Is the end just a begining in disguise?

Unable to avoid the blindingly obvious, I shall resort to drawing up lists and pontificating on what the future holds.

As we look forward to the next decade it is incumbent on us to reflect on what we the past 10 years have brought us. But looking back is nothing more than self gratification unless you are willing to learn the lessons and take them forward. I would suggest that there are three core pieces of learning that we can focus on and use our foundation for the things we aspire to as we progress. Today we looking at:

1) The Environment. 10 years ago what would the phrase 'Climate Change' have meant to you? Probably nothing more than the transition of summer to winter. And yet at Copenhagen the great and the good gathered to discuss what they can do about it. OK they failed to achieve what many would want, but the very fact of their attendance was unthinkable even 5 years before.

So promises (Non binding, but promises non the less) were made, targets were agreed in principle. All well and good, but the impact of those promises and the legal framework that will doubtless come over time to support them, has yet to be seen. Green taxes will start to bite as politicians start to leverage their environmental credentials in order to fill the coffers and support the climb back from the economic downturn in the West. Legislation will ramp up on any 'dirty' industries providing work for environmental officers, lawyers and the courts, however this will filter down to effect the smaller businesses in not so small ways. Is your office environmentally friendly? Do you even know what this means in real terms? How should you measure it? What level qualifies as 'friendly'? Is today's measure valid tomorrow? All you can be certain of is uncertainty.

At Simplicity we have tried to work with this environmental concern at our heart. Not because we are holier than thou, not because we are Green lobbyists but because our customers are vitally important to us and we think that being 'Green' can only be a good thing. The three things we have actively targeted to support our customers are:

- Carbon tracking technology provided with our utilities partner and available on line through our secure portal for review at any time with Smart meters provided as standard. For more detail have a look at Technology as a Tool

- Support for remote working through cloud computing and hosted telephony for our customers allowing for more work to be done remotely and client meetings to be handled without the need to be face to face every time. This has the added benefit of providing built in disaster recovery and business continuity which will probably crop up again when we look at the impact of terrorism.

- Environmental surveys and consultancy to provide you with the details you need in order to make the changes that will have the most impact and ensure that you can reduce your costs and keep you in line with current and proposed legislation.

So if we can all learn a little from the past and make that learning count for the future then together we can each make the small changes that improve our businesses and help reduce our impact on the environment, who knows the future may yet not be so bleak.

To find out more contact us:

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 2252555

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Technology as a Tool?

Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, give him a fishing rod and he'll eat for life (Unless he lives in the desert in which case he may struggle to work out what the hell you're talking about). Give me a hammer and I can turn it to a thousand uses, give a fish a hammer and he'll struggle. Give me an electroscopic nuclear resolution reader and I'll look at you funny.

The point, if you have bothered to read this far, is that a tool is only useful in context. Technology companies have been guilty in the past of a certain level of naval gazing, developing software and services.....because they can. However these self gratifying developments have spun out tools that commercially aware companies have been able to put to use to the benefit of their customers.

At Simplicity we have looked at the tools available to us, reviewed the way in which the market functions and brought the best tools to bear on revolutionising the market. Individually there is very little new about what we are doing. We are taking proven and tested services delivered every day in, say the utilities market, and channeling them through our on line secure portal to allow our customers access to more, and more relevant information. This isn't rocket science, it isn't bleeding edge it is just a way of using the technology as a tool to improve the market.

Another example is our current work with the Carbon Trust, we are aiming to allow our customers to have access to the carbon footprint calculator that the Carbon Trust have developed in liason with the UK government. This would mean that, as we install Smart Meters for all our new customers and these are linked back electronically to the secure portal, a company is able to track the carbon foot print they produce over time. I would suggest that the benefits of this are fiscally pragmatic, legislatively compliant and environmentally responsible. You can reduce your costs by having a better understanding of the spend, prove compliance with legislation as it comes along and underpin your green credentials.

And as a final example; At the core of what Simplicity at Work do is the fact that you can converge the provision of multiple services through a single bill, single contract and single point of contact whilst, through the appropriate use of technology improving your reporting and reducing your costs.

So cast your line where you will, you'll not find any fish half as clever as Simplicity!

Contact us on:

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 2252555

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Here in the UK the winter is gently trying to assert itself, a dusting of snow tickles the landscape. From one point of view these are often the most beautiful winter days, with blue azure skies arcing over a white crisp landscape. On the other hand the countries infrastructure goes in to melt down (Excuse the pun), trains stop, people suddenly drive as if they have had their genitals unexpectedly molested, airports close and the country looses millions in revenue from business struggling to cope.

Now far be it from me to suggest that Simplicity can solve these problems for the country, however I can assure you, dear reader, that on the sites where we are involved up and down the UK the grit is in place and the snow clearance teams are ready to rock and roll under our stringent Service Level Agreements which, in the particular instance of snow clearance are either:

a) 8 clock hours from the initial fall of snow over 4 cm

or

b) 2 clock hours from a request for clearance

Alongside the preventative gritting work, which is based on data received from the Met Office, this ensures that, if you an get out of your drive and through the mayhem on the roads, your office car park and the relevant approach roads, will be clear and safe. In most cases where time allows we will also inform you, through the secure portal, of when the gritting is to take place and the liklihood of local disruption in your area.

All the small things that we can do to make it Simplicity at Work.

Get in touch to find out more:

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 225 2555

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Ringing the Differences - Flexibility

All the best things in life are flexible; silly putty, ballet dancers and pub opening times to name but a few. We have taken our lead from this and ensured that we provide our services in the most flexible way possible.

We offer a menu driven service, some of the services are set out beneath, and a customer can pick one singular service that is causing them a problem and engage Simplicity at Work to solve the problem. Equally if you would like to out source the entire service delivery for your office(s) but, for whatever reason, you wish to retain a contractor then we will work with you to bring them into our supply chain if at all possible.

Of course we are constantly adding to our services and we are always listening to what our customers want, so if you have a bright idea that you don't see listed, then just let us know and we'll review the possibility of adding it.

At present we have just launched a UK wide handyman service for businesses, to cover all of those niggly little issues that crop up from time to time. THis service is available in any UK postcode with prices fixed at the point of order and qualified personnel despatched to complete your requirement. All staff are trained and qualified to the appropriate level and all their work is guaranteed.

In addition to that we are also looking at launching virtual concierge services and we would welcome any thoughts you might have on this. At present I am concerned that, whilst they look great people very rarely make use of a virtual concierge, would you use it?

We know that once a customer takes one service from us, they come back for more, so try us out on a problem you have got and we look forward to exceeding your expectations.

Get in touch to find out more.

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 225 2555

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Ringing the Differences - Landscaping

When you look out of the window what do you see? At this time of year it is probably a fairly bleak sight, but we work throughout the year to maintain and improve the landscape in and around your building. The gardening fairies do not visit in the middle of the night to weed and replant, nor do the footpathes clear themselves of snow or the planters around the office replenish themselves.

Professionally maintained grounds will improve the all-important first impression your company makes on every visitor. After all, the external appearance of any organisation speaks volumes about the way it operates internally. Attractive surroundings help generate confidence in your visitors and in your employees, that yours is a business where high standards really do matter.

Few organisations still maintain and fully equip their own in-house grounds maintenance team, recognising instead the financial and practical benefits of using specialist suppliers of such non-core services.

Using an external contractor is a modern and highly cost-effective strategy which brings many benefits. When that contractor has such a proven track record and is committed to a Total Quality Management approach, the result is an effective, professional and dedicated service from a single source.

The maintenance of beautiful grounds significantly improves the over all appeal of your working environment as well as increasing the asset value. So why choose Simplicity to work with? Well apart from the fact that Landscaping is just one branch of the services that we offer (Excuse the pun) through our supply chain here are a few points that set our Grounds maintenance apart from the rest:

We employ Full-time, highly visible, uniformed gardeners

We use distinctive liveried vans on site

On going employee training programmes

Financially sound company

Comprehensive Health & Safety systems and procedures

Certified to apply chemical weed and moss killers

Regular contact available at all times

Planned annual schedule of maintenance

£10m public and employers libility insurance cover

Central invoicing for single and multi site customers

Special events and occasions catered for

Seeking ISO 14001 Environmental Standard accreditation

Sympathetic upkeep of school nature study areas in
accordance with the National Curriculum

ISO 9001: 2000 accredited since 1993

Negotiate with school consortiums to gain better terms

References available from your market sector

So, when taken with the fact that Simplicity provide you with many of the other services you require and allow you to track our performance through our secure on line portal, the question surely is, why would you not engage us today?

Get in touch for a quote,

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 225 2555

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Ringing the differences - Security

We will be looking in some depth at the individual service lines that Simplicity offer over the next few weeks. Today is the turn of Security.

Simplicity offer two types of Security service for your building, sometimes you just need one, but often a mix of the two delivers the best value for money.

Firstly there is the traditional Manned Guarding:

Here we work with our preferred supplier to offer an on site presence during the required hours. A uniformed guard, fully trained, police checked and qualified. Your guard will be uniformed, smart, polite and alert. His or her role is to be a constant presence to reassure staff and to prevent any criminal damage. Depending on the size of the site there may be several guards working in shifts.

Secondly there is also Remote Guarding:

Remote guarding offers a full 24x7 remote monitoring solution for your site with motion sensors, access control, one way audio, backed up video and direct access to the police. Military hardware is rapidly becoming available to the commercial market which means that the equipment available is constantly evolving and allowing for a deeper interaction between the site and the remote monitoring service.

We will be providing some additional information in a separate post about some of the specific 'sexy' technology available such as remote concierge, face recognition services, virtual trip wires, motion analytics and remote interaction services.

The most common deployment of the security service is to have a manned guard during office hours and remote monitoring outside of this. This provides the highest level of reassurance to staff whilst minimising costs.

Anecdotally we have learned that remote guarding is actually far more effective than manned guarding. One of the reasons for this is that a remote guard can give audio instructions to a person on site and follow them on the cameras. Whereas a guard on site would look to avoid a conflict a remote guard can be as brave as they want and ensure that all movement is captured to support in any subsequent prosecution.

The cost argument is often very important in making these decisions and the move from 24x7 manned guarding to remote monitoring saves (Based on a single guard requirement on 3 shifts over 100,000ft sq) between £60,000 and £70,000 per annum. A blended approach on the same basis saves between £25,000 and £30,000 per annum.

We aren't looking at this as a one size fits all and we would never suggest that everyone should move to a fully remote service, it just isn't feasible, however by knowing what the options are and reviewing how these suit our customers we can do what we promise to do and that is, reduce cost, improve service and give the management information you need.

To find out more or to get a quote just contact us.

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 225 2555

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Novacaine for your Office

Let no one tell you they can solve all your problems. There is a reason they are your problems, and that is that you have to deal with them. However, whilst acknowledging that there is no 'Silver Bullet', no panacea, the way you tackle these problems is perhaps the most telling thing about the way you run your business.

Simplicity can't increase your marketing budget; Simplicity can't break you into the FTSE 100; Simplicity can't make you more attractive, or help with your marriage.

But Simplicity can provide you with a Single Source Supplier for all of the back office services that you need. Simplicity can reduce the cost of the services supplied. Simplicity can reduce your inhouse costs related to dealing with these services. Simplicity can improve the service levels on these services and Simplicity can provide you with the Management information that you need in order to make informed decisions about these services.

We have talked about the methodology behind how we do this in various other posts, the fundamental points are that we have parred down our supply chain, we have partnered with the best suppliers in the UK under strict Service Level Agreements, we have developed a fully secure on line portal backed by a UK based 24x7 helpdesk and we are focussed on providing the highest levels of service with innovation and flair.

The question you need to ask yourself is 'why not?'. Why not get in touch? Why not find out more? Why not see if Simplicity really can have such a huge positive impact on the way we do business?

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 2252555

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

PS The blog title is an homage to Eels, listen to the full track on YouTube by following this link Novacaine for Your Soul

Eating the Elephant

So, you're feeling peckish but all you've got is an elephant, a problem I am sure we have all faced at some point. In the same way as any task seems daunting at the outset the trick is to work out a plan of attack, to break it down and look at each step as a mini project.

Looking at the depth and breadth of the product set that Simplicity offer you may feel a certain grim dread, a feeling of being overawed by the scale of the task. Faced with such a feeling the normal human reaction is to crawl back into the bunker and at then end of the day if it ain't broke....

But let's take this one mouthful at a time. Look at the services that cause you the most pain, Utilities for example (A pertinenet example at that given the new strictures that the utilities companies are imposing on their commercial customers!) and engage Simplicity to review and replace the existing supplier. That wasn't too hard!

Having taken the first bite we believe that you will be hungry for more and once you have access to the secure online portal you will be able to review the other products in the portfolio and gradually transition to a simpler way of working.

Having said all of that we do have many years of experience of mobilising large multi disciplinary portfolios and we have a set methodology for doing it (As detailed in The benefits of Supply Chain Management ) which allows us a period of settling in and a true hand holding review and replace process.

We believe that by engaging with Simplicity to be your Single Source Supplier you can realistically save up to 22% on the bottom line and improve the service delivery and reporting.

Join the Revolution!!

Contact us on 0844 225 2555
info@simplicityatwork.co.uk
www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

Supporting the Managing Agent

Whilst you may have thought that we at Simplicity do not appreciate the role of the Managing Agent, we would be swift to disagree.

The Managing Agent can have a pivotal role to play in the delivery of services to a Landlord. This is borne out by the very positive relationships which exist between some agents and their landlords. Whilst good practice is hard to find that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Over the past 3 months we have been working closely with managing agents in order to support them in the delivery of services. The model is not dissimilar to that of working with a Landlord, except that we work as a sub contractor to the Managing Agent. The Managing Agent retains the relationship with the Landlord and differentiates their services through the delivery of their own service wrap, however rather than having 6-10 contractors per building to manage the Agent relies on Simplicity at Work to provide the services .

So, how do we make money out of this and still ensure that the Landlord at the end of this buying chain, still gets value for money?

Simplicity have spent many months ensuring that the supply chain (See Single Source Provider post from last week.) is parred down and fit for purpose. This means that our cost to serve is reduced, our buy price is very competitive and our internal operations are streamlined.

We pass through as much of this cost saving as we can to the Managing Agent, meaning that the over all service charge is reduced. Also by providing a single source for the menu of services that are required we significantly reduce the internal overhead of the Agent allowing them to refocus resources on other activities.

From the Landlords point of view they retain the Managing Agent that they had but for the elements where improvements were sought Simplicity can provide a reduced cost service with the same or improved Service Levels along with superb Management Information to allow the Landlord to benchmark the service.

Given the approval from the Agent and Landlord Simplicity would still look to offer Customer Services to the occupiers of the Landlords space with revenue generated from these activities shared between the Landlord and the Managing Agent therefore providing another valuable recurring revenue stream.

We expect to be working with 2 or 3 of the best Managing Agents in the country in order to compliment their service offerings over the next year, and we welcome any questions or queries you may have, just drop us a line or comment beneath.

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 225 2555

Taking Service to the next level

What is important in a supplier? From our point of view at Simplicity we have encapsulated this in the following 5 high level points (Sadly We can't think of a snappy acronym to go with it, any thoughts?):-

- Product/Service. Firstly the supplier must have a product or service that the customer has a requirement for. So far so bleedin' obvious.

- Value. The product or service must represent value to the customer. This doesn't mean it's cheap, this doesn't even mean it is well priced in the market, this means that the customer perceives a value in the product or service which they are willing to pay for.

- Relationship. The supplier must relate to the customer and be able to demonstrate this. This might be as simple as Ocado sending a text to confirm that your delivery will be with you at 20:00, or as complex as the multi dimensional politically fraught relations between OPEC and the oil companies. It is based around trust, reliability, visibility and a common interest.

- Quality. Tied in with Value but defined in it's own right as the ability to supply a level of service to the customer that demonstrates value over and above the expectation.

- Information. The supplier must allow the customer access to information relating to their product or service. We would go a step further here and say that Management Information should be provided as standard across every element of the customers interaction with the supplier. Such information forms the basis of the customers ability to assess Value and Quality and helps to build the Relationship.

At Simplicity we take these 5 points very seriously indeed and we strive to monitor ourselves and provide real time information to our customers so that they can monitor us too. We report on every element of the work we do and we provide a 24x7 UK based help desk to back up our on line presence.

Every customer has a dashboard which is sent to them weekly or monthly and which they can access anytime. The dashboard can be configured by the customer to report on any area they wish, but, as standard we report on:-

- Faults Outstanding

- Faults Resolved

- Products/Services Taken

- Products/Services Available

- Spend against budget (Service Charge Specific)

- Spend Trend (Last 6 months billing data)

- Carbon Tracking (Product Specific)

We hope that by providing this Information in a transparent and open fashion we can underline our Value, and demonstrate that the Products and Services that we provide are of the highest Quality and through this we look to build a long term Relationship with our valued customers.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you in your business.

www.simplicityatwork.co.uk

0844 225 2555

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk

A Single Source Provider

One of the many things that Simplicity at Work has done to revolutionise the Property Management and Facilities Management sector is to allow our customers a single source for the provision of all the required services.

We know that this is a common claim, but take a moment and look at the way in which we deliver our service and the depth and breadth of our offer and bear in mind that we offer this in an entirely flexible manner, so you pick the bits that suit your business and leave the rest.

Firstly, as a Landlord or Managing agent you would normally expect to have upwards of 8 contracts in order to deliver the basic services to the common parts of a building, the cleaning, landscaping, security, M&E maintenance, lift maintenance, Fabric Maintenance, Receptionist services, internal planters, water coolers etc etc. Along with having 8 plus separate contracts, you would also have 8 plus people to call if you require a service, 8 plus costs to control, 8 plus invoices each month to process, 8 plus Service Level Agreements to monitor. WHY? Simplicity provide a single source for all these services taking the hassel away and reducing the overhead required to deliver (And by the way reducing the cost of the services!)

Secondly, we really do have a full service wrap. Here we give a non exhaustive list of the services that we offer to our Landlords and customers:-



So whether your lighting is on the blink, the door handle has come off or the latency on your internet connection is causing problems, you only have one place to go....Simplicity.

Equally you only have one place to go to check that your services are being delivered in line with your expectations and the Service Level Agreements that you have in place. Simplicity run a 24x7 secure on line portal with real time reporting, so whether you want to log a fault, check on fault resolution over the past 3 months, check your Carbon Foot Print* or order a new service we will be there for you. The portal is backed by a 24x7 UK Based helpdesk function because we understand that sometimes you just need to speak to someone, in English.

And Finally, because we group procure all the services we can ensure that the costs are tightly controlled meaning that you have a saving on the bottom line as well.

We look forward to working with you soon, for a quote or for more information please get in touch.

info@simplicityatwork.co.uk
0844 225 2555
www.simplicityatwork.co.uk


*Subject to the services taken

The benefits of Supply Chain Management

I know the title seems ridiculous, I know that most people reading this will claim that the benefits of managing your supply chain are obvious, I know that every sector and every industry has embraced Supply Chain Management as being core to delivering better value for money.....Or have they.

At Simplicity we have been shocked at the lack of supply chain management with regard to the delivery of property services. Agents who provide management for multiple buildings throughout the UK with no grasp on who supplies them, no understanding of the cost base they should be aiming for, no knowledge of the depth or delivery of the services.

As ever we have set out to revolutionise the way this is delivered. We looked at the market and realised that we could provide a higher level of service at a lower cost point by group procuring services from the leading providers and looking at detail at their own supply chains to further streamline the delivery. This provides several immediate benefits:-

- It reduces the bottom line cost of the service
- It gives us, and therfore our customers, leverage with the suppliers
- It reduces our cost to serve, meaning we have lower overheads and can therefore reduce our fees.
- It provides uniformity in reporting and the delivery of Management Information.

So, in the real world it works like this, once a cient agrees to proceed we launch a 3 phase plan to mobilise the service. The aim here is to minimise disruption to the occupiers of the property whilst fast tracking the cost reduction and service improvements.

• Operational review and engagement. During this phase Simplicity take on the management of all existing contracts currently assigned to the client with regard to the property. This will require that the client makes available all relevant documentation and provides contact details for all suppliers.

• Contractual Review. During this phase Simplicity will review all existing contracts, will negotiate on behalf of the client to reduce costs and may choose to appoint preferred suppliers from the Simplicity supply chain to deliver the service. Where appropriate and possible contracts will be assigned to Simplicity allowing the client a single contract with know contacts and KPIs.

• Business as Usual. Simplicity will continue to review and manage on going relationships between suppliers, occupiers and the client with the remit to improve service delivery and keep costs down.

We appreciate that there will be instances where an existing supplier will remain in place for any number of reasons and we can and will manage this within our own enviroment, however the work we have carried out on delivering our own supply chain management systems allows for a huge amount of flexibility in the manner in which services can be delivered.

SImplicity at Work improves service levels, reduces costs and makes the whole process...well....Simple!

Why not contact us on:-

0844 225 2555
or
info@simplicityatwork.co.uk