TECHNOLOGY & DATA


both traditional and robotic assets side by side. This breaks one of the last remaining silos in cleaning management: machines, robots and vehicles finally speak the same digital language.


Connecting the fleet


IoT is the foundation of this connected future. Tiny, affordable devices can now be attached to almost any type of equipment. They track usage, location, battery health and even environmental data such as energy or water consumption.


What was once guesswork – ‘how often is this machine used?’ – becomes measurable data. Managers can see which assets are underused, which are overworked and where inefficiencies occur.


For example, one cleaning company discovered through IoT data that several machines at a university campus were barely used, while others were operating close to maximum hours every day. By redistributing the workload, they extended machine lifetimes and delayed new purchases – saving tens of thousands of pounds per year.


IoT data also provides the foundation for better sustainability reporting. Measuring actual energy, water and CO2


demonstrate environmental performance to clients in a transparent, data-backed way.


The AI Layer


Once data is collected, the next logical step is artificial intelligence (AI). AI systems analyse patterns, predict failures and automate coordination tasks that would otherwise consume countless hours.


For example, AI can:


• Detect early signs of machine failure based on runtime and temperature data


• Recommend optimal service intervals based on actual usage rather than fixed schedules


• Automatically prioritise repair tickets based on business impact


• Suggest redistribution of assets to improve utilisation


In essence, AI becomes the silent co-pilot of operations, ensuring that every asset performs optimally while humans focus on what truly matters – quality, safety and customer satisfaction.


This is not about replacing people; it’s about enabling them. Site managers can spend less time firefighting and more time leading their teams. Procurement can base investment decisions on real data instead of intuition. Customers can receive performance reports that are measurable, not anecdotal.


A real example from the UK


A large cleaning company in the UK, employing around 1,500 people, recently went through this transformation with ToolSense. Their previous equipment management relied on spreadsheets, paper service reports and messages between supervisors. They often lost visibility on machine status and faced repeated breakdowns due to missed maintenance cycles.


46 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING usage per machine allows cleaning providers to


By digitising their entire fleet of machines and robotic units through IoT connectivity and a unified management platform, they achieved measurable business impact within a year:


• Downtime reduced by almost 60%, as maintenance requests were automatically routed to the right suppliers.


• Equipment-related costs fell by 25%, driven by preventive maintenance and better utilisation.


• Transparency increased dramatically, enabling central oversight of all sites in real time.


• Sustainability metrics improved, as the company could now track actual electricity and water consumption per site.


Most importantly, the team reported that the change gave them ‘more time for what matters’ – training, customer service and continuous improvement. Technology didn’t replace the human element: it amplified it.


From data to industry transformation


The implications of this shift go far beyond equipment management. Once machines, vehicles and robots are connected, cleaning companies gain a new level of operational intelligence. They can forecast costs, demonstrate compliance and prove efficiency improvements to clients with data rather than promises.


It also changes relationships with suppliers and manufacturers. Instead of calling for help after a breakdown, companies can share real-time performance data and work together to prevent failures. Service becomes predictive, not reactive.


Over time, this level of transparency can reshape how contracts are written, how pricing is calculated and how quality is measured. When everything is connected and measurable, trust becomes data-driven.


The road ahead


Tomorrow’s cleaning industry will be defined by three key shifts:


1. Full connectivity – All assets, regardless of brand or type, connected and visible in one place.


2. Automation through AI – Data-driven systems predicting failures, scheduling maintenance and optimising fleets automatically.


3. Operational excellence through insight – Decisions based on facts, not assumptions, enabling efficiency, sustainability and higher service quality.


These shifts are not distant visions. They are happening today in leading cleaning organisations that see technology not as a cost, but as an enabler of better business.


The cleaning industry will always be built on people, but in the years ahead, technology and data will ensure those people can focus their energy where it counts – delivering clean, safe and sustainable environments for everyone.


The future of cleaning isn’t just clean: it’s connected, intelligent and data-driven.


www.toolsense.io x.com/TomoCleaning


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