In this week’s guest blog, we are pleased to welcome Jon Pratten from CorSolv, an IT consultancy company, who works to integrate cleaning technology into businesses. Read on to find out how the integration of technology is transforming the industry and his thoughts on how companies can make the best use of it.

In the not-so-distant past, our imaginations soared beyond the mundane. We dreamed of a world where robots would seamlessly glide through our lives, easing our burdens and transforming our daily routines. Today, that vision – and many other exciting technological innovations – are becoming a reality, especially in the realm of cleaning.

Robotic cleaners are being employed, not only in the home, but in much larger areas, like offices, shopping centres and airports. Internet of Things (IoT) technology is tracking a multitude of variables, including humidity, temperature, footfall, doors opening and closing, and much more. We’re starting to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) more to understand data.

There’s a whole raft of different technologies out there – and there’s immense pressure to embrace it all. I often hear customers focusing on that alone, saying ‘Oh, we need to get this’, ‘we need to get that’, or ‘well, this company does this and they do that…’. But in reality, there is no point in having technology for the sake of it.

I advise my clients to take a step back and think about what they are trying to achieve. Don’t get hung up on the technology itself. First identify the question or issue you are trying to solve, understand the quality of cleaning that you want to provide and the experience you want to give to the people who are using the building.

We can then look at the innovations that will provide the best solution, because not all technology is suitable for every setting. For example, having robots moving about some spaces is fine, in other environments it’s an absolute no no! We also have to consider how it will impact the frontline workforce, the overall performance, and of course, the budget implications.

One particular area, in which technology is making strides, is helping cleaning businesses determine where to allocate their resources, and how to use them most efficiently. Consider the monitoring of washrooms.  Footfall sensors are incredibly useful in washrooms, which typically have a high volume of traffic. By providing data, companies have insights into which areas need higher frequency cleaning, and those that require less and can use this to drive changes in the cleaning schedule. It might be that the disabled toilets get used on a one in 100 frequency, for example.

Artificial intelligence is another huge area for the industry in the future and I predict it will pick up from where sensors and monitoring finish. Going forward, it will collect all the footfall and washroom data, as well as all the details from other tech employed. This would then be supplemented with other information. like inspections from cleaning managers or supervisors, to build a model and a pattern of what’s happening within a building or space over time. This will be used to predict trends, which in turn, will inform the cleaning schedules. We just need to ensure that it’s applied correctly in the right environment.

I’m all for bringing the right tech to the building, but we still need to have decision makers on the ground, because a live environment is just that, with real world experiences and AI is not always accurate. Despite the leaps and bounds in technology, I don’t think we’ll ever get to the point where there is complete autonomy.

There’s always an automatic assumption that tech-driven solutions are expensive, and this is a critical factor when deciding whether to invest in a particular innovation. Find an organisation that you trust, that understands your business, and wants to do what is right for it. Businesses don’t need to throw enormous sums of money at technology. The smart thing is to work with your IT consultancy and test what works. For example, pilot it, do a proof of concept, and try it on a smaller scale as a ‘test and learn’.

Similarly, clients need to decide how far they want to go. Take this scenario as an example. A washroom can have sensors for the soap, toilet paper, hand towels etc. If there are 20 sensors in one washroom, in a building with 20 floors but there are only two janitors, what do they do if they all start going off in different directions? What is the priority? There has to be common sense applied along with the technology – installing sensors just for the sake of having them serves little purpose. Our recommendation here would be to employ footfall detection to understand how many people go into the washroom. By starting small, with just footfall, costs can be kept low.

So, in our quest to be technologically progressive, let’s not lose sight of purpose. Be pragmatic and always consider what problem needs solving. Let’s not chase solutions in search of problems. Instead, focus on outcomes and remember, tech isn’t an end – it’s a means. Trust those who understand your business, test, pilot, and adapt.

Tune into to episode three of Keep it Clean, a podcast from Jangro, to hear Jon and Ross Osborne, Sustainability and Innovations Director here at Jangro, talk more about the fusion of technology in cleaning.

For more information about CorSolv, visit https://www.corsolv.com/.

More blogs filled with other voices in the industry are coming soon.