Profit and performance-enhancing productivity boosts are possible through enhanced cleaning processes designed to improve both efficiency and outcomes.
Improving Custodial Efficiency Through Improved Processes and Technologies
In a post-pandemic world where consumers are increasingly focusing on facility cleanliness and hygiene methods and practices, new attention must be paid to janitorial labor, equipment, and cleaning product budgets to ensure desirable outcomes.
Conventionally, most of a janitorial budget is typically consumed by direct and indirect labor costs.
According to CleanLink;
The cost of direct labor (wages) accounts for 75 to 80 percent of most janitorial budgets.
By adding in the cost of labor-related items (e.g. payroll taxes, benefits, uniforms, screenings), the total overall labor cost approaches 90 percent of most janitorial spends.
As such, it is safe to say that the primary emphasis should be placed on estimating the cost of labor when developing a janitorial services budget.
Given that reality, combined with the high cost of purchasing and maintaining equipment and storing cleaning and disinfectant products, increasing the efficiency of various aspects of the custodial process will ensure high-quality outcomes while staying within your budget without sacrificing safety.
Methods for Improving Custodial Efficiency And Maintain Quality
There are several proven methods for improving the efficiency of custodial services while maintaining high-quality outcomes, including:
- Team Cleaning - Each team member is assigned a specific task type that matches their skills and experience, ensuring tasks are performed quickly and accurately.
- Single-Pass Cleaning - Single or one-pass cleaning methods reduce the amount of time required to complete cleaning tasks by ensuring each team member has all the products and equipment they need to complete the job without returning to the cleaning closet or walking over previously cleaned spaces.
- 3/2 Scheduling - 3/2 scheduling focuses on top-to-bottom facility cleaning Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Tuesday and Thursday are reserved for critical occupied areas of the facility that require regular attention, such as restrooms or food prep areas.
- Improved Technologies - Various technologies, such as robotic cleaning equipment, electrostatic disinfection sprayers, backpack vacuums, and microfiber, have a measurable impact on cleaning efficiencies, perceived burden, and cleaning outcomes.
Gauging Outcomes
The only way to ensure consistent, high-quality outcomes within your budget is to measure each metric as closely as possible.
In the custodial world, this requires workloading software that measures every aspect of a building, from floor space to the floor finish, and is crucial for delivering data-driven results.
Workloading is a systematic approach to determining the number of staff required to maintain a facility and, from this, the cost of cleaning.
Workloading starts with data gathering.
There are many variables that affect staffing levels, from the building's size to its finishes.
This information is critical in determining how many square feet each janitor cleans.
And that's a dollar figure every housekeeping manager should have at his fingertips.
References & Resources
- Three Tricks To Improve Efficiency And Maintain Quality
- A Team Cleaning Approach To Efficiency
- Increase Cleaning Efficiency With Backpack Vacuums
- Efficiency Of Cleaning Services Enhanced By Hi-Tech Spray
- Robotic Cleaning Boosts Daily Efficiency
- Microfiber Promotes Efficiency, Ergonomics
Takeaway
Improving custodial outcomes through improved efficiency, better methods, and new technologies will ensure the productivity, health, and safety of your facility and its occupants.
Onboarding all of the requisite equipment and software plus personnel management and training may be cost-prohibitive for many organizations.
Outsourcing is a proven method for quickly onboarding highly in-demand custodial and facilities maintenance services at a fraction of the cost of managing a similar service in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
