Robotic cleaning machines can help forward thinking companies leverage technology to improve efficiencies. Tennant ANZ is ready to lead the way locally with its T7AMR solution.
Robotics and automation are changing the way businesses operate – from the way goods are manufactured and distributed, to the way people work and the kinds of jobs they do. As technologies evolve, they typically become more affordable, more advanced, and more universal. This is especially true of robots. Today’s sophisticated robots are used in more ways than ever – and their growth is accelerating. Increasingly, companies of all kinds are recognising the impact robotics and innovation can have on making their businesses – and employees – more productive and efficient. Any industry that can redeploy labour in their operations can potentially gain a significant advantage by leverage the power of robotic machines. Robotics can also help companies become more competitive. This is particularly important for small-to-medium sized businesses and BSCs. The added boost to productivity and efficiency helps these smaller companies compete on a larger scale, or where the labor market is tighter. Automation helps large companies compete – giving them an edge by giving their customers a better overall experience.
Robotic cleaning machines
Robotic cleaning machines offer many practical advantages to both facility managers and BSCs – from increasing productivity, to improving consistency of clean, with less maintenance costs from minimal human operator error. Robots can also play a role in making work environments safer by reducing accidents and mistakes due to human error. Overnight cleaning crews, for example, can get tired and make mistakes in judgment or lose focus. This smarter cleaning can lead to accidents and damaged equipment, structures, or products. Some of these mistakes can be costly. Robotic cleaning machines, on the other hand, are programmed to be reliable and consistent. Many have built-in safety features that protect against accidents, whether they’re used independently of, or collaboratively with, human workers. Through the use of sensors, lasers, and cameras, robots limit the exposure to damage. Many of today’s robotic cleaning machines offer the latest in sustainable cleaning solutions, technologies, and equipment — just like their non-robotic counterparts. Tennant’s machines, for example, minimise environmental impact in seven key categories including energy, CO2 emissions, ozone, smog, acid, eutrophication, and particulates. Not only is this great for the environment, but it’s cost effective, too. Today’s machines require less water and fewer chemicals—saving money on supplies while reducing downtime, thereby making cleaning crews more productive. This can help companies increase their bottom line and help BCSs in particular gain a competitive advantage in the market.
The benefits to employees
The cleaning industry is known for high turnover. The jobs aren’t very glamorous and workers sometimes do it on a temporary basis in between other jobs. What’s more, the current labour market is very tight and some face compliance challenges in Australia, such as ensuring correct award requirements are met. Unemployment is at the lowest levels in decades and employers are struggling to fill positions. To remedy these current challenges, robotics offers several benefits that could help retain and attract employees. First, robotics can aid employee retention by improving job satisfaction, performance, and overall work quality. The high-tech equipment training involved enhances workers’ skills, which can make them feel more valued and help them become more desirable employees (while expanding their career opportunities). Robotic cleaning machines can also help companies repurpose existing workers. With less of their time spent doing rote, repetitive tasks, employees have more time to focus on other cleaning tasks like cleaning windows, bathrooms, stocking, emptying trash, etc.— ones that require a human to perform. Freeing workers up also creates the potential for them to interact with customers, upsell products, or get trained to do tasks that have a more direct impact on a company’s earnings. For companies having trouble filling positions, robotic cleaning machines can help by enabling current employees to accomplish more in less time, allowing fewer workers to accomplish the work of a larger crew. And when it comes to attracting prospective employees, robotics brings a leading-edge perception with it that’s attractive to those interested in working for a forward thinking company. Embracing robotics creates the perception that a company is a better place to work, and one that values innovation. This can give a company a leg-up on the competition when it comes to attracting workers.
Data-driven cleaning
Data tracking is increasingly important and widespread across business, technology, and life in general – from sales data, to financial data, to GPS data, to health data, and much more. The way to optimise your process for best results is to know where you are, measure it against where you want to be, and then use the data to make adjustments. For facility managers, the need to work more efficiently and effectively is always important as managers are continuously looking to improve processes, increase sustainable practices, and streamline operations. For BSCs and facility managers looking to maximise their performance with minimal investment, data tracking is an excellent solution.
Choosing robotic cleaning machines with data reporting technology gives fleet managers greater insight into cleaning performance, enabling them to optimize their cleaning performance and track key performance indicators with dashboard reporting and alerts. This can help companies increase efficiency, reduce expenses, maximize operation time and fleet size, ensure health and safety, make fewer errors, and identify areas for improvement. For BSCs, the proof of service report and other powerful asset management solutions can be compelling differentiators to provide extra value for their existing customers and win new business. For facility managers, it empowers them to optimize their resources and operate more efficiently, maximising budgets as well as performance results. While usage data provides an instant snapshot of fleet performance, the true potential of the technology lies in the many ways operators can leverage the data to develop new insights, identify opportunities, and improve their results.