Why Contract Sweeping Can Be More Cost Effective Than In-House

• • Most malls sweep less To properly amortize a mall sweeper over its lifetime, it of- ten must be used for such a long period that the equipment is outdated before a new one can be purchased. Contractors use their sweep- ers much more, so are more likely to be able to keep them updated.

   

  • Incomparison to a mall’s sweeper operator or its property manager, the owner of a sweeping company is much more likely to keep up with changes in the industry as a

   

  • Another advantage of higher per-day usage is that contractors tend to be more preventive maintenance Drivers become more ac- customed to how the sweeper operates, and so are often able to spot problems with equipment before they get serious – and expensive.

   

  • Contractors usually have more than one sweeper and driver, and sometimes have several types of sweeping As a result, they may be more responsive to needs outside the nor- mal sweeping times, emergencies, etc.

   

  • Because contractors usually have more than one sweeper, backup units are often available in the event of a breakdown, or during routine main- tenance of the primary

   

  • Contractors who own several sweepers often have their repair work done in-house, at lesser cost than malls which hire outside

   

  • Because they sweep more, the volume of re- placement, normal wear and other standard usage items is higher for contractors, even if they have just one This may bring them vol- ume buying power for wear items.

   

  • Liability insurance must be obtained on an in- house Contractors typically get a cost savings due to having more than one sweeper.
  • Once trained, the sweeper operator must be su- Most mall management staffs are ill equipped to perform this function well. Seldom will the operator of a mall-owned sweeper be a specialist in the field, or have quality supervi- sion and feedback on operation.

   

  • Because training and general sweeper know- ledge tend to be less for mall-owned sweepers, and because the machine is used relatively less frequently, there may be a higher incidence of accidents or misuse of the

   

  • Malls must pay insurance on the sweeper at an individual, rather than at a fleet,

   

  • Most malls purchase fuel for their sweeper off- site, so their units must be licensed and tagged each year even if they sweep exclusively on mall property.

   

  • Malls must usually rent an additional dumpster for disposal, and sometimes contractors can save money by pooling dumping

   

  • There is a cost associated with overseeing and outfitting an in-house This may include uniforms, higher tax rates, etc. The same holds true for storing the sweeper itself.

   

  • Contractors may usually be dismissed without incurring any expenses or paperwork, and al- ways without an increase in unemployment com- pensation In addition to paying benefits, unemployment compensation and other tax payments, there are also costs related to filling out this paperwork.
  • Malls must train an employee to run the sweeper

  – and often no one at the mall knows how to do this. With even a moderate turnover rate in sweeper operators, this training factor can be- come expensive to the mall.

  Consider all the factors before you decide!