Restructuring and Related Costs

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2020

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

RESTRUCTURING AND RELATED COSTS

We may periodically engage in various restructuring activities intended to drive long-term profitable growth and increase operational efficiency, which can include streamlining and realigning our overall organizational structure and reallocating resources. These activities may result in restructuring costs related to employee severance, other project fees, external support fees, lease exit costs, and asset impairment charges. Recently, our significant restructuring activities have been primarily associated with integrating our acquisition of GCA and implementing our 2020 Vision initiative, as described below.

GCA Restructuring and Other Initiatives

Following the acquisition of GCA, during the first quarter of 2018 we initiated a restructuring program to achieve cost synergies and subsequently incurred expenses primarily related to employee severance, the migration and upgrade of several key technology platforms, and the consolidation of certain real estate leases. Additionally, during 2019 we reorganized our former Healthcare business and incurred immaterial severance expense. In early 2020 we continued our technology-based modernization efforts, including standardizing our financial systems. However, due to the Pandemic, the majority of these projects have been temporarily suspended since the second quarter of 2020.

2020 Vision Restructuring

During the fourth quarter of 2015, we initiated a restructuring plan as part of a comprehensive strategy intended to have a positive transformative effect on ABM. These actions were substantially completed by the end of fiscal 2019 at a cumulative cost of $66.5 million.

Rollforward of Restructuring and Related Liabilities


(in millions)	External Support Fees		Employee Severance		Other Project Fees		Lease Exit Costs		Asset Impairment		Total












Balance, October 31, 2017	$	2.5	$	2.7	$	0.4	$	2.8	$	—	$	8.4
Costs recognized(1)	4.0		11.0		8.2		2.0		0.6		25.7
Payments	(6.5)		(9.9)		(6.7)		(1.5)		—		(24.7)
Non-cash items	—		—		—		(0.2)		(0.6)		(0.7)
Balance, October 31, 2018	$	—	$	3.8	$	1.8	$	3.1	$	—	$	8.6
Costs recognized(1)	1.5		4.6		4.5		0.7		—		11.2
Payments	(1.0)		(5.3)		(5.6)		(1.1)		—		(12.9)

Balance, October 31, 2019	$	0.5	$	3.0	$	0.7	$	2.7	$	—	$	7.0
Costs recognized(1)	1.4		0.3		3.2		2.7		—		7.6
Payments	(1.9)		(2.0)		(3.7)		(0.2)		—		(7.9)
Non-cash items	—		—		(0.2)		(5.3)		—		(5.4)
Balance, October 31, 2020	$	—	$	1.3	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	1.3

(1) We include these costs within corporate expenses.

Cumulative Restructuring and Related Charges


(in millions)	External Support Fees		Employee Severance		Other Project Fees		Lease Exit Costs		Asset Impairment		Total
GCA and Other	$	4.9	$	18.3	$	15.5	$	3.4	$	—	$	42.2
2020 Vision	30.0		13.0		10.7		7.7		5.2		66.5
Total	$	34.9	$	31.3	$	26.2	$	11.1	$	5.2	$	108.7