Client Results

For more than 30 years, The Friday Group has been providing successful strategies for clients in a variety of industries. Below are just a few examples of projects we have completed.

Private Sector corporations

Manufacturing
  • Assessed how a fortune 500 manufacturing company’s real estate and facilities management service delivery is accomplished, what business practices exist, and how service provider contracts are performing. Developed recommendations for organization structure changes to enhance service delivery.  Business practices were recommended for implementation during the outlined transformation process.  Benchmarks were recommended to measure performance.  Service contracts were reviewed to identify weaknesses and to recommend a consistent approach across all locations. As a follow-on, the RFP documents, evaluation criteria, and procedural guidance for strategic sourcing of multiple FM services were developed.
  • Benchmarked the policies, practices and procedures used to manage facilities at three different sites of a fortune 500 manufacturing company. Individual interviews with global real estate and facilities staff, as well as stakeholders and customers were conducted.  Comparisons were made among the three sites in terms of effectiveness and efficiency as compared to industry benchmarks and best practices. Final recommendations consisted of changes to the organization structure, CMMS, key performance indicators and strategic sourcing.  Prioritized recommendations and a timeframe for implementation were provided and adopted by staff.  

Financial Institutions
  • Provided strategic planning and organizational development assistance to the facility department of a fortune 100 financial institution to ensure a proactive approach to large-scale corporate growth occurring in target business units.
  • Designed and facilitated strategic planning sessions for the facilities department of a global financial institution which resulted in a three-year strategic plan and an institutionalized planning process.
  • Conducted focus groups for the facilities organization of a global financial institution to determine customer satisfaction with quality, timeliness and appropriateness of service. Designed and conducted customer service training for 200 in-house and contractor staff. Assessed the customer service center to determine a more effective means of serving customers. Developed a customer service handbook for new employees and contractor staff.
  • Conducted focus groups and executive interviews to determine customer satisfaction with service delivery for the facilities department at a national lending institution. Assessed customer satisfaction survey instruments, customer help desk, policies and procedures, and service delivery. Developed strategic and marketing plans for improvement from study findings.

Insurance
  • Assessed how a regional insurance company’s real estate and facilities management service delivery is accomplished, what business practices exist, and if service provider contracts in place across the eight main office sites are performing. Developed recommendations for organization structure changes to enhance service delivery.  Business practices were recommended for implementation during the outlined transformation process.  Benchmarks were recommended to measure performance.  Service contracts were reviewed to identify weaknesses and to recommend a consistent approach across all locations. As a follow-on, developed RFP documents, evaluation criteria, and procedural guidance for strategic sourcing of custodial and FM services.
  • Conducted strategic planning sessions and the development of an implementation plan for the facilities department of global insurance company.

Pharmaceutical
  • Provided customer service and marketing training to 165 managers and staff of the facilities department of a global pharmaceutical company  and developed a strategic plan to govern organization restructuring; a corporate real estate strategy; operating policies and procedures; and a marketing and customer service program.
  • Together with a UK-based FM firm facilitated a three-day workshop for 100 managers from a global pharmaceutical company and their FM service providers. The workshop explored facilities operations and developed strategic initiatives to augment the success of the company and sourcing partners. The goal of the workshop was to develop a single, customer focused service delivery organization for the science–led pharmaceutical company.

Multi-National Corporations

  • Provided technical assistance to the United Kingdom department responsible for facilities management in 108 countries in the development of an asset and facilities management strategy for the future. Assistance included the design of a decentralized, regionally based organizational structure and service delivery system to enhance the provision of facility service to country directors.
  • Designed a client satisfaction survey for the facilities department of a global agency and analyzed survey data. Validated findings through interviews with representatives from major offices and departments. Provided recommendations on service delivery improvements and alternative organization configurations. Facilitated workshops on developing a service strategy and image information and perception program. Directed an assessment of mailroom operations and provided recommendations for operating and technology enhancements. 

Government

  • Over multiple years worked with a Midwest county property services and FM organization to provide assistance with organization re-design, process improvement, position classification, service contracts with external providers and planning and design strategies.  Conducted workshops with FM staff to identify work processes and bottlenecks and develop a “work smarter” strategy. 
  • Conducted an organization assessment of a municipal building commission consisting of individual interviews with city and county stakeholders and staff, focus group discussions with tenants, review of documentation, and exploration of other city and county facility management organizational relationships with board structures. Consistent themes and recommendations for the organization’s future were provided.
  • Developed an administrative support staff operating guide for a quasi-Federal government headquarters facility organization.
  • Provided technical assistance to the facilities department of the Federal government military institution in the development of strategies for outsourcing, building operations and charge-back systems.
  • Developed a facilities master plan for a Washington, DC headquarters facility of a major Federal government agency. The project included an architectural/engineering analysis of the infrastructure systems, benchmarking the facilities against the state-of-the-art, organization assessment, a reorganization plan to meet future facilities needs and a marketing program.

Healthcare

  • Conducted an assessment of the engineering and facilities planning organization of a major hospital and provided a blueprint for future improvements and enhancements.  Interviews with shareholders, customers and staff through individual and focus group interviews were conducted. The project involved a review of industry best practices in order to make comparisons with the hospital and the creation of a process for utilizing appropriate FM benchmarking metrics, rather than hospital industry standards. Recommendations were made regarding increased use of metrics and indicators to measure performance, reconfiguration of the organization structure, priority-setting based on maintenance activities, staffing, increasing outreach and communication with customers, and creating reports and advisory councils

Higher Education

  • Designed and facilitated a transformation effort for a university facilities management Organization. The project involved focus groups with FM staff and transformation action teams consisting of FM staff, customers and service partners. Under the guidance of The Friday Group action teams conducted best practice research and site visits, evaluated organization options, identified process improvements, and prepared recommendations for FM transformation.
  • Conducted an organization assessment for the facility management department of a major university medical school to determine the best rightsizing approach for the future and determine which internal processes required re-engineering to streamline operations and enhance the delivery of services to customer units.
  • Conducted an organizational assessment of a college office of facilities’ capital planning, design, and construction group.  Analysis included organization structure, staffing, job descriptions and performance review system.
  • Conducted an organization assessment of the Facilities Management organization at an ivy league university. The assessment included focus group interviews with staff and customers, as well as senior executives.  Recommendations incorporated organization structure options, application of best practices, marketing and customer service, and policies and procedures.
  • Conducted an organization assessment of a large university with medical school facilities organization. The assessment included recommendations on organization positioning, structure, strategic roll, staffing, and reporting.  The assessment incorporated focus groups with staff and customers as well as senior executive interviews.
  • Conducted an organization assessment of the facilities management organization at an ivy league university. The assessment included focus group interviews with staff and customers, as well as senior executives, and peer organization comparisons.  Recommendations incorporated organization structure options, application of best practices, marketing and customer service, and policies and procedures.

Public Utilities

  • Assisted in developing a facilities management organization migration plan for the merger between two Midwest utility companies including service delivery practices to determine opportunities for enhanced service provision either through internal process improvements or accelerated outsourcing/out tasking.  Assisted with the design and assessment of RFPs for external service provision and prepared a strategic sourcing report outlining findings and recommendations.
  • Developed Service Level Agreements for internal and external customers of the facilities organization at a Midwest utilities company. Project included an analysis of the plan to create a customer service help desk and the development of a position classification system and job descriptions.

Airports

  • Conducted a customer assessment of the organizations reporting to the manager of an international airport, including engineering and maintenance, operations and administration. Methodology included focus groups with over 315 airport staff and executive interviews. The Friday Group provided findings and recommendations to the airport manager.
  • Assisted an airport engineering and maintenance organization with an organization assessment and guided the process to prepare reorganization options to the airport manager.

Third Party Service Providers

  • Conducted a major North American market research project for a third party FM services provider to determine market share, customer requirements and facility management trends and issues. Methodology included primary and secondary research, blind focus groups and a quantitative survey both in the US and Canada. Provided recommendations for a national service strategy.
  • Designed and developed a facility management training program and specialized modules for Native Americans for a training institute.  Provided all instructors for training programs.