ServiceChannel Identifies Transparency between Facilities Management and Service Providers as Most Critical Success Factor
New ‘Transparency Drives Performance’ Program Arms FM Pros and Contractors
with Tools for Greater Visibility, Enhanced Collaboration and Improved Results
NEW YORK, June 8, 2016 – ServiceChannel, the leading SaaS service automation platform for facilities managers and contractors, today launched a nationwide program designed to improve the collaboration and transparency between facilities management teams and service providers through modern tools, technologies and techniques that deliver unprecedented visibility across all aspects of their business relationship.
The “Transparency Drives Performance” program establishes a framework and a set of digital transformation tools that facilities managers and contractors can use for optimizing and modernizing the facilities management practice. The program is designed to help customers drive better compliance, reduce risk, increase operational efficiency and utilize more data-driven decision making in collaboration with their service providers. ServiceChannel estimates that over one billion repair and maintenance transactions are processed in commercial properties annually in the U.S., totalling several hundred billion dollars in aggregate spend.
“Greater transparency drives improved performance; it’s been proven time and time again across many industries. Our goal is to shine a light on the legacy inefficiencies in the commercial repair and maintenance business,” said Tom Buiocchi, CEO of ServiceChannel. “Our emphasis on transparency and data-driven analysis is intended to redefine the facilities manager / service provider relationship and experience, and help them partner to achieve unprecedented service quality while eliminating unnecessary overhead, delays, costs and risks.”
ServiceChannel developed this first-of-a-kind program based on key insights from a survey of facility managers, operations experts and contractors, many representing major, global brands across a diverse set of vertical industries and service trades. Some of the key findings included:
- Buyers of facilities repair and maintenance services are becoming younger as a whole, are more technology savvy than their predecessors, and are craving new-generation digital tools to increase transparency and help them do their jobs more effectively
- Contractors value having more transparency as much as facilities managers through automated processes, relevant data sets, advanced analytics and real-time reporting
- The facilities repair and maintenance industry, however, is still struggling with market inefficiencies that can cost enterprises 25 to 30 percent in overhead and unnecessary spending
- The trade services (contractor) industry remains largely fragmented and underdeveloped in terms of digital transformation
“These key findings all point to the fact that the facilities repair and maintenance industry is more than ready for a massive transformation through the infusion of modern digital technologies and analytics,” Buiocchi said. “Our customers and market partners have clearly articulated that ‘improved transparency’ is the key to unlocking additional value, and we intend to pursue and advance that value proposition with them and throughout our organization.”
The facilities management team at Sally Beauty Supply, a multi-billion dollar company operating more than 5,000 stores globally, spoke to the value of service automation software in delivering more transparency through real-time data and reporting. Specifically, the team addressed issues with “information lag” of up to 60 days before key FM data became available using legacy methods.
“After implementing the ServiceChannel Big Sky solution, there is nothing that is hidden about our facilities management program; everything is now transparent,” said Randy Goss, Store Maintenance Manager for Sally Beauty Supply. “Today, we have the ability to interact ‘live’ with what’s happening in the field and with our contractors through unlimited visibility into each person’s scope of responsibility. For us, visibility is the key to the whole picture of our operations.”
Transparency can boost the performance of contractors as well through improved efficiency and accountability for both the vendor and their service providers.
“ServiceChannel harnesses the efficiencies of service automation to streamline the relationship between us and our clients,” said Reuben Parker, Corporate Account Manager at Roto-Rooter, the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in North America. “We love the fact that the platform is completely transparent in the way it enhances, not impedes our business transactions with customers. This is a major distinction compared to other technology options we’ve encountered.”
‘Think Transparency’ National Roadshow
ServiceChannel will provide customers and contractors more information and best practices gained from the “Transparency Drives Performance” program as part of a nationwide, educational roadshow. This unique seminar series is designed to teach users on how modern technology and digital tools can drive new levels of efficiency, visibility and compliance into their organizations through system-wide transparency.
The next stop in the “Think Transparency” series will be on June 14 at the ServiceChannel headquarters in New York. Registration is now open for this event and is free for all attendees. Other seminar dates include:
- June 16 in Rhode Island
- June 21 in San Francisco
- Sept. 27 in Chicago
For a list of these and other ServiceChannel events please visit the upcoming events page.
Additional Resources
- Follow ServiceChannel @ServiceChannel
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- Connect with ServiceChannel on LinkedIn
- Read the ServiceChannel blog
About ServiceChannel
ServiceChannel provides facilities managers with a single platform to source, procure, manage and pay for repair and maintenance services from commercial contractors across their enterprise. By delivering unprecedented transparency and data-driven analytics of service quality, across all trades, locations and contractors, facilities managers drive significant brand equity and ROI for their organizations without outsourcing or investing in new infrastructure. The world’s leading global brands use ServiceChannel and Big Sky solutions daily to help optimize millions of transactions and billions of dollars of spend annually.