A practical handover checklist for factory support services

1. Confirm what is being handed over

List the areas and services that will move to the new partner. Separate building services from production processes and equipment. For each service, state the start date, responsible party and tasks that will remain with existing contractors.

If cleaning, grounds care, catering or security coordination are included, describe each separately. “All support services” is too broad to guide day-to-day work: entrances, shared areas, shift patterns and restricted zones need specific arrangements.

2. Gather the records needed for delivery

Review documents with the people who use the site. Record what is available, what needs updating and who can provide it. A document’s existence does not establish that it reflects current conditions.

• Site plans and agreed maintenance boundaries.
• A register of the building systems and equipment within scope.
• Current service arrangements, contacts and planned inspections.
• Cleaning schedules, catering hours and other included service routines.
• Access arrangements, keys and permissions to be transferred under control.
• Faults, unfinished work and recurring complaints.

3. Record the starting condition together

Carry out a joint walk-through and prepare a list of findings. For each item, note the location, description, current status and next step. Use photographs where they help explain the issue and where photography is permitted by the site.

Make existing damage, faults and deferred work visible in the handover record. Assign an owner and approval route for follow-up rather than assuming all inherited work is included in routine maintenance.

4. Agree contacts and escalation routes

For routine requests, identify a reporting channel and a responsible contact. For urgent issues affecting safety or site operations, follow the factory’s agreed procedures and involve the responsible specialist teams. This checklist does not replace site procedures.

Align communication between factory management, support teams and external contractors. Confirm who grants approval, who arranges access and who informs users about changes to the service.

5. Check readiness before the first day

Review coverage of agreed shifts, access to work areas, necessary equipment and materials, induction to site rules and cover arrangements. Mark tasks the team cannot yet take over as open, with an interim agreement about responsibility.

Agree work checklists and how completion will be recorded before the service starts. A brief readiness review helps resolve gaps before they affect the people using the property.

6. Follow the transition through

Agree the frequency of short reviews during mobilisation. Follow up unfinished tasks, recurring issues, missing information and changes to scope. Each adjustment should have a task owner and a recorded agreement.

Once the service settles, move to the regular review rhythm. The handover becomes useful when its findings are carried into daily work planning and quality checks.