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    Mobilisation at OCS: Planning and Preparation for the Best Outcomes

    Mobilisation is a critical stage in any FM partnership. A well planned approach supports colleagues, maintains continuity and sets the foundation for a successful contract.

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What Mobilisation

Means at OCS

Mobilisation is more than a set of tasks. It is the process that gives customers confidence and prepares colleagues for success. Every detail matters, from the promises made in the bid to the experience teams have on day one. 

Our approach is built around three principles: 

People first: We listen carefully, communicate clearly and support colleagues through change.
Structure and discipline: We follow a proven, evolving project framework that ensures nothing essential is missed.
Outcomes that matter: We track every commitment, measure the customer experience and make improvements where needed.

How We Approach Mobilisation

Our mobilisation lifecycle begins during the bid stage and continues into the early months of delivery.

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Bid Development

Our involvement starts early. The PMO team works with the bid, sales and operational teams to: 

  • Capture and clarify requirements 
  • Shape the mobilisation and transition solution 
  • Design practical and achievable delivery schedules 
  • Support pricing with accurate resource and cost analysis 
  • Identify the benefits and promises we will track throughout delivery 

Early alignment ensures our commitments are realistic and deliverable. 

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Contract Award and Internal Preparation

Once the contract is awarded, we move into planning. We: 

  • Complete a delivery-focused risk assessment 
  • Hand over all bid information to the mobilisation team 
  • Set up the project team and roles 
  • Begin knowledge transfer sessions 
  • Engage key stakeholders 
  • Define day-one readiness actions 

This stage brings clarity and a shared understanding across all teams. 

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Mobilisation Execution

Mobilisation moves into delivery through a structured kick-off meeting involving operations, support functions and the customer. During this phase, we coordinate: 

  • Resourcing and workforce planning 
  • Infrastructure and systems requirements 
  • Reporting and governance 
  • Communications and engagement 

We work to clear milestones so equipment, uniforms, access, training and systems are ready before go live. This is supported by OCS Flex, which provides specialist skills and extra capacity at critical points to support delivery and maintain consistency during complex transitions.

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Go-Live (Cutover)

Go-live is when teams and services move to OCS. On day one, we oversee: 

  • Welcome meetings 
  • Colleague inductions 
  • Equipment and uniform issue
  • OSHE induction 
  • Snagging capture and early issue resolution 

The priority is a calm, confident start for colleagues and continuity for customers. 

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Transition and Early Operations

Once live, the transition period focuses on embedding OCS processes and ensuring benefits and promises are delivered.

Benefits and Promises tracking
We monitor every commitment from the bid and track progress openly with the customer. 

Mobilisation performance feedback
Structured feedback helps us understand how the mobilisation felt, how responsive we were and where we created value. 

100-day review and lessons learned
We complete a shared review of outcomes and capture learning for future improvement. 

Together, these form our triple lock approach to quality.

Best Service Excellence Framework

Mobilisation applies Best Service Excellence in practice, ensuring services are aligned to what matters most from day one of delivery.

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  • Our mobilisation practitioners follow recognised project frameworks, including APM and PRINCE2, ensuring a structured and reliable approach.

  • Across our PMO and Mobilisation functions, we have more than 100 years of combined experience in complex transitions. This depth helps us design efficient solutions and anticipate challenges.

  • A tried-and-tested mobilisation playbook, strengthened by Benefits and Promises tracking, customer feedback, and lessons learned, gives teams a strong foundation for delivery.

  • We listen closely to colleagues and customers throughout the process. Their feedback at go-live and during early operations provides insight into both the practical and emotional impacts of mobilisation.

  • Recent mobilisation performance scores, including 10, 10.5, 11 and 11 out of 12, reflect strong customer confidence and attention to detail.

What Our Customers Say

  • Battersea Power Station
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Battersea Power Station

    “The mobilisation experience was extremely positive, working with the team at all levels. The project manager was amazing, the processes were clear, methodical and logical, the project reporting and transparency were excellent. This was a night and day experience when compared to previous mobilisation experiences. I never felt worried and felt safe and secure throughout the process. I would be happy to recommend OCS to others.”

  • Southbank Centre
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Southbank Centre

    “It was the most professional mobilisation I’ve experienced in my career. Shannon and the PMO were exceptional, and the team made me feel like the whole process was managed effectively throughout. The reporting and transparency is the best I’ve seen”

  • Crown Estate
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Crown Estate

    “Throughout the 3 month mobilisation, the team successfully introduced 51 new cleaning machines to sites, held 51 mobilisation progress meetings to support a smooth transition, and completed 21 client engagement meetings to keep all customer teams fully informed. As a token of appreciation, 135 VIP goodie bags were given to transferring colleagues, along with 19 individual awards to acknowledge exceptional performance.”

  • University of Sunderland in London (UoSIL)
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    University of Sunderland in London (UoSIL)

    “This was a new contract with OCS. The mobilisation team supported the setup of the contract very well with plenty of onsite visits, regular meetings and consistent updates. The TUPE team impressions of OCS were very positive.”

  • Morrisons
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Morrisons

    “Great value for money. The mobilisation experience has been excellent and delivered what was necessary. No issues raised from either side, just proactive and positive delivery. Really good planning and a clear understanding of what the contract needed.”

  • Centre of Excellence in Biopharmaceuticals (COEBP)
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

    Centre of Excellence in Biopharmaceuticals (COEBP)

    “The benefit of having a mobilisation team was clear. A dedicated project manager delivered real value, and many organisations do not have this resource. OCS showed far more commitment to the mobilisation than seen in other programmes.”

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Our People

Mobilisation works when the whole business comes together. Our PMO and Mobilisation teams bring specialist knowledge, consistency and care to each project. They focus on listening to colleagues, supporting customers and creating the conditions for a smooth, confident start. 

These teams work alongside operations, HR, IT, finance and OCS Flex to deliver a coordinated and considered transition. Their experience and empathy set the tone for the earliest days of every contract. 

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Why Mobilisation Matters

Mobilisation builds trust. It shapes the first impression colleagues have of OCS and shows customers the care, clarity and professionalism they can expect throughout the partnership. 

Strong mobilisation depends on thoughtful preparation, clear communication and an understanding of what people need during change. When teams come together with this focus, they create the foundations for a smooth landing and a confident start. 

By approaching mobilisation in this way, we support people through transition, strengthen partnerships and help make people and places the best they can be.

Explore Our Latest Mobilisations and Project Updates

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Get in Touch

To discuss how OCS supports mobilisation and transition across the UK and Ireland, our team would be happy to talk.

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