PFA has been procuring cyclical redecorating work for over three years with 11 housing associations benefiting from lower cost and improved performance.
For the Muir Group improved reliability and quality have led directly to cash savings.
Unlike their previous contracts, Muir’s new partnering arrangements provide for a longer term relationship with their contractor and this has meant consistently higher quality. “The contractor’s workforce now has a vested interest in providing quality” said Neville Large, the Muir Group’s Asset Manager. “They know that if the work isn’t up to standard they will only have to comeback and do it again. There is a common interest in getting it right first time.”
The Muir Group has combined this with negotiating a quality guarantee from the paint manufacturer Dulux to maximise confidence in the long term durability of the painting work. Better quality pre-paint repairs have also contributed to increased confidence. These factors have enable Muir to reduce their painting cycle form 4four years to five with a 20% saving on costs over the full cycle.
Further efficiency savings have come from reduced procurement and contract administration costs. The Muir Group estimates that it saves around £30,000 each year by procuring a range of maintenance and improvement contracts through PfA.
From the contractor’s point of view there are other advantages. Contract decorating is well known for its workload variations as the winter season close down in external painting takes its toll. Longer term partnering contracts has helped address this through improved planning that includes internal decorating in the winter. A more stable workforce translates into consistently higher quality.
Vinny Thornton, Asset Manager at St.Vincents Housing Association, said: "As part of our continuous drive for 'value for money' we decided to approach PFA in respect of our cyclical painting programme for 2009/10.
"I was delighted to find that, as a result of this process, we were able to make considerable savings in the budget. The saving amounts to around 40% which, as you can imagine, is significant. With the security of PFA behind us, the added value was enormous."