What is ESFM’s key industry differentiator? 

ESFM self-performs 80 percent of all IFM hard and soft services it provides to its clients under six primary categories: environment, health and safety, facilities maintenance and engineering, sustainability, janitorial and industrial cleaning, laboratory support and workplace solutions. ESFM’s clients include many of the Fortune 500 across several industries including life sciences, technology, oil and gas, and food and auto manufacturing. ESFM’s portfolio of self-performed solutions include its propriety CIMS, CIMS-GB certified hospital-grade cleaning program, eClean, and its strategic energy management services framework that includes asset and building optimization, project management and critical environment compliance.  

Because ESFM self-performs most services, it means the people working at client sites are ESFM associates, not subcontractors, which creates more consistency, quality and oversight of delivery and execution. In turn, this all leads to operational efficiencies, cost reductions and an elevated workplace experience, reflected in our 99.1 percent client retention rate. Associates operate under a unified hospitality approach, which is engrained in the ESFM and Compass Group culture.  

ESFM is the corporate integrated facilities management division of Compass Group USA, recognized among America’s Most Trustworthy Companies by Newsweek and can be found on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Large Employers. Compass Group North America facilities services divisions collectively manage 1.9 billion square feet daily across more than 3,000 client locations.  

 

How does ESFM ensure quality and consistency when self-performing a portfolio of solutions across hard and soft services?

ESFM focuses on the communication, collaboration and coordination of the organization to drive standards of delivery and service. ESFM’s Center of Excellence team consists of subject matter experts who oversee standardized and specialized solutions and practices that ensure efficiency and execution and drive innovation, supporting operations with training and education, and monitoring and measuring performance for quality and consistency.  

ESFM’s delivery model at the client site level is also centered on a dedicated Single Point of Contact who manages the operations and client relationship, streamlining communication and responsibility for action behind a client’s need or request.  

Communication is a top priority within ESFM’s self-performance model as seen in the results it has experienced with its communications strategy that earned the company IFMA’s George Graves Award for Facility Management Achievement.  

ESFM leverages mobile-first communications to empower its associates to drive positive business outcomes, providing a place for direct messaging and connection among associates nationwide, across all shifts and service lines. Not only reinforcing ESFM’s hospitality mindset, this type of communication also supports the entrepreneurial spirit that is engrained in the company culture, entrusting operators to take ownership and introduce innovative, customized solutions that best fit their location and client goals.  

ESFM’s investment in associate engagement and development has allowed the company to maintain an employee turnover rate of less than one-fifth of the industry average. For clients, that means higher quality, more consistent service.  

ESFM authored an IFMA blog post titled, “How to Retain Talent and Empower Front-line Facilities Teams,” providing greater detail about ESFM’s communication and associate engagement approach.  

What’s on the horizon for ESFM, especially as IFM providers act as partners to help clients achieve specific ESG goals?

Like many managed service providers, ESFM is partnering with our clients as they address reduced populations and the need to optimize space utilization along with aging buildings that need to run more efficiently and at a reduced cost as inflation continues to impact operational budgets – all while outfitting facilities to be healthy and sustainable.  

To combat these challenges, ESFM has introduced several proprietary solutions that capture and translate data to maximize labor and asset performance and help clients make informed decisions on capital investments that could reduce energy usage and improve building reliability. This is while ESFM continues to leverage the organization’s subject matter experts to support clients with reducing their carbon footprint using various sustainability initiatives that include HVAC and lighting system optimization, diverting waste from landfill, water conservation and more.  

ESFM’s proprietary technology solution, ESFMx, consolidates tools, aligns reporting and centralizes data within a single platform, replacing several standalone applications previously used across the IFM portfolio. Functions supported by ESFMx include space and asset management, work order tracking, financial reporting, service request management, integrated inspections and audits, data-driven cleaning and occupant sentiment capturing.  

ESFM’s energy solutions build upon its holistic sustainability approach to FM, and includes strategic asset optimization, critical environment compliance, reliability engineering/consulting, technical services standardization, and training. This self-performed service has allowed ESFM to identify millions of dollars in potential annual cost savings for individual clients at locations across the U.S.  

Hosted and moderated by IFMA, ESFM led a webinar in partnership with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) on “Healthy Buildings, Healthy Bottom Line,” sharing FM practices that support corporate ESG targets and cost savings. A recording can be found in IFMA Knowledge Library.  

What drives ESFM? 

Creating better environments for people and the planet. Action today invests in tomorrow, and ESFM is proud to be part of an international firm that is committed to that. Leveraging the power of Compass Group, ESFM invests in client-specific service innovations, formulating a strategy based on their goals and making significant financial investments to support them, a point of distinction in the industry.  Clients benefit from solutions that lead to healthier environments where people are more productive. While ESFM strives to better serve its clients, it drives the team to excellence, knowing it is creating a healthier, brighter future.