In my last article, I wrote about how a partnership with Anchor Group Services adds value to a customer’s business through Anchor’s ‘non-typical’ approach to providing solutions.
I focused on the key service pillars of customer relationships, team engagement and continuous innovation, how they are prioritised as united, guiding endeavours for Anchor as a whole.
For this article, I would like to expand upon Anchor’s approach to enabling success for customers via innovation and the right FM technology solutions.
Engage, empower, optimise
Anchor’s overall approach to service delivery is underpinned by technology to foster a culture of transparency, nurture accountability, provide proof of delivery and enhance compliance and safety.
For Anchor, placing the customer at the centre of the technology solution encourages everyone to place the employee there also.
They ask, how is the data and the information from which real value can be derived best utilised? Is it fed into a report for collation and analysis by someone else, days or weeks later when the value of the moment is lost? Many frontline teams still operate in this way, whilst in contrast, Anchor deploys cost-effective solutions that enable teams to realise the opportunity:
- integrated technology, supporting the end-to-end process
- simplifying and consolidating procedures
- collecting the right data digitally in real-time
- making data available to others
- automatically processing data for reports, analytics and third parties
- removing paper
- empowering everyone in their role throughout the chain of operations.
Anchor begins with the frontline team, and they are driven to find smarter ways to empower those people who represent the connection with their customers. Empowering through cost-effective mobile technology, enabling frontline teams digitally, places responsibility at the point of customer and guest connection.
Digital tools cut through, replacing inefficient process and procedure, liberating ways of working and teams to become smarter, to develop and evolve.
The right technology will enable colleagues to take greater responsibility for their tasks, equipping them with dynamic information at hand and encouraging personal focus and accountability.
If the technology is smart enough to be collaborative and integrated, it will support a one-team approach, amplifying interest, and equipping the frontline team with solutions designed to help them better manage the increasing range of tasks, with the same or fewer resources.
Ultimately, Anchor understands that empowerment liberates employees to engage customers and optimise operations. It is this premise that drives their thirst for new ideas and ways of working.
Organisational ambition
If frontline employees understand the business strategy, objectives and customer-centric goals, they will support and get behind technology-enabled change for the benefit of their customers and consequently the business. Anchor gets this.
As a dynamic FM organisation, Anchor wants to digitise operations with the foresight that configuration, usability and digital empowerment for frontline workers is the basis for maximising return on investment for customers and partners alike.
Operational success is dependent upon the clarity and simplicity of business processes and workflows, and if these are compromised and complicated then the value of digitalisation will also be impacted. It takes discipline to keep solutions simple and that is where genuine engagement and involvement of frontline workers really makes the difference.
Who better to simplify procedures, remove bottlenecks and “lean” processes than the frontline people who operate them every day?
If you consider that turning data into real, meaningful management information is the key to genuine measurement of performance and customer experience, it follows that engaging and developing employees to understand a system and its data empowers the employee to add most value to the solution.
Transparency and engagement overcome the likelihood of issues being overlooked or misplaced through human error. The team see and feel the value of being able to monitor real-time collective performance. They have confidence in data accuracy, they support each other, and promote a genuine one-team approach. Anchor really gets this.
Subject matter experts
Through a team of highly skilled subject matter experts, Anchor works closely with customers to understand how the right deployment of technology and digitisation would best enable successful delivery of shared goals.
These subject matter experts include such leading sector specialists as Technical Service Director, Jamie Fretwell, PAL Protect Consultancy Director, Ian Pugh, and HSQE Manager, Steve Goodwin, all three of whom are embedded within the operations team to integrate expertise at the frontline of service.
Expertise is partnered with the regional management teams who are focused on the overall delivery of services, employee training, welfare and wellbeing, compliance monitoring and auditing, performance monitoring, and local relationship management. And in turn, the leadership team focus on delivery strategies, added value, social value, benchmarking, and review.
It is this strategic separation of responsibilities that allows Anchor to effectively engage innovative solutions and streamline the delivery of services to its customers.
Adding extra value
For Anchor, the integration of IoT, AI, and mobile technology is much more than innovation - it's a necessity. Anchor invites customers to collaborate, to delve into risk management and consider all options. Of course, ensuring the safety of employees and visitors is paramount, but significantly reducing financial and reputational liabilities is also essential.
It is Anchor’s view that choosing the right technology solution is at the heart of investing in the partnership’s future, promoting a safer, more responsive, and more efficient environment for all.
Furthermore, Anchor can evidence this statement by proving that investment in the right technology will be more quickly offset by wider operational efficiencies alongside stronger risk management, leading to lasting reductions in insurance premiums and claims liability.
PAL Protect
A key part of Anchor’s emergency preparedness is to draw upon the experience of PAL Protect consultancy division director, Ian Pugh. Ian was responsible for the overall security and operational technology strategy, crisis management and major incident management plans linking into the disaster recovery strategy in a previous role as Group Head of Security reporting into board level.
PAL Protect is an integral part of the Anchor service delivery approach, and consultants work closely with the customer’s operations team, providing advice and support in all aspects of service across sectors.
An example of seeking the best solutions for clients comes through PAL Protect’s partnership with Safe Asset Group in offering SHORE certification. Focusing on a range of core management aspects, PAL Protect and Safe Asset Group can support and enable clients to:
- Demonstrate duty of care
- Boost property value
- Increase brand value
- Reduce risk and insurance costs
- Support ESG Strategy
In my view, the way that Anchor harnesses and embeds technology to ensure the very best and bespoke solution for the customer sets them apart from others.
Continual innovation underpins a successful facilities management partner and Anchor have proven this time and again with not only new technology and innovations but with new partnerships.
In my final instalment of ‘Doing business in the right way (with the right solution)’, I will be looking at Anchor’s unique approach to ESG and social value and why this makes them a valuable partner for their clients.
See you next time,
Geoff
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