The Future of Commercial Cleaning - Full Transcript

The Future of Commercial Cleaning Full Transcript

Speakers: Jeff (Host), Will (Salesman)

Absolutely. Robots, smart technology, data, and even AI are starting to change the way buildings are cleaned.

Yeah. You know, and I think maybe the biggest question is with all these changes, what does it mean for the people in cleaning?

Hey everyone, it's Will and Jeff with Crystal Clean.

Today we're going to talk about commercial cleaning, where it's headed, and some of the technology that's changing our industry.

Yes. And we are going to break it down into four main categories: automation, smart cleaning technology, data, and AI.

Yeah, and we want to know, is it going to replace cleaning crews?

That is the question. Let's start with automation.

So, one of the biggest things we're seeing changes with in commercial cleaning is automation. And Jeff and I have been to some recent trade shows and we've started to see these changes in, you know, robotic floor scrubbers and automated vacuums and other equipment designed to handle specific cleaning tasks.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, we spent a lot of time in the robotics area of the ISSA show floor last year, and I'm sure all of us have seen the robots cleaning floors out of airports, maybe in hospitals, other large facilities, Sam's Club, Costco. We've seen them, and they're absolutely going to kick in even more so starting now.

You'll see more robots on the floors specifically. We want to take advantage of that as well, because those large spaces, there's a good use that's already at play. But what about the rest of the technology? What is it? What's happening?

You're absolutely right. It is on the rise. It doesn't necessarily mean eliminating the cleaning employee. I believe it's just going to make the cleaning employee better focused on things that need more human attention.

Yeah. And there will always be that.

Think about bathrooms, right? Touch points, things like glass and other kinds of detail work.

Yeah. Humans are always going to be required.

Yeah. I mean, that's where automation really starts to come into play. And it's not necessarily about replacing the people. It's about using technology to help people work and clean more efficiently, right?

I think another big change that's coming right behind robotics is just the use of smart technology, the gathering of data. Think about all the tools we have and all the data that we can collect. What does that mean for the cleaning industry?

Yeah. And I mean if you think about restroom cleaning, for example, traditionally commercial cleaning has been based on service schedules. For example, a restroom might be checked on every two hours or so.

Correct. But you know, within a facility you have those restrooms that are barely used and others that are used heavily.

There's a difference.

There is. And you know that's where sensors and smart technology can really start making an impact and a difference on the day-to-day operation. So instead of cleaning, you know, based on only a schedule, companies can start working towards actual usage, right?

You know, let's take the technology that we have available to us now and start to think about ways we can use it when it comes to not only traffic patterns, but also the supplies. You think about the expendables, the paper towels and the soaps, the toilet paper.

How much is being consumed means a lot to what we procure on our end.

Exactly. Then you start thinking about things like QR codes, digital checklists, mobile inspections, and other tools that can really increase the efficiency of the overall operation.

Yeah. So that helps us stay ahead or be proactive instead of waiting on complaints. We should be taking care of things more efficiently and effectively up front.

Well said, Jeff. And all of this technology will definitely create something much more valuable.

Yeah, you know, for a long time, one of the big challenges in commercial cleaning has been measuring exactly what happens inside a facility. And again, we have the tools to start to understand all that.

Yes. And a customer, they can definitely look at their building and see if it was cleaned, but on a deeper level, did they see if the service was actually completed or what was the inspection report? Did they identify any key recurring issues or hot button areas?

Yeah. And you know, that data, this is where it starts to become very useful.

And it's not just for us. This is the kind of thing that can be shared with our client. They can know what we've been doing. That does become extremely useful. Imagine a facility manager being able to check on these things one by one: completed tasks, inspection scores, service issues, supplier consumable usage, and so on and so forth.

Yeah. You know, and maybe like a shared website, they can go on and see our checklist. So instead of just getting a call, "Did you guys clean over the weekend?" and we're like, "Yeah, you got cleaned over the weekend," now we have data to prove it.

Definitely. And it improves accountability on both sides. The internal operations know a little bit more about their building and what's being done or not done. And the facility manager or property manager has much more of a dialed-in heartbeat on their property.

Yeah. You know, the other thing I like about this, it helps us become better partners to our clients because when we know what's happening inside the building, when we let them know that those restrooms on the back of level four are barely used and we're able to use that labor more efficiently and effectively in the restrooms up front on the first floor that are used so heavily, we start to become a true partner giving them data that's useful for them as well.

Absolutely. We are always wanting to be your trusted advisers. We want to be Alfred to your Batman, and this kind of technology and automation will actually make it so.

Yeah, there's another component to this.

You know, we mentioned supplies, but think about what this does when we know that soap levels are getting low. Again, with the right sensors in place in the right areas, we really should never be running out of supplies on site or in our warehouse, keeping a very constant flow and chain of supplies that, honestly, it's been one of those bugaboos through the years with cleaning.

You know, they know that we've come and gone and they're like, "Hey, you left like a quarter of a roll of toilet paper." And it sounds kind of comical except for it's not. It's one of those things that we are always trying to stay on top of and make sure it doesn't become a problem, right?

So imagine combining all that data with some artificial intelligence.

You know, that's where cleaning could become much more predictive. Instead of only reacting to what happened yesterday, for example, cleaning companies could potentially use these patterns to predict and analyze what's going to happen tomorrow, be a little more proactive about that particular facility.

And in alignment with our clients, again, now with the knowledge that we all are able to share, they can also focus in on hotspots. There'll always be hot spots and they'll find them a little bit quicker, let us know about them, and we'll be able to resolve them much quicker.

Exactly. They can adjust those cleaning schedules to really tailor it to their specific property and what is the hot button? What are the most priority areas of that facility?

All right, this is good, Will. Let's take this one step further. What happens when you combine all this data with AI technology?

Oh, I know, that's a great question, and that's really where the cleaning can become much more predictive. Instead of being more reactionary onto what happened yesterday, cleaning companies could potentially look forward and help determine what is really likely to happen tomorrow.

Yeah. You know, this combined technology could help identify which parts of the building more consistently need our attention, which is labor, which is money, right? And they can also adjust their cleaning schedules to really focus in on the areas with the most usage.

Yeah. And while we mentioned supplies, this is really going to help us hone in on our procurement and our supply delivery and placement so much better than it has been.

Absolutely. And it'll help us with things like equipment maintenance.

Think about employee routing. You take 100 cleaners and send them all over Southwest Florida. Routing becomes very important. It's something we already do.

AI can only make it better.

That's for sure. And you think about inspection reports, or what I like to call a truth report. It's an accurate, timestamped inspection that shows the good and maybe some things that we need improvement on. It's transparent to both our cleaning teams and our customer.

Yeah, I like that truth report. All right. You know what happens here, too?

So, in viewing this as a partnership, we're sharing all this information with our clients. So now they also can start to hone in on hot spots. There'll always be some hot spots. There's always something they're going to want to improve, and we want to improve that for them. They'll start to notice it sooner.

We'll start to fix it sooner.

Exactly. And that actually, Jeff, might be one of the bigger changes in the industry, is the future is not only going to be about having better cleaning equipment. Instead, it's going to be about having better information and more accurate information.

Yeah. And that is where we're at now. So, let's go back to—we mentioned employees earlier. Let's get to that. An obvious answer. Give me a yes or no.

Will, are robots and AI going to replace our cleaning people?

No. It's just not that simple. I just have to be honest with you.

Right. I mean, a robot can definitely clean a large open floor, but are they going to be able to get that splatter that's underneath a desk? Or are they going to be able to get on an extension pole and get something that's in the upper corner near the ceiling tiles? I don't think so.

Yeah. And another large part of our day-to-day, and we have the type of clients who their schedules change. So, a conference room setting sometimes turns into, guess what? We're having a big meeting. All the VPs are coming down. We're going to have snacks and drinks. We need you to clean it up in advance. We also need you to be ready to clean it after the event.

These kinds of things that happen on a moment's notice, which is not unusual, are still going to require people.

It sure will.

And also, what if something unusual happens inside the building?

What if we get a call at 11 p.m. from our big customer and says, "Hey, there's a leak on the third floor in the fourth exam room. We need it cleaned up. We need at least to put a pail there until we can get some kind of plumber there." That's just something a robot's not going to be able to decipher.

No, people still matter. Those kinds of things will always happen as they always have, right? So the future is going to be less about people versus technology and more about people working with technology.

Yes, 100% agree with you on that. And now let's get more into what it means for the businesses, right?

So if you're a business hiring a commercial cleaning company, this technology could eventually change what you would expect from a provider.

Absolutely. So the question might not just be, "Can you clean our building?" It might become, "How do you measure your cleaning exactly and how do you verify it?" Right?

Or how do you communicate what's happening at the building and how do you go about continuously improving the process, right? Because technology only matters if it helps provide a better result for the customer, and that is absolutely what we are out to accomplish.

Yes. You know, Crystal Clean, the company, and we feel very fortunate. We're family-owned and operated for over 45 years. We're always looking at what's changing in our industry, how we can use the new technology, the new data, the new artificial intelligence to improve our quality, efficiency, and our accountability to our clients.

Right. You said it best, Jeff. The industry is always changing and we're really excited to see what the next few years bring.

Yeah.

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Yes. And if there's a commercial cleaning or facility management topic that you'd like to discuss, leave it in the comments. Thank you for watching.

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