REGULAR
The true meaning of ‘fit for purpose’
Lorcan Mekitarian, Chair of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), discusses translating standards into the real world.
‘Fit for purpose’ is a phrase often used but with little reflection or examination of what it really means. It is often taken on trust rather than tested. In a market with a relentless pressure on price, the gap between what a product claims to do and what it delivers can be wider than buyers realise.
At its simplest, ‘fit for purpose’ means a product does what the customer reasonably expects it to do. A plastic sack should hold the waste it is sold to carry. A cotton mop should contain the amount of yarn implied by its description and perform accordingly. A paper towel should be the size, number of plys and sheet count stated on the case. A cleaning chemical should deliver the efficacy, safety and volume declared on the label. These expectations are not abstract ideals: they are practical, operational requirements that affect performance, cost in use and trust in the supply chain.
The challenge is that expectations are often shaped by labels, descriptors and long-standing industry shorthand that may not be consistently defined. Historically, thickness was used as a proxy for the quality of a plastic sack, despite having little correlation with strength. Cotton mops were ordered by ‘weights’ that did not distinguish between the cotton yarn that does the cleaning and the socket that does not.
In this context, standards are essential, not theoretical. A specified standard turns an expectation into something measurable. It answers important questions. How can I be certain this cleaning product will tackle the specified bacteria? How much weight must this sack hold without splitting? How much cotton yarn must this mop contain to perform as expected? What tolerances are acceptable on size, sheet count or volume? Without agreed definitions and test methods, ‘fit for purpose’ becomes a matter of opinion rather than evidence.
30 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
Increasingly, fitness for purpose must also be considered across the product lifecycle, particularly from an environmental perspective. Environmental claims are now part of the expected performance of many products, but they bring their own risks if they are vague or unsupported. If a product is described as biodegradable, compostable or recycled, buyers need clarity on what exactly that claim applies to: the whole product, a component or the packaging; and under what conditions the claim is valid. A sack that biodegrades only in industrial composting conditions, or a wipe where only the fibres – not the binding agents – break down, may still be ‘fit for purpose’, but only if the claim is accurate and understood in the context of how and where the product will be used.
True fitness for purpose therefore rests on three pillars: clear specification, credible evidence and independent scrutiny. Clear specification ensures everyone is working to the same definitions. Evidence demonstrates that products meet those definitions in practice, not just at the design stage. Independent scrutiny provides confidence that checks are consistent, ongoing and not simply self-declared.
Towards the end of this chain sit accreditation and audit frameworks that translate standards into the real world. Our long-established Accreditation Schemes for manufacturers and distributors of cleaning and hygiene products exist precisely because buyers and suppliers recognised the importance of independent scrutiny.
Products that meet defined, audited standards reduce risk, support consistent performance and help ensure that environmental and ethical claims stand up to scrutiny. In a market crowded with choice, ‘fit for purpose’ becomes truly tangible when clearly defined, underpinned by standards that demand substantiable evidence and verified by audit.
www.chsa.co.uk x.com/TomoCleaning
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78
