The facility management and cleaning sectors, whether outsourced or internal, are on the brink of significant change. While technology is readily available, its adoption has been sluggish due to challenges like limited digital expertise, diverse priorities, and budget constraints. However, by incorporating service robots and smart solutions, these sectors can achieve enhanced efficiency, cost savings, and derive insightful data. Innovations like robotic automation and augmented reality can handle routine and dangerous tasks, allowing staff to focus on specialized work. An educational session at ISSA Show North America 2023, titled Embracing Disruption: The Potential of Robotic Automation and Augmented Reality in Facilities Management, will emphasize the advantages of these technological advancements and provide guidance for their integration. By tapping into these modern trends, facilities management firms can optimize processes, minimize interruptions, and elevate service quality. The session will take place on Monday, November 13, from 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. ISSA Show North America 2023, the annual tradeshow that brings together leaders from the commercial, institutional, and residential cleaning communities, will take place November 13–16 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Learn more about the Embracing Disruption session, along with other educational offerings offered in six different tracks. Register for the ISSA Show today.
The results of CMM’s 2023 Building Service Contractor Benchmarking Survey, sponsored by business software company Aspire, are now available as a downloadable report. The annual survey looks at the concerns and priorities of building service contractors (BSCs) as they strive to serve the needs of their clients. Participants have answered a variety of questions regarding their challenges, goals, operations, and employees. BSCs can use the survey report to gauge the performance of their own businesses and identify ways to improve. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the article to download the survey report.
Be sure not to miss CMM’s upcoming FREE webinar, Facility Productivity Strategies: Unleashed!, being presented September 26 at 1:00 CT. This one-hour webinar is for anyone involved in overseeing or managing buildings, facilities, or campuses. As an attendee, you will learn: How to build a strong facility or cleaning crew What to consider when hiring and training individual cleaners or cleaning crews How to do more with less and work within budgetary constraints Strategies to enhance cleaning with sustainability in mind Tips to keep building users happy How to handle complaints and create a positive experience The impact of autonomous equipment on cleaning The types of innovative technology every facility manager should consider Methods for monitoring and documenting cleaning frequencies, processes, and results How to address facility problem areas Disaster preparedness and security planning tips And much more! The event’s expert panel includes: Jeff Cross (moderator), ISSA Media Director Jon Hill, Cobotiq CEO Todd Stoneking, University of Utah Facilities Supervisor Matt Moberg, ISSA’s Cleaning Management Institute Director of Consulting A live Q&A session will conclude the webinar, so be prepared to present our experts with all your facility maintenance questions, challenges, and concerns. All attendees of the live webinar will also be emailed a link to a recording of the event, so don’t miss out. Register for the free webinar today!
The September/October issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management (CMM) is now available online! This edition focuses on strategic planning and preventative maintenance, from preparing a facility for a natural disaster to protecting its inhabitants from foodborne illnesses and pathogens spread through contaminated hands. It offers practical advice for tasks faced by cleaning business owners, such as recruiting employees and bidding on new jobs. Plus, the annual Building Service Contractor (BSC) Benchmarking Survey report featured in this issue lets you compare your opinions, concerns, and successes to those of your peers in the cleaning industry. Don’t forget to check out the ISSA Show North America 2023 preview for a sampling of the educational, networking, and social events waiting for you in Vegas this November. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue: Prepare Your Facility for a Natural Disaster Include employees in your risk management strategy 2023 Building Service Contractor Benchmarking Survey Report Annual survey highlights industry trends, values, and challenges Keep Salmonella Off the Menu Preventing foodborne illnesses in commercial kitchens Rethink Clean at ISSA Show North America 2023 Don’t miss the industry’s biggest and best event Hiring Best Practices: From Recruitment to Evaluation Retaining your cleaning staff starts on day one Win More Business With Better Proposals Time spent on research and fine-tuning will yield results Dry, Dehumidify, and Disinfect Water-Soaked Facilities Six steps to safely and efficiently remove water damage in buildings Hand Hygiene Remains a Top Priority National organizations join global push for increased hygiene tracking, facilitation, and education Check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer, including a special showcase of products worth seeing at ISSA Show North America 2023.
Optimizing facility cleaning and maintenance productivity is not just a goal—it’s a necessity. As such, you won’t want to miss CMM’s upcoming webinar, Facility Productivity Strategies: Unleashed!, being presented September 26 at 1:00 CT. This free one-hour webinar is for anyone involved in overseeing or managing buildings, facilities, or campuses. As an attendee, you will learn: How to build a strong facility or cleaning crew What to consider when hiring and training individual cleaners or cleaning crews How to do more with less and work within budgetary constraints Strategies to enhance cleaning with sustainability in mind Tips to keep building users happy How to handle complaints and create a positive experience The impact of autonomous equipment on cleaning The types of innovative technology every facility manager should consider Methods for monitoring and documenting cleaning frequencies, processes, and results How to address facility problem areas Disaster preparedness and security planning tips And much more! The event’s expert panel includes: Jeff Cross (moderator), ISSA Media Director Jon Hill, Cobotiq CEO Todd Stoneking, University of Utah Facilities Supervisor Matt Moberg, ISSA’s Cleaning Management Institute Director of Consulting A live Q&A session will conclude the webinar, so be prepared to present our experts with all your facility maintenance questions, challenges, and concerns. All attendees of the live webinar will also be emailed a link to a recording of the event, so don’t miss out. Register for the free webinar today!
Together with ISSA, the editors of Cleaning & Maintenance Management (CMM) magazine request your participation in the 2023 Building Service Contractors (BSC) Benchmarking Survey. For just 20 minutes of your time, you can provide valuable input to the cleaning industry, particularly for BSCs and other cleaning contractors such as yourself, by participating in this annual survey. All responses are completely confidential and will be used for statistical purposes only. The results will appear in an upcoming issue of CMM magazine. All BSC participants who complete the entire survey will have a chance to win one of three US$100 Amazon gift cards, courtesy of our survey sponsor, Aspire Software. Be sure to provide your contact information at the end of the survey to be entered into the drawing. Make a difference in your industry by taking the BSC Benchmarking Survey today!
The July/August issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management is now available online! This edition focuses on restroom care in schools and other public facilities, with articles outlining trouble areas and offering cleaning, equipment, and technology solutions. Learn how to prepare for the start of the school year by gathering your product inventory, creating cleaning schedules, and training staff. Take a crash course on the latest smart restroom technologies and discover how you can find the no-touch fixtures and smart technologies best suited for your facility. Gain expertise on techniques for sealing grout to help preserve the floors in restrooms and other areas. This issue also looks at the maintenance tasks and obligations required for maintaining a rented office space. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue: The ABCs and 123s of Restroom Care Managing school restroom challenges from pre-K to the college campus Prepare School Restrooms for a Clean and Healthy Academic Year Summer is the perfect time for stocking supplies and training staff Adapting to New Restroom Solutions Five tips for surviving the switch to smart restroom technology How to Seal and Protect Grout Follow these technical tips to keep grout looking its best Maintaining a Rented Office Space Perform these five key tasks to protect workers and your relationship with the landlord Check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer including a special restroom care showcase.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), a two-year alliance has begun between the agency’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offices in Dallas and Fort Worth and the Dallas Mexican Consulate, in order to provide Spanish-speaking employers and workers in Northern Texas with information, guidance, and access to workers’ rights resources. OSHA’s program partners with groups committed to worker safety and health in order to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. These groups range anywhere from unions, consulates, and trade or professional organizations to businesses, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions. “OSHA’s alliance with the Mexican Consulate in Dallas will prevent many Spanish-speaking people working in North Texas from needless injuries or worse,” said Basil Singh, OSHA Dallas Area Director. “Every U.S. worker, regardless of their immigration status, has the right to a safe workplace and to receive information in their own language.” The Texas alliance will provide workplace safety, health outreach, and training materials to the areas Mexican nationals, which includes construction and general industry employees and employers. The alliance will also help employers understand workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities to protect the health and safety of workers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The initiative, signed June 14, is run by OSHA’s Alliance Program and arrives around the same time that OSHA believes a cleaning woman died on the job because she was trained in English, which wasn’t her native language. For more information, see Pizza Manufacturer Faces Fines for Cleaner’s Death. “Working with the Mexican Consulate in Dallas will help us reach out to many workers who we might not otherwise have access to,” said Timothy Minor, OSHA Fort Worth Area Director. “By breaking down the language barrier, we can help these workers understand the rights to be protected from needless harm.”
Welcome to the May/June issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management. This edition focuses on hard-floor care, with articles on flooring trends and maintenance. Prepare for heavy rains of the spring/summer season by learning which types of flooring stand up best to flooding. Learn how to remove pollen and other allergens from hard floor surfaces. Discover how refurbishing your old floor—instead of replacing it—can benefit your budget and the environment. This issue also takes a hands-on approach to personal protective equipment (PPE) with an article on disposable glove best practices, and offers practical advice on finding the best cleaning service for your facility. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue: Flooding, Fungi, and Flooring Choosing the right flooring for flood-prone facilities A Walk Through Hard Flooring Trends Examine the pros and cons of today’s hard floor options Resilient Flooring Technology Delivers New Life to Old Floors Facility managers can leverage limited budgets to gain floor-care efficiencies Are Allergens Underfoot in Your Facility? Consider flooring type and maintenance routines to eliminate dust and allergen build-up Choosing Quality Tips for finding the best cleaning service for your facility Hands-On PPE Advice Consider fit, form, and function when choosing disposable gloves Check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer including a special floor-care case studies/profiles section.
Carpet care is an ongoing challenge for in-house staff and contractors who clean facilities. Carpeted surfaces were listed as the No. 2 concern (after restrooms) in the 2023 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey Report. Don’t be intimidated by carpeted surfaces. Participate in CMM’s upcoming free webinar, Crack the Code on Carpet Care: Creating a Program That Solves Your Toughest Carpet Cleaning Challenges, sponsored by Gausium, on May 2. Join the webinar’s expert panelists—Mark Violand, a certified carpet inspector; Lorraine Cruz, regional manager for Ponderosa Hotel Management Services; and Gary Clipperton, president of National Pro Clean and ProClean College—for some carpet care practical tips and best practices. Webinar participants will discover how to handle the toughest spots and stains, the best methods to clean and restore dirty/dingy traffic lanes, and what to do about transition areas. They’ll also learn: The best soil preventative strategies Methods for implementing interim, routine, and low-moisture cleaning systems The benefits robotic technology can bring to a carpet care program Necessary cleaning equipment, tools, and chemistry Carpet product trends that affect cleaning programs Advanced spot and stain removal techniques Strategies for balancing cleaning for health with cleaning for appearance Why cleaning for appearance alone is not a strategy. Webinar attendees can engage panelists throughout the presentation, including during a dedicated Q&A session. Come prepared with your questions. Register today so you can crack the code on confusing carpet care dilemmas and improve your facility’s cleanliness and image.
The March/April 2023 issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management (CMM) magazine is now available online. This edition focuses on sustainability, examining ways your facility can lower its footprint through green cleaning, recycling, and other earth-friendly practices. It also looks at the role of housekeepers in protecting the health of residents in senior and long-term care communities. Additionally, this issue features the 2023 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey Report, which reveals what facilities are doing to protect the environment. It also offers a glimpse into various facility management trends and topics such as budgets, product usage, labor issues, cleaning validation, and health and safety measures. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue: Making an Educated Commitment to Sustainability School services provider prioritizes solutions that protect the environment. 2023 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey Report Learn where your facility stands compared to this year’s survey respondents. Set Your Route for Going Green Six simple steps to implement green cleaning within your facility. Add Structure to Your Facility’s Recycling Strategy Use steps suggested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen your recycling program. Home Clean Home Housekeepers make life more comfortable for senior community residents. Be sure to check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer, including a special sustainability advertising showcase.
The January/February issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management (CMM) magazine is now available online. This edition focuses on infection prevention, explaining the actions of hospital infection prevention specialists in lowering the rates of health care-acquired infections, and detailing steps for keeping K–12 schools clean. It offers best practices for cleaning and disinfecting products, such as using the correct product for the task and always following the instructions on the label. The January/February issue also looks at human resources trends for 2023 and the benefits of disinfecting with drones. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in this issue: Examining the State of Infection Prevention in 2023—Health care facilities grapple with HAI and antimicrobial resistance setbacks resulting from the pandemic Increase Your Knowledge, Improve Your Cleaning—How to use your cleaning products to their fullest extent How Clean are K–12 Schools?—10 steps to improve cleanliness and enhance health in school facilities Personnel & Policies—Five key HR trends to examine and implement in 2023 Reach New Heights in Cleaning—Spraying drones offer a fresh approach to facility maintenance Q&A on UV Disinfection Technology—Experts illuminate the benefits of disinfecting surfaces with ultraviolet light There’s more! Check out the table of contents to see all this edition of CMM has to offer including a special infection prevention and control advertising showcase. Click HERE to get started!
