies

Standard janitorial companies exist to do one thing and one thing only. Clean. But are they suitable for your sites? The standard janitorial market is vast, and many providers are more than happy to service your building to the best of their abilities.

According to a recent report by Frost & Sullivan, there are over 250,000 commercial cleaning and janitorial providers in the United States alone. Many of these companies are independent small businesses, while others are franchise businesses working under the umbrella of a standard janitorial corporation.

These specialized providers can work well for homogenous, single-location businesses without industry-specific or facility-specific needs.

However, there are better options for multi-location businesses looking to simplify their operation, have a consistent level of service across locations, and reduce risk at the site level.

1. Janitorial Companies Focus Only on Commercial Cleaning.

Standard janitorial companies are just that—janitorial only. And yes, this is great because that's what buildings need—cleaning. However, these companies can't offer and bundle other services your facility needs because they don't offer them.

Buildings need services in addition to cleaning — landscaping, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, pest control, supplies, and more. Commercial cleaning companies do not offer integrated services, so you must find other contractors and providers for these services. That means you're back to managing and overseeing a patchwork of companies with associated challenges of service consistency, operational processes, variable costs, and administrative time.

You do not have a single point of contact for your service needs. and you don’t have centralized data to help you make better facility decisions.

^{OpenWorks focuses on multi-site companies that require consistency across their locations and want to create greater efficiencies within their facility operations. With OpenWorks, you can bundle your facility services through one supplier with oversight across your organization.

And if you have individual contractors you want to work with, OpenWorks can continue those relationships, so you receive the value of an integrated supplier ecosystem.}

2. Commercial Cleaning Companies Follow a
One-Size-Fits-All Methodology.

Standard janitorial corporations typically employ an extensive network of tiered franchises to perform the cleaning work. With this Master Franchise Model, the corporate entity sells master franchises that then recruits individual franchises that perform the work at your locations.

This model puts you, the customer, several steps away from the company you are doing business with. It also means that several master franchises may be responsible for your locations.

This results in a lack of operational consistency across your locations and a lack of corporate oversight. For example, issues with your service may be communicated to the master franchise level, but you have no single point-of-contact for your entire organization. Due to this potential for inconsistency at the site level, these commercial cleaning companies employ a one-size-fits-all approach for service training and for customers.

If you have specific facility service needs, this lack of personal attention and oversight can lead to disastrous results, especially if your company must adhere to regulations, including the Department of Health, OSHA, or the FDA.

^{Instead of a master franchise model, OpenWorks leverages a direct franchise model. This means that our franchisees and service providers have a direct relationship with the corporate entity and customers receive one point of contact for all their facility management needs.

This is uniquely suited to multi-site, specialty companies that require standard operational processes across their sites with personal attention at the site level. In addition, OpenWorks will provide a tailored solution to each of your sites with data and an in-depth needs assessment that will save you money and time.}

3. Janitorial Companies Lack Integrated
Technology Tools.

Standard janitorial companies are typically reactive. Management only hears from a customer when service is not performed properly. And a company employee must travel to each location to do a quality check to keep service providers accountable. Doing so is a costly way to go about things, primarily if your sites are spread throughout a city, county, or even the country.

This process is neither efficient for you, motivating for the service provider, or insightful for the company. Due to the fragmented nature of these companies and single service line, there are really no integrated data or technology tools available to help customers create efficiency and standardization across their operations.

So as a customer, you are left to rely on disparate information that is locked within your providers’ IT systems. This information is often incomplete and does not answer questions you have related to your facilities. As a result, you must search for information both internally and externally through multiple service providers to piece together the answers you need.

^{The OpenWorks customer portal provides real-time data and centralized visibility to ensure every job is completed successfully and on time. Through one pane of glass, you receive a holistic view of your service providers, open work tickets, service schedules, support tickets, billing statements, and more. This means you have a convenient, one stop shop for your real-time facility maintenance questions.}

OpenWorks is a facility management leader because we care about what we do and the people we work with. Our unparalleled quality, customer service, robust technology solutions, and proven network of elite service providers continue to deliver consistent solutions that exceed expectations and have earned us an industry-leading 99% customer retention rate.

Our mission is to make your world work better. And we're here to get you there every step of the way. This year, make your employees your priority by taking care of them where they need it the most – at the office. Schedule your free consultation with OpenWorks to learn about our facility management services today.