Club Clean Services: Securing New Clients With Workforce Management and Location Tracking Software
After securing a high-profile client that valued technology in their specialized cleaning contractor, Club Clean Services needed a workforce management and location tracking solution that would keep up. From gaining visibility on and engaging with their workforce, to ensuring adherence to the latest compliance needs, TEAM Software’s Lighthouse solution rose to the occasion.
Club Clean Services, a New South Wales, Australia-based specialty hospitality cleaning company, knows technology is key to a cleaning business’ future success. So, when the company secured a tender for one of the largest clubs in Australia, Club Clean owner and managing director Brent Raper knew they needed a high-quality, industry-specific software solution.
Plus, any workforce management technology solution Club Clean invested in would have to act as a one-stop-shop, helping to address communication, compliance, and employee and customer engagement needs. “We go the extra mile for our clients,” Raper said. “We needed our technology partner to do the same. When we’re getting the most out of our tech, we’re getting the most out of our operations, which means we can pass on all of that added value to our customers.”
Over 95% of Club Clean’s approximate 60+ person workforce are cleaners in the field. As Club Clean services clients in the specialty hospitality and gaming industry — primarily pubs, hotels and casinos — cleaners are needed 24/7. With its distributed workforce constantly working at various job sites, Club Clean first needed a technology solution that could provide visibility on field-based operations and track cleaners to help identify patterns in order to improve on service delivery to clients. The Lighthouse solution from TEAM Software uses proximity technology, including beacons, to deliver continuous location tracking solution benefits to companies like Club Clean.
A beacon is a small, wireless device that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to broadcast signals. Mobile apps, like Lighthouse, on compatible devices detect signals emitted from beacons, and the apps notify when the device enters or exits the beacon’s range. Through this kind of location-tracking technology, Club Clean’s able to monitor cleaners in real-time as they complete cleaning rotations. Lighthouse also helps Club Clean collect enough data from job sites and task completions to identify patterns in cleaners’ day-to-day work.
“Most of our job sites are extremely high-traffic,” said Raper. “Within any one site, there can be multiple sets of toilets [or restrooms] that need to be maintained and serviced. In reality, they don’t all necessarily need to be serviced at the same frequency — some may need more depending on traffic and usage. Through Lighthouse’s location tracking solutions, we’re able to assign tasks to our cleaners after each round of service. From there, we’re better able to forecast when and where our cleaners will be needed next.” Lighthouse doesn’t just help Club Clean gain greater visibility over its workforce, however. It also helps maintain compliance with government legislation for regular inspections and cleaning to ensure safety. For example, Strong v Woolworths Ltd t/as Big W explored a case where the appellate claimed a significant amount of damages, pre-appeal, from the defendant, a large grocery shopping center.
The judge in this case ruled that there was negligence on the part of the defendant and that regular inspection and removal of potential slipping hazards needed to occur in intervals of 20 minutes at a minimum. Combined with strict regulations by Operational Health and Safety (OH&S), contract cleaning companies are subject to strict guidelines to ensure a safe environment for citizens. To reduce liability and risk against claims related to slip and fall incidents, Club Clean adopted 20-minute inspection intervals as a benchmark in their own cleaning practices, and Lighthouse provides this proof of service frequency. Club Clean can ensure that toilets accessible 24/7 are inspected and serviced at 20-minute intervals, sometimes more, depending on data provided through location-tracking technology.
Lighthouse also helps keep Club Clean connected to its workforce. All cleaners use the mobile app daily and sign off on tasks after every shift. Club Clean is in the process of setting up exceptions that can trigger alerts so managers can assign follow -up actions if a task isn’t completed, which helps ensure cleaner accountability. Because of Lighthouse’s user-friendly interface, Club Clean’s field workers were able to learn new, technology driven processes quickly and efficiently, ensuring there wasn’t any wasted time during software implementation. Messaging functionalities also offer a direct line of communication from the cleaner to the manager to the client to help keep the client informed and engaged so they know what’s happening on site daily.
Overall, Raper feels like the software was built specifically for his business – because it was.
“The Lighthouse software as a whole is perfect. It’s not too little, not too much. It’s really manageable and well-balanced. In an industry where so much of our competition are still operating from pencil and paper systems, it really helps us stand out as we approach new tenders.”