When it comes to government contracts for facility services, agencies don’t just want promises; they want proof. And that proof comes in the form of measurable, meaningful performance data. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aren’t just internal tools for tracking efficiency. They’re also critical evaluation criteria in proposals and CPARS ratings.
Whether you’re a small business offering janitorial services, construction and architectural/engineering services, or managing mechanical systems across facilities, understanding which KPIs matter, and how to present them, can make or break your win rate.
KPIs for Janitorial Services
Janitorial contracts often cover extensive square footage, and agencies expect clean, safe environments with minimal disruption. These KPIs demonstrate both quality and operational control:
- Service Delivery Compliance Rate: Percentage of tasks completed on schedule as defined in the SOW. A benchmark of >95% is standard for government clients.
- Quality Inspection Scores: Internal audits or third-party QA inspections. Helps measure cleanliness and identify missed service points.
- Cost Per Square Foot: Tracks cost-efficiency across facilities. Useful in justifying price or showcasing cost savings.
- Supply Usage Variance: Measures how actual cleaning material usage compares to planned. High variance may indicate waste or theft.
- Labor Cost Percentage: Monitors staffing efficiency. Keep this low without impacting quality.
- Client Satisfaction / NPS: Regular feedback surveys. High Net Promoter Scores can translate to client trust and contract stability.
Employee Turnover / Training Hours: High turnover can damage service consistency. Agencies like to see investment in staff training.
KPIs for Construction Services
Construction contracts typically involve complex schedules, strict safety standards, and significant financial oversight. Agencies and clients expect projects to be delivered on time, within budget, and at quality standards that reduce rework. These KPIs highlight control across safety, cost, quality, and performance:
- Schedule Adherence (On-Time Delivery): Percentage of project milestones completed on or before planned dates. Delays are costly and visible, so clients expect ≥90% adherence.
- Budget Performance (Cost Variance & Cash Flow): Tracks how actual spend compares to planned budget, plus billing/collection predictability. Staying within ±5% of budget and maintaining on-time cash flow shows strong fiscal control.
- Safety Performance (Incident Rate): Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) or Lost Time Frequency Rate. Aiming for “zero lost time” events demonstrates commitment to safety culture and compliance.
- Quality & Rework Rate: Measures defects, failed inspections, or rework percentage. A low rework rate (<5%) ensures efficiency and client satisfaction while protecting margins.
- Change Order Frequency & Impact: Monitors the number and value of change orders. Fewer, well-managed change orders reflect clear scope definition and project stability.
- Labor & Equipment Productivity: Work hours per unit of output and utilization of major equipment. High productivity and efficient resource use drive both cost control and schedule adherence.
Client Satisfaction & Handover Quality: Surveys, evaluations, or Net Promoter Scores post-project. High scores (>90% satisfaction or NPS >50) demonstrate trust and increase chances of repeat business.
KPIs for Mechanical Services (HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical)
For mechanical services, reliability and system uptime are critical. Poor performance can lead to shutdowns, safety violations, or costly emergency repairs.
- Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): Higher MTBF suggests better asset reliability and preventive maintenance.
- Mean Time To Repair (MTTR): Lower MTTR reduces system downtime and disruption.
- Preventive Maintenance Compliance Rate: % of PM tasks completed on time. A high rate indicates a proactive maintenance program.
- Equipment Uptime: Key for mission-critical systems. Anything below 98% may be flagged.
- Reactive vs. Planned Maintenance Ratio: Agencies want to see a shift toward planned maintenance. Too much reactive work raises red flags.
- Maintenance Backlog: Tracks how much work is overdue. A growing backlog indicates resource shortfalls.
- First-Time Fix Rate: Measures technician efficiency and training. High FTF rates reduce labor costs and improve customer satisfaction.
- Maintenance Cost as % of Asset Value: Helps evaluate cost-effectiveness of services. Too high suggests inefficiency; too low might indicate under-maintenance.
- Safety and Compliance Metrics: Tracks violations, incidents, and audit outcomes. Safety KPIs are non-negotiable for federal clients.
Why These KPIs Matter in Government Contracting
Federal agencies increasingly expect contractors to provide past performance evidence using hard metrics. It’s not enough to say “we’re responsive” or “we have great quality control.”
Instead, show:
- Trends over time (e.g., 3-year average PM compliance rate)
- Comparative benchmarks (e.g., “10% below industry cost-per-sq-ft”)
- Visual summaries (tables or charts that make data digestible)
- Third-party validation (inspection reports, CPARS ratings, client testimonials)
For example, when SAS-GPS supports a janitorial proposal, we help clients convert QA inspections into a trend chart that highlights continuous improvement and alignment with contract KPIs.
Agencies like GSA, VA, and DOD already include these performance metrics in their RFP evaluation criteria. If you’re not tracking them, you’re already behind your competitors.
How SAS-GPS Can Help
At SAS-GPS, we specialize in helping facility service contractors turn operational data into winning proposal content. We:
- Help build KPI libraries that align with common federal RFP evaluation factors
- Develop tailored past performance summaries using your metrics
- Guide your team to collect, track, and present KPI data that evaluators understand
Don’t wait until the next proposal is due. Start organizing your performance metrics now so you can prove your value when it matters.
Explore our proposal writing services or contact us to get started.
