Shaping the Future: Where Will Commercial Cleaning Technology Go Next?
Commercial buildings are dynamic ecosystems that come to life as we use them every day. However, this constant flux of usage creates ever-moving goalposts for those charged with cleaning and maintenance. In our current era of hybrid work, the way we occupy commercial spaces has been forever transformed, and the importance of hygiene, health, and sanitation is more urgent than ever.
Fortunately, technology and innovation continue to flourish across the cleaning sector, creating new ways to overcome long-held industry challenges.
Let’s take a look at just a few of the tech trends shaping the cleaning sector.
Rise of Robotics
Robotics continues to mature and automate menial tasks, achieving better cleaning results and providing greater transparency. This includes autonomous work in essential daily tasks such as floor cleaning, window cleaning, and vacuuming, with unrivaled levels of accountability. Advances in the integration of ATP testing and air quality measures are helping us go further in validating higher levels of hygiene achieved through robotics.
Robotics can deliver high-quality cleaning, remove the burden of manual and repetitive tasks on cleaning crews, and crucially create digital data such as spaces cleaned, cleaning density, and energy, resources, and water consumed. This helps bring a new level of automated and data-driven operations into the industry.
Advancements in Disinfection
Innovation in disinfection methods has ramped up in response to the heightened need for hygiene and sanitation. This is further fueled by greater research and awareness of the ecological and well-being impact of cleaning chemicals. Fortunately, the industry is rising to the challenge with R&D budgets pouring into the space and a slew of more sustainable cleaning formulations. Electrostatic sprayers and UV-C light sanitization, in particular, create opportunities to effectively disinfect surfaces and kill bacteria in a safer and more ecologically friendly way.
The Internet of Things (IoT) in Cleaning Operations:
IoT solutions enable data collection at the source to provide real-time insights into space usage patterns. This helps the sector deeply understand cleaning needs and can further overcome many of the challenges posed by hybrid building use. IoT technology moves us closer to the “holy grail” of operations, namely, operations that are in perfect harmony with usage, leading to spaces that are never over- or under-cleaned. This allows operators to achieve tangible efficiency gains while delivering a more proactive and higher quality service, aided by advancements that make the technology easier to deploy and adapt across different space requirements.
Expect to see further advancements that combine data, software, and services to create a system that embeds insights across the value chain, from centralised portfolio teams to on-the-ground cleaning teams.
Dynamic Feedback and Validation
Dynamic feedback is essential for any customer-centric service and is the foundation of any successful cleaning business. It involves understanding customer needs, flexible service plans, and transparency.
Put briefly, cleaning operations should be a two-way street. Technology solutions can capture data, feedback, and validation to enable continuous improvements and achieve highly tailored and accountable cleaning. This is increasingly important as the trend towards concierge-style cleaning services within premium commercial environments continues to grow.
The applications of technology to power two-way interactivity through data are vast, from smart bins and receptacles that can tell teams when they are empty or full, to mechanisms that can be used to trigger targeted, on-the-spot cleaning, to feedback panels that capture and embed building user satisfaction into cleaning operations.
Learn more about Infogrid’s innovative approach to smarter cleaning operations here.
Final Thoughts
Embracing technology and keeping up with customer demands in a service-driven industry built on decades of established operational models can feel daunting. However, one thing we know for sure is that across industries, technology is vital to creating new opportunities – and commercial cleaning is no exception. As an industry, we can create data-driven, transparent, and highly effective cleaning operations like never before, allowing teams to deliver efficient and cost-effective services that result in high-quality, safe, and sustainably-run commercial spaces in which all of us can thrive.
To find out more about how Infogrid can supercharge your commercial cleaning operations get in touch with us here.