As we open 2021, we’re getting ready to begin cleaning several new buildings.
We’re grateful for that. We know that many service organizations have been hard pressed to make it through the past year at all. While 2020 was a whirlwind for us, we’re fortunate to have weathered the storm – and even to have continued on a steady growth trajectory throughout it.
With that said, as we move forward with new engagements this year, we have an interesting perspective. From one point of view, our plans for this coming year are simply to maintain the status quo of quality work that we’ve established. But we believe that another perspective rings truer: Last year, we laid a foundation for successful commercial cleaning engagements. This year, we get to build on that foundation.
Our hope is that 2021 at The Wilburn Company is a year of implementing an upgraded status quo for commercial cleaning.
Here are five ways it’s happening.
1. Our new auditing process.
Last year, we designed and implemented a new auditing process across all of the buildings in our portfolio. Cleaning audits involve thoroughly reviewing all of the components of our work and occupant needs on a regular basis.
We track any issues or discrepancies, and all of our audits are accessible to clients at any time. They can be used to generate workorders, to track periodic maintenance activities, or to ensure that there are no recurring issues. On a monthly basis, we meet with clients to discuss results and to ensure our services are in alignment.
In short, our auditing process helps cleaning happen more effectively, in ways that are as tailored as possible to occupant and building needs.
All of the facilities we work in are currently under this process, but in 2021, we’ll be implementing it in new engagements for the first time. We’re excited to hit the ground running.
2. Online product and supply ordering.
Like many things, our product and supply ordering processes went digital in 2020. We used to rely on manual forms to maintain supply inventories, but in the wake of Covid-19, we’ve updated our processes to make them more efficient (and contactless).
This is one legacy of the pandemic that we’ll be happy to keep – and as we’ve found over the past year, it will help us to keep supplies well-stocked.
3. Our internal HR processes.
While this is an internal-facing change, it has benefits for our cleaning services, especially as we open new engagements.
Last year (as we’ve written before), we hired an HR manager to serve the needs of our growing workforce. She helps out with benefits questions, COVID-related questions, work performance questions, hiring, and more.
This has already been a great support for our employees. But one area where we’re especially excited to see the impact of our upgraded HR capacity is in new engagement hiring.
New projects often require hiring 20-30 new employees, depending on the size of the facility and the capacity of the workforce. That’s a lot of people! But our new HR infrastructure makes this process more seamless than ever – and helps our employees and clients to get up to speed quickly.
4. Our barcoding app.
Another upgrade that we made last year was to roll out our barcoding app.
It’s a pretty cool setup: Managers create a list of tasks, which are coded into a barcode. When employees check in, they scan the barcode and see all of their assignments for their shift. As they clean, they can track all of their progress in the app, confirming task completion and recording any notes or details. As with audits, all of this information is visible on-demand for our clients.
This makes commercial cleaning more efficient and measurable than ever before, and we’re excited to deploy this technology in more buildings in the coming year.
5. New tools for GS-42 adherence.
Finally, we’ve continued to optimize our services for GS-42 adherence. This is actually built into the auditing system, but it’s worth breaking out for its importance.
Over the course of 2020, we implemented an entire updated checklist to ensure that our green cleaning services are delivered to the highest standards. This includes things like closet ordering instructions, PPE regulations, lock box information, and of course updated information on cleaning processes and products.
As we continue to clean for health, we’re proud of the work we’ve done in optimizing our services for GS-42. And we look forward to building on that foundation as we deliver more green cleaning services in the future.
Ready to Upgrade Your Commercial Cleaning Status Quo?
If you have any questions about any of the upgrades listed above (or about cleaning services in general), let us know. Remember, commercial cleaning isn’t just a utility; it’s a critical factor in maintaining the health of people, the condition of buildings, and the safety of our environment.
While our hope is that 2021 holds fewer earth-shaking changes than the previous year, we’re excited to continue building on our foundation of excellent service to take the status quo to new heights.
If you’re interested in upgrading the commercial cleaning services at your facility, get in touch with us today.