Challenge
Castlepoint – one of the UK’s largest shopping centres with over 41 acres of development – needed a new soft services supplier, including security, cleaning, and landscaping, to support its wider operation and integrate with existing hard services teams already on site, such as HVAC and Mechanical.
Operational teams were disjointed and in need of effective integration to prevent staff remaining stuck in silos. To solve this problem, Castlepoint wanted a one-team approach for its on-site operation, so that all stakeholders could have a single point of contact.
However, it was essential that customer satisfaction remain high – with minimal disruption to all customers.
To do this, the client wanted all soft and hard services teams retained in-house. This would reduce fragmentation within Castlepoint’s operational capabilities, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
“Now, Castlepoint has access to a motivated, well-integrated, and efficient soft service operation, and the on-site management continues to develop the positive working relationship it has with ABM."
Not only would this create a streamlined system of management for on-site staff, but it would also provide far greater strategic visibility. Castlepoint would be in a much stronger position to identify future opportunities for efficiency, productivity, and innovation.
The client also wanted to introduce a better system for training (especially in the use and maintenance of EV infrastructure), progression, and recognition for the teams on-site.
Prior to Castlepoint’s retender for soft services, ABM was already contracted to supply hard services – such as HVAC and mechanical capabilities – and, therefore, in an ideal position to leverage existing site knowledge and integrate additional services into the wider operation.
Solution
As part of the overarching mobilisation plan, ABM conducted a 90-day review and worked closely with Castlepoint’s Operational Manager. It allowed ABM a detailed, granular examination of Castlepoint’s operational procedures and workflows for all soft services. This gave stakeholders a comprehensive understanding of the site’s operational advantages and disadvantages, and how best to address operational inefficiencies.
Similarly, the review period provided a robust feedback loop for the wider mobilisation and implementation plans, so that ABM could ensure minimal disruption while integrating the full range of soft services for Castlepoint.
ABM identified multiple opportunities to restructure several of the operational teams, especially the Security and Cleaning Teams – without redundancies.
Providing greater organisational capabilities and better communication between operational teams was seen as the ideal solution. ABM and Castlepoint both agreed that preserving operational knowledge was essential; existing site teams were skilled and knowledgeable, they just needed more effective support structures.
As part of the review, ABM addressed short-term operation inefficiencies first – problems that could be solved relatively quickly with appropriate support – to test newly added workflows and reinforce staff morale. This included well-balanced patrol schedules and high-level cleaning throughout the site.
A long-term and ongoing aspect of efficient practices within Castlepoint’s soft services operation is effective communication, both verbally (especially within and between teams) and written reports.
Not only would this provide site management and the client with greater operational visibility, but it would also help develop Castlepoint’s relationship with external institutions, such as local councils and police forces. Given the economic and social importance of the retail outlet, positive community relations were deemed essential.
For example, Castlepoint’s car park construction project required long-term coordination between the Security, Cleaning, Trolley, and Landscaping teams, to ensure minimal disruption to customers for the duration of the project.
ABM placed emphasis on discourse between all members of staff across the operation, both frontline and management. Past experiences had created an assumption that on-site operational policy and workflows were inflexible, and not open to change.
To combat this, regular forum discussions, facilitated by ABM and Castlepoint, were implemented so that staff could participate in decision-making processes on site. Not only did this help to create better procedures, but it also helped develop ABM’s relationship with operational management.
This has since become a crucial element in Castlepoint’s Security Team in particular. Not only have ABM’s enterprise systems been able to support the security operation, such as automated payroll, reporting, and shift management, but the emphasis on greater collaboration and communication has created an effective security operation.
Now, Castlepoint has access to a motivated, well-integrated, and efficient soft service operation, and the on-site management continues to develop the positive working relationship it has with ABM. In addition to greater productivity – now that ABM handles both hard and soft services – Castlepoint is in a stronger position to identify future opportunities for growth, efficiency, and productivity.
Benefits
- Target KPI consistency: Every target KPI has consistently been over 95% for Castlepoint, which includes manpower, cleaning, security, and overall effectiveness of site management.
- Greater operational efficiency: Now that Castlepoint’s soft services, including the Security, Cleaning, Trolley, and Landscaping Teams, are operating in-house, and working in tandem with hard services, overall efficiency has increased and reduced costs. Collaboration is now standard practice throughout the site.
- Increased productivity: Castlepoint now has access to an operation comprised of reorganised teams that can manage large projects, conform to effective and consistent reporting standards, and complete daily tasks to a higher standard.
- Reactive capabilities: Increased synergy between teams, across all service lines, has enabled the retail outlet to implement large-scale projects.
- Strong working relationship with site management: Past unsatisfactory experiences made Castlepoint’s on-site management concerned about future partners. Hence effective management was identified as a key priority for ABM, so that on-site management would be able to coordinate effectively with ABM, enabling the latter to demonstrate knowledge of best practices and long-term commitment.
- Restructured security operation: Castlepoint’s security operation is now equipped with better technology, performs regular and consistent reporting, and coordinates effectively with other teams on site.
- High staff retention: To date, since the soft services contract began, Castlepoint has retained 75% of its security staff, preserving operational knowledge and staff experience.
- Improved staff training opportunities: Castlepoint, in collaboration with ABM, has established greater training and advancement opportunities for staff members, including routes into management and apprenticeship schemes for the cleaning and security teams.
