Managing the Facilities Category

23^rd August 2011

The Dockside Rooms,

Cockle Bay Wharf,

Darling Harbour

Sydney

Download Brochure (PDF)

About The Special Category Forums (SCF’s)

New to the CIPSA Conferences schedule for 2011 are the series of Special Category Forums (SCF’s) which will provide category managers with the opportunity to learn from a range of expert speakers on new strategies to more effectively manage their category and obtain pertinent market intelligence. The Special Category Forums will also provide opportunities for category managers to engage with their peers, to engage in benchmarking exercises and to network with suppliers in an informal environment.

About the programme for “Managing the Facilities Category”

Spend on facilities in their operational phase will far outweigh their capital costs in the early stages of a buildings life, so it is critical that organisations manage this spend to reduce lifecycle costs.

The trend to outsourcing facilities (cleaning, repairs maintenance, waste, fuel light and power etc.) and services (switchboards, mail, catering, room booking etc.) that were traditionally managed in house has resulted in many organisations in commodities and categories being grouped and bundled together to commit to multiple service delivery options, thereby delivering significant savings.

The use of external suppliers in the management of the “built environment” exposes organisations to increasing risk and compliance issues which need to be clearly understood contractually and managed over the assets life. As recognition grows of the effect that design and refurbishment programmes can have on the operational cost of a facility there is a growing trend toward procurement and property professionals working together to manage spend during a facilities lifecycle.

Benchmarking at CIPSA Special Category Forums

On all of the 2011 Special Category Forums, CIPSA Conferences will work with its benchmarking partner, Purchasing Index, to conduct a benchmarking exercise relevant to each category covered. The benchmarking will address both process and prices. On registration, delegates will be invited to participate in the benchmarking exercise, the results of which will be delivered at the forum. Delegates may choose to participate or not. Naturally all data will be treated as confidential, with the results delivered to the broader audience masked to conceal participants identity. Individual organisations will be supplied with their own visible benchmarks by Purchasing index after the event. Where relevant, Purchasing Index will also provide supplementary benchmarking information from their own research, thus adding further value for delegates.