A gratifying case for Operational rigor in NPO Sector (NPO Facilities Management)
- vadrewushreyas
- Mar 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 14
A gratifying case for operational rigor in the NPO Sector
Shiv Vadrewu
Trustpoint Property Solutions LLP took over Facilities Management (Vendor Management) at a large non-profit organization in Shirdi in the hospitality sector 2 years ago.
According to the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), facilities management (FM) is the practice of integrating various disciplines to improve the efficiency and productivity of organizations, communities, and societies.
For that to happen we need to take a closer look at the four main pillars of facilities management: People, Process, Infrastructure, and Technology (PPIT).
The client is a 67-bed budget hotel run by a philanthropic society. At deeply discounted rentals, ‘THE NPO’ aims to delight guests with outstanding boarding & lodging facilities (and free food). ‘THE NPO’ faced critical challenges: manpower incompetence; lack of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures); poor infrastructure and cost inefficiencies. In essence, a lack of diligence and operational rigor. This is where Trustpoint Property used its excellence in NPO Facilities Management to overcome the challenges using a 4 pillar framework.
Trustpoint categorized the challenges above under the same four PPIT sections:
People
Process (including cost optimization)
Infrastructure and
Technology
PEOPLE
Shirdi is a 50,000 (resident) population town in Maharashtra, India.
Challenge
Like in any small town, sourcing well-trained competent labour in Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Housekeeping, Laundry, water vendors etc. is a challenge.
Result
Trustpoint followed an RFQ (Request For Quote) approach by transparently listing the requirements and sharing them with bidders. Did not follow only L1 (Least cost) approach Feedback was taken on bidders' performance and reputation from their existing customers. This helped to objectively identify the preferred vendors without prejudice across functions. Key Supervisor vendor-roles were evaluated by Trustpoint for professionalism and competence.
PROCESS (including Cost Optimization)
Trustpoint began by diligently laying out the processes in various departments: MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing); Housekeeping; Laundry management; Kitchen management; Water Management; and Pest Control & Hygiene inter alia. The aim was two-fold:
Achieve the desired results (Effectiveness) in each department
Identify and cut costs (Efficiency) in each function
The results were clearly visible in 6 months.
MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)
Challenge
No Process rigor. Missing vendor contracts. Lack of vendor supervision.
Results
Tap Water Hardness: dipped from 450+ ( Shirdi has poor quality groundwater with calcium and magnesium deposits) to an average of 75 due to activation and rigorous operations of the Water Softener Plant (WSP, hereafter).
Daily Water Usage was cut by a significant 25% in a water-scarce area. All aerators of taps were replaced with EC0365 which drastically cut water flow per minute by 50%. To a cost-conscious client, Trustpoint had to work out the payback for the investment in replacing all aerators for taps in the hotel. This cost was recovered in 3 months due to reduced WSP Salt usage. Payback language is easily comprehended.
Water Softener Salt usage was cut by 30% due to a cut in daily water usage. A big demotivator for clients is the daily maintenance costs of WSP plants.
Energy Savings. Despite a 5% annual hike in electricity charges, the electricity bill declined. Primarily due to Key Tags installation in rooms and Solar Power optimization (4% increase in generation). Replacing faulty Current Transformer Meters (CT), led to a 50% increase in solar power export to the grid. Ensuring a PF Factor (Power Factor) of 0.98 average by maintaining capacitors led to PF Rebates in the bill. The payback on solar panel installation is now manifold.
Water Hygiene; Zero tolerance adopted on Water quality. Drinking water TDS at 55 along with tap water hardness at 75; both monitored daily.
Housekeeping
Challenge
Incompetent vendor and staff. Poorly trained. Disciplinary issues. No performance tracking rigor.
Result
Replaced incompetent vendor after multiple churns. Devised a remuneration model which gave us control over staff behaviour and retention. Boosted deployment to 90%. Control over the quality of cleaning chemicals helped cut costs and improve hygiene.
Pest Control
Challenge
Frequent pest infestation. Bed Bugs and cockroaches in hotels where travellers travel primarily via trains and buses.
Result
Rigidly following a Pest Control bi-monthly cadence which wiped out infestations.
Laundry
Challenge
Poor quality of cleaning and ironing. Frequent damages and losses. Irrespective of the Star rating in hotels, an expectation of clean linen exists from guests across hotel categories.
Result
After identifying a good vendor, we have achieved high-quality laundry upkeep. Penalties imposed on damages and losses helped improve service.
Stock Audits
Challenge
No verifiable Store registers. No periodic stock audits.
Result
Created Stock Daily Issue formats. Initiated the process of weighing in issues and receipts. Monthly full store audits. Audit findings discussed with staff and management which reinforced their importance. Has minimized ‘store shrinkage’.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Challenge
Degrading infrastructure due to natural ageing and lack of periodic maintenance of a 10+ year old property.
Result
Supervised replacement of calcified water pipelines. Faulty electrical and plumbing fittings were replaced. Lift replacement within a record time with vendor’s support. Faulty CT Meter replacement brought rebates in bills.
TECHNOLOGY
Challenge
Manual operations or trackers. Very little usage of Google or MS Office worksheets. Lack of biometrics and CCTV upkeep.
Result
Biometrics were installed and linked to payouts which ensured punctuality. Solis cloud app activated to track daily generation. Comparison over the last year helped to understand gaps. Led to weekly cleaning of solar panels to optimize generation. Extensive use of shared Google trackers with vendors has ensured transparency and prompt complaint redressals.
Conclusion on NPO Facilities Management
In 2025, the NGOs and charitable organizations market in India is projected to reach $353.21 billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. These organizations work across various sectors, including education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, disaster relief and environmental protection; and as in our case, Hospitality. Add MSMEs, and without a doubt, the case for Operational Rigor (read Facilities Management for us) is huge in scope and gratification.
Great Analysis Shiva👍... All the best!