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JLL achieves the international benchmark in collaborative contracting, ISO 44001
Terms like ‘collaboration’ and ‘partnership’ are increasingly used by companies to reflect the idea they walk in lockstep with clients, contractors, and other service providers to get a job done or maintain fruitful relationships.
Legitimising these claims is another matter. Real estate services and technology company JLL has sought to do just that by a coveted accreditation, of which JLL is now a proud recipient of, putting forward its work with Defence on the Estate Works Program as a test case to achieve ISO 44001:2017, the International Standard for Collaborative Business Relationship Management Systems. The standard is a roadmap for relationships between suppliers, customers, partners, and other parties.
“In Australia, the concept of collaborative business relationships is still relatively new,” according to Adam Jackson, HSE lead – Australasia in JLL’s Project and Development Services department. “Clients are shifting their language from ‘service providers’ to ‘service partners’ and extending contracting terms to seek delivery agents aligned with their organisational objectives, values, and behaviours. Contracting has, and is evolving, with clients seeking more symbiotic relationships.”
JLL delivers facilities maintenance, building operations and capital projects across corporate and government sectors. But it is the size and complexity of the Estate Works Program within which JLL manages and delivers more than 350 infrastructure projects annually, which made it the right platform for JLL to prove its aptitude for teamwork. The maturity of JLL’s relationship with Defence also made the Estate Works Program an obvious choice for the ISO 44001 accreditation.
Enhancing business-to-business relationships
Defence needs its base services contractors to work together to ensure seamless coordination and delivery of works to the largest estate in Australia.
The goal of achieving accreditation was to do more than simply think and act collaboratively, says Geoff Camp, JLL Australia’s Defence vertical lead. "It was to hold JLL and its partners accountable to a framework that creates greater operational outcomes in a manner that Defence and our other clients can predict, measure and optimise over time.” He predicts that, “ISO 44001 will be a game changer in mitigating the potential for mediocre business-to-business led customer outcomes.”
JLL completed a stage 1 audit with external certification partner, BSI, in November 2023. To achieve the certification, JLL analysed existing systems and processes, and implemented procedures, competencies and behaviours that align to the international standard. This work then set the foundation for Joint Relationship Management Plans.
These plans are comprehensive documents that outline the terms and commitments of a collaborative relationship, including identifying the joint objectives, governance, and issue management processes.
They outline the outcomes expected and the joint governance and risk management processes that will be implemented to manage the relationship. This helps both organisations understand what each party wants to accomplish and how to operate together to achieve ideal outcomes.
“Without robust and enduring business partnerships, outcomes can falter,” says JLL's Managing Director – Australasia, Nathan Taylor, adding that “collaboration is worth investing in.”
