The proliferation of "smart" technology and its evolution into the "Internet of Things" (IoT) has impacted virtually every industry. This has included Building Service Contractors as well as internal cleaning operations. As the technology continues to move forward internal cleaning operations and BSC's will continue to find ways to utilize these technologies. Smart technology in cleaning operations is being utilized in a variety of ways. One of the most prominent impacts has been in the area of restroom maintenance.
Smart Restroom Technology
As a BSC or an internal cleaning operation a significant portion of your workload is related to maintenance of restroom facilities. Proper restroom maintenance is also probably at or near the top of your list of performance priorities. Advances in smart restroom technology are providing opportunities for cleaning operations to provide services that can be more effective and more efficient.
More Efficient Use of Cleaning Staff
Smart restroom technology can provide a cleaning operation with an opportunity to modify its approach to scheduled maintenance. Data generated from restroom traffic sensors can be collected and analyzed. From that data, traffic-based cleaning schedules can be developed. Instead of cleaning schedules that are based solely on increments of time, the cleaning operation can shift to cleaning routines that are based on recorded traffic. This can lead to more efficient use of cleaning staff and allow the cleaning operation to perform its restroom maintenance activities based on objective, real-time, data.
Inventory and Re-Supply
One of the greatest challenges of restroom maintenance is that of supply. All cleaning operations have had to respond to complaints of restroom supply outages. Smart restroom technology is changing the ways in which many BSC's and internal cleaning operations are monitoring and managing their restroom supplies. Use of smart dispensers provides real-time data that can allow constant monitoring of supplies (towels, soap, toilet paper, etc.) When the data is properly monitored, and quickly acted upon, the cleaning operation can virtually eliminate the problem of surprise outages.
Smart inventory racks and containers can provide the cleaning operation with real time information on the levels of inventory within their storerooms. Automatically generated alerts can be used to trigger the purchase of restroom supplies. This can lead to better inventory control and help prevent shortages (or overages) at the stockroom level.
Automated Collection of Data
Most smart technology devices and solutions are available as comprehensive packages that include the applicable devices, the necessary software, and a host of reporting and analytics options. It is no longer necessary to have to piece together a solution out of various disparate components. A cleaning operation now has the opportunity to employ an holistic smart technology restroom solution that is completely self-contained.
The use of smart technology in cleaning operations will continue to expand as the industry looks for ways to become more operationally effective and efficient.