Dive Brief:
- Infogrid announced that it has introduced a technology solution intended to make commercial cleaning more proactive, efficient and sustainable.
- Smart Cleaning Pro combines Internet of Things sensors, wearable devices and cloud-based software to provide real-time data and identify when cleaning is required, directing cleaners to spaces that need attention, according to a news release Tuesday.
- Cleaners can also identify high-occupancy areas and automatically log attendance at a cleaning site using Smart Cleaning Pro’s management platform to monitor and validate service delivery, the company said.
Dive Insight:
Labor shortages, compounded by an aging workforce and early retirements, have left many facilities management teams understaffed, according to JLL Technologies’ 2024 outlook. Of the 1,025 commercial cleaners surveyed by field service management firm Aspire last year, 61% identified staffing challenges as the biggest risk to reaching their goals in 2024, with 92% of contractors interviewed saying they use software to run their business and 28% citing plans to further invest in technology in 2024.
Meanwhile, growing vacancies, rising operating costs and increasing volatility in space usage, exacerbated by evolving hybrid workplace models, are intensifying the long-standing issue of aligning facilities management and cleaning services with building usage, Infogrid said in the release.
Smart Cleaning Pro leverages an interactive system of wearable devices and LED wayfinding to indicate areas that need cleaning and guide cleaning teams through buildings, per the release. The hardware detects the presence of a wearable fob and indicates the cleaning status of a space by flashing different colors that signal low- or high-occupant usage and the need for cleaning, Infogrid said.
The tool is embedded with sensors that can detect when cleaners are servicing a space. It can also automatically make a note when that space has been cleaned, close cleaning tasks and create a digital audit trail that can help validate that jobs are done well, removing the need for cleaners to log into software or apps, the release said.
Additionally, it offers “at-a-glance maps” to visualize daily and weekly space usage, providing insights that users can harness to inform contract discussions and get a deeper understanding of occupancy patterns and cleaning needs, the company said. By capturing real-time space usage data and analyzing space usage needs, the Smart Cleaning Pro helps cleaning managers proactively adjust schedules, allocate resources and tailor operations to specific areas, per the release.
Infogrid, headquartered in London, has operations across North America, Europe and Asia. The company, which is building a network of facilities managers, landlords and systems integrators, says its global partners include JLL, CBRE, ABM Facility Solutions, VergeSense and Butlr, according to its website.
"At Infogrid, we recognize the crucial role that cleaning plays in maintaining healthy and productive commercial spaces," Infogrid CEO Kate Henningsen said in the release. "Smart Cleaning Pro is the culmination of years of industry collaboration and concerted research and development. We are proud to introduce a completely new and reimagined solution that enables customers to operate more efficiently and sustainably – and with greater insight and visibility – all of which represent the future of the industry.”
Robotic integration solutions firm SoftBank Robotics Group, which operates across 10 countries, is offering the Smart Cleaning Pro as part of its SmartBX solution, which uses AI, IoT, robotics and automation to deliver cleaning solutions, Jesper Christensen, vice president of product management and customer success sales and marketing EMEA at Softbank Robotics, said in a statement.
“By harnessing the power of data and technology, we believe that cleaning operations can not only become more precise and efficient but also more sustainable and customer-centric, ultimately leading to healthier, cleaner, and more productive spaces,” Christensen said.
