Most FM proposals look similar on paper. The differences show up in how the work is recorded.
Facility management proposals tend to converge on the same list of services. That makes them difficult to compare, and price becomes the deciding factor by default. A few specific questions separate providers more reliably than the scope document does.
Questions that reveal something
- How is a request logged, and what do I receive when a job is closed?
- Which services are delivered by your own team and which are subcontracted?
- What does the planned maintenance calendar look like for my specific assets?
- How are urgent faults prioritised against scheduled work?
- What reporting do I get, and how often?
Records are the real deliverable
Any provider can send a technician. The difference over a two-year contract is whether you end up with a maintenance history for your building or a folder of invoices. History lets you plan replacement, argue a warranty claim and defend a budget. Invoices do not.
Start narrow
Where possible, begin with a defined scope — one service line or one property — before committing a portfolio. A short initial engagement tells you more about response time and reporting quality than any reference call.
