To help regain traveler confidence postpandemic, airports needed to enhance cleaning procedures. More than ever before, travelers expect a level of sanitation that requires frequent cleaning of high-touch areas along with specialized cleaning knowledge. The public now recognizes that cleaning involves much more than routine janitorial duties. That means airports—and the
building service contractors that clean them—must not only increase visible cleaning efforts, but also use data to verify cleaning performance.
Challenge
FlagShip Facility Services is a leading facilities management company that cleans 19 million square feet of space in airports located in Tampa, Florida; San Jose, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; and other major cities every day. Since the pandemic, clients are asking FlagShip’s cleaning teams to do more than ever before. However, labor challenges, including absenteeism and skill set limitations, make it difficult. In addition, FlagShip needed a cost-efficient way to clean and a method to verify the completeness of its work. FlagShip was ready to automate floor cleaning.
Solution
For many years, FlagShip Services has considered using autonomous cleaning machines but wanted to ensure the technology was the right fit for the busy airport areas. When FlagShip learned
about the partnership between Tennant and Brain Corp—both leaders in their respective industries—it took action.
FlagShip purchased a fleet of Tennant T7AMR Robotic Floor Scrubbers and was impressed by the scrubbers’ ease of operation and their ability to provide accurate and consistent cleaning performance. Tennant’s machines, powered by BrainOS® artificial intelligence, allowed Flagship to track cloud-based key performance indicators and receive real-time notifications.
Flagship worked with Tennant to ensure employees were trained and confident in how to use the new robotic cleaning equipment. The machines were up and running within days. FlagShip quickly identified “co-bot” operators and created cleaning programs that optimized cleaning high-touch surfaces.
“Managers and floor techs are incredibly invested in our robotic cleaning machines,” said Kevin Barton, FlagShip’s Vice President of Operations. “Staff engagement has been wonderful. They’re asking great questions and looking for ways to make the scrubbers as efficient as possible.”
Results
To read the results of the case study, please visit tennantco.com/flagship.
