From service provider to office adviser: the transformation of D&B The Facility Group
Focused on flexibility, efficiency and hospitality, D&B The Facility Group is the leading multi-service provider for high-end offices. Led by commercial director Sander Bon and new business manager Anouk ter Meulen, D&B offers comprehensive solutions that seamlessly fit the needs and identity of real estate clients. By advising early on in the development process, D&B prevents asset degradation while creating offices as functional as they are sustainable. And, with expertise in operating costs, white label concepts and flexible facilities services, D&B knows how to optimize office performance and user-friendliness for tenants to make real estate that is truly ready for the future.
Multi-service approach
D&B offers a comprehensive service and single point of contact. “We supply customer-centric and all other soft services from under one roof in Amstelveen, so clients can count on us for a streamlined service”, Sander says. Site managers play an instrumental role as clients’ dedicated contact. “As companies grow, it’s more difficult to serve them remotely. We always have someone on site to ensure our clients get the attention they deserve.” D&B’s approach is deliberately multi-service: “Our strategy is to offer a full-service package, exclusively in large urban areas, to ensure maximum efficiency and a high standard of service. D&B also offers property owners
the flexibility to scale up or down. Offices tend to be empty on Fridays, for example, so why have a full facilities team on-site that day? This approach is forward-thinking and efficient”, Sander explains, “cutting unnecessary costs and making our services more dynamic and adaptable long-term”.
Expert real estate advice
“We frequently encounter projects where we are only brought in at the final stages, after functionality has been overlooked in favor of design and aesthetics, resulting in time-consuming and costly adjustments” Anouk says. “You often see things like a nice reception desk with no OH&S provisions, or a poorly installed kitchen. For this reason,
it’s good and also crucial for us to be part of the process from early on.” D&B maps out the full guest journey, “taking clients around an office, showing how spaces could be utilised and so guarding them from making many of the common errors. The result is a more efficient, better designed working environment.” According to Anouk, “This approach has transformed D&B from a service provider into an office adviser. We do so much more than operations.
Our proposition has changed and we now advise not only on facilities services but also on office layouts and functionality. Sustainability is also central in all of this. We report to developers and architects and take certifications like BREEAM and WELL on board. We know exactly where gains can be made and how to give comprehensive
advice, and this has real impact on clients’ working environments”.
"Our multi-service approach transform offices to optimise performance, keep them attractive and make them adaptive for the future."
Advice on operating costs
“With new developments as in Zuidas, we inform a client about what to watch out for in terms of both spatial layout
and finances. We give them a transparent breakdown of what our services cost and the effect on tenants’ service charges.” With a portfolio that is 65 per cent real estate-based, D&B knows how to make the numbers add up. “We are well versed in real estate and all the precise calculations involved and can give developers and owners a more concrete picture.” D&B also knows how to make properties more attractive for tenants. Anouk: “We add a different perspective on how to make a building functional and welcoming. We might team up with property brokers to put visuals in vacant rooms, for example, or offer flexible operating options like starting small with a coffee bar and later expanding into a restaurant. Customisation like this makes all the difference.”
White label catering concepts
“We believe a building’s brand is fundamental to its appeal”, Sander continues. “Where you used to see security guards or cleaning staff going around with big badges or supply carts, we’ve opted for a white label approach. Our people and branding are an extension of the building and make services feel bespoke.” D&B develops concepts that are unique to each client and seamlessly fit their property and identity. “Our marketing department designs and implements white label concepts like coffee bars and restaurants with no visible D&B logos”, An example is Danone, for which D&B created a tailored concept ‘Blue’. “We made blue dominate, as water is fundamental to their
products. It runs through the restaurant, events and uniforms.” For Kadans, D&B developed ‘The Makers’, inspired by the area’s industrial character. “We really try to get into the skin of the owner, manager and building”, Sander concludes. “Our people work at high-end locations and in busy cities, which makes the work challenging, but also inspiring.”
Dit interview verscheen eerder in Hello Zuidas.
Over D&B The Facility Group
D&B The Facility Group is multi service facilitair dienstverlener. en is gevestigd in Amstelveen. Het bedrijf verzorgt een breed palet aan diensten voor corporate kantoren en hoogwaardige vastgoedomgevingen met als doel een beleving te creëren die positief bijdraagt aan hoe mensen in hun vel zitten. Oplossingen van D&B zijn altijd maatwerk, omdat geen organisatie of gebouw hetzelfde is. Er werken ’ca. duizend medewerkers bij D&B.
Voor meer informatie:
Anouk ter Meulen
Manager New Business
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