Technology & Manufacturing Case Study: Global Materials Engineering Corporation

Challenge

This large manufacturer is a global leader in materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor, computer flat panel display, and solar industries. With more than $10B in revenue and more than 15,000 employees worldwide, it has won numerous awards from the industry’s most prestigious organizations and publications.

To remain successful in a competitive market, this tech company must focus on innovation, production, talent acquisition, and satisfaction. However, maintaining facilities and grounds was not one of its core competencies. They wanted to ensure peak operational performance; maintain compliance; and provide a comfortable, efficient, and safe environment for employees and customers, so they needed to outsource to a partner that could deliver the expertise and resources.

High-tech companies uniquely require providers who are reliable, flexible, and manage a wide range of services to fully support product yield and performance. The support partner must also be nimble — and as innovative as the tech company — to meet the constantly changing and growing scope of work required to meet all client needs.

The company partnered with ABM, a single-source facilities support provider experienced with the business-critical needs of a high-tech environment. ABM knows that for the company to stay competitive, it needed to control costs, meet regulations, and streamline operations while keeping R&D and data center functions up and running efficiently, 24/7. It also needed flexible support for a non-traditional work environment.

So when the company wanted to diversify and reduce costs after the economic downturn, yet still maintain service quality, uptime, and reliability of their entire national portfolio, it turned again to its trusted partner — ABM — for the added support.

Solution

ABM had worked with the company for years, doing all the janitorial work at the headquarters campus. Because of their proven ability to meet aggressive financial targets and still deliver on demanding service commitments, ABM gained an expanded role of managing most of the company’s facilities services.

Now, ABM provides integrated facility-wide engineering and soft services including HVAC and mechanical; electrical and lighting; fire, life, and safety; call center management; event coordination; and landscape and grounds. ABM also provides technical maintenance and safety solutions for the company’s critical controlled environments that protect yield, drive efficiency, and help meet dynamic regulations and compliance standards. The company also charged ABM with creating a custom transportation program and waste management program to better meet needs and support sustainability initiatives.

When this large Silicon Valley-based manufacturer needed to diversify and cut costs yet still keep its facilities and assets running at peak performance 24/7, they relied on trusted partner ABM to meet cost-saving targets while maintaining uptime and compliance, supporting a dynamic work environment and sustainability efforts, and improving the employee and customer experience.

Benefits

Throughout the years, ABM has continually provided quality service, delivered on commitments, and met tough financial KPIs. ABM’s flexibility and reliability to always efficiently and cost-effectively deliver and streamline programs has allowed this large tech leader to remain focused on its core competency of producing industry-leading products, instead of worrying about its assets.

ABM self-performs the services and hires, trains, and manages all service personnel who are highly skilled and trained, not only for the job but for customer service as well. Personnel are also cross-trained to perform multiple functions to help save costs (for example, ABM uses call center personnel to help staff the transportation program).

The company had many disparate systems and processes to manage the facilities because of its rapid growth and acquisitions. Through customized dashboards, benchmarking, and automated work order management, ABM helped standardize and create best practices that allowed it to be more streamlined, agile, and efficient.

Achievements

- Consistently meeting cost-cutting targets and achieving year-over-year savings despite annual union labor increases.
- Continually exceeding uptime KPIs, with rates of 99.9%+.
- Maintaining compliance with strict critical system and cleanroom regulations.
- Creating off-hour cleaning programs that helped save money and energy.
- Reducing the carbon footprint through improved transportation utilization, waste diversion, drought management, and lighting and energy efficiencies.
- Assisting with achieving LEED certification points.

Specific Programs

- The custom transportation program leveraged hybrid SUVs instead of traditional buses and operated on dynamic scheduling based on activity level.
- ABM installed drought-tolerant landscapes and drip watering systems to help conserve water while still keeping the grounds pleasing.
- ABM implemented a comprehensive sustainability program. The waste management program reduced waste going to landfills and cut spend by over 50 percent.

About ABM

ABM (NYSE: ABM) is a leading provider of facility services in the United States and various international locations. ABM’s comprehensive capabilities include janitorial, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, facilities engineering, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, mission-critical solutions, and parking, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban, and rural areas to properties of all sizes - from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants, and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909. For more information, visit [ABM.com](https://www.abm.com).