A well-mapped cleaning services schedule helps eliminate missed assignments, improves communication and employee productivity, and cuts down on management time and overhead.
Creating a Better Cleaning Services Schedule for a More Productive Office
Routine maintenance scheduling for business services is akin to project management in several ways.
Scheduling allows companies to monitor task completion while reducing or eliminating issues associated with miscommunication or coordination, resulting in the waste of valuable resources, specifically time.
According to Mind Tools;
Time is the one resource that we can't buy, but we often waste it or use it ineffectively.
Scheduling helps you think about what you want to achieve in a day, week or month, and it keeps you on track to accomplish your goals.
Benefits of Service Scheduling
There are numerous business benefits to establishing a productive cleaning services schedule.
Among the best reasons are;
- Productivity.
- Accountability, and;
- Profitability.
Productivity
A well-mapped schedule allows managers and workers to focus on priority business tasks first while detailing progress on long-term or ongoing project status.
Additionally, an effective schedule will improve long-term cooperation between management and custodial vendors by presenting clear evidence of service delivery, efficiency, and cost.
Benefits:
- Eliminates missed or redundant communications.
- Reduces management interruptions.
- Free's up the time to focus on mission-critical tasks.
Accountability
One of the most valuable qualities of scheduling is ensuring that everyone knows their assigned duties, as well as task completion expectations.
Custodial vendors tend to move at a rapid pace, under a truncated time-frame, especially with organizations migrating toward more efficient daytime cleaning schedules, underscoring the need for clear and timely communication.
Additionally, a clearly defined schedule improves vendor-customer relations by establishing trust through proven reliability.
Benefits:
- Proof of job fulfillment.
- Simplifies project or task assignments, as well as potential delay calculations.
- Eliminates assignment overlap.
- Facilitates detailed reporting.
- Improves manager worker communications.
Profitability
The core benefits and requirements of service scheduling are simplicity and efficiency.
Given the ultimate goal of a productivity-focused schedule is increased profit margins, it is vital that all communications be clear and concise.
This will ensure the vendor is aware of necessary resource allocation, such as required certifications or experience with specialized equipment.
Benefits:
- Less time is spent discussing assignment details and more on task completion.
- Fewer tasks are forgotten or left incomplete.
- Simplifies early issue recognition, allowing time for asset (re)allocation.
Tips & Advice
- Centralize communication regardless of medium.
- Assign a specific business contact as the primary source of task scheduling and issue resolution.
- Ensure an alternate contact exists and is acutely aware of task assignments, project progress, and current or potential issues.
- Communicate and schedule high-priority tasks first.
- Make sure to pad expected time allocation to allow for contingencies.
- Completing a job quickly, especially on short notice, often requires additional resource allocation, so make certain that timeframe expectation aligns with budget requirements.
Scheduling Tools
Depending on the nature of your business environment, and the level of comfort your users have with technology, there are a couple of routes your organization can take to ensure scheduling success.
- Google Calendar - Google Calendar is a free service that requires a free Gmail address. It is very simple to share the calendar and allow others to make changes, add appointments, as well as notes. Additionally, the service comes with a free To Do or Task list that can be prioritized based on need, date, or any custom label.
- Message/Log Book - For the less technically inclined, and to ensure usability across all client platforms with minimal training, Vanguard Cleaning Systems franchisees provide their customers with a handwritten log book, assigned to a central contact, and placed in an easy to access location. This facilitates secure communication, as well as assignment prioritization, and issue resolution without any financial investment, or technical aptitude, and has proven to be extremely beneficial to customers.
References & Resources
- Creating More Productive Cleaning Schedules
- Why Planning And Scheduling Is An Important Factor In The Service Industry?
Takeaway
Service scheduling benefits client business's and custodial vendors, alike; allowing for more efficient time allocation and communication throughout the life-cycle of a project or assignment.
Companies seeking to improve profitability should focus on clear communication channels that prioritize efficiency.
To simplify the entire process, Vanguard Cleaning Systems employs well-defined scopes of work within the service agreement.
Additional needs, questions, or service issues are communicated via a hand-written log book that the franchisees are accountable for.
If you would like to learn more about the advantages of green cleaning services for your school or business, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 395-3009
In Fresno CA, call (559) 473-1790
