At Portfolio, our teams manage specialist and reactive cleaning teams between being awarded a contract and our services commencing – the mobilisation phase.
For multi-site complex mobilisations, management is a delicate balance between what clients want and need, standards compliance, and supporting our colleagues undergoing significant changes.
Depending on the contract size, mobilisations can be completed within weeks or months, but either way, they require a structured and methodical plan, which is where our digitised mobilisation map comes into play.
The success of a mobilisation hinges on staff support and logistical planning, which can be challenging depending on our client’s security measures. The process also establishes the relationship between us and our clients beyond the tender stage and lets staff ease into their new positions, making it a critical part of any contract.
Starting with the basics of mobilisation
The first stage is to connect with all relevant stakeholders, from cleaning operatives at Portfolio to the clients themselves. That involves stakeholder mapping, to identify and contact all key decision makers and authority figures. For example, if there are 10 different sites each with different divisions, who authorises the different uniforms of each? And if that person is out of office, who is next in the chain of command?
Next is establishing the vetting process. A robust compliance network is developed in this stage to ensure all internal and legal standards will be met. We often do our own DBS check for every person on-site, but the vetting requirements of each client can make this more complex. For example, if a client has high-security requirements, we may not be able to gain access to a client site until its own vetting process is complete.
This can complicate and lengthen our roll-out as we cannot begin assessing each site and our own onboarding process. One solution is to use online forms for important information like pay details, that can be sent to each staff member without requiring their presence on-site. All this data is then processed digitally and uploaded to our online management portal. This aligns with confidentiality and GDPR requirements and streamlines a formerly manual process.
Once all security requirements are met, we can assess each site’s needs, meet with all members of staff in person to validate their documents, upload them to the online portal, and discuss the site requirements with them.
Keeping everyone informed
Contact information and organisational set-up are now input into a digitised mobilisation map shared with all stakeholders, which categorises every stage of the development.
When there are large teams on the ground, it can be difficult to keep everyone informed. Historically, this has involved manually sharing documents between teams like IT, HR, and the mobilised colleagues.
With the use of our smart sheet online dashboard, all people and information are kept in one place, with automatic updates to keep us on track. Different elements include:
- Stakeholder mapping, to identify key personnel and their chain of command
- A risk register or matrix, that identifies all risks
- An issues and actions log that identifies all ways to mitigate risks
- A full agenda and record of regular meetings
These also include digitised workstreams that split the work into different packages for each team, including finance, HR, and safety teams.
Supporting staff
Of course, vetting and consulting all new team members is not just about their paydays and rotas; it is our policy to always deliver more. Our team members are selected because of their skills and experience, not just because there is a job to do. That means going above and beyond to make sure they are adjusting well – whether they are a new colleague or one via TUPE.
As soon as we have each payee’s details, we pay them a pound to test that everyone’s information is correct. That gives them ample time to notify us of any problems before their first payday rolls around. Mobilisations are also not easy if there are struggles or difficulties faced at home, which is why we have a value-driven approach to engaging our colleagues.
We provide flexible working options and learning and development programmes that let our staff see this work as the beginning of a long-term career, rather than filling a recruitment gap. And, as part of Churchill Group, we are part of an Employee Owned Trust, which means that just over half of the company’s shares are held by our employees. That way, our colleagues steer the future of our organisation.
Collaboration
Once our team are on the ground, we make sure no area is untouched in the nitty-gritty of each building’s servicing.
If, say, the fifth floor of a building is due to open in the next week, it’s our job to review our client’s schedule, advise them on the best time to clean, gather our team and ensure they are available for each stage. This includes assessing every detail of the site, like the different elements of its flooring, what products to use on each surface, and its operation and maintenance manuals.
Our clients also keep us up to date with each development – for example, we wouldn’t clean an area on a Wednesday if new building works are scheduled for the weekend. That way, we avoid unnecessary resource use at the expense of our clients.
Stand-out collaboration example
One recent collaboration example was with a major technology company, where we mobilised three sites and transferred over 137 individuals. When the organisation opened a brand new central London building in January 2022, we had to mobilise quickly.
From October 2021, we swiftly recruited 43 individuals and carried out a phased transition, where operatives completed weekend cleans after building works were done during the week, ahead of practical completion. The collaboration was a success, with the building ready for its opening within four months of mobilisation.
Large-scale projects will always encounter different challenges along the way, which is why our teams use the best planning technology, meticulously select each colleague, and work closely with clients to deliver exactly their needs, no matter what stage in their journey.
At Portfolio, we are proudly delivering more. If you are interested in learning more about our complex mobilisations and specialist services, contact us today.
