Over the past few years, mobile technology has had a significant impact on the janitorial industry, allowing for increased efficiency and productivity. Picture this scenario: The cleaning crew arrives on site and walks to the break room to clock in. After small talk, they disperse to their assigned areas to begin cleaning. One employee sees water running from under the bathroom door. After a quick inspection, she walks back to the break room to use the phone to try to call the manager.

When cleaners are connected with a mobile app, this potentially damaging and time consuming situation has a completely different outcome. 

The cleaner arrives on site and clocks in using the Swept app on her phone. She goes right to work and sees water running from under the bathroom door. Immediately, she uses her phone and the Swept app to direct message her manager about the issue. She takes a picture so her manager can advise her how to proceed.  The supply closet is well stocked, so she has what she needs to to clean the mess, and even before her manager arrives on site, she has placed the order for additional supplies using her mobile phone. And now that picture she sent can be used by the Manager to explain the problem and the solution to their client.  

Time, money, resources and potentially a customer are all saved because the employee had the tools to work and communicate quickly . While mobile phones are incredibly convenient,  they have a particular role to play in the janitorial industry. The nature of this work is somewhat isolated, often spread out throughout a building, and mostly located in individual buildings across a community. Being mobile is not only convenient but also essential in this model of work.

Now more than ever, technology is critical for expense and time management  to run a janitorial business. How can this help a company’s bottom line? Here are five factors worth considering.

Sleep better when your team has everything they need

You want to sleep at night knowing your cleaners have all of the instructions, supplies, and checklists they need to deliver on the standards of clean you promised your customer.  You also want to know when shifts are missed or cleaners are late for any reason.  Connecting your employees to your business on a mobile app creates accountability and peace of mind.  

Cleaners Can Communicate on the Spot

Whether it is a flooded sink or a broken vacuum, cleaners can report issues as they happen using  their mobile device. Swept provides a seamless solution for instant communication enabling  janitors to communicate with their supervisors and coworkers in real-time, allowing for quick resolution of any issues that may arise on the job. 

With Swept, cleaning staff also have the ability to snap a picture with their phone to send to the manager so the entire scope of the issue can be known instantly. With mobile technology in hand, managers can react quickly to real emergencies and allow other, less pressing matters to wait.

Remote Cleaner Supervision Is Possible

Nothing beats having boots on the ground and interacting with employees in a face-to-face setting, but as janitorial companies scale their growth, this isn’t practical or possible. Managers can monitor attendance, tardiness, and staff needs from a distance, if necessary. As this model of management becomes more widespread, the tools used to communicate with workers become even more important. As stated in the Harvard Business Review, one tool that managers need is the ability to have impromptu communication with employees . Swept offers a variety of communication streams to meet your company's needs - whether you need to speak to an employee directly, want to communicate out a new process to a select few employees or need to blast a communication to a location - Swept has your back.

Not Only Do Cleaners Save Time But Managers Do Too

Instead of a constant barrage of voicemails and texts about supplies that need to be ordered, a mobile app for cleaners in the field  allows this communication to happen quickly and efficiently. Larger companies have been doing this for years on a large scale. Janitorial companies can take a similar approach on a micro level. Because cleaning crews are spread out and working somewhat unusual hours, the feedback loop of communication to the manager is critical. The opportunity for feedback needs to be available around the clock and anywhere that the employees might be working, which is only possible with a mobile solution.

Mobile Devices allow for real-time changes

Other business models have figured out how well this works. From getting a haircut to getting a driver’s license, scheduling apps can save time for everyone involved. The same is true for those in janitorial cleaning. The needs of businesses might change with the season , and the needs of the employees might change too. This flexibility in real-time scheduling provides efficiency for everyone, as cleaners will be notified directly on their mobile devices, when there has been a change to a shift.

When other industries have gone “mobile,” they have seen a significant impact on productivity and profits. Management through a mobile device is easy with Swept and one of the best ways to increase customer satisfaction while improving the bottom line. Problems are reported more quickly, communication and feedback are more seamless, and the bottom line is improved for the contracting companies. Everyone wins when janitorial cleaning uses mobile technology.

What’s coming next?

We are so proud of the Swept+ app that serves your company and employees daily. Our next step is evolving  the Manager app that brings the core functionality from the web app, to mobile. Adopting a mobile first approach will allow us to help you better deliver experiences to your customers and drive business growth.

Swept helps janitorial operators achieve scalable business growth, improve their work/life balance, and spend less time managing cleaners and more time focusing on important business goals.

To learn how we can help you, schedule a free demo with our team today!