| There are 4 critical steps to consider before you | | | | results from the past and made a decision |
| request bids from vendors. | | | | regarding best of breed vs general vendor. You're |
| 1. Set your Internal Goals | | | | ready to get contracts and proposalsb. The |
| 2. Decide on "Best of Breed" vendors vs a | | | | biggest mistake I see property managers make is |
| generic vendor | | | | not having a set of specifications of their own. If |
| 3. Review Proposals and Contracts | | | | you ask 3 vendors to bid, you'll be looking at 3 |
| 4. Work WITH your vendor | | | | sets of major pricing, plus exclusions of service |
| 5. Maintaining a positive relationship for ultimate | | | | and prices for extra services. One vendor might |
| results | | | | prune trees to 6' and another to 12' How will you |
| 1. Set your Internal Goals | | | | know these apples/oranges bids are going to |
| The first step is to learn what homeowner | | | | meet your CIC's needs? In addition, having |
| expectations are because expectations of a | | | | different vendors on your properties with |
| vendor/CIC relationship will be the hardest to | | | | different specs, how will you know the work is |
| change. Education is key. You can do this by | | | | getting done? You probably aren't going to |
| reviewing the history of past vendor results. If it's | | | | remember the pruning specs for site A and site |
| a lawn maintenance contract you're looking at, | | | | B.c. The solution? Set up your own specifications. |
| there'll be email, phone messages and snail mail | | | | CAI vendors would probably be happy to help |
| correspondence between homeowners, the | | | | you setup new specifications. We've all got |
| property manager and the vendor. You can also | | | | standard boiler plate contracts that we use. Ask |
| review newsletters and minutes. Any "hot spots" | | | | the vendor questions about each section, so you |
| in your association will be revealed here. The | | | | understand it. Remember that you're looking for |
| other method of setting your internal goals is to | | | | the vendor to help with the specifications. She |
| ASK vendors what are the new trends with | | | | might have payment or cancellation terms that |
| products and services. | | | | are not in your best interest, so check with your |
| 2. Decide on Best of breed vendors vs a general | | | | attorney.d. Last step is optional add-ons. Include a |
| vendor | | | | blank sheet in your specs with the title of |
| If we study two landscape maintenance vendors, | | | | "Extra services Suggested but not included in |
| Best of Breed vs general vendors, we can clearly | | | | contract" with 4 columns: Name of Service, |
| understand the differences between the two. | | | | Explain Why it's needed, Price and Month/Year the |
| 1. A general landscape vendor will have to be | | | | service or product should be delivered. This can |
| good in 5 or 6 fields. They will have to be able to | | | | be good information to work into future budgets. |
| handle lawns, snow removal, irrigation work, | | | | 2. Work WITH the contractora. The honeymoon |
| landscape installation and tree and shrub care. The | | | | is over. The giddy excitement has subsided. Your |
| advantage to using this contractor is there's one | | | | relationship is comfortable, but growing routine. |
| contact to handle all aspects. You also save time | | | | Now, you and your service provider are left to |
| evaluating bids, because you'll only have 3 bids to | | | | figure out how to keep the flame burning.b. A |
| cover all the areas listed above. If you hire this | | | | soured relationship with any of the assorted |
| single vendor, you're putting your reputation on | | | | landscapers, accountants, community managers, |
| the line if they fail on 2 or more items. Even the | | | | bankers, roofers, insurance specialists and others |
| best landscape companies are going to be | | | | who serve your community could spell more than |
| stronger in snow than landscape or tree care vs. | | | | heartbreak. So these bonds need to be nurtured |
| irrigation. | | | | and taken seriously. Take your contractors for |
| 2. A Best of Breed vendor (let's use irrigation). | | | | granted and pretty soon they'll be taking you for |
| While irrigation work is considered landscape work, | | | | granted.i. Make your expectations clear. The first |
| it's highly specialized work. It involves electrical | | | | impression a vendor has of you is the RFP. If it's |
| circuits, plumbing, dealing with city ordinances, and | | | | good, it tells us you're serious about getting first |
| keeping up on amazing new technologies. Here are | | | | rate results. If it's poor, it says this really isn't that |
| the characteristics of a best of breed irrigation | | | | important.ii. Monitor but don't micro-manage. |
| contractor:a. You'll get the best serviceb. You'll get | | | | Homeowners always want to tell a contractor |
| expertise, which is imperative for complex | | | | how to do the job, but don't have experience. |
| problemsc. You'll probably be paying higher upfront | | | | Instead, homeowners should focus on the quality |
| prices, but might save money long termd. Hiring | | | | of WHAT gets doneiii. Establish clear lines of |
| best of breed means more upfront work for the | | | | communication. Many times, contractors work |
| board and property manager, sifting through bids | | | | independently and without direct supervision, so |
| and specifications, checking references, etc... | | | | make a little extra effort communicating will |
| 1. Contracts and Proposalsa. OK, you've | | | | produce excellent results and create a long term |
| determined your internal goals, you've researched | | | | trusting relationship. |
| past successes and failures, measured vendor | | | | |