Strategic networking - more than a conversation over a coffee

Networking is a business essential, but simply exchanging business cards is no longer enough. Nick Thompson explores how strategic networking can combine relationship-building, market insight and memorable experiences to deliver real commercial value.

Time to shape the future

BOTH THE Cleaning Excellence Awards and Cleaning Excellence Conference come at a particularly significant time for the cleaning and hygiene industry. Few sectors are experiencing such a combination of economic pressure, changing regulation, skills shortages, evolving client expectations and rapid technological development. At the same time, the industry is being asked to demonstrate greater professionalism, sustainability and measurable value.

The importance of cleaning audit software in healthcare environments

IN HEALTHCARE settings, cleanliness is critical to patient safety, regulatory compliance, and overall operational efficiency.

Who will clean Britain in 2035?

If you were asked to name the biggest challenge facing the cleaning industry, what would your answer be? Rising costs? Labour shortages? Technology? Sustainability? All are significant. However, Neil Spencer-Cook believes there is an even bigger question that we should be asking ourselves: Who will clean Britain in 2035?

The future is collaborative

READ THROUGH this issue of Cleaning Matters and one theme emerges with striking consistency: artificial intelligence is no longer something the cleaning industry is preparing for. It has arrived. The debate has moved on from whether technology will transform the sector to how businesses can make it work in practice.

Meet the CHSA secretary

Lorraine Francis joined the CHSA in March 2020 as Secretary of the Association. The first point of contact for members and prospective members, Lorraine is also at the heart of the CHSA’s back office. Cleaning Matters asked what keeps her busy, at work and play.

Navigating change, driving standards

As expectations around hygiene, sustainability and service transparency continue to rise, the cleaning industry is undergoing rapid transformation. Neil Spencer-Cook explores the key challenges facing the sector.

Why sustainability needs a new kind of professional

WE HAVE economists. Scientists. Physicists. Artists. Each of these “-ists” represents more than a job title. They signal a way of thinking, a discipline, and a commitment to applying knowledge responsibly in the real world. Sustainability, believes Stephen P. Ashkin, deserves the same level of clarity and credibility.

Can AI really power cleaning businesses?

There's a lot of noise right now about AI replacing jobs. For cleaning businesses, asserts Benjamin Dyer, that conversation largely misses the point...

Transforming professional standards for BICSc members

As an industry, asks Neil Spencer-Cook, have we ever considered how the integration of digital credentialing in the cleaning sector could revolutionise not only professional standards but also the way we perceive trust and transparency in industries traditionally reliant on manual verification?