Like a game of Whack-a-Mole, challenges in the janitorial industry can pop up quickly and randomly. One issue might pop up and need immediate attention. As soon as that problem is resolved, another issue pops up—and then another after that. This can make janitorial managers feel like they are spinning in circles and running themselves ragged.
When janitorial managers have a stable center, they can pivot instead of spinning out of control. There is one way of creating that stability that provides order and structure in the janitorial business: it’s called janitorial software.
Janitorial software solutions such as Swept allow for a pivot anytime that one is needed. Sometimes in the janitorial business, the pivot needs to be quick: an emergency comes up and needs addressed right away. At other times, a longer-term solution to save time and money is needed. These challenges can be solved with software, which gives you control and helps you move efficiently and seamlessly from one situation to the next.
In the janitorial industry, needs come from many different places and have differing levels of importance. Handling the essential issues first while not ignoring the small ones is a time management struggle. By having management tools in one place, you can quickly pivot as these challenges come up. Practically speaking, investment is needed to create this type of efficient structure. But for many clients,it pays off via a great return.
Employees are the most dynamic piece of all the various needs in the janitorial business. Challenges come from all different kinds of places: training, language barriers, reliability, and human resource issues, just to name a few. The unifying theme that can help address all of these factors is communication. Good communication is the number-one issue when dealing with remote employees. Janitorial software creates a platform of communication for training protocols, translation services, and consistent communication channels that are needed to get the job done.
These pivots can be lost in the details, but supply ordering can become almost automatic with the right tools. Many industries over the past decade have moved to just-in-time inventory support. This solution makes sense in the janitorial business. Ensuring that suppliers are reliable is a critical step in the process, but once that piece is in place, the system can run like clockwork. Only small pivots are needed if high-quality, integrated janitorial software is in place to empower cleaners and managers to order as needed.
As the challenges of a daily shift pop up, it can be easy to overlook the most crucial aspect of the process: the customer. Clients need regular data to show that janitorial services are meeting expectations and that everything is being cleaned and sanitized at the highest standard. Additionally, clients need direct and consistent communication about the status of projects. Through direct client messaging and streamlined data reports, customer service moves to another level of personalization and addresses both issues. Through this feedback and customer satisfaction ratings, managers can ensure a quality product again and again.
Spinning in circles creates disorientation and leaves you dizzy. But with a solid janitorial management software as your base, you can pivot quickly and meet any challenge head-on. With the right tools in your tool belt, such as integrated janitorial software, you can focus and respond efficiently and strategically to any issue. As a result, you can stay in control of what matters and get a great return on your investment.
Swept helps janitorial company operators achieve scalable business growth, improve their work/life balance, and spend less time managing cleaners and more time focusing on important business goals.