How we are Mobilising with Slough Borough Council

“In any relationship, it’s always best to get off on the right foot. This is why, at Osborne, we put so much emphasis on effective mobilisation in preparation for when a contract officially begins.Right now, in Slough, we’re busy putting into place everything we need to hit the ground running when our contract goes live on 1 December.

We know that this is the foundation for us building a good, long-term relationship with our client, Slough Borough Council. Drawing on many years of experience, we have honed our approach to mobilisation, and we know what works.

Foremost, we realise what a big decision it is for any client to appoint a new repairs and maintenance contractor. Change can be challenging, and clients need to be confident that the transition will go smoothly and that everything will be ready to go on the day the new organisation takes over.

We consider our clients to be our partners, rather than ‘contracts’, and we aim to work collaboratively with them right from the earliest dialogue stages of our relationships.
It’s important to develop an understanding of a client’s business, so that we are more able identify issues before they arise. Open communication is absolutely necessary in order for a changeover from one contractor to another to be seamless.

We’re currently having lots of face-to-face pre-contract discussions with our partners at Slough Borough Council, and we know that this means that by the time 1 December comes, we will be ready to go as a team.
As always, some of these discussions are inevitably about budgets. At Osborne, we help all our clients to take a realistic approach to balancing cost with their desired quality outcomes. For example, maintaining excellent service and customer satisfaction during this changeover period can mean higher up-front costs. However, we find that the savings delivered once the contract is up and running will deliver a return on the initial investment in a quality service.

There can be so much to think about during the months leading up to a contract going live, it could be easy to lose focus. One of the most important things for us to remember is that, for the employees being transferred to us, this is a huge upheaval.

The minimum period required by employment law for the transfer of staff is four to six weeks. At Osborne, we generally advise that, in order to reduce any uneasiness and uncertainty felt by employees, it is best to begin this process 12 weeks before a contract begins.

Alan Perrett, Account Director, says: “Changing service providers is a big decision for everyone involved. That’s why Osborne works so hard to make sure mobilisation not only goes smoothly, but is used as an opportunity to establish a successful long-term partnership with our clients.
“In Slough, we’re now counting down the weeks until our contract goes live. Mobilisation is an extremely busy time, and there’s an awful lot to be done – luckily, we know exactly what we’re doing.”

Alan Perrett, Account Director at Osborne Property Services.