In the last two decades, the Indian service industry has experienced essential changes in the customer conduct which is steering towards outsourcing of non-core activities. While outsourcing of housekeeping services has made successful inroads in almost all segments, integrated facility management is fast catching up. The launch of OCS India over a year back saw the onset of a new wave in the service segment in India – Total Facility Management Services (TFM).
The TFM is virtually synonymous with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), encompassing everything needed to provide services for living, working, healthcare, education, industrial production, commercial development, retailing, utilities, transportation and other infrastructure, sports and leisure, entertainment and communication undertakings. 
Clean India Journal takes stock of the penetration and processes of OCS India as a TFM service provider through its verticals – Cannon Hygiene India Pvt. Ltd, Radiant Hospitality Services Pvt. Ltd and Absotherm Facility Management Pvt. Ltd.
The UK based OCS Group, which began as a housekeeping company over a century back, today offers every service in the facilities management space. “In India, OCS is not just a Cannon Hygiene, a Radiant or an Absotherm, it is a convergence of services resulting in Total Facility Management whereby we manage the entire property,” said Srikanth Kumar Swami, Managing Director of OCS India.
The last one year
In July last year, OCS India officially announced the launch of TFM services in India and ever since “we have been growing and have tried to combine the strengths of four different entities into one entity which emerges as one company that adds up to more than the sum of its parts. When we go to the clients now, we are able to offer more than just feminine hygiene solutions or housekeeping services. Collectively we have a national presence.”
TFM as a concept in India is fairly nascent
India is still largely a manpower oriented market place where projects are measured in terms of numbers employed rather than pure service level agreements. It is more a labour supply kind of situation and “we are endeavouring to move into a solution based company than a manpower based company. We made some great inroads but the market is big and there are tremendous opportunities to grow”.
Primarily, the Indian market needs to be educated on the benefit of a TFM based solution. Traditionally, housekeeping, engineering, hygiene solution and security services would be outsourced to four different vendors. However, working collectively with consolidated services is beneficial to both the client and service provider, making it a win-win situation. “As opposed to multiple vendor outsourcing and costs incurred thereby, OCS India is able to give a service package which consolidates into a solution rather than playing a numbers game.”
Transparency in manpower/service arrangement
“In a TFM model, the company begins to work with the client to reach realms far beyond service offering – they collectively work towards a more cost effective and efficient manner of functioning. The customer has to be educated that this kind of arrangement is beneficial to both the customer and service provider as it provides value both in terms of saving on operation costs and gaining on service levels.
“It is is not an easy concept to elaborate on, as at the outset it is difficult to quantify the kinds of cost savings that occur – they are far beyond just a reduction in the numbers of manpower. The benefits are a summation of multiple elements and components. When each component is looked as an cost saving measure, we are working towards actual overall savings through planned operations. Finally, what percentage of savings are made depends upon what the client is doing and the kind of services required.”
The cost saving potential arises from various avenues. A hotel GM busy meeting targets and tracking general occupancy, will be happy to handover the contract to a service provider to help him save energy over the next one year. “We tailor make the contract after scrutinising the place to be serviced. The cost saving section will depend upon the industry, the size of the unit.”
