Demand-Led Cleaning for Flexible Workspaces
01 Mar 2023
With the onset of the pandemic,
closely followed by extended lockdowns all over the world, most
industries were forced in to radically rethinking the way in which they
did business. The cleaning service industry was no different. Many of
its clients suspended services, quite understandably, emerging from
lockdown in a very different form than when they went in. Everyone has
clients that have been negatively impacted by the lockdown. Equally,
every company is having to navigate that working from home will continue
in some capacity. In this context operating costs have become more
important than ever.
The cleaning industry has
traditionally set a number of hours to be delivered every day,
regardless of the time of year, building occupancy or any other business
reasons.
The pandemic exposed the limitations of thinking – and acting – in such a
rigid way.
### REAL INNOVATION STARTS AS AN IDEA
Demand-led cleaning introduces data-driven decision-making into the
cleaning industry, allowing it to model and respond to the daily ebbs
& flows of each office building.
This is how it works…
- Demand-led Cleaning starts with a minimum deployment agreement - usually based on a building occupancy rate of 10%. Unless the building is closed these tasks will have to be performed no matter what, and at this occupancy rate certain areas have to be serviced.
- At the other end of the scale, a maximum deployment level can be agreed with the client, based on occupancy greater than 80%. This gives guardrails for effective planning by generating minimum and maximum costs – giving greater clarity to both sides of the agreement.
What
differentiates Demand-Led Cleaning from traditional approaches is data.
On a basic level, it can be established at what footfall levels
increased deployments will be triggered. For example, when a building
reaches occupancy levels of 10%, 40%, 80%.
Scheduling
software can enable automatic “pinging” of shifts and cleaning
specifications to staff who will then join the shift pattern, fully
aware of their tasks.
This ensures buildings
are clean and fit for purpose for the next day’s work.
Data can help to identify trends and plan accordingly. For example, if
buildings are usually quieter on Fridays, why incur the same cleaning
costs as you do on a Tuesday, which is generally a building’s busiest
day?
The simple answer is, you shouldn’t.
Equally,
buildings are quieter over Christmas, Easter, the Summer and half
terms. Why don’t cleaning schedules reflect this? With Demand-Led
Cleaning, you can plan accordingly.
Demand-Led Cleaning is both data-driven and tech-enabled. Use of
“Internet-of-things” technology can lower costs even further. Washroom
sensors, for example, can automatically alert colleagues to clean the
washroom after an agreed usage number has been reached. Sensors can also
be integrated in the soap and toilet roll dispensers, alerting
operatives when supplies are running low. Demand-Led cleaning means that
cleaning resources and costs are applied where – and when – they are
needed most. Costs and inconvenience for the clients are brought down.
The Demand-Led Cleaning approach can also be used for meeting rooms.
Why
clean a meeting room if it hasn’t been used?
The pandemic has been an unprecedented time for the industry. Coming out
of the crisis, it is smart to think differently, combining data and
technology, to provide the service and flexibility that the repopulated
office workplaces require. Demand-Led Cleaning can be the response to
the workplace of the future.
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