Mitie’s engineers keep Co-op running smoothly

Overview of the challenge

Since 2017, Mitie have been responsible for engineering and maintenance at seven key Co-op sites. This includes Head Office in Manchester and two data centres. Our responsibilities cover statutory, planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and reactive requirements, including compliance and use of specialist contractors as required. There are four additional Co-op sites, which are supported by the Mitie mobile engineering team for reactive works and PPM.

Since the start of the contract, the Co-op has evolved their office portfolio, which has led to changes in their requirements. It was our job to meet these changes to make sure there was no disruption to services and their estate continued to run smoothly.

Our approach

Through collaboration with the Co-op, we’ve adapted service delivery to best meet their needs. This has included reacting to the changes in their workspaces by reducing or increasing engineering teams to suit fluctuations in demand. We provide a customer led dynamic service delivery across the country, regardless of the town or city in which the building is located. This reflects our partnership approach, which optimises service delivery and minimises disruption for the Co-op.

Another benefit of this collaboration has been upskilling our onsite team to increase our ability to meet reactive requirements – for example, critical environments with high priority installations. This has reduced reliance on subcontractors, delivered cost savings, and allowed greater quality control for the Co-op. Similarly, we introduced dedicated fabric technicians into our delivery model, rather than using mobile or supply chain operatives – another example of improved efficiency.

“I have been engaged with Mitie engineering, net zero and critical environments team for many years and continue to engage them in innovation, change, industry insights and best practice. We are continually reviewing our operating model to respond to the changing needs of our Co-op and rely on our strategic suppliers to support our ambition and deliver on our commitments. Mitie challenge the ‘norms’ continually and the access we have into their outstanding teams of experts helps us remain at the forefront of engineering excellence and best practice in workplace and facilities management.”

The results

By working in collaboration with the Co-op, we’ve been able to implement a number of cost and time saving efficiencies across the contract. This has resulted in us being awarded service delivery for a new Co-op distribution centre.

Additionally, by undertaking an energy survey, we were able to set out areas for the Co-op to reduce their carbon emissions and better manage energy consumption. The client has since supported Mitie in replacing outdated light fittings with LEDs in their Manchester headquarters. This saves money and maintains the high-quality appearance of the site.

Why choose Mitie?

As the UK’s largest facilities management maintenance provider, we use highly trained, fully qualified engineers to implement and manage appropriate solutions. Safety, compliance and optimal environments come as standard.