Frederick Winslow Taylor's ideals of systemization and standardization, developed in the early 1900's, are revolutionizing today's cleaning industry. More and more, contractors and cleaning managers are streamlining cleaning processes through systematized methods and standardized products and equipment.
John Walker, a principal with ManageMen, Inc. and founder of Janitor University, Salt Lake City, Utah, is a champion of Taylor's "one best way" approach in his (OS1) program. "There are a million wrong ways and one best way to clean a building," he says. "The best way is a faster, cheaper, easier, healthier, safer way of attaining desired results."
Finding the one best way to clean means analyzing the facility's needs and the tasks involved in meeting those needs. It means assessing method and equipment options and available workforce and then putting it all together in a systematic cleaning program that runs like a finely crafted watch.
Conducting a Needs Analysis
Just as every wheel in a watch performs a specific integrated function, so must every segment of a viable cleaning program. By designing a plan, selecting the finest parts and fitting them all together in synchronized fashion, the watchmaker creates an accurate timepiece. Finding the one best way to clean begins much the same way - with a carefully devised plan.
A needs analysis, including the desired level of clean and the frequency of cleaning necessary to reach that level, can serve as the groundwork for such a plan. This often keys on the building's use, traffic flow and outside influences such as weather conditions. For example, malls and retail facilities may demand a near-flawless appearance. Those that are open 24 hours a day require round-the-clock policing in addition to routine vacuuming, dusting, trash removal and hard floor care. Sometimes the cleaning process is hampered by adverse weather conditions such as winter snowstorms. Tracked-in water and ice-melt chemicals can be detrimental to carpet and hard floor finishes.
Schools and universities require daily clean-up of classrooms and common areas, daily disinfecting of desk tops, water fountains and doorknobs, and more frequent restroom cleaning. Medical facilities and hospitals must be cleaned on an as-needed basis (many areas more than once a day) and require stringent disinfecting procedures. In contrast, garages and bodyshops are basically concerned with grease and grime clean-up to prevent slip/fall injuries.
A thorough needs analysis should include any special needs the building may have. In addition to routine cleaning and monitoring, are there other tasks, such as window cleaning, that will need to be performed?
What are the budget constraints? A clear understanding of the building's needs in relation to budget allows cleaning managers to develop a plan that works - for both the customer and the cleaning operation.
Identifying and Timing Tasks
Finding the one best way to clean means identifying the tasks that will achieve desired results and how much time is needed to complete each of those tasks.
Frederick Taylor's system of scientific management hinged on "getting the most exact information regarding the time required to perform each smallest element of the operation... so the quickest elements and motions may be selected..." More and more, this same approach is being applied in the cleaning industry. Such information not only aids in product and equipment selection, but allows cleaning managers to determine how long it will take to finish the job and how many workers are needed.
Standardized task and timing benchmarks, such as those published in the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) publication, “447 Cleaning Times” compiled by ManageMen’s John Walker can help. For example, these figures demonstrate that a typical classroom can be vacuumed in 7.5 minutes, using specific methods and equipment.
Confirmation of the validity and practicality of that data continues to come from the field, according to Dave Petersen, former assistant director of plant operations of Fairfax County Schools, Fairfax, Virginia.
"By doing time studies, we determined how long it took to vacuum a classroom,” said Peterson. “We put a supervisor and a vacuum specialist in a room and we timed it. We came out with an average of about 7.5 minutes to vacuum a room.”
Time Saving Practices
According to Peterson, upon entering the room, the vacuum specialist looks for the closest outlet in which to plug the vacuum cleaner's cord. Time is saved if the outlet has already been marked with a small colored dot and the specialist doesn't have to search for it. He/she then checks the trash can to make sure the trash has been emptied and the liner replaced (In Team Cleaning programs, the trash is emptied by the light duty specialist who performs his or her tasks immediately before the vacuum specialist). The specialist vacuums using a backpack, using a side-to-side sweeping motion, as in mopping, and a to and fro motion as with an upright vacuum, depending on the area and level of obstruction. The lightweight wand and swivel tool enable access to corners and hard-to-reach spots. When finished, he/she replaces any furniture that was moved, turns out the light and locks the door as needed. No matter what kind of building is being cleaned, the method is always the same.
Considering Method and Equipment Options
"Best way" cleaning means utilizing the most efficient methods and tools available. Team Cleaning, a method in which a team of four cross-trained "specialists" systematically move through a building, completing tasks in record time, has become a "best way" vehicle. Because each specialist focuses on one or two tasks, a superior level of clean is achieved in less time, at less cost than before. Fewer pieces of equipment are needed, and training workers to properly care for equipment reduces capital spending and maintenance costs.
Standardized equipment and cleaning products result in increased efficiency, reduced costs and healthier buildings. For example, some cleaning managers believe specially-designed toilet brushes work better than typical bowl swabs and are more sanitary because they dry faster. Ergonomically-designed backpack vacuums enable workers to cover more area faster and contribute to improved air quality while reducing worker fatigue. Special dusting sleeves grab dust without pushing it around, improving air quality, and pre-measured packets of cleaning chemicals eliminate waste and guesswork in mixing. Roll-about bins allow workers to collect all trash and recyclables before removing them from the building, and ride-on equipment for large area cleaning, such as airport and stadium concourses, saves time and energy.
Are there other benefits? ”Time gained through more proficient cleaning methods in a system approach can be redirected toward special projects such as deep cleaning or refinishing floors,” says Walker. “The result is a cleaner overall facility that meets both budgetary and safety requirements.”
Eliminating Wasted Steps
Statistics gathered by ManageMen show that workers spend at least 15 minutes, and sometimes much more, per eight-hour-shift walking back and forth to the supply closet, removing trash from the building, etc. Developing efficient workflow patterns, using standardized products and equipment, and equipping workers with all the tools and products needed for the entire shift eliminates wasted motion.
“Creating a precise road map of the cleaning route and job cards that define the workflow, tasks and times is crucial,” says Walker.
Peterson concurs: "Laminated instruction cards, translated as needed, told workers exactly what they were supposed to do, how they were supposed to do it and how long the work was supposed to take. They cleaned the same route, the same way every night, and the same systematic procedures could be applied to almost any building. We could find our workers at all times and we could do spot checks anywhere along the way to make sure they were doing what they were supposed to."
With this method, supervision is easier. Since workers double check each other, the supervisor needs only to spot check representative areas. If these areas are clean, he/she can be assured the whole building is clean because the work is generally being conducted the same way throughout. Any problems are quickly recognized and solved through training.
Working With the Workforce
Building commitment among workers increases productivity and reduces absenteeism and turnover. Involving them in the planning process, giving them a chance to share ideas and opinions, and providing incentives, such as recognition for a job well done boosts morale. Workers who feel good about what they're doing are more likely to do a better job and less likely to leave their positions.
Selecting the right people to do the work is another key element. Frederick Taylor strongly believed that some individuals were better suited than others for performing certain tasks. For example, a man who loaded pig iron or shoveled coal needed more physical strength than a molder or machinist. Many cleaning managers today hold similar beliefs - those with an eye for detail make better dusters while others, with leadership qualities, make better supervisors. Assigning workers tasks for which they are best suited or permitting them to choose their own positions improves productivity and boosts morale while lowering absenteeism and turnover.
Workers also have special needs. Today's workforce is an international melting pot and translating verbal and written instructions during training and beyond helps bridge cultural and language differences.
Petersen translated materials at Fairfax Schools into three different languages - Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese. He cites an incident in which a Korean woman, working as a restroom specialist, was somewhat confused about the way she was performing her work. After she was given translated instructions, she exclaimed, "Oh! Now I understand!"
Sometimes cleaning managers are faced with the challenge of retraining. For instance, a school may choose to outsource its cleaning program, while retaining its current custodial staff. People who have done the same job the same way for years are often resistant to any kind of change, particularly if the change occurs too quickly. Walker points out that giving workers time to adjust and supplying one-on-one assistance during training and beyond provides reassurance. "Cleaning managers need to build consensus, convincing workers that learning new methods will make them more productive and more hirable."
Training is crucial to attaining desired results. "Most cleaning workers receive 'Here's your keys' training," John Walker says. "'Here's your keys, here's your building, we'll see you in an hour or a day, or a month, and we hope you'll do well.' There's a better way to train."
He suggests beginning with a video that clearly explains the methods and concepts the cleaning manager wants to get across. Later, alongside a "trainer," workers can learn to perform, in the healthiest, simplest, fastest, most effective way, any and all cleaning tasks on every surface they may encounter. They should then be given time to perfect their skills before being placed on a jobsite.
Putting it All Together
Finding the one best way to clean is an endeavor of continuous quality improvement. A well-developed cleaning strategy identifies the facility's needs, the tasks involved in meeting those needs, and the workforce, methods, tools and training that will get the job done in the best way possible.
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