Frequently Asked Questions

How do you charge for your services?

We'll meet with you and your team to make a thorough review of your requirements to establish time and personnel needs to complete each specified task and establish a fee accordingly. You'll know your cost upfront before we begin.

How do you establish your fees?

• On an hourly basis
• On a maximum upset fee
• On a percentage of the project cost

Ultimately, our services help save you time, money, and effort - allowing you to concentrate these fundamental resources to your core business functions.

RPM ensures your interests are at the forefront at all times. This external process for proposed budgets, schedules, and solutions are devised solely to benefit you.

RPM will work with established service providers or those chosen through our professional RFP/RFQ process. You benefit by our knowledge of the process, our established relationships, and our negotiating expertise.

Will RPM form a lasting relationship with my company?

Yes. We work hard to earn your trust and to exceed your expectations. We're in business to help you take care of yours. It's simple to us. Help you effectively and honestly. Do it at a reasonable cost in a professional and timely manner and we'll be asked to return. Continued business is better business.

Why would we hire RPM Canada?

Because while everyone needs the services of a facilities department, not everyone wants to have one or can afford to have one.

What sets us apart from "the competition"?

While there are "suppliers" that perform various facets of our service offering, we are aware of no other company that provides the same comprehensive range of facilities-related services on the scale that RPM Canada does.

What sets RPM apart is our objectivity. Our external vantage-point enables us to deliver unbiased advice throughout the entire project process. As we are not a supplier performing one of the project's basic services, we are able to avoid any conflicts of interest. From our perspective we feel it is impossible for someone performing a key project discipline to maintain the same unbiased perspective.

Our business platform and philosophy compels us to treat your bottom line as if it were our own.

Are you an extra layer of cost? How do you save us money?

Although we will appear as a "line item" in the overall project budget, our fees are often covered through the hard and soft-cost savings that our involvement provides. Our inclusion in the facilities process always results in savings of effort, time and cost. Time is money for our clientele and because we pride ourselves in finding the most cost-effective solution, they ultimately think of us as a cost-savings measure as opposed to an added layer of cost.

What if I already have an in-house facility manager/team?

Our team was developed with the intent of complementing and supporting existing resources as opposed to replacing and/or duplicating their efforts. RPM can step in at any level and handle the surplus workload, whether it involves full portfolio or project management, relocation management or simply a signage conversion program. Think of us when your in-house team is overloaded with on-going projects or needs more time to focus on core-business functions.

What if I already have a designer

If you have been fortunate enough to establish a relationship with a good Designer/Space Planner we understand there can be a possible cost savings up front with this group having 'design records' at their disposal. RPM Canada can review your 'Design Agreement' to ensure this cost savings is being realized and to ensure a non-duplication of efforts. We then provide needed support to the 'design effort' leaving them to concentrate on time sensitive completion of the drawings package for furtherance to all other project disciplines. RPM Canada's thorough understanding and detailed experiences for all of a projects disciplines ensure staying on schedule and within budget through established relationships and knowledge gained over years of dedicated service to the industry.

We've already started the project, so isn't it too late?

Although our "added value" is maximized when we are brought in at the beginning of a project, it is NEVER too late to have RPM Canada assist in your facilities initiative. We have an in-depth understanding of the entire project process and thus can add value at every stage along the way.

I'm thinking of doing it all myself...

Can you imagine what would happen if you tried to repair the foundation of your own home on your own to avoid paying for the services of a professional?

Smaller companies generally try to attack their facilities initiatives on their own and end up spending significantly more time than they expected to on project issues. As a direct result, employees are often unable to concentrate on day-to-day revenue-generating responsibilities and valuable time and energy is wasted. In the end, it is often more costly to divert energies from core business functions than it is to hire an external team of professionals to manage the project process. Our proposal is suited to you.