The world is rapidly changing and with it janitorial service and cleaning services must adopt technologies to be more effective. With some new developments, it remains to be seen if the technology will impact the industry. In other cases, using these tools are critical to maintaining healthy relationships with clients, increasing efficiency, environmental sustainability and safety.
Listed below are some technologies we at Patriot USA are currently using, and a few technologies on the horizon we are watching.
Mobile communications: Since the late 1990’s we have been on the forefront of using mobile organizers and communications systems in providing janitorial service. Our first mobile platform was the Philips Velo (it should be in a museum somewhere). We evolved over the years through palm pilot, Nextel direct connect and blackberry, to arrive at what is the cutting edge of what is now available. While these items have become ubiquitous, we at Patriot use the technology at a deeper level than most janitorial companies. Yes, we make phone calls, answer emails, send texts and photos but we also update our website, generate billing, do cloud computing and more all from mobile platforms.
Cloud Technology: The vast majority of documents we have created and sent for almost two decades are stored on the cloud and instantly available anywhere. This means we can stand on the history of our firms experience. When we need to recall a proposal or a specialized job that we completed many years ago we can look at our past proposals, even our job notes quickly and use it as a guideline for business we are doing today. We can share documents and spreadsheets for payroll, so we can easily recall who got paid, and who is due. We can part out operational tasks to multiple personnel and track service completion and quality assurance in real time.
Translators: While we strive to meet the labor needs of our clients, we often find that our best cleaners speak english as a second language. We communicate effectively, but occasionally we feel that the nuances of our communications could be lost in the translation. When critical communications need to be made, we supplement our messages using translator software and applications so we can also send the communication in native language. The benefits of this are evident in decrease of frequency of service issues due to misunderstood messages. Communication is everything.
Chemical Advances: There have been hundreds of advances in janitorial service and cleaning chemicals in the last few decades. These include wall mounted dispenser systems, dilution control systems, safety improvements, packaging improvements and huge strides in environmentally friendly ingredients. As a whole, choice of proper chemicals not only leads to a better cleaned facility, it also leads to a safer and more environmentally sustainable one.
Equipment Advances: Virtually every piece of cleaning equipment has a modern and more effective equivalent. Vacuums have better air filtration effecting air quality. Mops have antibacterial treatments to avoid bacterial growth. Even at the smallest scale, dusters have new designs allowing for better reach and statically charged to attract dust and microfiber rags are more effective at removing dirt and grime with less chemicals. Old school mop and bucket janitorial service companies who don’t understand the need for these new technologies deliver less for the bottom line. As a client, If you don’t see many of these technologies from your current service provider you could be missing getting the most for your budget.
What’s Next?
Automation: Systems being released now include the Tork Ez cube which notifies janitorial staff via an app of low soap or towel dispensers in very high traffic facilities. Automatic floor scrubber machines are being designed to no longer require an operator. We believe robot cleaners are an inevitability, though it may be far over the horizon. In the meantime, choosing the best people should always be the goal, and it will continue to be for many years to come.