FEATURE


How tech is helping FM leaders


Adam Atkins, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Coat Facilities Group, highlights the best options to consider for those just beginning to explore the potential of professional cleaning tech.


The complexities of planning an efficient cleaning schedule mean facilities management providers are increasingly turning to technology to help them utilise staff time more effectively, plan schedules based on data rather than guesswork, and ultimately enhance client results.


However, with a whole raft of options on offer, it can be difficult deciding which tech to implement for best results.


Through the use of smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) footfall counters at strategic locations, spaces can be cleaned once usage reaches a particular level, while smart monitoring systems enable notifications, for example when products such as hand soap need replenishing. This eradicates unnecessary cleaning, such as in meeting rooms which have not been used yet that day, and focuses resources towards priority, heavy-use areas.


“FM providers are increasingly turning to technology to help


them utilise staff time more effectively.”


A helping hand


Balancing the need for efficiency with the requirement for excellence places a resource challenge on FM providers, one which can be alleviated with the use of artificial intelligence-powered (AI) ‘robot cleaners’. Each has their own specific use: from floor cleaning machines which navigate spaces using light detection and ranging (LiDAR), sensors or mapping software, to those which can disinfect using UV-C light or electrostatic spraying, or clean windows by attaching to the glass using suction.


Alongside the time-saving benefits, these tools can reduce human exposure to chemicals and risks (such as cleaning the windows of a high-rise building), as well as ensuring standardised quality across all areas.


Time for tech


Rather than making an educated guess about the frequency of cleaning and time spent on each area within a building, technology can give us reliable data and can also provide real-time notifications when a specific space requires attention – replacing fixed schedules with a demand-driven dynamic service.


36 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING


Implementing a Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) programme allows for data around footfall, schedules and assignments to be fully integrated, with tech not only highlighting the current need but also able to predict peak hours and high-demand zones to inform future patterns of cleaning. Paired with a mobile app, this means workers can receive live alerts, optimised route plans and prioritised task lists – all of which is compiled automatically using the data available, saving time and optimising their daily schedule.


Tracking and timing


Tracking exactly where staff are at any given time might sound like an Orwellian prediction come true, but its primary focus is on ensuring optimal time management planning, enabling FM providers to map out effective cleaning routes and identify exactly how long each task takes to complete.


Geolocation stamping using either GPS or indoor positioning enables staff to record the start and end of each job on an app, eradicating the need for manual timesheets and the potential for tasks being inadvertently missed. Alternatively, QR code checkpoints can be installed and scanned, again using an app.


Proof of service delivery


This technology not only supports effective planning, but also provides clients with a sense of confidence in their FM provider, as it creates a digital log of all of the tasks undertaken, utilises time and resources effectively, and ensure spaces are cleaned when required – not according to an inflexible schedule. Full transparency when it comes to these records means clients can be reassured their provider is meeting all the terms of their service level agreement, while also ensuring compliance and simplified auditing.


Alongside showcasing the quality and quantity of work undertaken to the client, tech can take on strenuous or risky jobs and – perhaps most importantly – provide data which underpins effective resource allocation, and improves both proactive and reactive decision making.


www.coatfacilitiesgroup.com 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