THE BUILDINGS that define modern commercial skylines share a common challenge. Their façades require regular cleaning, inspection and maintenance, at height, at scale, and under increasing pressure to do it more safely and with better records. For decades, the answer has been manned access. Rope teams, cradles, BMU-mounted operatives. The infrastructure existed. The people did the work. The job got done.

That model is not broken. But it is being redefined.

A sector that cannot afford to stand still

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provisional data for 2025/26 recorded 31 fatal falls from height in Great Britain, making it the leading cause of workplace fatality for the period. For FM firms, contract cleaners and building managers, this is not a background statistic. It is a direct liability. Every operative on an active façade represents a measurable exposure. Every exposure is a risk that now needs to be documented, justified and defended.

At the same time, building owners are asking different questions. They are no longer asking only whether the work is done. They are asking how it was done, at what risk level, and what data it produced. A cleaning operation with no route log, no condition report and no operational record is becoming a harder answer to defend to a board, an insurer, or a health and safety team.

The robot does not replace the contract -  it strengthens it

Towercraft is a robotic façade cleaning and inspection system designed to work within existing building infrastructure. It is not a replacement for the FM contract or the contract cleaning operation. It is a specialist tool that works inside the existing framework.

The FM firm retains the client relationship. It opens work permits, coordinates the site and approves the method statement. Towercraft delivers the robotic façade operation: low-pressure cleaning, digital inspection, surface condition reporting and a full operational record. The FM firm presents the outcome to the building owner under its own contract.

The result is a different category of service. Not the same service at a lower risk level, but a genuinely enhanced offering: planned robotic cleaning cycles, digital inspection records, surface condition monitoring and structured maintenance data. That is a stronger contract conversation than frequency and price per visit.

What about the BMU?

BMU systems have always been the backbone of high-rise façade access. Robotics does not change that. What changes is what the BMU carries.

Towercraft is installed on existing BMU systems, monorails, spider cranes and mobile cranes. The BMU still provides access to the façade. Towercraft uses that access to deliver cleaning, inspection and operational data, without putting a person on the façade. A BMU configured for robotic operation has a broader range of application. Cleaning cycles increase. Façade condition is monitored more regularly. Building management receives structured data after every operation, not just a cleaned surface.

That outcome extends the importance of BMU infrastructure. It does not reduce it.

The direction of travel Is already clear

In December 2024, Alimak Group and Skyline Robotics announced a five-year partnership to develop an integrated robotic BMU for automated façade care. The largest players in vertical access are not treating robotics as a threat to their systems. They are building it in.

FM firms and contract cleaners that engage with this shift early will define the next generation of façade maintenance standards. Those that resist will find themselves responding to a standard set by others.

Robotic façade care is not a future possibility. It is an operational reality. The question is not whether it will become part of the cleaning and FM landscape. The question is which firms will be part of shaping it.

Towercraft is the robotic partner that makes that possible. The FM firm manages the operation. The robot works on the façade. The building owner receives a safer, more recorded and more accountable service. That is the standard the next generation of façade contracts will be built around.

Aykut Bilici is co-founder & CTO at Towercraft UK

For more information, visit: www.towercraft.io

Tel: 07493 561408

The full-day conference will bring together cleaning professionals, suppliers, industry leaders and other stakeholders for a programme focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the sector.

Delegates will have access to a series of CPD seminars, networking opportunities and a table-top exhibition showcasing the latest products and services from across the cleaning industry.

The event is supported by several leading industry organisations, including the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), British Pest Control Association (BPCA), Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) and Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA). It will also be co-located with the BICSc conference.

The conference programme will open with networking at 8.30am, before a series of sessions examining everything from industry representation and data to training, technology, sustainability and recruitment.

Making the case for membership and data

At 9.15am, Nick Thompson, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), will open the seminar programme with ‘Active Membership Matters’.

Thompson will explore the role of trade associations at a time when businesses are facing rising operational costs and pressure on margins. His presentation will examine how collective industry action can help shape standards, tackle rogue trading, support members and encourage the next generation of talent.

Paul Ashton, Chairman of the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA), will then examine the growing importance of data in ‘From Gut Feel to Growth Engine – Why Data Matters to the Future of Cleaning’.

The session will consider how better use of data can help businesses demonstrate value to clients, protect margins, improve workforce performance, meet ESG and compliance requirements and strengthen procurement decisions.

Training and technology take centre stage

Training will be another major theme, with Neil Spencer-Cook, Group Managing Director of BICSc, asking why professional development could become the industry's greatest competitive advantage.

His presentation, ‘The Future of Cleaning: Why Training Will Be the Industry’s Greatest Competitive Advantage’, will explore the impact of robotics, artificial intelligence, smart technologies, sustainability requirements and changing workforce expectations.

Drawing on BICSc’s Future of Cleaning Initiative, Spencer-Cook will argue that technology alone will not determine the success of the sector’s transformation, with engagement, leadership, change management and workforce training all playing a crucial role.

Technology will return to the agenda at 11.20am, when Lorraine Larman, Managing Director at Safety Solutions, presents ‘The Face of the Industry to Come: Robotics, Automation Software and AI’.

Larman will examine how emerging technologies could change the way cleaning services are delivered, while emphasising the continuing importance of people and the skills and professionalism of cleaning operatives.

The morning programme will also address the changing pest management landscape. John Horsley, Training and Professional Development Officer at BPCA, will discuss the impact of climate change, global trade, urbanisation, new pest species, technology and regulation on the sector.

Raising the profile of cleaning as a career

The conference will also tackle the long-standing issue of perceptions around cleaning as a profession.

At 12.20pm, Kevin Meighan, Master of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, will present ‘Cleaning Up Perceptions: The Case for a Career in the Industry’.

Meighan will outline potential career pathways within the sector, from entry-level roles through to leadership and professional recognition. He will also discuss collaboration between WCEC, BICSc and other industry bodies, the route to Chartership and the WCEC’s Breaking Barriers Bursary, which supports young people from cleaning families into higher education.

Sustainability, automation and the future workplace

Following lunch, the afternoon programme will turn to cleaning products, sustainability and automation.

James Law, Director of 2Pure Products, will ask ‘Why Does It Take 15 Products to Clean One Building?’, challenging conventional approaches to product procurement, odour masking and sustainability.

His session will explore whether businesses should move away from product proliferation and instead focus on measurable hygiene, safer chemistry, total cost-in-use and genuine environmental performance.

Daniel Cross, European Marketing Manager for Robotics at Tennant Company, will then look at the relationship between technology and the cleaning workforce in ‘The Workplace We Haven’t Built Yet’.

Cross will argue that cleaning robots should not simply be viewed as a threat to employment. Instead, he will highlight the need for knowledge transfer and workforce development to ensure that the experience of established professionals is not lost as the industry changes.

Sustainability and cost efficiency will also feature in a presentation from Chris Warren, Managing Partner for Marketing & Product Management at Fenton Packaging Solutions.

His session, ‘Bag-in-Box: The Smart Choice for Sustainability, Savings and Performance’, will examine how alternative packaging formats could help cleaning businesses respond to rising disposal costs and changing environmental requirements, including Extended Producer Responsibility and Plastic Packaging Tax.

Panel to examine how cleaning can future-proof itself

The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on ‘Future-Proof Cleaning’, chaired by Neil Spencer-Cook.

Joining him will be Lorraine Larman, Paul Ashton and Daniel Cross, with the panel examining how the sector can respond proactively to rapid technological, regulatory and environmental change.

Topics will include robotics, AI, digital technologies, evolving client expectations and the development of the next generation of cleaning professionals.

The discussion will also consider how businesses can move from a reactive approach to one that anticipates change, combining investment in technology with investment in people to create a more resilient and adaptable industry.

The conference is scheduled to close at 4pm.

With CPD opportunities, industry networking, access to new products and services and a programme addressing some of the biggest issues facing cleaning today, organisers are encouraging professionals across the sector to attend.

Registration is free and is now open.

To register for this must-attend event visit https://coventry.cleaningconference.com/register

For more information, visit https://cleaningconference.com/

Free to enter, the prestigious awards once again celebrate excellence in every aspect of the sector, from groundbreaking technology and sustainable solutions to exceptional customer service, leadership, and frontline dedication. 

The awards provide an opportunity for organisations and professionals of all sizes to showcase their achievements and gain industry-wide recognition across a diverse range of categories.

Award categories for 2026 include:

• Best Use of Data and Analytics in Cleaning
• Cleaning & Hygiene Team of the Year
• Cleaning Operative of the Year
• Client Collaboration Award
• Contract Cleaning Award
• Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award
• Excellence in Training and Development
• Facility Management Partnership of the Year
• Going Above and Beyond Expectations
• Innovation in Cleaning Product Design Award
• Innovative Product of the Year
• Manufacturer of the Year
• Outstanding Customer Service
• Rising Impact Leader Award
• Rising Star in the Cleaning Industry
• Supervisor of the Year
• Sustainable Company of the Year
• Technology and Digital Innovation Award
• Unsung Hero Award.

Entry to the Cleaning Excellence Awards is completely free, with submissions open until 9 October 2026 at 23:55 (GMT). Organisations and individuals are encouraged to submit their entries and showcase the initiatives, innovations and achievements that are shaping the future of the industry.

The Awards Ceremony

The winners will be announced at a spectacular gala awards ceremony at the Coventry Building Society Arena on 3 December 2026. The evening will feature a drinks reception, a three-course dinner, live entertainment including magic and comedy, the awards presentation, and an after-party complete with a photobooth, live band, dance floor and fun money casino tables.

Returning as headline sponsor is Kärcher, while the awards continue to receive the backing of leading industry organisations including the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA), Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC), Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), and ISSA.

Hosting this year's ceremony will be acclaimed comedian, author and actor Laura Lexx. A familiar face from Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week and Roast Battle, Laura is renowned for her energetic and engaging performances, tackling topics such as technology, the environment and modern life with warmth and humour. She is also the award-winning creator of multiple Edinburgh Fringe shows and the author of Klopp Actually and the novel Pivot.

With entries now open, the Cleaning Excellence Awards 2026 once again offer the industry the chance to celebrate the people, products and organisations making a lasting impact across the cleaning and hygiene sector.

Submit your free entry before 9 October 2026 at 23:55 (GMT) and find out more about the awards by visiting: https://cleaningexcellenceawards.com/2026/en/page/categories

For further information about the awards and the gala event, visit: https://cleaningexcellenceawards.com/2026/en/page/home

#CEAwards

With the tournament now well underway and running until 19 July, many operators are already seeing the impact of major matchdays on front-of-house teams. But according to Lee Carlin, Group CEO of LDF Group, the pressure is limited to staffing, screens, and service.

“When venues are busy during major tournaments like the World Cup, the visible parts of the guest experience naturally take priority,” Carlin says. “That means atmosphere, service, screens, staffing levels and keeping customers moving. But behind the scenes, the infrastructure is working harder too.”

“Higher footfall and longer dwell times mean plumbing and drainage systems are under greater strain for longer periods of time. If something goes wrong, it can very quickly become a guest-facing issue.”

Infrastructure pressure is already building behind the scenes

For pubs, bars and restaurants, major sporting events create concentrated spikes in demand. Data from hospitality technology provider Zonal shows pub bookings for England’s first World Cup game were up +184% compared to the same data in 2025, while match bookings across all hospitality were up significantly, increasing +64% year-on-year.

Washrooms see heavier use, kitchens operate under greater pressure, and drainage systems are expected to cope with higher volumes of waste and wastewater across extended trading periods. While these systems are often invisible to customers, any failure can have an immediate impact on the guest experience. Blocked toilets, backed-up drains, leaks or grease-related issues can quickly disrupt service, create hygiene concerns and put additional pressure on staff during already busy fixtures.

Carlin explains, “in hospitality, the basics matter. Customers may not think about drainage or plumbing when they walk into a venue, but they notice very quickly when something is not working as it should. During a major fixture, when venues are busy and teams already stretched, even a small issue can escalate quickly.”

LDF Group is warning hospitality operators to review drainage and plumbing resilience as World Cup footfall puts venues under pressure 

Why waiting until something fails is a risk

LDF Group says one of the biggest challenges is that plumbing and drainage are still often treated reactively, with action only taken once a problem has already started to affect operations.

During a tournament period, that approach can leave operators exposed. With venues trading through busy matchdays and, in some cases, later into the evening, the margin for error becomes much smaller.

“Preventing a disruption will always be more valuable than reacting to one in the middle of service,” Carlin adds. “Once a venue is full, the impact of an infrastructure issue is immediate. If a washroom goes out of use or a drainage problem affects back-of-house operations, it cannot be confined solely as a maintenance problem. It needs to be seen as a major operational issue. The venues that manage these periods best are usually the ones that identify pressure points early and make sure critical infrastructure systems are ready to perform while demand is high.”

With later licensing in place for home-nation knockout fixtures, LDF Group says emergency response plans and planned maintenance schedules must be reviewed now

Operators should act before peak fixtures intensify pressure

According to LDF Group, hospitality operators should use this stage of the tournament to review infrastructure readiness before peak fixtures place further pressure on venues. Alongside staffing rotas, stock levels, booking systems and screen set-ups, operators should be reviewing planning maintenance schedules, emergency response arrangements and out-of-hours-contact routes.

Issues such as blocked toilets, backed-up drains and fats, oils and grease build-up are often preventable if they are identified early enough. Routine checks during the tournament can help reduce the likelihood of disruption during the busiest trading moments.

“The World Cup is a major opportunity for hospitality, but it also tests how well venues cope under pressure,” Carlin says. “Readiness is not just about what customers see front of house, it also includes the systems they never think about unless something goes wrong. Plumbing and drainage may sit behind the scenes, but during high-footfall events they have a direct impact on service, reputation and operational continuity.”

Pub bookings for England’s opening World Cup fixture were up +184%, highlighting the scale of demand

LDF Group’s top three tips for operators during peak matchdays

1. Increase planned maintenance during the tournament

Major tournaments place extra pressure on washrooms, plumbing and drainage systems, so operators should consider increasing the cadence of planned preventative maintenance while demand remains high. Where possible, checks should be carried out when venues are closed to minimise disruption and identify issues before they become guest-facing problems.

2. Review service level agreements with infrastructure providers

Peak trading periods are the time to make sure SLAs are fit for purpose. Operators should be confident that, in the event of an emergency, response times are fast enough to protect service and keep venues trading.

3. Make sure out-of-hours contact routes are clear

When an issue happens during late trading, speed matters. Site teams should have direct, up-to-date contact details for infrastructure partners and know exactly who to call for rapid out-of-hours support.

What's particularly interesting is that the authors approach the subject from very different perspectives, yet they arrive at remarkably similar conclusions.

Robert Scott looks at AI through the lens of robotics, showcasing how autonomous machines have matured from experimental novelties into practical tools capable of delivering consistent, large-scale floor cleaning. Despite increasingly sophisticated navigation, sensors and machine learning, the future is collaborative rather than autonomous. Robots excel at repetitive, predictable tasks, freeing skilled operatives to focus on detailed cleaning, customer interaction and problem-solving. It's an important reminder that technology should augment people, not replace them.

Powered Now examines AI from a completely different angle. Rather than looking at what happens on the cleaning floor, Benjamin Dyer focuses on the hours before and after every job. His argument is that the biggest productivity gains for many SMEs won't come from robots at all, but from eliminating administrative friction. Scheduling, invoicing, quoting and customer communications may lack the glamour of autonomous machines, but they often consume more time than business owners realise. If AI can quietly recover several hours each week, the financial impact can be immediate.

Peter Smyth of Bidvest Noonan broadens the topic further by placing cleaning within the context of the smart building. Here, AI becomes the invisible thread connecting occupancy sensors, IoT devices, workforce management systems and autonomous equipment. His vision isn't one of fixed schedules but responsive operations, where cleaning happens where and when it's genuinely needed. However, perhaps the most valuable point is that technology itself is rarely the obstacle. Integration, planning and training remain the decisive factors that separate successful deployments from expensive disappointments.

Then Ceris Burns provides a useful counterbalance. At a time when robots inevitably attract attention on exhibition stands and in marketing campaigns, she asks whether the industry is overlooking a simpler opportunity. Her argument isn't against operational technology; rather, it's that many organisations are rushing towards expensive AI investments before mastering the inexpensive generative AI tools already sitting on their desktops. This obviously highlights a key question: are businesses buying technology because they've identified a genuine business case, or because they don't want to be left behind?

It's clear that the cleaning and hygiene sector is embracing the next phase of digital maturity. It's becoming less about individual technologies and more about strategy. Used wisely, robots, smart buildings, job management software and generative AI are not competing solutions; they're different tools designed to solve different problems.

Nevertheless, the common thread is still people.

Whether it's collaborative robots, admin automation, digitally connected buildings or AI literacy, success depends far less on the technology than on the people using it. Training, change management, leadership and clear processes appear repeatedly as the real enablers of return on investment.

Perhaps that's the most encouraging message of all. Technology is elevating cleaning from a labour-intensive support function into an increasingly data-driven, technology-enabled profession requiring new skills, new career pathways and greater operational intelligence.

AI will undoubtedly continue to reshape the sector over the coming years. But if this issue demonstrates anything, it's that the future won't belong to businesses with the biggest robots or the most software licences. It will belong to those who understand where technology genuinely creates value, invest in their people as much as their platforms, and recognise that innovation isn't measured by how futuristic it looks, but by how effectively it solves real-world problems.

Johnsons Hotel Linen, which supplies more than 200,000 hotel rooms across England, Scotland and Wales, has trained 80 of its staff in bespoke first aid courses over the last two years.

The company has tapped into scenario training that includes dislocated limbs, open fracture and head injuries to test knowledge and skills in a real-world environment at four of its locations in Birmingham, Chester, Leeds and Pwllheli.

“First aid training has been part of our business for 20 years, but Johnsons Hotel Linen is the first company to benefit from our specialist course in the hotel and leisure sector, explained Kath Lang, Operations Director at Black Country-based PLT Training. 

“Teaching the theory is important. However, to get the full understanding and experience, we like to test people in real life scenarios and that’s what we’ve done here - listening to what the client may face and coming up with bespoke training that better prepares them.”

She continued: “We’ve covered injuries they may expect to see from the equipment they use on a day-to-day basis, including dislocations from the drums of large washers and burns from steam and dryers.

“Casualty simulation kits are used so that the injuries on the volunteer actors look realistic,and feedback has been superb from both candidates and our client.”

Johnsons Hotel Linen turned to PLT Training in 2024 after looking to explore more specialised providers, who boast a strong track record in ‘scenario’ first aid.

The laundry and linen specialist was impressed with the speed of response and the quality of ‘trainers’, not to mention the flexibility of being able to have courses delivered on its sitesanywhere in the country.

Rebecca Pughe, Head of HR at Johnsons Hotel Linen, adder her support: “It has been a fantastic first two years and there is no doubt that 80 of our employees are now highly trained and better prepared to deal with first aid scenarios that might occur.

“PLT trainers and support staff are extremely knowledgeable and flexible so that our exact requirements are met. The detail they put into the bespoke courses is second to none and the feedback we have been given is that our staff feel more confident in dealing with potential injuries, as well as being Qualsafe accredited once the training has been completed.

“The relationship is working really well, and we are looking forward to extending it by reviewing other training courses we can utilise.”

PLT Training has come a long way since founder Nicc Bennett used to spend weeks travelling the country, providing health and safety sessions for free to convince people and companies that keeping your staff safe was important.

Fast forward nearly twenty years and the Black Country business is one of the leaders in its field, delivering more than 150 different courses at its centre at Oldbury or onsite at over 1500 client locations across the UK.

It celebrated its recent 20th year in business by moving into a new £1.25m ‘centre of excellence’ in Oldbury. 

This includes a comprehensive administrative function, whilst downstairs features classrooms and six purpose-built zones for forklifts, advanced working at height, manual handling, first aid and a unique confined spaces course that includes working through a series of tunnels and fitting breathing apparatus.

For further information, please visit www.plttraining.co.uk or follow the company across it social channels.

Tel: 01902 862 777

For cleaning professionals in particular, this lost time represents a significant financial impact. Based on an average day rate of £150 for professional cleaning services in the UK, this time equates to a potential loss of up to £7,000 annually – impacting profitability and viability in the longer-term. 

The survey results highlight how traditional admin, such as paperwork, finding receipts and managing physical diaries, continues to place pressures on cleaning businesses, with professionals spending the equivalent of almost a full working day each week on non-billable tasks. 

Alongside administrative pressures, cleaning professionals are also operating in an increasingly demanding environment with rising labour and supply costs and tightening margins. The survey’s findings point to a clear win – swapping out manual processes for digital tools can remove a big chunk of admin off people’s plates. 

Founder and CEO of Powered Now, Benjamin Dyer, commented: “Cleaning professionals are working harder than ever in an increasingly competitive, cost-sensitive environment, and our research shows that traditional, manual admin is eating into both productivity and profitability. 

“Today, adopting digital tools has become key for cleaning businesses looking to protect margins and remain competitive. From AI-backed tools and platforms to automate routine admin, like invoicing and scheduling, to using a centralised system to manage all jobs. 

“There’s a huge opportunity here for cleaning businesses to claw back this lost time with job management software. Our features, such as drag-and-drop scheduling and multi-site capabilities, help cleaners to take the headache out of job scheduling, so teams can spend more time getting on with work that pays the bills.”  

Following the survey results, Powered Now has launched a competition to help cleaning professionals embrace digital tools that reduce admin and improve efficiency, with 3 iPads and a year’s free subscription up for grabs – to enter, visit: https://powerednow.com/win/

Cleaning professionals can find out more about Powered Now, and begin a 14-day free trial by visiting: https://powerednow.com/

THE WORK itself - the hours, the attention, the trust customers place in someone coming into their home or workplace – simply can't be automated. The way cleaning businesses are run is a different matter entirely. Many cleaning businesses will have noticed that administration is changing. Quoting, scheduling, invoicing, chasing payments, coordinating staff - the work that happens before and after every clean. This is where cleaning businesses are quietly losing hours every week, and where technology is starting to make a real difference. 

In fact, our recent survey showed that admin could drain up to £7,000 a year from cleaning professionals, who are spending an average of 7 hours per week on admin alone. It’s not only time that’s being impacted, it’s hard earned money.

The opportunity isn't glamorous. It's getting quotes out faster. It's making sure invoices don't sit unsent for three days after a job. It's knowing where your team is without ringing round. Small things, done consistently, that add up to real money and remove repetitive admin that eats into your time. 

In the cleaning industry, where margins are getting tighter and workloads are unpredictable, technology is helping cleaning companies work smarter, respond faster and future-proof their operations for the years ahead. 

The admin that eats into your evenings

Ask most cleaning business owners where they lose time and they won't say on-site. They'll say the hours after they get home. Quotes that need writing up. Invoices that didn't go out. A customer who rang twice and hasn't had a callback. The actual cleaning is rarely the problem - it's everything either side of the job itself.

Most cleaning businesses start with a notebook, a spreadsheet, and a lot of text messages or WhatsApp. That works fine at first. It stops working when you've got four staff, twelve regular clients, and a last-minute cancellation on a Wednesday morning.

As businesses grow, the cracks tend to appear in the same places: a booking that was never confirmed, an invoice that went out a week late, a customer note that existed only in someone's head. None of it is catastrophic on its own. Together, it quietly costs money and damages the reputation that cleaning businesses depend on.

And for the business owner, admin begins to pile up, spilling into evenings and weekends and it gets harder to try to stay on top of paperwork after completing a full day’s work.

Why digital tools are becoming essential

Digital tools, such as job management systems, are helping cleaning businesses regain control of their time and admin by simply bringing multiple tasks together into one platform. 

Instead of relying on separate tools for quoting, scheduling, invoicing and customer records, job management software pulls the scattered bits of a cleaning business - quotes, bookings, staff schedules, invoices, customer records - into one place. The practical effect is that things stop falling through the gaps. A quote goes out the same day. An invoice follows the job, not three days later. 

In practice: a quote is created, converted into a booked job, assigned to a team member, and invoiced afterwards - all within the same system. No re-entering information, no separate spreadsheet to update, no invoice that gets forgotten because it lived in a different tab.

For teams out on site, it also means not needing to ring the office for a customer's entry code or to confirm what time the next job starts. Job details, customer notes and schedules are accessible from a phone, with or without signal.

For growing cleaning businesses, this level of visibility can make a significant difference to day-to-day operations. 

The jobs that should never need doing manually

Recurring cleans are the backbone of most cleaning businesses, and they're also the most obvious candidate for automation. Once a schedule is set, it runs. Reminders go to the customer, the job appears on the cleaner's schedule, and the invoice goes out afterwards - without anyone having to action it manually each time.

For businesses managing teams across multiple sites, scheduling and visibility helps allocate jobs based on who's available and where - which matters more than people realise when a cleaner who’s scheduled for multiple jobs, calls in sick at 7am.

The point isn't to remove the human element. It's to make sure the human element goes on the parts of the business that actually need it.

Where AI is starting to play a role

The more recent development is AI features built directly into job management tools - things like automated responses to new enquiries, smart scheduling suggestions, or a virtual receptionist that can take a job request at 10pm when the business owner is off the clock.

For smaller cleaning businesses without office staff, that last one is more valuable than it sounds. A missed enquiry in a competitive market is often a lost job.

Why customers leave - and how to stop it

In a sector where reputation travels by word of mouth, the basics matter more than most people admit. A missed appointment is a difficult conversation. An invoice that never arrives is a relationship that quietly sours. Small communication failures compound.

What may once have been manageable through text messages and handwritten diaries becomes difficult to sustain when managing larger teams and increasing workloads.

Job management software closes a lot of those gaps automatically - confirmation messages, appointment reminders, digital invoices that look professional and go out on time. Nothing revolutionary. Just consistent, which in this industry counts for a lot.

For cleaning teams, a job management system offers better visibility, simple communication and ultimately, less stress. Office staff and cleaners can view live schedules, customer notes and job details instantly, no matter where they are.

How to get started 

The businesses that adapt fastest tend not to overhaul everything at once. They fix one thing - usually invoicing, because that's where money is most obviously being lost - and go from there. A ‘little and often’ approach to admin is an ideal first step, and cleaning businesses can begin by: 

1. Moving away from paper systems

Simply moving away from paper job sheets and handwritten invoices is a reliable first step. Having everything in one system means customer history, outstanding payments and upcoming jobs are visible without searching through notebooks or texts. Recurring schedules and invoice reminders tends to follow once the core is in place.

2. Automating admin heavy tasks

Once the core is in place, automating the scheduling of recurring cleans and invoice reminders can free up hours each week while improving consistency and reducing missed tasks.

3. Improving visibility across teams

For businesses managing a team, the bigger shift is visibility. Knowing what everyone's doing without ringing round is underrated until you've had it.

4. Using software tailored to cleaning businesses 

Generic office software rarely reflects how cleaning companies actually operate day to day. Using a tool designed specifically for trade and service businesses – like Powered Now - can handle the full job cycle from quote to payment in one place.

The bottom line

The cleaning industry isn't going to be automated out of existence. The work is physical, the relationships are personal, and customers care about who they let into their homes and offices. That isn't changing.

What is changing is the expectation of how a cleaning business operates. Customers expect quotes quickly. They expect invoices on time. They expect someone to respond when they get in touch. These aren't high bars - but they're harder to clear consistently when everything is being managed manually.

The businesses that are pulling ahead aren't necessarily the biggest or the longest established. They're the ones who've stopped letting admin eat the week and started spending that time on the work that grows a business, by making the switch to digital tools and AI-supported systems. 

Powered Now provides an all-in-one platform designed for service businesses, helping cleaning companies manage quoting, scheduling, invoicing and team coordination from one place.

Benjamin Dyer is founder and CEO of Powered Now

For more information, visit https://powerednow.com/

Specialising in glass, aluminium, composite and coated metal façades, Towercraft combines remotely operated robotic systems with low-pressure cleaning methods and digital inspection visibility to help facilities managers reduce operational disruption while improving consistency and long-term façade protection.

The company’s approach reflects a wider industry shift towards robotics, automation and data-driven maintenance strategies across the cleaning and FM sectors. 

Unlike traditional high-pressure cleaning methods, which can contribute to long-term wear on sensitive surfaces, Towercraft focuses on controlled low-pressure maintenance techniques designed to protect coatings, seals and façade materials. The operational process combines dry-cleaning and wet-cleaning stages, helping remove contamination while reducing water usage and surface stress.

Alongside cleaning operations, the robotic systems also provide inspection visibility across difficult-to-access areas. This enables facilities management teams to identify contamination build-up, coating deterioration and potential maintenance risks earlier, supporting a more preventative approach to façade management.

As part of its UK growth strategy, Towercraft has recently invested in expanding its operational infrastructure, demonstration capabilities and business development activities across the commercial property and facilities management sectors. The company has also been developing new partnerships within the FM, access solutions and façade maintenance industries to support long-term operational growth.

Recent demonstration projects carried out on commercial façades in the UK have helped validate the operational potential of robotic maintenance systems on modern building surfaces. The company reports growing interest from office developments, logistics facilities and mixed-use projects looking for alternatives to traditional façade cleaning methods.

Towercraft believes the sector is entering a period where robotics and digital reporting will become increasingly important, not only from an efficiency perspective, but also in terms of safety, compliance, ESG objectives and long-term asset protection. Industry discussions around automation, connected technologies and measurable cleaning performance continue to accelerate across the professional cleaning sector. 

Looking ahead, the company plans to continue investing in robotic technologies, operational scalability and inspection-based maintenance solutions as it strengthens its position within the UK facilities management and commercial cleaning market.

For further information, visit www.towercraft.io/

For those responsible for workplace health or facilities, it's not typically a problem that feels feasible (or within their powers) to fix - however that may not be entirely true.

Keeping pollen out

The most obvious thing an air conditioning system does during pollen season is justify keeping the windows shut. That sounds trivial, until you consider that pollen counts peak in the early morning and late afternoon - the exact windows when staff are arriving, leaving, and when meeting rooms fill up with people who've just come in from outside.

A sealed, air-conditioned office gradually clears the air as it recirculates through the unit's filters. Over a full working day, that difference is noticeable for anyone with moderate to severe symptoms. Staff who'd otherwise be reaching for antihistamines every few hours, or working from home to avoid the potential spike in symptoms, may function better.

It's also worth identifying this within an employer’s legal obligations. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to maintain a working environment that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health. Hayfever rarely features in risk assessments, but for employees whose symptoms are severe enough to affect their capacity to work safely - operating machinery, driving, working at height - airborne allergen exposure is a legitimate consideration, not just a comfort issue.

Humidity and the mould problem

Many commercial AC units can run in dehumidifier mode, and this is where things get relevant beyond the summer months. Mould spores are a year-round allergen, and UK office buildings - particularly older stock, basements, or poorly ventilated areas - can sustain the damp conditions mould needs to spread. Facilities teams often address visible mould reactively, but maintaining indoor humidity between 40 and 60 per cent reduces the underlying conditions before growth becomes visible.

Staff with asthma tend to be more affected by mould spores than pollen, so a system that runs dehumidification through autumn and winter is doing something useful long after hayfever season ends. If your site has recurring respiratory complaints that don't follow the seasonal pattern, humidity levels are worth checking before assuming the cause is something else.

When the system makes things worse

A poorly maintained AC unit can actively worsen air quality. Filters that haven't been cleaned accumulate pollen, dust, mould spores and particles brought in on clothing - then push them back out across the office when the unit runs. If people in a particular area consistently feel worse when the air conditioning is on, a clogged filter is almost always where the investigation should start.

Placement is an important factor as well, particularly in open-plan environments. Units positioned close to entry doors or windows pull in more external air around seals and gaps, which limits how much filtering work they can realistically do. Where there's flexibility, intake positioning away from high-traffic entry points makes a practical difference.

This presents a strong case for regular, scheduled maintenance, rather than waiting for complaints. Most manufacturers recommend filter cleaning every four to six weeks during heavy-use periods, with a full service before each season. HVAC maintenance logs are worth including in routine health and safety audit checks - if a respiratory complaint later raises questions, documented maintenance history matters.

What to look for

If hayfever is a recurring issue for a noticeable number of staff, a brief audit of existing HVAC provision is a reasonable starting point. Key questions to ask are whether filters are being cleaned on schedule, whether units appropriately sized for the spaces they serve, and whether there are areas of the building where staff consistently report worse symptoms, which might point to coverage gaps or ventilation problems.

Tthree-function models - cooling, dehumidification, and fan-only - give the most flexibility across the year. Quieter units are worth prioritising for meeting rooms and focus areas where noise becomes a genuine productivity issue.

The broader point

Air conditioning in UK workplaces gets evaluated almost entirely on thermal comfort. Pollen season is a useful prompt to look at what the existing infrastructure is - or isn't - doing for air quality more broadly. A system that's well-specified, well-placed, and actually maintained is doing more occupational health work than most people credit it for.