Sep 03

LEED Certification: Green Cleaning Products

Many companies working toward LEED certification are switching to Green Cleaning products and services to save thousands of dollars in costs and integrate environmental benefits for their facilities.  Green Seal Certified products help janitorial companies decrease pollutant spread and improve air quality.

Green Seal and EcoLogo certified product lines are made with 100% renewable ingredients for Earth Friendly Commercial Cleaning Solutions.  Using certified janitorial chemicals and equipment for general purpose cleaning benefits building operations and the indoor environment.

Paper products are also an important resource for Green Cleaning.  Recycled contents and paper products have major impacts on sustainable forest management and global certification programs.  Items like janitorial Paper Tissues and Towels(GS-1 , GS-9) are Green Seal products that are bleached without the use of chlorine or harmful materials.

Effective tracking and utilization of environmentally sound materials and procedures can be facilitated by Janitorial Software.  Using effective green programs and products in the commercial business promotes green communication within building occupants.  This allows members to be a part of the process to ensure a healthy cleaning environment.

Aug 28

CMMS Software Implementation

Many corporations are looking to their software provider or consultants to handle the implementation process of their facility maintenance software.  This is the fastest way to get their software up and running.

It is important to select CMMS Software that is customizable or one that offers enhancement modules for program expansion once you get the system running.  This will allow flexibility for users to adapt and learn the software before expanding to a more complex version.

Implementation requires a naming system to be set up for your equipment and preventive maintenance tasks.  When setting up your equipment naming system, remember to make it simple and meaningful so everyone in your facility will be able to recognize it.

The next step for implementation would include the entry of inventory data.  Facility Supervisors should take an active part while training users of their CMMS system and the maintenance department should understand the system well before switching entirely to the new system.

Everyone plays a vital role in making the system work.  To get the most from your new tool, it should be used on a daily basis and updated to increase efficiency and accountability.

Aug 19

What is CIMS and How Can It Help You?

CIMS stands for the Cleaning Industry Management Standard, which was developed by ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association and the AICS – the American Institute for Cleaning Sciences.  It was created as a consensus-based process taking requirements from the cleaning, facilities management, and purchasing areas.

If a company is CIMS compliant, that means they are structured to deliver consistent quality cleaning services to their customer.  A CIMS compliant company has met comprehensive standards with their systems, processes, and documentation. There is no better measurement or benchmark of excellence with which to evaluate an organization today.

Preparing for CIMS helps companies become more organized, and gives them the opportunity to look at all of their business processes at once, seeing all of the connections perhaps for the first time.  The real benefit is higher levels of consistency in everything that is done within the organization, which leads to better service and lower costs.

One of the challenges of CIMS certification is having active systems in place to ensure everything goes as planned and that there is adequate documentation to prove it.  Companies turn to Janitorial Software to help them stay organized, even as staff changes, and provide the level of control they need to achieve their objectives.

Aug 19

Save Time and Money with Web-Based CMMS Software

Everyone these days is expected to be everywhere all the time!  Using the internet, we can stay connected, which is why web-based software is so popular.

Save Time

One of the largest time savings for management staff is notifications.  They don’t have to chase after answers anymore, because their CMMS Software tells them about important issues they need to know.  This is accomplished by actively tracking work performance live, which can prove work was completed while understanding employee performance much better.

Since most employees are familiar with using the internet, they usually don’t require as much training.  You staff can even be trained over the Internet, saving them considerable time and saving you money.

Save Money

No additional hardware or software needs to be purchased or installed.  The only requirement is a web browser and internet connection, which is standard for most computers.

The technology is more universal and upgrades are available, usually as part of the service – which means Free!  Maintenance and development are also easier and cheaper as problems are identified and fixed remotely, speeding up the process.

Make Your Job Easier

Web-based software can be used from anywhere, whether you’re working from home, at a client’s office, or on the road using mobile technology such as your cell phone.

You can manage your operations without being in there, which saves you time and money.

Aug 18

Barcoding Saves Time & Money

In today’s fast moving facilities, keeping track of Employees, Quality, and Inventory is a time consuming process.  Plus, there are significant challenges verifying the accuracy of that information.

Barcoding your facility can increase your organizational capabilities when combined with CMMS Software or Janitorial Business Software to help your team track performance and make smart decisions.

Employee

Using barcodes, you can easily verify work performed by your janitorial and maintenance staff.  You will know when a task begins and ends, plus who did the work.  You can also determine the travel time between tasks to better understand route schedules and employee efficiency.

Verifying work performance will help you provide better training procedures and cut down costs.  Many Facility Mangers are responsible for multiple buildings.  By knowing the time it takes for employees to get to different buildings, you can optimize route schedules by reducing travel time to cut labor and fuel costs.

Quality

Facility Managers are asked difficult quality questions.  Was the inspector actually there?  What exactly are you inspecting?  Was that the correct area to inspect?

If you use barcodes with CMMS Software or Janitorial Business Software, you can easily answer those questions.  Mobile devices will time stamp inspections and automatically display the exact location & inspection criteria for the Inspector. Whether it is an inspection based on cleanable items in a room or check points for a piece of equipment, mobile devices with barcode capabilities will save inspection time, provide more accurate inspections, and verify inspection performance.

Inventory

Many facilities are affected by limited space, supply shrinkage, and heavy consumption.  Inventory management systems that use barcodes will provide accurate and timely information to assist you in managing those issues.  You will be able to track consumption, understand usage patterns, and better control supply shrinkage problems.

You will have alerts when inventory falls below minimum set points, and be able to track equipment location accurately to stop guessing where it went.

All of this adds up to saving management and labor time, which gives your team time to focus on making money in your facility.