Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
Your industry news - first
The original and best - for over 20 years!
We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
EFCI publishes recommendations for quality-based procurement of cleaning services
The European Cleaning & Facilities Services Industry has published its ‘Recommendations for quality-based procurement of cleaning services’, a set of specific recommendations and suggestions for procurers who want to deepen their commitment towards quality services and the respect for high social standards when contracting cleaning services.
In the document, EFCI highlights how outsourcing cleaning services allow organisations to focus on their main activities and ensures that specialised and trained professionals maintain high cleaning and hygiene standards in their premises. In this regard, it strongly advises:
* Partnering with the sector: EFCI highlights how outsourcing cleaning services allows organisations to focus on their main activity and ensures that specialised and trained professionals maintain high cleaning and hygiene standards in their premises. In the tender design, EFCI strongly recommends partnering with cleaning companies and associations from the early stages of the procurement design to ensure the conduction of a right market analysis whilst maintaining a level playing field among bidders, ensuring transparency and equal treatment. Working in partnership throughout the procurement process and building constructive relations with the cleaning providers is key also through the execution of the contract.
* Tendering labour-intensive services requires the right approach: cleaning is a highly labour-intensive service where labour accounts for around 85% of the total costs. This means that pressure on price will have direct consequences on staffing, the knowledge and expertise of teams, the rest of the costs and the relevance given to innovation and sustainability aspects. As such, it is essential to shift the focus from price-alone criteria to a choice based on the best price/quality ratio. Following the recommendations of the Selecting Best Value Guide is the basis to reach this objective.
* Preparation is key for successful tenders and execution, including conducting market research and consultations, following the recommendations by national authorities in the design of tenders and liaising with the national associations to get assistance and advice from an objective partner.
* Regarding price and award criteria, EFCI strongly advices to:
(i) use the 'MEAT' criteria (most economically advantageous tender) within a 'best price quality ratio' approach, and:
(ii) applying the proportional model in the evaluation of the bids.
Further, EFCI recommends to
(iii) avoid using the number of hours as a scoring criterion (as cleaning contracts are result-based and not activity-based contracts).
Moreover, and to improve the balance of other scoring criteria, EFCI recommends to:
(a) pay special attention to the organisation of the execution of the contract to enhance quality control during the life of the contract;
(b) including references in the contract to the qualification and experience of staff;
(c) including the relevant environmental and sustainability systems in each country and making reference to GPP criteria and
(d) pay special attention to innovation.
EFCI also recommends including daytime cleaning in the execution criteria.
1st July 2021