When it comes to running a facility, there are many tasks that have to be taken care of and deciding whether to outsource a particular job is just one of them. There are a few aspects to take into consideration when choosing to hire an outside contractor or to have the work done by your own staff in-house.
One thing to consider is the skill level required to complete the task. Is it a job that requires a level of education that your in-house staff doesn't have? For instance, you have a heating and air unit that needs repairing. Are any of your maintenance workers HVAC technicians as well? Plumbing and electrical are other areas that may require outside help.
Even jobs that your staff can do can be outsourced if it saves employee time and resources. Perhaps someone on your staff can paint an area that needs painting but take into consideration if it will take away from other jobs that need doing to the point that it is counterproductive to have someone on your staff do the work. This is particularly true with smaller companies that may only have a few maintenance workers.
On the other hand, an outside contractor does not have a vested interest in your building other than the pay they are receiving. A worker that is employed by your company knows that the job has to be done right because their job depends on it and they typically won't want to have to go back and do the job again if it wasn't done right the first time.
The cost of a job is always important. While hiring outside help may cost more, in the long run it can be the best decision for a number of reasons. Outside contractors that specialize in the job you need may offer warranties that are much needed when it comes to important equipment and you always have someone dedicated only to the job at hand which may be better because there won't be distractions with other work that needs to be done.
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However, if it is a job that a particular worker can do and has knowledge of the task then it will save you money as opposed to hiring a company or contractor from outside of the company.
Whether you hire an outside contractor or use your in-house staff to take care of certain tasks, work order tracking can be an important factor for where you can schedule jobs and what will need to be done immediately.