The City of Minneapolis recently became the latest end user to mandate CIMS certification in their request for proposal, specifically requiring that their cleaning service provider achieve certification as a condition of the contract. The City based its decision on an appreciation for the certification process and its focus on industry best practices, as well as a belief that certification will “demonstrate the provider’s commitment to providing quality services in accordance with industry norms.”

In requiring CIMS certification to be eligible to be awarded or maintain a cleaning services contract, the City of Minneapolis joins a growing list of end customers who recognize the tremendous value of CIMS as a pre-qualification tool. In fact, reports continue to come in regarding organizations that have very recently specified CIMS in their RFP or cleaning specifications, including DSM Pharmaceuticals, Jones Lang LaSalle – Miami, Intel, the Doris Duke Foundation, a major transportation company headquartered in the south, and a bank chain based in the Midwest. State Farm Insurance now also requires certification for all the company’s facilities throughout the United States.

“Knowing that a contractor has CIMS certification is a safeguard as well as a big time-saver for me,” notes Steve Spencer, Facilities Specialist with State Farm. “Contractor qualification is an important part of our bid process and has taken a great deal of time to accomplish in the past. Certification will greatly reduce the process for us and CIMS provides the standard for making sure the contractor we hire is committed to quality.”

State Farm, the City of Minneapolis and the other recent specifiers join a list of customers that already includes the State of Florida, Morgan Stanley, the State of Washington, the Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and many others. Still others have made the commitment to require CIMS as a condition of their cleaning contract during their next contract cycle.

And, with the release of a free new video that outlines the benefits of specifying CIMS and requiring certification, ISSA certainly expects the number to grow in the near future. The video explains how an end customer can use CIMS as a pre-qualification tool to distinguish between potential service providers and, in doing so, help increase outsourcing success. It also discusses how end customers can use the Standard to benchmark their current operations, lower costs by implementing improved efficiencies, and promote healthier, most sustainable facilities. The video also includes the thoughts of David Brady, the current Executive Director of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), which strongly supports CIMS as a powerful tool for their members. Be sure to check it out and feel free to pass it along to anyone who may be interested!

Organizations like the City of Minneapolis and State Farm have clearly already recognized the tremendous value of the program to their bidding process. “State Farm simply cannot take a chance when it comes to hiring a cleaning service provider,” Spencer notes. “Hire the wrong company and you face the possibility of having to rebid the contract, which can actually be the least of your concerns. A poorly run company also poses security concerns, not to mention the risk of theft, damaged property, workers’ compensation involvement, and potential employee injury and illness.”

“In this era of environmental concerns, protecting financial assets, and keeping costs down, if you have a CIMS-certified contractor, you know that they’ll do what is required and often more to protect your assets,” Spencer concludes.

Jerry Karp of the Florida Department of Transportation, which required its contractor to achieve certification, agrees that choosing a CIMS-certified provider simply makes sense. “CIMS is a great resource and provides an excellent foundation for assuring quality janitorial services,” he notes. “The CIMS process clearly describes clear expectations and standards.”

Karp has also noticed an improvement in the performance of his contractor since they achieved certification. We definitely see an improvement over previous services,” he states. “CIMS may not be a guarantee for all janitorial issues, however, it does allow certain standards to be followed that raise the cleaning standard being provided.

Your CIMS team will continue to report on organizations that specify CIMS in their requests for proposal and cleaning specifications. If you are aware of a customer that has taken such action, please let us know!!