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he maxim used as a headline here is worth thinking about carefully the next time you prepare to sign a service provider contract, no matter how it’s structured. The agreement you commit to will be the starting point of any number of business scenarios, and how you and your service provider relate at the outset will drive the outcome.
This matters now more than ever, because the real estate manager’s role at most corporations is coming more into focus in light of the new workspace considerations alluded to in the last issue’s Editor’s View. New location criteria are emerging, not the least of which are whether a prospective location is still desirable in terms of proximity to potential terrorist targets and how workers feel about commuting to a site. Manhattan, for instance, is accessible only by bridges, tunnels or ferry, and more than a few suburban workers would prefer to stay in the suburbs. The corporate site seeker’s job is more challenging now.
We at Site Selection recognize the important role service providers play in sorting out these and so many other issues. After all, much of the richness that is the corporate real estate industry is the vast ocean of expertise and solution-finding that the consultants, tenant reps, capital providers, property managers, environmental and design experts – to name just a few – bring to the table.
We have even turned the editorial spotlight in this issue on service providers’ contribution to the corporate real estate manager’s cause. Our annual service provider awards – now in their third year – are covered in this issue, as are some case studies showcasing some winning companies’ client assignments. These awards are generating a certain buzz in the industry, and service providers and you — their prospective clients — would do well to keep an eye on who wins one each fall, and why.
As the cover story in this issue demonstrates, the customer is always right. The featured service provider knew at the outset of the business relationship what the client’s objectives were and what the barriers would be to meeting them. Rather than produce solutions that accommodate those barriers, The Walker Companies overcame the barriers, and added tangible value to the project throughout the process.
Meeting and exceeding client expectations is no longer optional. The new value proposition must be a commitment to bringing any and all resources needed to bear in executing an assignment for you, the client. The only way to ensure the desired outcome is for the real estate manager to remain in the driver’s seat and not relinquish control to market forces, the service provider or any other party with an agenda other than your own, no matter how smooth the presentation may be.
Seek advice from the experts, but keep your eye on the ball.
Till next time,
