SERVEST OFFICE SERVICES
Servicing a New Chapter
Driving growth through a people, customer and processcentric culture
Facilities management is a complex business. With many companies boasting large portfolios of services and managing multiple sites for numerous different clients, no job is ever the same, and consistent standards are a must in order to succeed.
Add in the relative maturity of the market in South Africa, and the challenge for FM providers to thrive becomes even clearer to see.
“This density of competition, the regulatory environment, as well as the fact that it is a labour-intensive industry, makes it an extremely challenging environment to operate in,” remarks Xolile Sizani, Group CEO at Servest.
“Furthermore, barriers to entry are low and clients are price sensitive. However, with intensification of the fourth industrial revolution, as well as the increasing pressures on businesses to contain and drive down costs, the industry is actually poised for growth through innovation.
“Additionally, recent research conducted in the sector indicates that companies are planning to outsource more of their facility needs in the upcoming year.”
New beginnings
Ross Anderson, Managing Director for the Office Services Division of Servest, became part of Servest in 2007 when his previous employer was acquired by the company, working up through the ranks into the Managing Director’s chair.
An important part of his upcoming remit will be to implement a joined-up strategy based on the vision of the wider Servest Group, which recently appointed Xolile Sizani as Chief Executive Officer.
The Office Services division of Servest is building a strong foundation to drive sustainable growth and differentiate in what is a competitive and evolving facilities management industry in South Africa Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Lewis Bush
Asked if he was excited by the new chapter, Anderson is quick to reply: “Definitely. The vision is to build a strong foundation for sustainable and profitable growth through driving a high-performance culture that is focused on our customers, processes, people and effective execution.
“We also want to help grow blackowned businesses, and in particular, black female-owned businesses, to improve our contribution to economic empowerment of these entities and to support our clients’ BBBEE strategies.”
Such a foundational strategy involves several key focuses, including the creation of a high-performance culture, appointment of appropriately skilled and experienced leaders, and the development and implementation of a new growth strategy.
“Our current goal is to expand our African footprint even further through a focused approach around mergers and acquisitions.
“Our aim is to bring solutions