With labor being the most costly expense for most facilities, finding ways to make cleaning your building quicker and easier for your janitorial team is likely a high priority for your business.
Switching to IoT-enabled devices is one way your facility can improve your cleaning program and ensure you get the most out of each cleaning shift.
Though commonly used in the restroom, setting up and using IoT-enabled devices and equipment that are connected to a smart management system will help your building managers achieve a cleaner facility.
In this article, we’ll explore how your facility can implement IoT janitorial technology in your building to achieve the benefits of smart management systems.
What is IoT Technology?
IoT stands for the Internet of Things.
In the cleaning world, IoT refers to the connections that exist between devices and a cloud-based system. These devices are able to wirelessly track data for each connected IoT device and transmit it to a smart management system.
This is done using sensors that are inside of each device to accurately keep track of the amount of product, battery level, and device status.
The IoT-enabled devices you may be able to use in your facility include:
- Dispensers
- Restroom Fixtures
- Cleaning Equipment
- Wearable Fobs
- Etc.
How Can IoT Janitorial Technology Benefit Your Facility?
IoT-enabled devices can enhance the way your cleaning team maintains different areas in your facility. By having access to the data that is collected by IoT-connected devices, you and your cleaning staff can assess your current cleaning program for maximum productivity.
Overall, IoT technology can provide you and your cleaning team with 3 main benefits for your business’ cleaning program:
- Increased Productivity
- Improved Cleaning Procedures
- Enhanced Facility Cleanliness
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY
IoT devices can be used to track the processes and procedures that your staff complete in your facility. Not only will you know how often your cleaning team performs each specific cleaning task, but you will also be able to track also how long it takes.
This will help you understand how your staff spends their cleaning shifts, so you can make adjustments if you notice that a specific task is taking up too much time.
For example, if the amount of time your staff spends on checking your restrooms is affecting their cleaning and disinfecting tasks, you may want to reevaluate how often they check your restrooms.
IMPROVED CLEANING PROCEDURES
An IoT-enabled device will be able to alert you and your cleaning staff to know when an area needs maintenance.
Since these systems also collect information that can be reviewed, your cleaning staff can also look at the patterns of how often a space usually needs to be maintained to schedule that into their cleaning program.
This will also teach you and your staff the best ways to maintain your building without requiring extra work from your staff. Instead of having to stop a cleaning task in order to tend to a complaint from the people in your building, your staff can anticipate what your facility will need.
ENHANCED FACILITY CLEANLINESS
When you know the patterns of the fixtures and equipment in your facility, you can plan the best cleaning schedules for your facility.
This will help your cleaning staff best decide when and how to complete cleaning so that the cleanliness of your facility is maintained even when your dispensers or fixtures need to be checked.
For example, if cleaning your facility’s floors takes an hour with an autonomous IoT floor cleaner, you can set your floor cleaner to run while your staff maintains other areas of your facility.
Where is IoT Used?
IoT technology is commonly used in commercial restrooms to make it easier for your cleaning team to keep up with the maintenance needed in your public bathrooms.
Adding connected dispensers and fixtures can be useful in creating a smart restroom in your building that will help track, monitor, and locate the dispensers and fixtures that may need to be refilled, maintained, or serviced.
You can also use IoT-enabled devices throughout your entire facility to enhance your current cleaning program.
In addition to using enabled devices, IoT technology can also be used in the janitorial equipment that your janitorial staff uses to clean your building. That will enable your staff to complete tasks using newer janitorial technology while also collecting data that will help enhance your cleaning program.
How Should You Implement IoT Technology in Your Building?
Adding technology to your facility can provide you and your facility with multiple benefits.
Implementing IoT technology can be simple. We suggest a few easy changes you can make in your facility in order to implement IoT technology:
- Swap Out Dispensers
- Hand Out IoT Fobs
- Switch to IoT-Enabled Janitorial Equipment
1. SWAP OUT DISPENSERS
IoT dispensers are capable of tracking and helping with dispenser management.
When you make the switch from regular dispensers to IoT-enabled dispensers, you will be able to receive notifications that tell you exactly what your facility needs.
This means that if your janitorial staff is cleaning the floors in your facility and a dispenser in your restroom has low product levels, the system will be able to tell you before the dispenser is empty.
2. HAND OUT IOT FOBS
IoT connected fobs can be worn by your commercial janitorial team to track where they are in your facility and what cleaning task they are performing.
Thes IoT wearables are helpful because if your staff is taking too long cleaning your restrooms when you have an area that needs more intense cleaning, you will be able to see that and adjust the cleaning expectations.
This will help you create the most efficient way for your staff to spend their cleaning shifts.
3. SWITCH TO IOT-ENABLED JANITORIAL EQUIPMENT
IoT cleaning equipment allows your staff to monitor your janitorial equipment during use.
With a piece of janitorial equipment that is connected to a smart management system, you will be able to check the location of the equipment, the maintenance tasks being performed, usage history, and more.
By adding equipment with IoT capabilities, you can better manage your equipment and understand how much time and labor is being saved by using the device to complete cleaning tasks.
For example, if you use an autonomous IoT-connected automatic floor scrubber, you will be able to see what areas it’s cleaned, how long ago, and how long the cleaning task took to complete.
Final Thoughts
IoT-enabled devices can make it easier for you and your cleaning staff to complete cleaning in your facility.
The systems that these devices are connected to collect data that can be used by you and your janitorial team to create the most effective cleaning program for your facility.
You can use IoT-enabled devices, equipment, and product to track and monitor your staff’s productivity during each shift.
Are you interested in including IoT technology in your commercial cleaning routine? Imperial Dade will help you match your business to the best IoT-enabled devices to help you achieve your cleaning goals.
Reach out to a Specialist today for an overview of your cleaning program to find out how IoT-connected devices can help your facility.