Is it time for a change?

WAITING FOR action on somebody else's part is always the most difficult thing to plan into any business strategy, Do we need to look at how we do things, and do we need to find a different way to overcome the shortage of staff and the problems as an industry we are facing? With hundreds of thousands of vacancies surely we need to act now.

So, what can we do? I've talked here before about the use of technology whether that be sensor technology to identify what areas need cleaning on any particular day, whether that be robotics or whether that be using data that can be obtained to analyse how we can do things more efficiently. Let's not forget that technology also includes machinery that is not robotics. For example using the right size scrubber dryer for the area you were cleaning rather than mopping by hand.

Let's start with machinery and robotics. We are all aware that any form of machinery needs to be maintained and looked after, cleaned and fit for purpose, to ensure it fulfils its full life cycle. This in the past seems to have fallen to the cleaning operative, which in some instances is a great idea - but do all cleaning operatives want to maintain machinery? Indeed, are they capable? 

Depending on the size of your contract - or contracts - would looking for somebody with the skill set to maintain machinery only be a different way of looking at addressing the skills shortage in cleaning operatives? Having spoken to a number of machinery manufacturers there are a lot of telematics that can be obtained. For example, how often the machine has been used on a particular contract, how many hours it's been out of the cupboard on any particular day, are they at the point of needing a maintenance check? Do they need any parts change and do they need cleaning?

One of the things we hear from operatives particularly around the robotics side of things is that they leave puddles of water on the floor. Now let’s be honest every machine can fail at some point, but have these machines been maintained and cleaned in line with the manufacturer’s instructions? Is that why the machine is leaving puddles?

Also, who has been made responsible for the maintenance of the machines? Is it a cleaning operative who thinks that the robot may take their job in the long term?  Will they maintain it correctly? How have you introduced the machinery to your staff? Do your staff feel secure? I am sure many of you are addressing these issues, and playing to the strengths of your operational teams, but are we doing enough to make the cleaning operative feel secure in their role? In a time when we are fighting to fill roles shouldn’t that be high on the priority list? 

In terms of the quality of data that we can now get from washroom machinery, sensor technology, machinery telematics and more, who are we expecting to keep track and on top of this? Is it a supervisor who is also covering a cleaning operative role? Is it a manager who is running 15 contracts? Do they have the time and the skill set to do it?

Sometimes coming at it in a different way may help. Employing someone who is data orientated and can analyse/help make improvements and increase efficiency could be a major benefit to your business. Is there someone within your business that is this way orientated? It may be an operative and isn’t this a great way of internal promotion! I'm sure I am not the only person who thinks like this, and many of you out there are trying different ways to successfully complete your contracts. 

My point is that we can wait and wait for government action and committees to provide us with solutions - we all know that this takes time - so if we want to make a change for the better and overcome the problems thrown at us let’s look at how we have always done it and find another way that might just supply the answer to some of our problems, if not all. None of us like change for the sake of it but sometimes change can make a bigger difference than we realise if we let go and run with it. 

Neil Spencer-Cook is group managing director at BICSc.

For more information visit www.bics.org.uk