Procurement of Preventative Maintenance Services – A Strategic Imperative for Heavy Asset and Infrastructure Industries

In Australia and New Zealand, organisations operating in infrastructure, mining, utilities, energy, ports, rail, defence, and transport rely heavily on high-value, long-life assets. For these industries, asset performance isn’t just a function of uptime—it directly influences operational capacity, workforce safety, regulatory compliance, and the bottom line.

With economic headwinds, regulatory pressure, and shifting expectations around ESG and cost efficiency, preventative maintenance is no longer a ‘nice to have’—it’s a critical lever in asset lifecycle management. Yet, despite its importance, procurement of preventative maintenance services remains under-optimised in many organisations. Contracts are often reactive, cost-driven, fragmented across assets, or fail to align with long-term operational strategies.

This article explores how to strategically approach the procurement of preventative maintenance services, the challenges asset-intensive industries face, and how Trace Consultants can help organisations unlock value from these essential services.

Why Preventative Maintenance Matters

Preventative maintenance (PM) refers to scheduled servicing and upkeep of assets to prevent failure and extend useful life. Unlike reactive or corrective maintenance, PM aims to address wear-and-tear before breakdowns occur.

In asset-intensive industries, PM is crucial for:

• Reducing Unplanned Downtime: Preventative schedules ensure critical assets don’t fail during production or peak periods.
• Extending Asset Life: Regular servicing delays the need for capital replacement.
• Minimising Safety and Compliance Risks: Failures in infrastructure, mining, or energy can have catastrophic consequences for workers and the environment.
• Managing Costs Over Time: A well-designed PM strategy reduces reactive spend, emergency callouts, and insurance claims.

While the operational benefits are clear, achieving these outcomes requires disciplined procurement and vendor management practices—not just skilled technicians.

Common Challenges in Procuring PM Services

Despite PM’s critical role, many organisations fail to fully optimise their procurement approach. Common issues include:

1. Fragmented Contracts and Siloed Assets

Organisations with multiple sites or business units often let each area procure its own PM services. This leads to:

• Duplication of effort and variation in scope
• Inconsistent standards and KPIs
• Missed opportunities to leverage scale for cost and service benefits

2. Overly Reactive or Time-Based Models

Many PM contracts are still based on rigid time intervals rather than asset condition or usage data. This can result in:

• Over-servicing of some assets
• Under-servicing of others
• Poor cost-to-benefit ratios

3. Insufficient Scope Definition

Scope of services is often poorly defined, leading to:

• Misalignment on what’s included/excluded
• Lack of accountability between owner and provider
• Ambiguity during contract performance reviews

4. Lack of Strategic Supplier Relationships

PM providers are often viewed as transactional service vendors, rather than long-term partners. This undermines innovation, continuous improvement, and responsiveness.

5. Difficulty Demonstrating Value

PM spend can appear as overhead. Without robust performance metrics or benchmarking, procurement teams struggle to demonstrate the value of preventative investment.

Key Considerations for Procurement Teams

To address these challenges, organisations need to apply strategic sourcing principles to PM procurement. Below are the core considerations.

1. Understand the Criticality of Assets

Not all assets are created equal. Procurement should align servicing models to asset criticality:

• High-criticality assets (e.g. high-voltage transformers, escalators in transport hubs, medical chillers in hospitals) may require condition-based or real-time monitoring.
• Medium or low-criticality assets can be serviced through a mix of scheduled inspections and standard intervals.

A risk-based segmentation approach enables prioritisation of spend and performance management.

2. Define the Scope Clearly and Consistently

Good procurement starts with a clear, consistent definition of:

• Asset categories and components
• Inspection, servicing, calibration, testing, and reporting requirements
• Access needs, site-specific constraints, and compliance needs (e.g. ISO standards, regulatory guidelines)

Trace Consultants often help organisations document their current state and develop functional scopes of work that align to ISO55000 asset management principles.

3. Consider Whole-of-Life Outcomes

Rather than just lowest cost per visit, sourcing strategies should consider:

• Expected life extension per asset category
• Reduced downtime risk
• Reduced reactive maintenance callouts
• Improved compliance metrics and insurance risk ratings

This moves the conversation from ‘price per hour’ to ‘value per outcome.’

4. Engage the Right Providers

Not all PM providers are the same. Procurement teams should assess:

• Experience with similar asset classes
• Ability to scale across sites and geographies
• Digital capability (e.g. condition monitoring, reporting tools)
• Safety record and compliance rigour
• Culture fit and partnership approach

Where appropriate, alternative contracting models like performance-based maintenance contracts or bundled service agreements may be more effective than transactional models.

5. Embed Reporting and Continuous Improvement

Contracts must specify clear KPIs such as:

• Completion rates vs. schedule
• Asset reliability improvements
• Downtime reduction
• Response and rectification times
• Audit findings and non-conformances

Embedding mechanisms for quarterly reviews, lessons learned, and innovation pilots strengthens supplier engagement.

A Strategic Sourcing Framework for Preventative Maintenance Services

Trace Consultants recommends a structured approach to PM procurement, using a strategic sourcing and transformation lens. Below is a typical methodology we apply.

Phase 1: Spend & Asset Base Analysis

• Review current PM spend, service contracts, and categories
• Analyse asset inventory, criticality, and condition
• Assess historical maintenance performance and cost drivers

Phase 2: Opportunity Identification

• Identify duplicate contracts, low-performing vendors, or high-reactive spend areas
• Conduct benchmarking on servicing frequencies, costs, and outcomes
• Evaluate internal vs. external service provision trade-offs

Phase 3: Scope and Specification Design

• Define standardised scopes of work and service level agreements (SLAs)
• Prioritise high-impact categories or assets
• Develop asset care plans by type and criticality

Phase 4: Market Engagement Strategy

• Develop Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy (bundled vs. category-based)
• Determine contracting model (e.g. term-based, performance-based)
• Prepare RFx documents with clear evaluation criteria

Phase 5: Supplier Selection and Contracting

• Support tender evaluations, negotiations, and supplier onboarding
• Finalise KPIs, reporting obligations, and escalation processes

Phase 6: Implementation and Performance Management

• Support transition to new providers or processes
• Embed contract management practices and digital dashboards
• Facilitate quarterly reviews and continuous improvement

Preventative Maintenance in Key Infrastructure Sectors

The approach to PM procurement must be tailored to industry-specific operating environments. Below are a few considerations across key infrastructure sectors:

Mining and Resources

• Assets operate in remote, harsh conditions; reliability is critical
• Fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) servicing models often apply
• Contracted providers need to meet stringent safety standards and operate 24/7

Transport and Logistics

• Rail, port, and airport assets require strict adherence to service windows to avoid passenger or freight disruption
• Shared asset environments demand clear accountability between multiple parties (e.g. lessor, operator, government)

Utilities and Energy

• Preventative maintenance plays a central role in network reliability and bushfire prevention
• PM plans must integrate with real-time SCADA and asset condition data
• Increasing expectations around ESG reporting linked to asset management

Social Infrastructure (Hospitals, Universities, Correctional Facilities)

• PM influences safety and comfort of occupants
• Growing expectation to bundle services (e.g. HVAC, plumbing, fire safety) for integrated FM delivery models

The Role of Technology in PM Procurement

Technology plays an increasingly important role in both the execution and procurement of PM services.

Asset Management Systems (AMS)

Robust AMS platforms (e.g. IBM Maximo, TechnologyOne, Assetic) enable:

• Asset lifecycle tracking
• Condition monitoring
• Maintenance scheduling
• Contractor integration

Procurement teams must ensure service contracts are structured to align with the organisation’s digital architecture.

Power BI and Analytics Dashboards

Dashboards enable procurement, operations, and engineering to:

• Visualise PM performance across sites
• Track contractor compliance
• Monitor asset performance trends
• Compare reactive vs. preventative ratios

Mobile-Enabled Field Reporting

Best-in-class PM providers offer digital tools that:

• Capture field servicing data in real time
• Flag defects and non-conformance immediately
• Auto-generate audit trails and compliance reports

Trace Consultants helps organisations design performance frameworks and contract requirements to ensure technology integration is considered during procurement—not as an afterthought.

How Trace Consultants Can Help

At Trace Consultants, we specialise in helping asset-intensive industries optimise procurement and performance across their supply chain and operations.

When it comes to preventative maintenance services, our approach is both strategic and practical. We partner with clients across Australia and New Zealand to:

• Analyse maintenance spend and vendor performance
• Define standardised scopes, SLAs and evaluation frameworks
• Develop Go-To-Market strategies and manage the procurement process
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, bundling, or insourcing/outsourcing
• Support supplier transition and contract implementation
• Benchmark performance and enable continuous improvement through data

Our work is grounded in deep industry knowledge—from mining to energy, transport to healthcare—and we pride ourselves on being hands-on, trusted advisors.

By engaging Trace Consultants, clients gain not just procurement expertise but a team that understands the operating context of their assets and the broader strategic drivers behind their maintenance strategies.

To learn more about our services and recent work, visit our insights page: www.traceconsultants.com.au/insights

Preventative maintenance is no longer just an operational issue. For asset-intensive industries across Australia and New Zealand, it is a strategic lever for performance, risk mitigation, and long-term value creation.

Yet too often, preventative maintenance services are procured like commodity labour—without the strategic rigour, planning, and alignment to outcomes required to drive real impact.

As infrastructure ages, capital budgets tighten, and safety and compliance expectations rise, the organisations that treat PM as a strategic procurement category—not just a cost centre—will be best positioned for long-term success.

Whether you’re about to go to market, reassessing vendor performance, or looking to drive cost efficiencies, Trace Consultants is ready to help you transform how you procure and manage preventative maintenance services.

How well is your preventative maintenance procurement strategy working for you?

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Reducing Property Services Spend Through Effective Scoping and Go-To-Market

The Overlooked Cost Base in Critical Facilities

In complex environments like airports, hospitals, universities, integrated resorts, stadiums, and commercial precincts, the focus is often on front-of-house excellence—serving passengers, patients, students, guests, and crowds.

But behind the scenes, a quiet but significant cost driver is at play: property services.

Cleaning, security, mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), waste management, and general contracting services represent millions in annual spend for most organisations. Yet they often go under-managed—locked into legacy scopes, loosely governed, and rarely put to market in a disciplined way.

Trace Consultants recently partnered with a major hospitality and entertainment group, helping them reduce their property services spend by ~24% through detailed scope optimisation and a structured go-to-market (GTM) process. The result wasn’t just lower cost—it was better service, clearer accountability, and long-term sustainability.

In this article, we’ll unpack how you can unlock similar savings and operational uplift—whether you're managing a terminal, hospital, campus, or commercial precinct—and how Trace Consultants can help.

Why Property Services Spend Often Escapes Scrutiny

Property and facilities-related services are foundational to operations—but also easy to overlook:

• Costs are spread across departments or sites
• Scope creep happens silently over time
• Performance is hard to measure (e.g. what defines “clean”?)
• Contracts are often renewed on rollover rather than tendered
• Teams managing contracts are under-resourced or decentralised

For high-footfall environments like airports and stadiums, the variability of demand—driven by flight schedules, events, or peak periods—adds another layer of complexity.

Meanwhile, universities, hospitals and integrated resorts face demands for 24/7 service, regulatory compliance, and increasing pressure on both quality and ESG outcomes.

Despite all this, property services are often treated as BAU—not as a strategic lever for performance and cost management.

Step 1: Understand the Scope – Because Not All Services Are Created Equal

Each category within property services comes with unique dynamics, compliance risks, and cost drivers:

Service CategoryCost and Complexity DriversCleaningShift patterns, loading, sqm, operating hours, deep cleans, consumablesSecurityStatic guards, mobile patrols, technology integration, licencing, response timesMechanical / ElectricalPreventative vs. reactive balance, asset lifecycle, location accessPlumbingEmergency vs. planned jobs, high-risk compliance, out-of-hours coverageWaste ManagementWaste streams (general, clinical, hazardous), disposal frequency, sustainability targetsGeneral ContractingMinor works, ad hoc repairs, procurement pathways, response SLAs

At Trace, we start with a forensic review of the current state, going beyond contracts and cost sheets. We map service delivery, challenge embedded practices, and walk sites with staff to understand where inefficiencies lie.

In airports, for instance, this might reveal:

• Redundant cleaning rotations in underutilised gates
• Security patrol duplication between public and restricted zones
• Inefficient maintenance scheduling around curfews or high-traffic windows

Understanding what’s really needed—and how it’s being delivered—is step one in reducing spend.

Step 2: Redesign the Scope – Don’t Just Cut, Optimise

A common trap is equating cost savings with cutting services. But real value comes from optimising scope, not arbitrarily reducing it.

Here’s how Trace typically improves scope effectiveness:

• Align service frequency to need: Not all areas require daily cleaning—e.g., back-of-house or staff corridors
• Right-size labour vs. consumables: Splitting these can uncover inflated margins or double-ups
• Rebalance in-house vs. outsourced: Some minor maintenance may be better insourced or bundled
• Modernise security models: Transition from static guards to technology-first solutions where appropriate
• Standardise waste processes: Clarify bin types, location zoning, and vendor responsibilities

For example, in our recent hospitality engagement, public area cleaning schedules had not been reviewed post-pandemic—despite significantly lower foot traffic in some venues. Adjusting scope to reflect current volumes created an immediate savings opportunity, without sacrificing guest experience.

Step 3: Go to Market With a Clear and Competitive Strategy

Going to market isn’t just about getting quotes—it’s about setting up vendors for success and driving competitive tension.

Trace’s category-specific GTM playbooks ensure that:

1. Scoping documents are clear and standardised across locations and vendors
2. Market engagement is broad—beyond the usual incumbent shortlist
3. Pricing templates are detailed and comparable, capturing all rate drivers
4. Evaluation frameworks balance cost, capability, innovation, and ESG
5. Commercial models and risk allocations are negotiated based on benchmarks

Airports and universities, in particular, benefit from this multi-category GTM model, allowing them to test bundling options while maintaining service differentiation.

Step 4: Explore Bundling vs. Specialist Contracts Strategically

Consolidating services under a single vendor can simplify management and improve pricing—but only if done right.

We recommend bundling only when:

• Services are naturally interdependent (e.g., mechanical and electrical)
• You have strong FM contract governance capability
• Vendors are genuinely multi-disciplinary—not sub-contracting behind the scenes
• There's clear service-level ownership and risk transfer

In contrast, specialist contracts may be preferable where:

• Service delivery is highly regulated (e.g., clinical waste in hospitals)
• The cost of failure is high (e.g., critical HVAC failure at an airport)
• Operational control needs to stay close to site management (e.g., cleaning at stadiums during events)

Trace helps clients model bundled vs. unbundled contract structures and run dual-track sourcing where needed—ensuring decisions are based on data, not convenience.

Step 5: Drive Long-Term Value with Contract Management Discipline

Securing a better deal is only half the battle. Sustaining the savings requires ongoing contract governance and performance management.

This includes:

• Service-level dashboards for cleaning compliance, security response, maintenance closures, etc.
• Monthly supplier reviews using actual data and agreed KPIs
• Audit and verification of vendor-reported performance
• Invoice compliance checks—especially around call-outs, overtime, and consumables
• Annual reviews of scope, standards and benchmarking

In our hospitality engagement, Trace supported the client in rolling out site-based scorecards for each service line. This drove:

• A consistent approach to supplier management across multiple venues
• Early identification of underperformance and rectification
• Improved stakeholder engagement at the frontline

This same playbook applies across sectors—whether you're managing a runway, a lecture theatre, a surgical theatre, or a retail precinct.

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Why Airports Should Be Paying Attention

Airports are uniquely complex environments:

• They operate 24/7
• They span vast, mixed-use spaces (public, restricted, airside)
• They face strict regulatory and safety compliance
• Their asset bases are ageing and high-maintenance
• They are under pressure to improve ESG performance

Despite this, many airports remain locked into long-standing vendor arrangements with little competitive testing or scope review. The opportunity to reduce cost, improve service resilience, and embed sustainability into the property services model is significant.

Trace has deep experience working in high-availability, compliance-driven environments and can bring mature procurement and facilities advisory capability to airport operations teams.

Broader Impacts: ESG, Sustainability, and Social Procurement

Property services now sit squarely within broader ESG and regulatory frameworks:

• Waste reduction and diversion from landfill
• Sustainable cleaning and chemical usage
• Emissions from contractor fleets and equipment
• Modern slavery and ethical sourcing in labour supply chains
• Local, Indigenous, and social enterprise supplier participation

Trace incorporates these into our scoping, GTM, and evaluation frameworks—ensuring savings are achieved without sacrificing social value or environmental responsibility.

For government-owned entities, universities, and airports bound by state procurement policies, this is increasingly non-negotiable.

How Trace Consultants Can Help

Trace Consultants offers end-to-end commercial and operational advisory to help your organisation take control of property services spend.

We specialise in supporting:

• Airports and transport hubs
• Hospitals and health networks
• Universities and education precincts
• Integrated resorts and event venues
• Retail and commercial asset managers
• Stadiums and major sporting venues

Our services include:

✅ Spend diagnostics and opportunity identification
✅ Scope review and optimisation
✅ GTM strategy and execution
✅ Vendor evaluation and negotiation support
✅ Contract performance frameworks
✅ Implementation planning and benefits tracking

We’re not just procurement people—we’re operators. We bring on-the-ground knowledge of how these services are delivered, and how they can be delivered better.

Property Services as a Strategic Lever

If you're overseeing a major asset or precinct and haven’t reviewed your property services spend recently, chances are you're leaving value on the table.

Ask yourself:

• Are our scopes aligned with today’s operational needs?
• Are our vendors delivering value, or just ticking boxes?
• When did we last competitively tender this category?
• Do we have the data and discipline to drive long-term performance?

Whether it’s cleaning at a terminal, security at a stadium, M&E at a university, or waste at a shopping centre, the same principles apply: clarify the scope, test the market, manage the outcomes.

Trace Consultants can help you every step of the way.

👉 Contact us to discuss how we can help you reduce costs, strengthen operations, and turn property services into a competitive advantage.

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How Trace Consultants Supports Large, Complex Property-Based and Asset-Intensive Businesses with Procurement

Large, complex property-based or asset-intensive businesses—such as those in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, or government—face unique challenges in managing their mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), fire and life safety, and building management systems (BMS). These systems are critical to operational continuity, safety, and efficiency, yet their procurement is often fraught with complexity due to technical specifications, regulatory requirements, and the need to balance cost with performance. Trace Consultants, Australia’s premier supply chain and procurement advisory firm, offers tailored solutions to streamline these processes, delivering measurable improvements in cost, service, and compliance. This article explores how Trace Consultants supports such organizations through strategic procurement, innovative tools, and deep industry expertise.

Aligning Scopes and Defining Requirements for Best-in-Class Outcomes

One of the primary challenges in procuring MEP, fire and life safety, and BMS is defining clear, fit-for-purpose scopes of work that align with organizational goals and industry standards. Trace Consultants excels in helping businesses articulate their requirements across three distinct performance tiers:

• A-Class: Best in Class
  A-class solutions represent the pinnacle of performance, incorporating cutting-edge technology, maximum reliability, and sustainability. For example, a best-in-class BMS might integrate AI-powered analytics for predictive maintenance, optimize energy consumption, and comply with the highest international standards, such as ISO 41000 for facilities management. Trace works with clients to define scopes that prioritize innovation, long-term value, and alignment with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. This might involve specifying advanced fire suppression systems that exceed Australian standards or MEP systems designed for net-zero carbon targets.
• B-Class: Good Practice
  B-class solutions focus on robust, reliable systems that meet industry benchmarks without the premium cost of A-class options. These are ideal for organizations seeking a balance between performance and budget. Trace ensures that B-class scopes align with Australian standards (e.g., AS/NZS 3000 for electrical installations) and international good practices, such as NFPA-70B for electrical maintenance. For instance, a B-class fire and life safety system might include standard-compliant sprinklers and smoke detection systems with proven reliability, tailored to the specific needs of a commercial facility.
• C-Class: Minimum Requirement
  C-class solutions meet the minimum regulatory and safety standards, ensuring compliance while prioritizing cost efficiency. These are suitable for smaller facilities or assets with lower operational criticality. Trace ensures that even C-class scopes adhere to mandatory standards, such as the Building Code of Australia (BCA) or NFPA-70B, avoiding risks associated with non-compliance. For example, a C-class MEP scope might specify basic HVAC systems that meet BCA requirements but forego advanced automation features.

By working closely with clients to understand their operational needs, asset portfolios, and budget constraints, Trace crafts scopes that are precise, actionable, and aligned with both Australian and international standards. This structured approach minimizes ambiguity, reduces the risk of scope creep, and ensures suppliers deliver against clear expectations.

The Trace Pricing Schedule Tool: Ensuring Compliance and Transparency

A key innovation from Trace Consultants is its proprietary pricing schedule tool, designed to standardize and streamline the procurement of technical property services. This tool incorporates minimum requirements aligned with standards such as NFPA-70B (Electrical Equipment Maintenance), AS 1851 (Fire Protection Systems Maintenance), and AS/NZS 3666 (Air-Handling and Water Systems). Here’s how it works:

• Standardized Pricing Frameworks
  The tool establishes a baseline pricing structure that reflects compliance with mandatory standards. For instance, NFPA-70B requires regular inspection and testing of electrical equipment to prevent failures. The pricing schedule tool ensures that bids include these mandatory activities, preventing suppliers from cutting corners to lower costs. It also allows clients to compare bids on a like-for-like basis, ensuring transparency and fairness.
• Customizable for Performance Tiers
  The tool is flexible, enabling clients to adjust pricing schedules based on A, B, or C-class requirements. For example, an A-class schedule for a BMS might include advanced cybersecurity hunt-and-peck pricing for regular maintenance, while a C-class schedule might focus solely on statutory compliance checks. This customization ensures that pricing reflects the desired level of service quality and system performance.
• Cost Benchmarking and Market Alignment
  The tool integrates market intelligence to benchmark pricing against current industry rates. By analyzing data from recent tenders, supplier contracts, and industry reports, Trace ensures that pricing schedules reflect competitive market conditions. This prevents overpayment for services and identifies opportunities for cost savings.
• Auditability and Accountability
  The pricing schedule tool generates detailed documentation, making it easy to audit procurement decisions and demonstrate compliance with governance requirements. This is particularly valuable for public sector clients or organizations subject to strict regulatory oversight.

By implementing this tool, Trace Consultants empowers clients to procure technical services with confidence, knowing that pricing is fair, compliant, and aligned with their strategic objectives.

Benchmarking Incumbent Suppliers and Exploring Market Options

Many property-based and asset-intensive businesses rely on long-term relationships with incumbent suppliers for MEP, fire and life safety, and BMS services. While these relationships can provide stability, they often lead to untested pricing and missed opportunities for innovation or cost savings. Trace Consultants addresses this challenge through a rigorous benchmarking and market exploration process.

• Incumbent Supplier Benchmarking
  Trace conducts a detailed analysis of incumbent supplier performance, pricing, and contract terms. This involves reviewing service level agreements (SLAs), maintenance schedules, and cost structures against industry benchmarks. For example, if an incumbent is charging above-market rates for HVAC maintenance, Trace identifies the discrepancy and quantifies potential savings from renegotiation or re-tendering.
• Market Option Analysis
  To ensure clients access the best suppliers, Trace explores the broader market, leveraging its extensive network and industry expertise. This includes identifying suppliers with specialized capabilities, such as those offering IoT-enabled BMS or advanced fire suppression technologies. Trace also assesses suppliers’ ESG credentials, ensuring alignment with sustainability goals—a critical consideration given increasing regulatory focus on Scope 3 emissions.
• Competitive Tendering Support
  Trace supports clients through the entire go-to-market process, from developing tender documentation to managing supplier queries and evaluating bids. Its Procurement Excellence Framework ensures that tenders are structured to attract high-quality responses while maintaining transparency and fairness. For instance, Trace might design a tender for MEP services that includes clear KPIs, such as system uptime or energy efficiency targets, to drive supplier accountability.

By benchmarking incumbents and exploring market options, Trace helps clients achieve significant cost savings—often 10-20% on technical services—while improving service quality and compliance.

Supporting Response Reviews for Informed Decision-Making

Evaluating supplier responses to tenders is a complex task, particularly for technical services like MEP, fire and life safety, and BMS. Trace Consultants provides expert support to ensure that response reviews are thorough, objective, and aligned with client priorities.

• Technical and Commercial Evaluation
  Trace assesses supplier bids on both technical and commercial criteria. Technical evaluations focus on compliance with standards (e.g., AS 1670 for fire detection systems), system reliability, and alignment with the specified A, B, or C-class scope. Commercial evaluations analyze pricing, contract terms, and value-added services, such as extended warranties or predictive maintenance capabilities.
• Risk and ESG Assessment
  Beyond technical and commercial factors, Trace evaluates supplier risks, including financial stability, cybersecurity practices, and modern slavery compliance. ESG considerations, such as carbon footprint or ethical sourcing, are also factored into the review, ensuring alignment with regulatory and corporate sustainability goals.
• Weighted Decision Frameworks
  To facilitate decision-making, Trace develops weighted evaluation frameworks that prioritize client-specific criteria. For example, a healthcare facility might prioritize system reliability and compliance over cost, while a retail chain might emphasize energy efficiency. These frameworks ensure that decisions are data-driven and defensible.

By providing rigorous response reviews, Trace enables clients to select suppliers that deliver optimal value, performance, and compliance.

Assessing ‘Sweating Assets’ vs. Replace or Maintain

A critical decision for asset-intensive businesses is whether to extend the life of existing MEP, fire, or BMS systems (“sweating assets”), maintain them as-is, or invest in replacements. Trace Consultants supports clients in making informed decisions through a structured, data-driven approach.

• Asset Condition Assessments
  Trace conducts detailed audits of existing systems, assessing their condition, performance, and remaining useful life. For example, an aging BMS might still function but lack modern features like remote monitoring, while an outdated fire suppression system might no longer comply with AS 1851. These assessments provide a clear picture of asset health and risks.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis
  Trace performs cost-benefit analyses to compare the financial and operational implications of sweating, maintaining, or replacing assets. This includes modeling lifecycle costs, energy savings, and potential downtime risks. For instance, replacing an inefficient HVAC system might involve high upfront costs but yield significant energy savings and compliance benefits over time.
• Regulatory and Risk Considerations
  Decisions are informed by regulatory requirements and risk profiles. Sweating assets might be viable for non-critical systems but unacceptable for life safety systems, where non-compliance could lead to legal or safety liabilities. Trace ensures that all options align with standards like NFPA-70B or the BCA.
• Sustainability and Innovation
  Trace also considers opportunities to integrate sustainable or innovative solutions during replacement. For example, replacing a legacy BMS with a smart system could reduce energy consumption and support ESG goals, while upgrading fire systems might improve response times and occupant safety.

By providing a holistic assessment, Trace helps clients optimize their asset management strategies, balancing cost, performance, and compliance.

Addressing the Procurement Discipline Gap in Property Services

The highly technical and engineering-focused nature of property services often leads to a procurement discipline gap. Many organizations lack the in-house expertise to effectively manage complex MEP, fire, or BMS procurement, resulting in reliance on incumbent suppliers and untested pricing. This gap creates significant opportunities for cost savings and performance improvements, which Trace Consultants is uniquely positioned to unlock.

• Overcoming Technical Complexity
  Procuring technical services requires deep engineering and regulatory knowledge. Trace’s team of supply chain and procurement experts, combined with its technical consultants, bridges this gap. For example, Trace can translate engineering requirements into clear tender specifications, ensuring suppliers understand and meet expectations.
• Challenging Incumbent Pricing
  Incumbent suppliers often benefit from long-term contracts with minimal scrutiny. Trace’s benchmarking and market analysis reveal pricing inefficiencies, enabling clients to renegotiate contracts or switch to more competitive suppliers. In one case, Trace helped a healthcare provider reduce BMS maintenance costs by 15% by identifying overcharges and re-tendering the contract.
• Building Procurement Capability
  Beyond immediate procurement support, Trace builds clients’ internal capabilities through training, templates, and process improvements. This empowers organizations to manage future procurements more effectively, reducing dependency on external consultants over time.
• Driving Tangible Results
  The opportunities arising from the procurement discipline gap are substantial. Trace’s fact-based, hypothesis-driven approach—leveraging data analysis, scenario modeling, and business case development—consistently delivers 20-40% cost savings, improved service levels, and enhanced compliance. These results are particularly impactful for large, complex organizations with extensive asset portfolios.

Why Trace Consultants?

Trace Consultants stands out as Australia’s leading boutique advisory firm for supply chain and procurement, with a proven track record across sectors like healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and government. Its key differentiators include:

• Deep Expertise
  Trace’s team combines supply chain strategy, procurement, and technical engineering expertise, enabling it to tackle the most complex property services challenges.
• Fact-Based Approach
  By leveraging data analytics, market intelligence, and scenario modeling, Trace ensures that recommendations are grounded in evidence and tailored to client needs.
• End-to-End Support
  From scope definition to supplier selection and asset management, Trace provides comprehensive support across the entire procurement lifecycle.
• Client-Centric Philosophy
  Trace builds trusted partnerships, working collaboratively to understand clients’ unique needs and deliver practical, sustainable solutions.
• Innovation and Technology
  Tools like the pricing schedule platform, combined with expertise in digital twins, AI, and IoT, position Trace at the forefront of procurement innovation.

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For large, complex property-based or asset-intensive businesses, procuring MEP, fire and life safety, and BMS is a high-stakes endeavor that demands precision, expertise, and innovation. Trace Consultants offers a comprehensive solution, aligning scopes with A, B, or C-class requirements, leveraging tools like its pricing schedule platform, and delivering end-to-end procurement support. By benchmarking suppliers, exploring market options, reviewing responses, and optimizing asset strategies, Trace unlocks significant cost savings, enhances service quality, and ensures compliance with Australian and international standards. In an industry where the procurement discipline is often underdeveloped, Trace’s expertise and fact-based approach create substantial opportunities for organizations to thrive. Whether you’re managing a hospital, retail chain, or government facility, Trace Consultants is your trusted partner for procurement excellence.

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