WISAG Facility Service
Transcrição
WISAG Facility Service
WISAG Facility Service Annual report 2010 Facility Management Building Engineering Commercial Cleaning Security and Service Catering Garden and Landscaping Services Consulting and Management 2 Contents Preface Impressing and inspiring people .....................................................................................4 It all starts with esteem Respect and trust are at the heart of our actions ...........................................................6 Staff development An invaluable offer: brighter future prospects ...............................................................8 Industry focus Facility management is still a growing market … if the potential is tapped ..............................................................................................14 WISAG Facility Service: presenting the service divisions Facility Management Facility management – moving towards a strategic partnership .................................. 20 Building Engineering Quality: an important factor for the future ...................................................................... 25 Commercial Cleaning Investing in staff means investing in the future ............................................................. 28 Security and Service An intelligent combination of security and service ........................................................ 32 Catering A delight for all the senses ............................................................................................... 36 Garden and Landscaping Services Skilled care for all things green ....................................................................................... 40 2COM Property Specialists Consulting & Management A competence centre for eco-sustainable property consultancy .................................. 45 European Customer Services Take a new approach in Europe ....................................................................................... 49 WISAG Facility Service in figures – 2010 .........................................................50 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................51 3 PREFACE Impressing and inspiring people Dear reader, There are days you will remember all your life – moments which are associated with particular emotions. 2 October 2010 was just such a day for me. It was both a beginning and an end: the end of an intense process of identifying what makes WISAG special in conjunction with staff, customers and industry specialists. Based on this, we established our company values; defined and formulated our brand concept. The outcome of this process also forms the beginning of a successful future for our company. On Saturday 2 October 2010, we presented the results of almost three years’ work to WISAG managers for the very first time. At 4.50 p. m., I was still unsure how everything would be received – the altered logo, our targets and vision, our ideas for implementation, and ultimately the company values we had developed. But once the event started at 6.00 p. m., there was no going back. The executives were open, curious and positive when I explained the course all of us at WISAG will take. And right at the end, when the new logo was revealed, symbolising our new path and WISAG’s identity, there was a great sense of being swept along, an atmosphere of enthusiasm and pride that we are part of a dynamic company which is moving forwards as one. The highlight of the event was a staff performance which symbolically showed what WISAG stands for. 4 It conveyed what has defined WISAG since the company was established in 1965 by my father, Claus Wisser – and what has since grown constantly along with the company and makes us unique: we have a culture of esteem, we show dedication and we are colourful! These three values form the foundations of the WISAG brand. They act as guidelines for our employees and pillars which our customers can rely on. They are the basis on which our family company will be able to keep developing successfully and achieve the targets we have set ourselves by 2020: day in, day out, we want to win the hearts of our staff and customers as a strong brand. We will set an example as regards environmental protection and predominantly use ecological products and processes. And, by 2020, we aim to primarily promote staff from within the company to any managerial positions which become available, thereby giving our employees a wide range of opportunities and prospects. In the future, our values and mission statement will strengthen WISAG’s distinctive identity as a great German service brand. To achieve this, we had to adjust WISAG’s look too, so we completely reworked our brand image in 2010. It is now fresher and more transparent with a single green logo. This new look corresponds to our understanding of an innovative, reliable, eco-minded service pro It is infinitely better to enjoy people’s respect all the time than to have their admiration only once in a while. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) vider which is hallmarked by a warm, friendly attitude and makes for an attractive and responsible employer. We now face the great challenge of communicating our brand concept, mission statement and values to a wider audience. We must ensure that every single member of staff internalises even more strongly the philosophy they have been following for years and make this even more visible, especially in their dealings with customers. We want to impress people with our services; we want to inspire them and give the WISAG brand an unmistakeable character by means of our day-to-day actions. However, that is far from being the only challenge we faced in 2010. Although other industries have experienced an upturn, this has not yet reached most of the real estate sector. Our customers are still struggling with vacancies and financial squeezes. As a consequence, we have experienced service cutbacks and a sharp rise in tendering. Thanks to a high level of flexibility and adaptability, we were able to work with our clients to overcome this situation. The year got off to a successful start due to our employees’ dedication, our company philosophy and our values. We capitalised on the opportunities presented by the consequences of the crisis by further optimising our processes, constantly improving the quality of our services, and identifying new savings potential. Despite setting ourselves economic targets, we are still very aware of our social and ecological responsibility. This means that WISAG is constantly expanding its staff development programme, for instance. We offer our employees career prospects and actively ensure that their work is valued and that they receive commensurate pay at the end of the month. We have also stepped up our ecological activities. Together with staff and clients, we are currently working on initiatives and ideas which, step by step, will take us closer to achieving our goal of becoming the industry forerunner as regards environmental protection. WISAG’s plans for the next few years may be ambitious. However, we will pursue our targets with dedication and motivation, never losing sight of our customers’ wishes and needs or our compassion. We will be guided primarily by our values: “esteem”, “dedication” and “colourful”. This report shows you what esteem means to us. I hope you find it an enjoyable and informative read. Best regards, Michael C. Wisser 5 IT ALL STARTS WITH ESTEEM Respect and trust are at the heart of our actions Respecting people – their individuality, their achievements and their work – is absolutely crucial for companies or individuals who want to succeed. This respect for people – be they clients, employees, suppliers or business partners – is reflected in our company value esteem. It is all about friendly openness, respect and trust, and it shapes the way we behave every day. So how exactly does WISAG express esteem? We are open to new input and ideas. We are curious about different, better solutions and approaches. We respond to new ideas with interest and create a climate where ideas can flourish. We cultivate respectful interpersonal relationships; we are polite and friendly. We each give our all to create a pleasant, open working environment and inspire our customers with our services. We acknowledge each individual’s achievements and pay attention to their needs. We speak to one another – and our clients – as equals. Within WISAG, we trust one another. With this trust at the heart of the company, our thousands of staff can successfully serve thousands of customers every day. Esteem works both ways: those who are courteous are treated with courtesy; those who treat others with respect are respected in turn. Our work is done by people, for people. As a service provider, our clients’ esteem is important. We offer them reasonable prices and maintain a fair relation ship founded on partnership. Together with our customers, we develop creative solutions and adopt 6 new approaches – even and especially in economically challenging times. We value our clients and our clients value us, which is why so many companies choose WISAG and keep coming back. Esteem also defines daily dealings with our staff – at all levels of the organisation’s hierarchy. Every day, some of them provide services which may be simple but are also essential. We believe that their work should therefore be valued as a matter of course and rewarded with fair pay. This is why WISAG has been calling for a minimum wage for years. Our employees also enjoy our trust and are given a large degree of autonomy. Such scope is crucial as it allows them to provide an optimum service at our customers’ premises, enabling them to react flexibly to circumstances and therefore offer excellent service. For this reason, esteem also means openness – if you expect enthusiasm, you have to be open to new ideas. Last but not least, we show esteem by investing heavily in our employees’ training and continuing professional development (CPD). We do not see this as a one-way commitment: our staff also have to demonstrate a degree of initiative and esteem in order to utilise the opportunities and prospects we offer them and to get involved. In this way, the esteem we show our employees strengthens their identification with the company, their level of commitment and therefore – ultimately – the value added generated by our company and our customers’ satisfaction. WISAG is all about esteem. WISAG is all about dedication. WISAG is all about being colourful. PROTECTION AND SECURITY SPECIALISTO ADMINISTRATOROFFICE COMMUNICATION ASSISTANTSERVICE, PROTECTION AND SE SPECIALISTMECHATRONICS ENGINEERELE ENGINEER FOR ENERGY AND BUILDING EN ELECTRONICS ENGINEER FOR PROCESS EN ELECTRONICS ENGINEER FOR AUTOMATIO TECHNOLOGYREFRIGERATION PLANT ENG PLANT FITTER FOR SANITARY, HEATING AN AIR-CONDITIONING TECHNOLOGYMECHAT ENGINEER FOR REFRIGERATION TECHNOLO PLANT FITTERDRAUGHTSMANINDUSTRIAL CLERKGLASS AND COMMERCIAL CLEANER COOKEVENTS SPECIALISTGARDENER: HOR AND LANDSCAPINGGARDENER: HORTICUL SPORTS PITCHESRESTAURANT SPECIALIST An invaluable offer: brighter future prospects WISAG performs a wide range of services for its clients. Our dedicated staff advise, manage, repair, service, clean, provide security, cook, plant and much more. They contribute to our success and that of our customers. They breathe life into the WISAG brand and share our special company culture. As a family company, we hold our staff in high esteem – and that includes offering them a wide range of attractive training, continuing professional development and qualification schemes. All of these stimulate junior employees at WISAG, improve the quality of our services, strengthen our managers’ skills, and take us a step closer to achieving our goal of filling the majority of open managerial positions from within the company by 2020. This makes us an attractive employer and a preferred service provider. Our staff development activities help us to prepare our company for tomorrow’s challenges. It is our belief that good training forms the foundation for a successful career and we consistently follow 8 this philosophy. Last year, we employed 164 new apprentices working towards vocational qualifications in 12 different professions. Spanning everything from plant fitters to security specialists and commercial cleaners to cooks, they can be found in all divisions of WISAG Facility Service Holding. So what happens once they have completed their apprenticeships? Then they can expect a stimulating, varied job at WISAG plus an extensive staff development programme for all groups of employees – both at organisational and divisional level. Our training schemes are always geared towards business operations and actual needs. They offer all committed and competent employees the opportunity to advance their careers at the company. We take a holistic approach to staff development: our measures do not only focus on specific tasks, personal and professional skills; they also incorporate cultural requirements arising from our special company philosophy and values. OFFICE NS ECURITY ECTRONICS NGINEERING NGINEERING ON GINEER ND TRONICS OGY L R RTICULTURE LTURE AND T STAFF DEVELOPMENT The package of measures for the whole company comprises targeted training modules and a series of management programmes. For example, the so-called “Goldfish Pond” concept has now been established for over 15 years. This scheme prepares high-potential employees to take on their first leadership responsibilities. While the first year focuses on topics such as communication, presen tation, motivation and project management, the second year deepens participants’ theoretical know ledge by means of concrete project tasks and planning games. More than 200 WISAG employees have already completed the programme swimmingly – and many of them have gone on to have impressive careers at our company. The second organisational-level development programme is called “Scaling New Heights”. It was launched in 2009 and prepares managers to take on more complex roles and greater responsibility such as managing an office. During the two-year scheme which runs parallel to their existing pro fessional duties, staff learn about new leadership, sales, customer and property management tasks. At the same time, they improve their social skills and knowledge of management methods and work on specific projects. The aim of the programme is to continuously strengthen middle management and promote network thinking. Throughout this demanding programme, each participant is mentored by an experienced executive. In conjunction with its consultancy subsidiary 2COM, WISAG also offers a highly varied trainee programme designed to give graduates in particular an attractive start to their careers at WISAG. The Group-wide measures stimulate employees’ development and dialogue throughout the company. To complement the organisational schemes, there are relevant modules in all company divisions which deal with the specifics of our service divisions and open up a wide range of training opportunities in the respective field. For instance, WISAG Building Engineering and WISAG Facility Management offer service engineers a wide range of educational courses covering everything from further professional qualifications to personal presentation and customer focus. Managers can opt into the “Knowledge Pool” scheme, which teaches them how to negotiate and give presentations. It also deals with leadership, resolving conflicts, developing strategies and keeping calm in order to gain the trust of employees, customers and suppliers. This requires extensive expertise, which managers are taught within a year as part of the “Knowledge Pool” scheme. The curriculum covers everything from labour law and business management to professional dealings with clients and staff plus in-depth knowledge in all areas the company operates in. This ensures that programme participants are thoroughly prepared to face future challenges. WISAG Commercial Cleaning, meanwhile, offers an extensive training programme by the name of TOPfit – the only of its kind in this sector. TOPfit was launched in 2007 as a training scheme for cleaning staff and now ensures that all full and part-time commercial cleaning operatives receive systematic training. The basic programme is made up of 23 teaching modules. It enhances employees’ cleaning techniques, strengthens their communication skills and provides training on legal and administrative issues. This results in improved service quality and higher productivity. It is easy to see why: employees feel valued, extend their knowledge, are more 9 Personalentwicklung motivated and – thanks to TOPfit – take less time off sick. Some 6,500 people – more than half our cleaning staff – participated in TOPfit in 2010. Good training gives people a secure future. Security plays a major role in WISAG’s training programmes in a number of different ways. Good training and continuing professional development secures employees’ futures, furthers their subsequent careers and ensures that they interface with customers professionally. Training of this kind is also offered at WISAG Security and Service, where the ultimate aim is perfect protection. As you would expect, anyone hoping to become a protection and security specialist or operative therefore receives in-depth training. And once they have gained their vocational qualifications, staff are offered a wide-ranging CPD package covering classic security topics, the law, professional practice and psychological aspects to ensure that they stay safe and secure whenever they are on duty. In addition to this, management training is provided for all section heads at WISAG Security and Service. Stimulating our staff harmonises with our values and our company philosophy – but so does demanding their complete commitment. We want them to serve our customers with motivation and dedication, go the extra mile for our clients, and come up with pleasant surprises every single day. Inspiring customers calls for both professional skills and creativity – especially when it comes to inno vative catering and service. That is why the training 10 currently offered by WISAG Catering is as varied as the meals prepared at WISAG company canteens. From the latest gastronomic trends to display cooking and service offensives – the CPD packages are invaluable. This is borne out by the fact that WISAG Catering has been named Caterer of the Year several times by the industry magazine “Catering Inside”, gaining this accolade for example in 2007, when the “Caring about service” concept won WISAG the award in the category “Management and staff”. The training programme “GREEN to the Max” for supervisors at WISAG Garden and Landscaping Services covers a wide range of gardening topics and providing a customer-oriented service (see page 43). Regular CPD courses for section heads and office managers round off the training available for WISAG’s green-fingered staff. WISAG is one of Germany’s leading service providers – and not by chance. Our company’s success is primarily attributable to highly qualified staff with the right attitude to service. Our organisation stands for quality – and this can only be maintained day after day if our employees are well trained and motivated. That is why we make them an invaluable offer: good opportunities when they first join the company, positions of responsibility with the necessary autonomy, and regular development. In doing so, we give our employees trust and respect and create an attractive environment in which their careers can flourish. Our staff appreciate that – and so do we. “What did I gain from two years of ‘Scaling New Heights’? A skills assessment, development, a different perspective, a clear path, motivation and confirmation that I had made the right decision.” Oliver Schleicher, employee at WISAG Commercial Cleaning and participant in the “Scaling New Heights” programme “Interlinking the different divisions is one of the key elements of the ‘Goldfish Pond’ – this makes subsequent collaboration much easier. All in all, I think WISAG’s staff development provisions are outstanding!” Tobias Hemschak, employee at WISAG Commercial Cleaning and participant in the “Goldfish Pond” programme “My experience at WISAG has been thoroughly positive. If you’re willing and demonstrate commitment, you are stimulated and supported – both by means of concrete staff development opportunities and in your day-to-day work.” Sabine Gzella, employee at WISAG Catering and participant in the “Goldfish Pond” programme “The seminar was fantastic – in terms of the content, the coach and the group of participants. It has already made a lasting improvement to the way I work and thereby increased my productivity.” Horst Madloch, employee at WISAG Security and Service and participant in the “Time and self-management” seminar 11 INDUSTRY FOCUS Facility management is still a growing market … if the potential is tapped How quickly things can change. Just four years ago, Germany was a headache for the European economy – now the country is considered the powerhouse of the crisis-hit continent. The financial market collapse and recession prompted many domestic companies to adjust their internal processes and external ties with both customers and suppliers. Thanks to this – coupled with worldwide demand for products and services made in Germany – the country bounced back faster than economies elsewhere in the EU. While sales and profits at German banks, insurance companies and manufacturing firms have been rising again since 2010, the service sector has only experienced a slight recovery. Facility management (FM) companies have faced a tough test over the past two and a half years: most clients cut back on services, and lucrative extras were also slashed in many places. Nevertheless, FM firms weathered the crisis better than other service providers. This is because the FM sector is typically post-cyclical due to multi-year contracts. However, services and conditions are being re-discussed as part of subsequent negotiations and new tenders in 2010 and 2011 – and negotiated in the light of the new circumstances. This situation is prompting moderate growth in the FM industry. Although sales posted by the 25 leading companies in the Lünendonk® facility management 14 list rose by a double-digit percentage each year up to 2008, they grew by “just” 5.1 per cent on average in 2009 financial year. But at least they grew! Providers remained a long way from recording double-figure sales growth again in 2010. So what does that mean for FM companies? Will this moderate trend persist? Flexibility is obviously the key to successfully overcoming a crisis. Sometimes, customer firms set savings targets; sometimes clients and providers sit down together to identify new potential. Either way, those who can currently position themselves as offering intelligent, flexible solutions will lay the cornerstone for a successful future in tandem with their clients. In the future, secondary processes which do not form part of a customer’s core line of business will increasingly be outsourced. This includes facility management services. Although many property and plant services are already completed by external firms in some sectors, there is still huge potential for growth. The German FM market is a mature market, but not a saturated one. In recent years, FM providers’ services have slowly but surely evolved into end-to-end support and secondary processes. To make the most of this offer, By Jörg Hossenfelder, Managing Partner at Lünendonk GmbH companies must first recognise the opportunities presented by outsourcing FM services. However, this way of thinking is not yet established at all client firms. As the Lünendonk® study “Facility Management 2010” shows, many customers’ procurement departments are gradually becoming more professio nal. Word has spread that it is not the lowest price that counts, but the best value for money as regards service quality. Clients are increasingly realising that FM can make a significant contribution towards enhancing quality and efficiency on the one hand and heightening flexibility on the other. Following the crisis, the general trend towards outsourcing and contracting services out is also working in favour of FM providers. In the current financial period and the years that follow, facility management will regain its old strength. As well as identifying new service offerings and industry sectors, this will be due in part to closer dovetailing with client firms as FM providers assume responsibility for entire secondary processes. Daring to take a look at the future is no easy thing to do. Who would have guessed five years ago that one of Germany’s states would have a Green Party governor in 2011? Just two years ago, who would have predicted the widespread political uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East? Who can make a reliable forecast given the major fluctuations in the euro and US dollar exchange rates? Whatever strategic plans companies make, they have to allow for surprises in the future as well as opportunities. As part of the forward-looking Lünendonk® study “Facility Management 2020”, we asked major service providers from the industry how they thought the market and companies would develop. One thing is for sure: the meaning of “facility management” will have changed by 2020. Firstly, we are already seeing a clear distinction between FM and other service types. Secondly, the importance of FM will increase massively. In 2020, a facility manager will be a solutions partner, a systems provider and even more of an enabler than is currently the case. It will be an interesting decade. However, the current market situation will prompt further consolidation among FM providers – a trend which began before the financial markets collapsed and the recession set in. Companies will emerge from the crisis stronger if they have specialised in a specific service or niche, or if they can cover complete value chains for their clients. 15 FACILITY MANAGEMENT BUILDING ENGINEERING COMMERCIAL CLEANING SECURITY AND SERVICE CATERING GARDEN AND LANDSCAPING SERVICES 2COM PROPERTY SPECIALISTS CONSULTING & MANAGEMENT 17 To date, the hard-working staff from WISAG Building Engineering have replaced approximately 300,000 faulty bulbs in properties under their management. Every year, our fully qualified cleaning staff leave an area of some 3,200 square kilometres spick and span. That is about six times the area of Lake Constance. On average, a site patrolman from WISAG Security and Service takes some 18,081 steps – covering more than 12 kilometres – per nightly patrol. That adds up to around 2,880 kilometres every year. 18 WISAG Catering has treated its customers at company canteens to 1,327,200 cups of fair-trade coffee. Our gardeners have maintained green spaces spanning 14,600,000 square metres. That is almost the same size as the North Sea island of Juist. 164 young people have started training towards one of about 12 vocational qualifications at WISAG. 19 FACILITY MANAGEMENT Facility management – moving towards a strategic partnership For many years, WISAG has been successfully ensuring that properties are managed economically and to a high standard by optimally dovetailing individual trades and services. 2010 was a particularly challenging year, however. Although the majority of the economy profited from the upswing, the real estate sector felt the delayed impact of the crisis due to the system in place. Customer cost cutting translated into new tenders and service cutbacks and dominated our work. We had anticipated this trend and prepared by developing customeroriented, flexible solutions. This enabled us to retain major contracts, gain attractive new clients and thereby achieve our own targets. In another ongoing trend, customers are increasingly enquiring about larger-scale service packages for several sites. We now provide services on a nationwide scale for more than half of our clients. This means that tenders are gaining in complexity. At the same time, customer procurement departments are becoming more professional and there is a growing understanding of our work: the goal is increasingly to establish long-term strategic partnerships. This compensates to some extent for the fact that we have reached the minimum price for our services, and enables us to plan with confidence. The further consolidation of the facility management sector proved to be less extensive than anticipated. There were no large-scale takeovers. Nevertheless, firms which were once dedicated to classic con struction jobs are becoming increasingly involved in property management and strengthening their market position by means of acquisitions. At the 20 opposite end of the spectrum are companies with a long tradition of providing services, which are also further extending their expertise. Given this development, the market will continue to con centrate on a few large providers and small specialist niche companies. WISAG Facility Management is confident about the future. We are sure that the market is settling down and that the growing importance of ecological considerations in facility management, for example, will open up new opportunities. We are well prepared for the increased pooling of contracts with our extended key account management and our wide-ranging portfolio spanning building engineering, commercial cleaning, security and service, catering, garden and landscaping services, consulting and management. The above-mentioned strategic partnerships will open up new prospects and we are seeing a growing appreciation for our work. In this context, it is important for us to position ourselves even more clearly as a pro fessional full service provider for facility management with the in-house capabilities to provide a large percentage of these services. By revising the image of the company and the WISAG brand, we took an important step towards achieving this in 2010. Integrated WISAG services Process optimisation Quality control Outsourcing Optimising operating costs “Deka Immobilien GmbH belongs to the DekaBank Group, the central asset manager of the SparkassenFinanzgruppe. We are responsible for sales and purchases of real estate, asset management and all other property services. We develop holistic solutions for our customers and are a flexible partner with strong liquidity. Competent facility management partners form an important part of these solutions for us. We have been working with WISAG successfully for ten years now – the company is a strategic service provider for our real estate throughout Germany. As well as completing traditional FM tasks, WISAG performs a number of special services. We particularly value their staff continuity, which gives WISAG employees a great deal of experience, enabling them to offer us optimum support. The key account management system which has been established gives us a competent contact person who deals with our wishes reliably and actively supports us.” Wolfgang Frisch Head of Real Estate Management Germany, Deka Immobilien GmbH 21 Sabine Walter, Gerrit Egg and Sylvia Hartung (left to right) are on a complex mission FACILITY MANAGEMENT 195 in one go Every company is pleased to gain new clients, new properties, new tasks – including us! But rarely do we, WISAG’s facility management specialist, acquire 195 interesting properties in one go. And yet that is precisely what happened at the beginning of 2010 when we took on the infrastructural and technical management of 195 properties throughout Germany, including operating responsibility. The properties belong to IC Immobilien Service GmbH (ICIS), part of the IC Immobilien Group. This new contract covers both a wide geographical area and a broad range of services. We provide everything from cleaning to garden and landscaping services, and from snow clearance and gritting to security and building engineering for our new client. To put it another way: “We do everything for ICIS – except catering,” as Gerrit Egg, WISAG Key Account Manager, says. Originally from Tyrol, Egg is one of the project interfaces along with the ICIS team in Berlin. The success of the overall project is managed in Berlin. “And that,” adds Project Manager Sabine Walter, “is a huge challenge.” This contract adds up to a complex mission. Firstly, it involves a highly fragmented area of 1.1 million square metres. Secondly, the team has to manage some 1,400 old contracts – some of them several years old – with former service providers. The properties are also rented by countless tenants with a wide range of requirements and needs. While WISAG may only be required to sweep the pavement at one property, some other premises have numerous tenants with numerous wishes regarding security, cleanliness and service. Some are happy with a response time of two hours for snow clearance and gritting, while others stipulate a maximum of 30 minutes. In other words, no two ICIS properties are the same. This means there are no identical solutions for all the premises – instead, there are individual arrangements in place for each address. For this reason, WISAG has to start by collating all the relevant information and finding out who is responsible for what on site, and who should be contacted about the various matters. This is a timeconsuming – and at times tedious – job, which is being tackled in close collaboration with the client and their main contact person, Ines von Müller. Following a few initial adjustments, the two companies’ joint goal is now in sight. With WISAG, ICIS has acquired a central FM service provider – a single firm which delivers high quality across the board. WISAG is a strategic partner who reliably documents the properties held, maintains comprehensive service records and helps ICIS to constantly further develop its portfolios and identify synergies – twinned with professional process management, ongoing communication, extraordinary commitment and maximum flexibility. 23 24 BUILDING ENGINEERING Quality: an important factor for the future What else can the market offer us? A lot of service providers’ customers seem to have asked themselves this question. Due to the pressure on costs brought about by the economic crisis, many customers wanted to check whether their existing service contracts were offering value for money. This triggered a wave of tendering, which in turn posed a great deal of challenges for the sector. As high-quality services make a long-term contribution towards maintaining properties’ value, standards were an important consideration when awarding contracts. WISAG Building Engineering succeeded in mastering this challenge, primarily thanks to a further improvement in our service quality in 2010 and the additional enhancement of our standards and quality assurance measures. The latter including extending the “Knowledge Pool”, a training programme for property managers, and improving our internal Best Practice Portal and our Trouble Ticket System (TTS). As contracts are increasingly being awarded for a range of services nationwide, it is important that customers receive the same service quality wherever they are – regardless of whether WISAG Building Engineering is performing services in Hamburg, Frankfurt or Munich. The TTS is ideal for clients who entrust us with the entire technical facility management of their properties. They can see online at a glance which premises have registered additional requirements or complaints and check the current ticket processing status. Various escalation levels ensure that issues are dealt with quickly and reliably. In addition to this, the WISAG Building Engineering Best Practice Portal provides suitable solutions and tried and tested approaches to catering for our customers’ requirements. The new, revised version of the portal now supports company-wide dialogue and knowledge transfer between our employees even more effectively. Last but not least, we would like to further optimise the quality of our work by increasing the percentage of services we can deliver using in-house capabilities. To achieve this, we are stepping up our CPD activities as well as proactively recruiting new staff. We offer our dedicated employees exciting prospects – not just because WISAG hopes to predominantly appoint managers from within its own workforce in the future. In the light of climate change and the finite availability of fossil resources, the industry will face a major challenge in the years to come. According to the German government’s energy concept, properties account for some 40 per cent of energy consumption. Intelligent energy management and optimised technical equipment hold a great deal of potential for our clients. With our expertise and specialist staff, we at WISAG Building Engineering are ideally placed to tap this potential. Facility management Maintenance Energy management Conversions and extensions 24/7 service hotline BUILDING ENGINEERING Dedication our clients appreciate Problems are usually mentioned pretty quickly. But what role does praise play in day-to-day work? People rarely write letters when a job has been done satisfactorily or exceeded expectations. For this reason, WISAG Building Engineering BerlinBrandenburg was all the more delighted when it received a customer e-mail one day saying: “We recently held the Bright Tradeshow for fashion, but we never could have done it without the selfless dedication of Hanjo Fengler and his team. Mr Fengler’s expertise and active support were a real help – he made things happen which seemed almost impossible.” Mr Fengler, you earn your daily bread by ensuring that heating, air-conditioning, ventilation, lifts and other technical equipment work perfectly around the clock. But how often have you received this kind of customer feedback? Thankfully, customers are satisfied far more often than they tell us in writing. But we get nice letters and e-mails every so often. Receiving praise like that really motivates us to keep giving our all. How do you achieve this kind of customer satis faction? You always have to be a step ahead. Develop a feel for what the client wants and offer him just that. For instance, for the Bright Tradeshow – which focused on skateboarding fashion and street wear – we managed to get the technical equipment at the former Lichtenberger Congress Center ready for a trendy trade show for 13,000 visitors, although it had been closed down for over ten years. 26 That sounds like quite a challenge. Yes, it was. The venue was only rented for two months before the trade show began, which didn’t give us much time to set the property up in such a way that the building control office, the technical safety agency (TÜV) and the fire brigade would all grant their approval. There were also lots of other things which we were able to sort out without any problems thanks to our good WISAG network. So it was a case of perfect service. How would you define that? The client has to feel that they are in safe hands with us. They need to have the security of knowing that we will always come up with a plan and attractive ideas, whatever the technical scenario. And that we’ll be as proactive as possible. How do you convey this attitude to your staff? You have to love and live service – just like in our company philosophy and WISAG’s values. We pay a great deal of attention to good interpersonal relationships, openness and respect, but we also encourage dedication and initiative. For example, in the past I personally never would have clocked off for the day if even a single light bulb at my customer’s premises wasn’t working. The 44-year-old WISAG employee started his career 20 years ago in overalls as a chief fitter for the maintenance of electrical systems. He was subsequently promoted to Service Manager and Site Manager, and has been Office Manager with responsibility for 100 employees for the past four years. His motto is: strive for perfect service at all times. Hanjo Fengler (bottom right) and his team always focus on customer satisfaction 27 COMMERCIAL CLEANING Investing in staff means investing in the future In 2010, the economic crisis made itself felt with something of a delay at WISAG Commercial Cleaning as customers cut back on services and issued a large number of tenders. Pressure on prices was already high, but it rose even further, partly because the sector’s new minimum wage had to be implemen ted at the same time. We promptly reacted to the new requirements and quickly developed alternative solutions for our clients. Products such as t.op. Reinigung® – a cleaning service which is optimised every day – and the integrated service Integrierte Reinigung by WISAG® respond to customers’ demands for greater flexibility. Thanks to our partnership-based approach to customer relations and the commitment of our staff, we succeeded in weathering this tough year. WISAG Commercial Cleaning achieved its target and experienced further organic growth. For instance, we extended our business with branch network customers and were awarded a contract by a major pharmacy chain with some 1,000 stores throughout Germany. Above all, service quality means well-trained staff with qualifications that make sense to customers. This is what our TOPfit programme is all about. In 2010, we trained some 6,500 cleaning operatives and 200 supervisors. We methodically invest in the people who work for us as a means of safeguarding quality for our clients across the board. We have seen a sharp rise in quotations since the end of 2010, with a clear trend towards large-scale projects as customers invite tenders for their whole nationwide portfolio. This poses specific logistical challenges as staff and resources have to be available at the different premises precisely when they are needed. Preparing our team for these challenges is therefore right at the top of our agenda for 2011. By launching the TOPfit programme for customer advisors, we will ensure that universal training is provided for all staff involved in operations. Based on the Group’s vision, we also want to fill managerial positions predominantly from our own workforce. In the light of these developments, quality is and remains critical to success, which is why we are focussing strongly on business excellence – safeguar ding uniform quality standards throughout Germany. Our efforts are bearing fruit: in 2010, the EFQM ranking (European Foundation for Quality Management) placed us in the superior four-star category “Recognised for Excellence”. 28 Our employees are also grateful for this, as indicated by their positive responses to our staff survey, for example, and a fluctuation rate of less than 20 per cent – a relatively low figure for this sector. This is a clear sign that we are becoming an employer of choice for cleaning operatives. Training programmes and staff loyalty will remain priorities in the future, partly because cleaning services are becoming increasingly complex and the demands placed on workforce organisation are growing. This means there is a greater need for graduates as well as skilled workers. Maintenance cleaning Glass and façade cleaning Thorough cleaning and special services Clean room cleaning Food hygiene “We make a lot of people in Hesse very happy. That’s because we’re responsible for the technical side of various lottery draws – the LOTTO, the football pools, ODDSET, Spiel 77, Super 6, BINGO and KENO, instant-prize scratch cards and the Glücksspirale. Every week, we process some 1.6 million lottery tickets. Maximum security, reliability and trust are absolutely essential for our sensitive business. Our customers rightly expect this of us and we choose our service providers on this basis too. We have found an extremely profes- sional partner in WISAG Commercial Cleaning. The company’s dedicated staff have reliably been keeping our head office in Wiesbaden clean since 1995. If any adjustments are needed, WISAG comes up with solutions quickly and flexibly. It is a working relationship based on partnership which we value very highly.” Wolfgang Wilbert Commercial Manager, Lotterie-Treuhandgesellschaft mbH Hesse 29 A well-coordinated team and a high level of flexibility are important success factors for Michael Suske (bottom left) 30 COMMERCIAL CLEANING Reliable cleanliness – even at a dizzy height Leipzig as far as the eye can see. Fantastic views from the roof of Löhrs Carré. The zoo on one side; Europe’s largest terminus station on the other. From a height of 65 metres, it all looks a bit like a miniature version of Leipzig. But Alexander Krause and Torsten Geißler aren’t interested in the panoramic views. They carefully examine their ten kilos of equipment, check the safety harness and the rope, test the carabiners and scrutinise the straps. Then they make sure they’ve got buckets, water, squeegees, chamois leathers, microfibre cloths and detergent. A quick nod – then the two muscular men step off the parapet without a moment’s hesitation and abseil down the building on their 100-metre-long ropes. 17 storeys of gleaming glass await them below. Just before he surrenders to the pull of gravity, Torsten Geißler says: “You couldn’t do this job if you were afraid of heights or suffered from vertigo.” The two men are commercial cleaners who have completed certified additional training and now eliminate dirt from windows and façades as highaltitude workers for WISAG Commercial Cleaning. They work on all the areas which cranes, ground lifts and ladders cannot reach. Today, they are at the Löhrs Carré complex, the head office of Sachsenbank and Sparkasse Leipzig in the heart of Leipzig. The office block’s windows cover an area of some 15,000 square metres and are cleaned three times a year. However, they are just part of the extensive cleaning contract which WISAG has for this prestigious property with Pro Carré Facility Management GmbH. Every single day, 13 well-trained cleaning operatives spread out throughout the premises to make an area averaging around 23,000 square metres shine. That adds up to half a million square metres every month. Both the client and the banking centre’s staff are thoroughly satisfied with their work. Security is a priority at the complex, where WISAG has been providing a professional cleaning service since 1998. In addition to offices, corridors, foyers and conference rooms, this spans the centre’s outdoor areas and underground car park. The cleaning crew uses eco-friendly detergents and conserves resources. Office Manager Michael Suske is proud of the company’s performance. “With our hand-picked team, we offer a flexible service that caters for the client’s exacting requirements.” This is a crucial success factor – but it is far from being the only one. 13 years of cleaning have brought WISAG and its client together in a very real partnership, given rise to constant contact persons with minimal fluctuation, and ensured that both sides communicate with one another as equals. “That makes us a reliable partner,” says Supervisor Anette Meinel, just as her phone rings. A coffee pot has just fallen over in the foyer. She walks towards the door, turns around again briefly and adds: “Fast responses are an essential part of that.” 31 SECURITY AND SERVICE An intelligent combination of security and service The multi-talented employees from WISAG Security and Service monitor buildings, check tickets, welcome visitors and much more – reliably providing security around the clock, whatever the weather. They are often responsible for protecting sizeable assets. It is a valuable service for which a fair wage should be paid. This is why WISAG championed fair pay for its employees again in 2010 – by campaigning for the introduction of a minimum wage and the implementation of regional increases in standard wages. We are pleased that the majority of clients sympathised with our cause. However, conveying the value of the work done by our conscientious, dedi cated specialist staff will remain a challenge in the future. This is partly because pressure on prices remains high on the market. 2010 was therefore a challenging year, but we are satisfied with the course of business overall: we attracted new clients and grew our sales again. We are delighted with this outcome – but we have no intention of resting on our laurels. We will continue to invest in training our staff and expanding our quality management system, and we will keep developing high-quality services at reasonable prices. Our MeTeOr concept is just one example which shows that this is possible. Centring on a judicious combination of people, modern technology and organisation, it is tailored to the specific customer’s needs until it fits like a glove. Another example is “Safe & Secure”, which works with needs-based rosters. In addition to this, there is room for improvement in a number of areas, such as reception and – in particular – post room services. For instance, the intelligent combination of post orders can generate quantity savings. We have acknowledged the expansion of our portfolio by changing our name from WISAG Security Services to WISAG Security and Service. This was made possible largely by the high quality of our services, which is primarily shaped by our qualified staff. We are well aware of this and extended our range of training programmes in 2010. As well as proactively expanding our employees’ expertise, this boosts their motivation and offers them brighter career prospects. In 2011, we will concentrate on consistently acting on the results of our customer survey. Further increases in standard wages are also due. We need a statutory minimum wage to counteract so-called “wage dumping” – the practice of forcing down wages – and safeguard jobs in Germany. We are therefore delighted that the German cabinet has resolved to introduce a minimum wage for the surveillance and security trade as of 1 June 2011. It is a successful strategy, as borne out by the results of the customer survey we conducted in conjunction with the market research institute infas at the end of 2010. 73 per cent of our clients are currently very satisfied with the security and service they receive from WISAG, while a further 23 per cent are satisfied. 32 Protection and prevention Security consultancy and technology Emergency hotline and service centre Reception and post room services Trade show and event services “MAN Diesel & Turbo is a leading global supplier of large diesel engines and turbomachinery for maritime and stationary applications. The company employs around 12,500 people at more than 100 international sites. Approximately 3,300 members of staff currently work in administration and pro duction at the company’s headquarters in Augsburg, where we have been working with WISAG as a reliable partner for site protection and security since 1989. The 20 WISAG employees at the site are responsible for checking people and vehicles entering the plant, car park surveillance, patrols, the alarm control centre, providing assistance in emergencies and security services for special events at the plant site. As a company with largescale production operations, we have been bene fiting hugely from the WISAG Group’s expertise and professionalism for more than 20 years.” Klaus Pudel Manager of Plant Security, MAN Diesel & Turbo SE 33 SECURITY AND SERVICE A high flier in the security sector Sometimes a golden opportunity comes along. Julia-Anna Schwark, 24, certainly made the most of hers. In September 2007, she started an appren ticeship at WISAG, training to become a protection and security specialist. Even as an apprentice, she liaised with clients, produced rosters and assisted with job interviews. As soon as she finished her appren ticeship, she became Property Manager at Hanover’s Kaufland Center. Soon afterwards, on 1 December 2010, Julia-Anna Schwark was named Section Head of WISAG Security and Service in Hanover – a position in which she line manages around 50 members of staff. Ms Schwark, your career has got off to a perfect start. Did you plan it all that way? No, not really. If you had told me in my first year as an apprentice that I’d be Section Head in two years’ time, I would have shaken my head in disbelief. But the more was asked of me, the greater my motivation became. I just really enjoy it. Many other people of your age have a lot more free time than you with your responsibilities as Section Head. Are you sometimes jealous? Maybe occasionally when I’m called into work at night, but never for very long. I love my job, my clients and co-workers accept me, and I thrive on the work. And I’m proud to have made it to this position at the age of 24. I can enjoy more free time when I retire. 34 You are line manager for some 50 members of staff. What do you look for most of all in the people you work with? Reliability, support, honesty and trust are what I expect from my staff. And I offer them the same in return. All of them can talk to me about anything and come to me with their questions and problems. It’s all about reciprocal esteem. Many people think of your job as being traditionally male-dominated. What makes women better security experts? I don’t think women are better – they’re different. You have to find a happy medium between being friendly, human and assertive. Women can be a bit more sensitive to that. How much security do your customers need and how much protection and service can you really offer them? It’s impossible to make a general statement about that. We deal with a lot of people with different needs every day. You have to be able to assess a situation; we always have to check every scenario. We help people whenever possible – and that includes going beyond the call of duty. That’s what I think being a service provider means. There must sometimes be critical situations at a property like the Kaufland Center where there are a lot of visitors coming and going. How do you handle them? Good teamwork is absolutely essential. We also train for these kind of situations regularly. It is important for both the head of operations and the whole team to keep calm and dedicate their full attention and concentration to the situation in hand. And there’s no doubt we can do that. Julia-Anna Schwark sets great store by good teamwork 35 CATERING A delight for all the senses A delicious meal, appetising presentation, and service with a smile – food appeals to all of our senses. However, for people to really enjoy a meal and go away satisfied, every part of their dining experience has to be high quality. In other words, the atmosphere and the presentation of the food have to be right as well as the meal itself. This comprehensive concept of catering is important to WISAG. In 2009, we were named Caterer of the Year for our “Caring about cooking” scheme, which plays an important role in helping us to deliver all-round quality. The concept centres on good food, freshly prepared by highly skilled staff. Last year, we implemented the programme at 25 companies and we plan to roll it out at the remaining company canteens by 2012. Feedback from our customers to diner surveys shows that they have developed a real taste for the new scheme. Our aim is to constantly treat our customers to delicious food. Once the right standard has been reached, it is quite a challenge to maintain it. However, in 2010 we launched a quality drive which ensures that standards do not slip. The campaign focuses primarily on providing ongoing training for our staff because their cooking skills and creativity are the key to impressing our customers day after day. This is why we have further enhanced our already extensive training programme, for example by adding courses on kitchen techniques and current trends such as finger food, and by building on our “Caring about service” concept. But that is not all: we also support our kitchen teams with purchasing 36 recommendations, recipe ideas and information on organic and fair-trade products, for instance. Our training courses define the standards for tho roughly successful catering but also leave sufficient scope for creativity and individuality. As well as being appreciated by our customers, this motivates our staff to contribute their own ideas and continuously maintain and build on our quality standards. This is important because we want to offer more than other providers in the future by giving our service a personal touch. On the whole, the 2010 financial year developed positively for WISAG Catering. Despite the tense economic situation, the company was able to record further organic growth. Thanks to this growth and the new restaurants which were opened as a result, we were able to further professionalise our pre- opening management. This is something we will continue to focus on in 2011, alongside further qualifications for our employees. We also want to further boost the quality improvements we have initiated with the aid of software and set up “digital operating centres” which compile all the relevant information and key figures and enable site managers to work even more efficiently. Consultancy and conceptualisation Corporate catering Services for patients and senior citizens Catering for nurseries and schools Event catering 37 CATERING A canteen with green credentials The staff restaurant at Werner & Mertz in Mainz is somewhere people can come to relax. Light-flooded rooms, modern furnishings in appealing colours and a colourful selection of freshly prepared meals. The canteen forms part of the new office complex which was officially opened in September 2010 and is an impressive expression of the company’s sustainability ethos. Using wind power, photovoltaics and geothermal energy, the new-build generates more power than it needs to operate. The interior of the staff restaurant also complies with the sustaina bility philosophy of this family company, which is best known for its Frosch, Erdal and emsal brands. A “green wall” made up of 2,350 plants connected to a circulating water system increases the atmospheric humidity. This makes it possible to achieve a room temperature which feels just right with less heating. On top of that, the wall is a feast for the eyes. The restaurant is operated by WISAG Catering. Bernd Orio and his team also took their customer’s sustainability requirements into account when planning the kitchen, which is fitted with state-of-theart, high-tech appliances with the best energy efficiency ratings possible. For example, the dishwasher uses reverse osmosis, which makes the water used for dishwashing softer and means it uses much less detergent. Heat is also extracted from 38 the dishwashing water for use in the subsequent drying process, which saves more energy. Bernd Orio is also flexible when it comes to selecting sustainable produce for the restaurant. Fresh, top-quality ingredients are his number one priority. He only buys products which are free of additives and flavour enhancers. All the salad dressings and desserts are homemade. He has switched entirely to organic dairy produce and only uses fair-trade coffee. What’s more, the restaurant manager has promptly stopped using suppliers who do not have a sustainable code of practice. As well as providing meals for staff, Bernd Orio and his seven-strong team provide a conference service and cater for five or six large-scale events each month. A completely organic conference service may sound daunting, but the WISAG employees take it all in their stride. The catering manager has not even had to adjust his method of cooking. His team was one of the first to test “Caring about cooking”, so he has no trouble treating Werner & Mertz staff and visitors to low- calorie menus, a vegetarian buffet and a different wok dish every day. In such pleasant surroundings, everything he serves tastes twice as good. Bernd Orio and his team are consistent yet flexible in implementing a sustainable restaurant concept 39 GARDEN AND LANDSCAPING SERVICES Skilled care for all things green If you ask WISAG’s garden and landscape maintenance staff what sticks in their minds most about 2010, it is unlikely to be colourful flowerbeds or rich green lawns. Snow was the most memorable aspect of last year – one which pushed both our staff and our machinery to the limits. The teams seemed to be permanently out clearing snow and ice to ensure that approach roads and paths were safe for vehicles and pedestrians. Thanks to WISAG’s flexible structure, we were able to react to the situation quickly and procure additional machinery. Thanks to our teams’ dedication, reliability and speed, numerous additional customers signed up for our snow clearance and gritting service and we recorded a sharp rise in sales. The positive trends in sales and earnings in 2010 were attributable to market developments and new tenders in the housing industry. Customers were evidently impressed by our green-fingered specialists’ expertise – as well as attracting additional service contracts, we were able to sign new maintenance agreements worth some EUR 1.6 million. With the increase in queries, we are also seeing another trend which we began preparing for some time ago: nationwide tendering for complex service packages. Clients are looking for a single expert who they can call on to reliably maintain their green spaces, clear snow and grit, clean areas of hard standing, prune trees, complete safety inspections and – if necessary – distribute post too. Clients from the housing industry are particularly keen for this kind of service. WISAG can handle all these aspects because we are not only a family-run specialist firm – we are also part of a large network of service providers. We are therefore ideally placed to cater 40 for these needs with our qualified and enthusiastic gardeners, our nationwide presence in Germany and our ability to tap synergies with other WISAG divisions. In order to step up our regional presence, we opened our seventh office in Munich in January 2010 and established our own sites in Kassel and Gießen. As we grow, we are committed to main taining our high service quality, which is why we are ensuring our teams are fit for this task by means of specially developed training measures. In April 2010, we launched our programme “GREEN to the Max” for our supervisors, which covers gardening, leadership and management aspects. WISAG is one of just a few companies in the garden maintenance sector to fulfil the international standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Both certifications were renewed in 2010. 2011 got off to a good start for WISAG Garden and Landscaping Services. We want to keep growing and are adjusting our organisational structure to the new situation. For example, we have extended our sales activities for all nationwide operations. At the same time, we will maintain the flexibility of our local offices to enable us to cater for customers’ needs quickly and individually. Green space maintenance Open space management Tree care New sites Snow clearance and gritting 41 Jan Tholema (bottom right) shares the view that: “Continuing professional development boosts customer focus” 42 GARDEN AND LANDSCAPING SERVICES The future is all about “GREEN to the Max” “GREEN to the Max” is not only good for nature – it is also the name of a new training programme at WISAG. The scheme has been flourishing since April 2010 and will gradually be completed by all supervisors at WISAG Garden and Landscaping Services. There are two good reasons for launching “GREEN to the Max”: well-trained staff ensure our ongoing success and that of our clients. Esteem is therefore at the heart of the CPD scheme in several ways. Supervisors are given an opportunity to develop, which has a knock-on effect on clients and ultimately also on WISAG. This is because WISAG Garden and Landscaping Services can now meet its growth-driven demand for supervisors almost entirely by recruiting and developing existing employees thanks to such high-quality training activities. The “GREEN to the Max” programme is made up of ten modules and lasts one year. Supervisors complete one module each month, followed by a revision session to consolidate what they have learned and a final unit. The programme is constantly being adjusted and extended. So what is the purpose of customer-oriented modules such as “Documentation and reporting”, “Code of conduct”, “Special services” and “Familiarisation with new properties”? What are the aims of practical units like “Securing loads”, “Preventing accidents”, “Servicing machinery” and “Power saw certificate”? “Ultimately, it is all about ensuring that supervisors put customers first, catering fully for our clients’ needs and maintaining a safe working environment,” explains Jan Tholema, landscape engineer, Section Head at WISAG Garden and Landscaping Services and one of the programme’s coaches. One year into the scheme, he is extremely positive about its success to date: the programme has been well received overall and staff have participated in it enthusiastically, especially the practical gardening modules. His experience of the “staff train staff” concept has also been very positive. Tholema adds: “As a line manager, I know the supervisors. This means I can offer them better support and tailored training.” With its approach of rectifying deficits and consolidating strengths, staff are aware that the programme has been “developed by us for them”. As a result they are more motivated and more committed. They are also given a more professional set of skills which enables them to provide friendly, value-oriented and active customer service. On top of all this, the employees gain excellent prospects of promotion in a company which thinks green and grows all year round, not just in spring. 43 44 2COM PROPERTY SPECIALISTS CONSULTING & MANAGEMENT A competence centre for eco-sustainable property consultancy For 13 years now, 2COM Property Specialists Con sulting & Management has been helping compa nies to optimise their real estate, both by tapping the potential to increase value and by means of efficient process management. We take a holistic view and consider the property’s entire life cycle. Our great strength is being able to draw on WISAG’s comprehensive set of data and more than 45 years of facility and property management. This enables us to put together specialist teams for a wide range of requirements when necessary and thereby combine the expertise of experienced hands-on staff with professional consulting and management services. For some time now, sustainability has been a core part of optimum property operations. Ecology is increasingly becoming a megatrend, even in the FM industry. So it should come as no surprise that energy certificates in particular – and certification in line with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) or the LEED system developed by the Green Building Council, which we are now licensed to accompany as auditors – played a major role in driving sales in 2010. We produced some 200 energy certificates for a major international investment company alone. Ecology is gaining in importance within WISAG too. By 2020, the company aims to primarily utilise environmentally friendly products and processes and to be regarded as a pioneer and role model as regards environmental protection. We are helping WISAG to achieve this – for instance by running staff and client workshops and by developing and implementing specific projects. By doing this, we are also increasingly becoming the organisation’s internal competence centre for ecology. The focus for us is not on coming up with new services. Instead, we want to raise client and staff awareness of ecological issues in their day-to-day lives and capitalise on opportunities here which have not yet been utilised. All in all, the past financial year was a good one. Our sales – which are generated by a growing number of products and services – came in exactly on target. Although demand for new-build consulting was very restrained in 2010, it has been rising noticeably since the start of the new year. In conjunction with the issue of sustainability, we expect this trend to continue, due partly to the fact that – in both new- builds and existing properties – the holistic optimi sation of operating costs offers significant potential for savings. As demand for our services grows, recruiting the necessary skilled staff is also becoming increasingly important. This is a huge challenge because wellqualified staff are extremely sought after on the market. For this reason, WISAG launched a trainee programme in 2009 enabling us to turn out our own next generation of staff. Three trainees started the demanding programme in the first year, and another four joined the scheme in 2010. FM during construction Green consulting Certifications Optimising operating costs CAFM software tools 45 2COM PROPERTY SPECIALISTS CONSULTING & MANAGEMENT WISAGed from A to Z A traineeship at WISAG is an interesting springboard into the world of facility management and consultancy. Although it is an attractive profession, we – like the rest of the sector – are finding it increasingly difficult to hire skilled staff with the necessary qualifications. 2COM and WISAG are responding to this by actively training the next generation of staff within the Group. A comprehensive, attractive trainee programme has been launched which teaches an in-depth knowledge of all areas of FM and offers young people plenty of development opportunities. Carsten Booms is already on the demanding trainee programme. The 29-year-old has a degree in business engineering. He submitted an impressive application and was lucky enough to be chosen. Demand for the traineeships is high – to be precise, the company received 180 applications for four places. Three of these traineeships were for WISAG Facility Service Holding, while the remaining one was the first traineeship at WISAG Aviation Service Holding. Carsten Booms has never regretted his decision for a moment. Quite the opposite: “I was welcomed with open arms, have found out about a lot of interesting projects, and have had the oppor tunity to develop.” This is thanks in part to the cleverly devised trainee programme and the wide range of tasks he has tackled in recent months. His traineeship started with the production of energy certificates at 2COM in Berlin. Then he moved on to WISAG Building Engineering, where he became familiar with day-to-day operations, for example at the almost 110-metre-high Westhafen Tower in Frankfurt. What makes this property so special is that: “WISAG Building Engineering and Security and Service work together there, which means I gained 46 an insight into interdisciplinary working as well as learning about special technology, such as absorption- type refrigerating machines and a recooling system which uses water from the River Main.” Most trainees who complete a postgraduate traineeship at WISAG and 2COM are highly ambitious. The trainee programme lasts 24 months. In their first year, the trainees rotate through the different divisions at WISAG – i. e. Commercial Cleaning, Building Engineering, Security and Service, Catering, Garden and Landscaping Services, Facility Management and 2COM. They go on night patrols and vehicular site patrols as well as being given a taste of life in the kitchens and logistics. Then they spend their second year deepening their knowledge. Benjamin Kübler has completed the programme and – like all trainees to date – was given a permanent position at one of WISAG’s divisions before his two-year traineeship was over. The 31-year-old also has a business degree and is now a project manager. He has a simple formula for success at WISAG: “Initiative + determination + dedication = stimulation.” To put it differently, those who contribute and demonstrate commitment are given responsibility at WISAG and the chance to push themselves, play an active role and achieve something by working with others. Whatever important FM issue is in hand, from sustainable business operations to greater energy efficiency, economy and optimising costs: “As a trainee, you’re close to the action throughout the organisation and you get thoroughly WISAGed,” Benjamin Kübler and Carsten Booms say in unison. By that, they mean: “You learn a lot and are always held in high esteem.” Carsten Booms (left) and Benjamin Kübler (right) are in no doubt that those who are willing are supported and stimulated 47 WISAG Foreign subsidiaries of WISAG Represented by ECS partnerships 48 EUROPEAN CUSTOMER SERVICES Taking a new approach in Europe “Do you operate abroad too?” WISAG often enters into international projects via existing clients who want to pool services throughout Europe. For over ten years, projects of this kind have been managed via the ECS alliance (European Customer Services). In 2010, WISAG adopted a new approach to sales to ensure it will be considered as a service provider for Europe-wide tenders, attract international contracts and safeguard existing portfolios. This strategy led to a partnership with the leading service company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), which is in direct contact with international clients and manages services on their behalf. Jones Lang LaSalle has some 185 offices around the world and works in more than 1,000 towns and cities in 60 different countries. With annual sales (2010) of US $ 2.9 billion and a portfolio covering 167 million square metres around the world, the company is an industry leader in the field of property and corporate facility management services. WISAG recognised the potential of collaborating with a global leader like JLL. Following successful completion of a project in 2010, the company therefore strove to be included in the list of preferred suppliers, meaning it would receive queries about similar projects in the future. After a lengthy prequalification phase, JLL finally confirmed that WISAG had been listed as a premium supplier in conjunction with ECS. The first large-scale project soon came along. In collaboration with ECS, WISAG produced a quotation for FM services for one of JLL’s clients with 44 premises spanning 29 countries. Projects are organised solely in English, making clear communication difficult at times. As well as linguistic barriers, international business poses new challenges in the shape of cultural hurdles, different ways of working and – above all – contractual issues. However, the project team overcame all these problems with ease. As well as winning the contract, they succeeded in proving to JLL that WISAG and ECS are a reliable partner. Kerry-Anne Dilley, Project Manager at JLL, said: “At this stage I would like to thank you for the excellent relationship management, dedication and management of this request for proposal to ensure WISAG’s success and deliver a solution for FM services which has positioned WISAG as a strategic partner to JLL. This is the start of a strong relation ship and we are looking for the same relationships […]”. Successfully attracting a contract of this size and satisfying the client confirm that WISAG is on the right track with this partnership. There are further large-scale projects in the pipeline, which will open up new opportunities on the international market. We are delighted that we will be able to offer our clients even better assistance and support with their Europe-wide service pooling in the future. 49 WISAG FACILITY SERVICE Figures for 2010 Sales 2010 2009 Year-on-year change Facility Management In EUR thousand 167,622 154,373 13,249 8.6 % Building Engineering In EUR thousand 180,744 167,448 13,296 7.9 % Commercial Cleaning In EUR thousand 209,503 200,355 9,148 4.6 % Security and Service In EUR thousand 135,092 129,321 5,771 4.5 % Catering In EUR thousand 37,889 33,502 4,387 13.1 % Garden and Landscaping Services In EUR thousand 28,401 20,764 7,637 36.8 % Other services In EUR thousand 35,696 35,752 – 56 – 0.2 % Subtotal In EUR thousand 794,947 741,515 53,432 7.2 % Consolidation In EUR thousand 185,396 166,605 18,791 11.3 % Total In EUR thousand 609,551 574,910 34,641 6.0 % In EUR thousand 26,796 25,412 1,384 5.4 % 3–5 % 3–5 % 12.76 % 12.80 % 20,896 20,050 846 4.2 % 2,034 2,220 – 186 – 8.4 % 332 330 2 0.6 % 23,262 22,600 662 2.9 % Foreign contribution EBIT margin range In % of turnover Subcontractors’ share 0.04 percentage points Employees, annual average Blue-collar workers White-collar workers Trainees Total 50 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank all of our partners for their kind support. Published and implemented by: WISAG Facility Service Holding GmbH & Co. KG Kennedyallee 76, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Editor: Christina Moral Hellermann, Head of Marketing & Communication Text: Tamara Schreiber and Patricia Schaad, PR consultants Image credits:Christian Schlüter Printed by:Unterleider Medien GmbH, Rödermark Frankfurt am Main, May 2011 51 Service hotline WISAG Facility Service Holding: Tel. +49 800 4480007 Germany Headquarters in Frankfurt am Main 120 offices 24-hour service hotline Emergency number and service centre: 23,300 employees The company also has its Tel. +49 800 4480008 own foreign subsidiaries in www.wisag.de Austria, Luxembourg, Poland and Switzerland And it is represented through the ECS alliance in 11 countries With approx. 52,000 employees