Al Fajer SM Services LLC (AFSMS) is a member of the Al Fajer group of companies whose president is HH Sheikh Maktoum. AFSMS is a leading provider of multi-soft services for all types of business and building environments within the UAE; its current client base is mainly in the Emirate of Dubai and to certain extent in the other Northern Emirates. John L. Harley, general manager, Al Fajer SM Services, discusses the company’s current business operations, challenges and current trends in the region, along with potential business strategies for this market in an interview with Swaliha Shanavas. Following are some excerpts.

AFSMS’s current scope of expertise and operational services

The mission of AFSMS is to provide a multiple range of soft services to individual clients building, office, shopping mall or home, dealing with one provider, said John. Thereby saving their valuable time in the organisation and monitoring of the services they require in their business or home environment, providing the services, monitoring the quality and tailoring them individually to suit their needs, thereby allowing them to concentrate time on their own core business.

The company is structured into five main areas, our operational divisions are the spearhead of the company fully supported by Finance/ Purchasing, PRO/Personnel, Co ordinations/ Administration and Logistics, and I am fortunate to have the support of an experienced management team in each area to maximize their effectiveness, said John. Each part has its own management structure and responsibilities interlinked to provide the support services to the operating divisions allowing each to concentrate on their particular expertise and responsibilities contribution to the functioning of the whole company in an efficient and cost effective manner providing quality, reliable and effective services to our clients.

In the operating divisions cleaning is a key area with over 1,800 employees covering a wide scope of cleaning service requirements such as contracted cleaning for offices and office buildings, shopping malls, residential apartment blocks, villa communities, etc. Glass/window cleaning for high rise blocks, office shops, glass feature with additions, cleaning services for car washing, carpet/upholstery cleaning, housemaids services, villa/apartment cleaning, street/car park sweeping, manpower hire. Security services division has over 800 DPS licensed and trained guard personnel to provide a range of required duties to protect and enhance personal and public safety in offices, shopping malls, tower buildings, communities, construction sites and special public events. All carried out in behalf of our clients with a professional approach to the required provision.

Environmental services are one of our developing divisions into areas of particular public and client awareness. Pest control service is one area of high public profile that requires strict control of chemicals and products used as well as the safe methods employed to control the pests that invade many areas of our human habituate and environment. We monitor all areas to eliminate potential risks as far as is possible with our specified licensed and trained staff. Landscape maintenance is also one of our environmental service areas with qualified agricultural engineers and gardeners to cover all aspects from Lawn mowing, weed prevention, tree and bush trimmings to planting out of flower beds all enhancing the areas in which we live. Other important services in environment are water tank cleaning which is a municipality authority requirement for all buildings and must be carried out by licensed providers to ensure the correct environmentally friendly chemicals and procedures are used and followed to provide safe, clean water usage

MEP and General maintenance division is another of our operating developments with a team of qualified engineers and technicians to cover every trade required in the maintenance of tower buildings, offices, homes, etc. Particularly in Dubai and the UAE building maintenance is essential in the life span of buildings and protecting the value of the owners asset, by utilizing technology we compile a complete ongoing history of the owners building which ensures its appeal to users and occupiers as well as its value.

Quality assurance / Health and safety

AFSMS have requisite operational policies and procedures in place John stated, with certification in ISO 9001-2008 OSHAS 18001- 2007 Health and Safety with the additional ISO in client care, these are becoming prerequisite requirements across the service industry John added, to give assurance to clients that the companies have structured procedures to provide the reliable Quality standards required. Furthermore AFSMS is a corporate partner of Dubai Quality Group supporting Dubai’s drive for quality, members of the America Contractors Association and British Institute of Cleaning Science. With the advent of high rise towers, shopping malls and public activities increasing health and safety has become paramount in all operations. Controlled by the company H&S officer to ensure risk factors are identified, awareness is projected and operative are trained/licensed for specific hazardous tasks such as high rise cradle and lifeguard operations. The company Quality control department act as independent auditors of company operations to ensure that each division is providing and operating to the specifications and standard expected by clients. They provide internal independent reports to ensure control of not only the clients’ expectations but company required standards across all its operations.

Staff welfare, training and incentives The company has two training centres and various training and development programmes incorporated to improve and enhance staff performance, in reality said John we are a human resource provider, our workforce is our main asset along with the expertise that our company managers have and we have a duty to ensure that an individual’s human rights are respected and that staff are treated civilly, with input during their period of working with us that enhances them personally in life. Hence when new personal arrive to join the company they are assessed individually as to their strengths and weaknesses and a training programme is instructed to provide them the skills required for their allocated working roll within each division, the training programmes are ongoing throughout their period of employment and include language classes in English Arabic etc.

The employees have an elected welfare committee which inputs into the companies logistics department in relation to camp accommodation, catering, leisure activities and any points of suggestions to improve the company’s facilities. There is also a quarterly and annual awards ceremony honoring members of the workforce that have worked honestly and diligently to advance their own and companies reputation.

Projects and key clients

AFSMS have over 600 valued individual clients encompassing, government, municipality, corporations, commercial business and individuals in all fields. We can provide services from an individual’s home to the largest building or complex stated John, from all spectrum of business including Dubai government agencies, major FM companies, Jumeirah Business Centre towers in JLT, Dubai Airports, Palm Island, JBR, Hamarain centre, Dubai Sports city and IBN Battuta. They provide services for special events and the film industry provides the security services in Dubai for the Tom Cruise movie “Ghost Protocol” as well as other prestigious events.

Current and future challenges

Challenges in the services industry are faced daily John said, particularly since the global and local economic downturn the business challenge faced are in two parts the initial natural reactions to cut costs which most business have gone through but now I think that slowly they are beginning to understand that whilst cost have to be kept in control and efficiency emphasized there are certain standards and quality they require to meet and maintain, for which realistic costs have to be paid. The services industry contractors have to be efficient, add in new technology, human resources are becoming limited in certain areas and have to be utilized effectively. Clients are becoming aware that they also have a moral responsibility towards the contractors they employ, in terms of the people employed in providing the sustainability of the services they require as part of their business necessities. One other factor that John mentioned was that the economic slowdown brought about a major reduction in cash flow as many entities stretched their payments into longer periods which make it difficult for services companies whose major expenses each month is workforce salaries to meet the required obligations and which has a knock on effect across the market including suppliers, creating stagnation.

The market requires cash flow to ensure that all links in the business chain remain intact providing the base for the markets eventual upturn and advancement. Many service companies are vying for the same business opportunities and at present effecting profitable margins and sustainably, but hopefully the growing realization of maintaining standards, efficiency and quality will on the other hand help companies who provide these to survive. One of the biggest challenges I can see in the future is manpower across all sectors of the service industry with increasing Asian economy the tradition area of recruitment are becoming restricted and limited by government regulations in minimum wage and conditions requirements which will have a major effect in the provision and cost of services provided.

Expansion

In AFSMS we are developing and expanding as a known quality and reliable service provider, John stated. We will continue to do this but on the basis of ensuring Quality standards and sustainability. Additional areas of development in Dubai are the Hotel sectors and specialized manpower provision. We believe in Dubai and the UAE there will always be developing services markets and opportunities presented, it’s then up to the individual companies to consider and invest in them, we are doing that and looking at other areas within and beyond the emirates.