Green Cleaning RFP
May 17, 2012
Here are some tips from Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group, on what to include in a green cleaning request for proposal (RFP). First, the RFP should be customized to the specific facility. Every facility has its own cleaning nuances based on expectation, perception of occupants, mission of the organization, size and age of the building, and finishes, plus its own considerations for intrusion of contaminants, occupant density and vulnerabilities.
Facility managers should also think about administrative and contract requirements. This information will ensure that the selected group of facility service providers will be able to conform to the contract once it is awarded. Considerations include:
- Specific types of insurance, such as a waiver of subrogation, or to be named as an additional insured party from the supplier and or the subcontractors
- Audit rights to review payroll or procurement of supplies for the facility
- Contract selection, award and start dates
- Specific certifications and licenses that may require time to obtain from various official entities
- Tax information for the facility service provider and all of its subcontractors
- Representations and warranties as prescribed by facility management
- Environmental conditions for the performance of work such as drain and runoff requirements.
The more information a facility manager can provide in an RFP, the more precise facility service providers will be able to be relative to the costs in their proposals. The facility service providers will need the square footage of the facility. The facility service providers will use this data to design their operation, and at the core of their operation is the number of labor hours required to perform the tasks. Labor in a facility is based on pace or the rate per square foot at which certain tasks may be completed. Without proper square footage, responses may vary significantly and may not even conform to the specifications. Given that labor is the largest portion of the cleaning cost, accurate square footage information is critical.
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