Peer Response – 1 According to the textbook, property management is managing a facility to maximize profit (Roper & Payant, 2014). New England Donor Services (NEDS) is a unique facility due to the fact that it is the only organ procurement organization (OPO) within New England. However, the property is leased and maintained by an onsite facilities manager. The property itself is owned by a larger real estate company; this company is responsible for the building and the contract associated with the lease. The facilities manager within NEDS is responsible for the division of work that involves an appointed property manager. Often times, the facility manager can be confused with the property manager, but the property manager is responsible for maintaining the custodial work, building engineering, security, and handyman maintenance (Roper & Payant, 2014), which is an example of a form of contract-out facility property management. Contract-out facility property management uses various businesses to maintain building needs like plants and grounds, electrical, custodial, window washing, and more. At NEDS I have seen various examples of this daily, like the custodial employees come after the main office is closed and work with other organizations within the city. According to Keni Flowers (2017), organizations carefully analyze the pros and cons associated with outsourcing property management. Sometimes, it makes more sense financially for an organization depending on the size and number of employees to have a specific set of employees to maintain the needs of the property. NEDS has about 100 people who work within the office in Waltham, MA. Financially, it makes more sense to outsource contracted services because there is not a need for them to be there 24/7. However, a larger organization like Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH employees an entire custodial and grounds crew to maintain the property due to the size and need of the overall organization. Peer Response – 2 The organization I work in has in house management for facilities as well as contracted out services. According to Roper and Payant (2014) some contracted out services are electrical, custodial, window washing and plants and grounds to name a few (p. 165). My organization has on site maintenance workers. The majority of these jobs are odd jobs around the organization. Changing light bulbs, minor repairs in patients rooms as well as minor plumbing issues. Plumbers and electricians would be called in for major jobs and repairs. On site maintenance workers is important and would like be cost prohibitive otherwise. Security is on site at my organization and present twenty fours a day, seven days a week. Housekeeping is available twenty four hours a day seven days a week, but these are contracted out positions. These employees have a home base at my organization, but salary and benefits are paid thru a third party. Outside ground maintenance is also contracted out. There are other areas within my organization that are contracted out. Cafeteria workers are contracted out employees. A few years back there ere discussions to start contracting out messenger escort. This did not happen and these employees remained employed thru the hospital. There are pros and cons with having contracted out workers. The cost to contract out is cheaper and the cost of benefits falls to another organization. However, the downside if not having people on site when needed.
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