INCLEAN NZ - May 2020 by INCLEAN powered by ISSA

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May 2020

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Editor’s letter

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elcome to the first digital-only edition of INCLEAN NZ magazine. Like many, we have had to adapt during the lockdown as we all continue to face unprecedented times. COVID-19 has created enormous concern and uncertainty for all sectors, the commercial cleaning industry being no exception, with the full impacts on businesses and individuals still unknown. Many major industry events have also been cancelled or postponed including Clean NZ. This event, which was scheduled to take place later this year, will be held on 15-16 September 2021 at the Ellerslie Events Centre in Auckland. The ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo will also now take place on 22-23 March 2021. In the interim, and ahead of our region’s cold and flu season, ISSA will host a virtual conference for Australia and New Zealand. This online conference will provide critical advice and insights from industry experts on how to protect occupant health during COVID-19. While we are all currently in unchartered territory, one constant that does remain is the importance of proper and effective cleaning. This global pandemic has reinforced the essential role of cleaners. Often the ‘invisible workforce’ cleaners have been vital in preventing and mitigating the spread of coronavirus. In this issue, we examine how the local industry is adapting to the ‘new normal’ following the nationwide lockdown and how the sector is preparing for the postcoronavirus bounce back. The lockdown has also led many businesses to rethink their business models, with many becoming digital workplaces. During this time, some companies have adopted online training. In this issue, we look at why now is the time to understand the multiple types of online learning programs that exist and how to effectively use them in your business. Also in this edition, Dr Greg Whiteley discusses why contaminated flooring is a more critical issue than some might think, while Dr Melissa Marot shares some tips for protecting mental health and wellbeing during times of stress. As the sector’s trade magazine, we are focused on keeping the industry connected and supporting our readers through this challenging time. If you have a positive news story to share please get in touch by emailing the team at info@incleanmag.co.nz Happy reading,

Claire Hibbit Managing Editor

FOR MORE INDUSTRY NEWS FOLLOW US ON

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What’s on 2020 Budapest Cleaning Show 14-15 October 2020

The exhibition is hosted by the Hungarian Cleaning Technology Association www.budapestcleaningshow.hu/en

Forum Pulire 2020 13-14 October

The event will be held in PalazzoRegione Lombardia, a prestigious venue in central Milan. www.issapulirenetwork.com

Thank Your Cleaner Day

ENEWS SIGN UP ››

21 October 2020

A New Zealand-based social initiative to recognise cleaners. www.thankyourcleanerday.com

MOST CLICKED

ISSA North America 26-29 October 2020

Chicago will play host to ISSA North America, the top event for professionals in the cleaning industry.

Interclean Amsterdam 3-6 November 2020 Interclean is the world’s leading platform for cleaning and hygiene professionals. www.intercleanshow.com

2021

23-24 MARCH 2021 SYDNEY

ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo 23-24 March 2021

The premier trade event for Australia’s cleaning and hygiene industry will take place at ICC Sydney. www.issacleaninghygieneexpo.com

Safety in Action Conference

www.incleanmag.co.nz

BSCNZ seeks clarity on ‘essential services’ amid lockdown

Interclean Amsterdam sets new date

Industry association lobbies for further clarity on sector’s position within ‘essential services’ during Level 4 lockdown.

Event organiser announces new dates for Interclean Amsterdam 2020.

›› Read it here

Govt wage subsidy supports 1 million workers More than 40 per cent of New Zealand’s workforce now supported by wage subsidy scheme. ›› Read it here

New CEO for Winc Australia, OfficeMax New Zealand Former Blackwoods chief to lead Winc Australia and OfficeMax New Zealand.

›› Read it here

Minimum wage rises despite calls to delay increase Wage rise draws mixed reactions. ›› Read it here

RIA postpones Australasian Restoration Conference & Tradeshow Restoration Industry Association to reschedule 2020 Australasian Restoration Conference & Tradeshow. ›› Read it here

›› Read it here

23-24 March 2021

The leading safety event will be co-located with the ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo. www.safetyinaction.net.au

Wed 15 - Thu 16 September 2021 Clean NZEllerslie Racecourse, Auckland, New Zealand Newmarket Room,

15 -16 September 2021

New Zealand’s only dedicated trade event for the commercial cleaning industry. www.cleannzexpo.co.nz 4 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

ON THE COVER: The Rapid Group is focused on offering excellent service levels, great products and honest advice at a cost-effective price. RapidClean has 12 stores throughout New Zealand, which are owned and managed by cleaning supply experts who offer a wide range of cleaning, packaging, catering and safety products. RapidClean and Cottonsoft’s successful partnership continues into 2020 with the ongoing supply of LIVI brand tissue and hygiene products. Read more from page 16.

IN THIS ISSUE MAY 2020

ISSUE #2

Features

08 Leading the way 20 Frontline fight 24 Online learning – the new normal? 28 Leadership in the time of COVID-19 32 Flooring and superbugs 36 How distributors should prepare for the bounce back 40 Benchmarking for sustainability 44 Flying into restoration sites

Regulars

03 Editor’s letter 12 Industry 16 Cover story 44 Restoration 52 Opinion 60 Products

24 www.incleanmag.co.nz 5

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Kärcher New Zealand – stronger than ever During these turbulent times we at Kärcher New Zealand felt it an opportune time to relay a bit more about us. A global organisation bringing leading edge cleaning technology to the local market. So, how do we provide end-user customers and our dealer partners support and continuity?

Logistics In 2019 Kärcher moved a major portion of home and garden product’s distribution and storage to its 3PL provider Rohlig NZ. Our professional commercial product remains at our national head office warehouse and Kärcher Centre. We have an abundance of stock in most product categories thanks to the fine work of our supply chain and demand planners. Walk in customers can touch and feel the products and seek professional advice from our showroom team at any one of our four centers in Hamilton, Wellington and our cutting-edge site in Christchurch. Supporting all regions in NZ, Kärcher’s national sales and service network comprises of our four Kärcher Centers.

Sales support We have six regionally-based professional sales team members who are fully mobile to support our direct end users and the dealer network offering access to product knowledge, undertake site

assessments (to ensure the correct product is presented for the job), demonstrations and training in conjunction with independent dealers, such as Jasco Distribution, The Service Co Cleaning Systems and Arnold Products, as well as national merchants such as New Zealand Safety Blackwoods, OfficeMax, Net Express, Farm Source and Repco. We are also moving with the times. For distance selling we have sales videos and an informative website to enable buying remote decisions - saving time and resources.

Products At our core is cleaning. Cleaning equipment such as steam generators/steam vacuums, dust reducing vacuum sweepers, a full range of scrubber driers and water blasters all available for both for commercial and home environments. As the adage says, ‘One hand washes the other’. We, the team at Kärcher, will support NZ now and into the future all you need to do is simply reach out. Look forward to seeing you soon.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern thanks cleaners during lockdown Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has thanked the work of cleaners during the nationwide lockdown. At her daily media briefing, Ardern said cleaners will play an essential role as businesses and workplaces prepare to re-open following the move to alert level three from next week. “Today my thanks and appreciation goes to our cleaners,” Ardern said. “I’ve had many letters outlining their essential work during lockdown

alert level four, such as from another essential business, a meat processor, crediting their cleaners as a core part of their success in continuing to move products around the country for New Zealanders.” Ardern said she had also received letters from the courts who said their cleaning staff “are the first line of defence” at keeping their premises safe. Ardern said cleaners are often working “extra shifts at all times of the day and

night” – making a special mention to a cleaner named Rose who is currently working 13-hour days at Otahuhu Police Station, in Auckland. “These are our essential workers and I hope we continue to recognise them as that long after this pandemic has passed. Thank you for keeping us safe.” Alert level three restrictions will remain for a minimum of two weeks, before the decision to move is revisited on May 11.

www.incleanmag.co.nz 15

The Rapid Group is very focused on offering excellent service levels, great products and honest advice at a cost effective price. RapidClean has 12 cleaning supply stores located throughout New Zealand and our aim is to provide our customers with the support of a national organisation while providing a local service, offering a single sourcing, cost effective one-stop-shop solution. Our stores are owned and managed by cleaning supply experts who supply a huge range of cleaning, packaging, catering and safety products. Our turnover is over $100m and we use our huge buying power to save our customers money on excellent products and support them with our product knowledge and experience.

ON-LINE SUPPORT RapidClean products are supported by a complete package of educational material including safety data sheets, product information sheets, risk assessment sheets, wall charts, training manuals and 14 online training courses. These are easily accessible from our website www.rapidclean.co.nz or can be collated and provided in hard copy.

WHY CHOOSE RAPIDCLEAN? RapidClean has been trading for over 30 years. RapidClean have 12 stores in New Zealand and can supply nationally.

NATIONAL ACCOUNTS Our National Account customers benefit from selecting their product range at head office and negotiating a price utilising their collated buying power complemented with a centralised national account. What sets us apart from multi-national “box movers” is our delivery system and the fact all profits stay in New Zealand. Our products are delivered to you by a RapidClean team member who know exactly what’s in the box, how it works and how to service it. This unique system offers our customers a “onestop-shop” solution, from sales to repairs.

FIND YOUR LOCAL STORE

RapidClean stores in New Zealand are all New Zealand owned and managed. All profits stay in New Zealand. RapidClean have a huge range of cleaning, catering, packaging and safety supplies. RapidClean stock the best brands from the best suppliers. RapidClean sell and service cleaning equipment. RapidClean offer National Accounts for large customers. RapidClean has huge buying power which enables us to pass on the savings to our customers.

Bay Direct Distributors

Tauranga

07 578 2501

www.baydirect.co.nz

Cleancare Supplies

Gisborne

06 8672898

www.cleancaresupplies.co.nz

Cleaning Oasis

Whangarei

09 435 4211

www.rapidclean.co.nz

Commercial Cleaning Repairs

Auckland

09 836 0937

www.ccrepairs.co.nz

Counties Cleaning Supplies

Pukekohe

09 238 5414

www.countiescleaning.co.nz

Diverse Distributors

Rotorua

07 348 3163

www.rapidclean.co.nz

Specialist Cleaning Supplies

Palmerston North 06 354 0973

www.specialistcleaningsupplies.co.nz

VJ Distributors

Hastings

06 879 6158

www.vjdist.co.nz

Waikato Cleaning Supplies

Hamilton

07 847 8344

www.waikatocleaningsupplies.co.nz

Christchurch Cleaning Supplies

Christchurch

03 366 7288

www.christchurchcleaningsupplies.co.nz

Cleanlink

Nelson

03 548 3191

www.cleanlink.co.nz

Otago Cleaning Supplies

Dunedin

03 456 1667

www.otagocleaningsupplies.co.nz

RapidClean is Quality Assured

RAPIDCLEAN & COTTONSOFT PARTNERING IN 2020 RapidClean and Cottonsoft’s successful partnership continues into 2020 with the ongoing supply of LIVI® brand tissue and hygiene products. Cottonsoft is a New Zealand operated and managed company that manufactures high quality toilet and tissue paper products. Its LIVI® brand has a wide range of Away-from-Home lines for commercial and private facilities nationwide. These include toilet paper, paper hand towel, facial tissues, commercial wipes, soaps, sanitisers and complementing dispenser systems. RapidClean choose Cottonsoft because the company adheres to strict, independently audited Legal Origin Verification and Chain-of-Custody protocols, and because of its zero-tolerance policy on illegal fibres entering the supply chain. The relationship’s year-on-year growth is attributed to the two companies’ shared values regarding transparency, responsibility and sustainability. The LIVI® brand offers Bathroom Tissue, Facial Tissue, Paper Towel and Napkin products across three tiers – Basic, Essentials and Impressa – as well as Soap, Sanitiser and dispensers, satisfying the requirements of RapidClean’s customers throughout multiple, diverse industries. The standard and scope of products have made it a logical choice for its flexibility and cost-effectiveness, without compromising on quality and hygiene.

LIVI PRODUCT RANGE

VIEW THE LIVI RANGE HERE

LIVI® products are split into 3 ranges to meet the quality requirements and budgetary constraints of all customers. LIVI® Basics A concise range for high volume facilities

TOP PICKS FROM LIVI 1001

1402

2ply 400 Sheet Toilet Tissue

200 Sheet Multifold Hand Towel

1100

7006

2ply 300m Jumbo Toilet Roll

3053

113501

3ply 225s Toilet Tissue Roll

20x30cm XL Kitchen Wipes

PARTNERSHIP THAT BENEFITS OUR CUSTOMERS RapidClean supplies LIVI® products to many different customers including building service contractors, health care facilities, schools and hospitality businesses. (LIVI® Towels and Wipes are HACCP certified, a critical feature for hospitality and food manufacturing applications.) Together, the two companies devise combined solution propositions tailored to customers’ needs. Nationwide availability of LIVI® products guarantees consistency of supply into RapidClean outlets throughout New Zealand. This is an important factor for RapidClean, who appreciate being able to provide customers with their preferred products, wherever they are located. Customers can count on LIVI® for sustainable procurement as all products are PEFC Certified. PEFC is the world’s largest forest certification system. Its purpose is to transform the way forests are managed for long-term environmental, social and economic benefits.

LIVI® Essentials Premium products for all of your daily needs

LIVI® Impressa A Luxurious Range to create a lasting personal impression

WWW.RAPIDCLEAN.CO.NZ | SALES@RAPIDCLEAN.CO.NZ

INDUSTRY NEWS

Have a news tip? Get in touch ››

RIA, IICRC release collaborative report on COVID-19 The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) have collaborated to put together a guide document for restoration contractors working in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The document, Preliminary Report for Restoration Contractors Assisting Clients With COVID-19 Concerns, has been prepared by a wide range of experts from the cleaning and restoration industry to assist contractors in managing the

risks arising from efforts to mitigate the COVID19 pandemic. The preliminary report is based on extensive industry experience and, to the extent possible, it has incorporated guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as of the published date of this document. The report is a living document that will continue to be updated as the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 continue to evolve. It is available for

download on the RIA resources page. The RIA is the oldest and largest trade association representing the restoration and reconstruction industry with more than 1100 member firms worldwide. The IICRC is an ANSI-accredited standards-setting body for the flooring inspection, floor covering, and specialised fabric cleaning and disaster restoration industries. ICRC currently represents more than 5700 certified firms and 54,000 certified technicians in 22 countries.

Tennant ANZ launches IPC brand at national conference Tennant Australia & New Zealand launched their newly acquired IPC brand at their National Sales and Distributor Conference, held at the company’s Sydney head office. Tennant Company acquired the IPC Group, a designer and manufacturer of commercial cleaning solutions, in 2017. Tennant has officially released the IPC floorcare range to the Australian & New Zealand market, as part of their continued growth in the region. “2019 turned into one of the best years in our region’s history,” said Chad Angeli, general manager at Tennant Australia & New Zealand. “IPC expands our product portfolio with the likes of the new CT5 mini scrubber, and in addition to our T7AMR robotic

18 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

solution, these products will help us continue to build on our strong results in 2020 and beyond.” “We see it helping our current customers and distributors with a value proposition they need.” “From a market perspective, the launch of our new IPC brand helps expand Tennant’s multi-brand portfolio and existing brand presence across products and direct service in Australia and New Zealand,” said Josh Hastings, marketing manager, Tennant Australia & New Zealand. “We’re extremely happy with the level of interest from our distributors on the IPC products we’re bringing to the Australian and New Zealand markets.” The IPC floorcare range includes small to medium sized commercial cleaning machines and equipment, including floor sweepers and scrubbers, professional vacuum cleaners, highpressure washers, and related aftermarket parts.

Online Training Course: INFECTIOUS CLEANING IN COMMERCIAL SETTINGS (COVID-19) ONLY $29 .90*

Use Appropriate PPE

CLICK HERE TO START *Please note billing in AUD$

The COVID-19 Outbreak highlights the vital part that commercial cleaners play in keeping our community safe. Together with the Registered Training Organisation, Daniels Associates, RapidClean now offers a new online training course: Infectious Cleaning In Commercial Settings to assist cleaners to gain the knowledge needed to effectively clean and prevent the spread of Infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

CLICK HERE FOR TRADING INFORMATION FIND YOUR LOCAL STORE AT

WWW.RAPIDCLEAN.CO.NZ sales@rapidclean.co.nz

Learn More about RapidClean NZ By Watching Our Corporate Video:

FEATURE

20 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

FEATURE

Frontline fight

he impact of COVID-19 is being felt by businesses around the globe. While some sectors within the professional cleaning industry, largely those producing cleaning products such as disinfectants, are booming right now, others are facing significantly hard times. New Zealand is currently preparing to move from alert level four to alert level three from Monday, April 27. Under level three restrictions lockdown measures will be eased, allowing many more businesses to resume, such as construction, manufacturing and more primary industries. Public venues, such as libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds, markets remain closed, however, business premises will be allowed to open but cannot physically interact with customers. People must work from home unless that is not possible and there must be physical distancing of one metre in controlled environments such as schools and workplaces. Alert level three restrictions will remain for a minimum of two weeks, before the decision to move is revisited on May 11. The cleaning industry is also preparing to adapt to this ‘new normal’, with many service providers gearing for a spike in cleaning services as businesses reopen following the county’s nationwide shutdown. But how can the industry be best prepared for the post-coronavirus bounce back? Ian Kebbell, managing director of Wellingtonbased Supercare, says while cleaning frequencies and scope of work will significantly increase following the move to level three, so too will the emphasis on cleanliness standards and customer expectations. “For so long the industry has been viewed as a necessary overhead, but we have been undervalued in terms of the contribution we make to workplaces and businesses,” says Kebbell. “[COVID-19] has highlighted the importance of the work we do. People have seen the direct impact of the spread of an infectious disease and the impact not just on staff and absenteeism, but the impact on the entire business. “I’m confident we’re going to see increased cleaning frequencies and greater emphasis on

the scope that we do. We will not be just a service that businesses can cut or trim to protect the bottom line. There is a real investment now in the services we provide. “At the same time, it puts pressure on us as an industry because the expectations are going to be higher. We have to step up and make sure the services we deliver meet these new standards.” Many businesses re-opening under level three are having to rethink their protocols in order to reduce foot traffic and adhere to social distancing, with some companies set to introduce spilt shifts to minimise staff to staff contact. Sarah McBride, CEO of the Building Service Contractors Association of New Zealand (BSCNZ), says these new workplace structures will likely impact cleaning service providers. “Cleaners are going to become more visible to New Zealanders now. Instead of cleaning at night, [staff] will now see cleaners during the day, so we won’t be so much the ‘invisible workforce’ anymore,” says McBride. “There’s going to be a lot of re-arranging of offices and common areas so many businesses will be rethinking their office plans entirely. Cleaners will play an important role making sure environments are laid out correctly [to ensure social distancing] and possible split will have an impact as it will mean contractors might have double the amount of cleaning for one contract.” Marriott International recently announced its new, intensive cleaning regime to be rolled out across its global hotel portfolio. Cleaning staff will be required to disinfect all surfaces more frequently and with hospital-grade disinfectants. The company will also re-arrange furniture to allow more space for distancing and install more hand sanitising stations at the entrances to its hotels, near the front desk, elevator banks and fitness and meeting spaces. “Cleaning businesses need to adapt their offering and start looking at services that they might not have previously offered. The industry can help offer practical solutions, such as installing hand sanitising stations, to ensure businesses are compliant. Commercial cleaning is going to be industry that gives people the confidence to walk back into work.” www.incleanmag.co.nz 21

FEATURE

START LEARNING ››

TRAINING AND COMPLIANCE Dominic Drumm, managing director of Westferry Property Services, says he anticipates a significant drive in education and safety that the industry needs to prepare for post-COVID-19. “Traditionally, people haven’t looked to cleaning companies for knowledge but [COVID19] has changed this. The challenge will be for cleaning company owners to up-skill themselves,” says Drumm. Prior to the nationwide lockdown Westferry Property Services established a rapid response team, with the crew spilt into two teams to ensure any possible decontaminations could be carried out simultaneously. “We realised early on that we needed to be on alert and be able to respond quickly, if needed, but that can come with its own set of challenges,” says Drumm. “It’s refreshing that we have been recognised for performing an important function in a business. However, leading up to the lockdown cleaning companies were under higher amounts of scrutiny about their cleaning processes and products. “Businesses have become more aware that the cleanliness of their premises, and of areas such as high touch points, is essential part of their ongoing business operation. Because of this, there is going to be a need for more transparency and education between cleaning companies and clients on their cleaning needs.” Drumm says cleaning companies should take the lead – ensuring cleaning procedures are tailored specifically to each client. “Cleaning companies should be educating clients. A lot of studies are showing that coronavirus is fragile outside a host and once it is on a surface it doesn’t last long. But some 22 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

facilities are asking to use hospital grade cleaning agents [on-site] when it’s not necessary. We need to educate our clients and help reduce the paranoia that might arise from this. “Each clients’ needs will be different and alongside that there will still be some serious pressure on budgets. So, there is going to be a natural tension between a requirement for increased cleaning and wanting to pay for it because everyone’s businesses are under pressure.” Poonam Datar, CEO of the Cleaning Accountability Framework (CAF), an Australian certification scheme, says COVID-19 and the rapid rate in which businesses have had to react to new regulations and restrictions, has led to higher risks within supply chains and questionable working standards and conditions. CAF is an independent, multi-stakeholder initiative that seeks to improve labour standards and cleaning quality in Australia. The program works with independent auditors to verify that the CAF standards – as they relate to wages and conditions, tax and super, and responsible contracting – are being met at a building. “We have heard from some cleaning contractors at non-CAF certified buildings [in Australia] that they haven’t been able to access proper cleaning material or PPE equipment. “We’ve also had reports [from non-CAF certified buildings] of cleaners not being informed that the sites they are cleaning have a had a suspected or confirmed case of COVID19, and they have not been given correct PPE equipment. Some [non-CAF certified buildings] have also changed chemicals [during COVID-19] and workers have not been trained on how to use and dispose of these products.

FEATURE

“There is a spotlight now being shone on the cleaning industry when it’s generally been known as a ‘hidden’ workforce. In the public view, they are being elevated to a status they have not had before. But there is also a lot the industry can do in terms of recognition. “Fairer prices need to be set in contracts. Contract terms and conditions should reward those that take care of their employees and that have their employee’s wellbeing at the forefront of their business practices.”

REBUILDING AFTER COVID-19 “Coming out of this, New Zealand’s economic landscape is going to be very different,” says Drumm. “Prior to this New Zealand had a booming tourism sector, the country’s biggest export industry, and the heart of that has been ripped out. “The knock-on effect for us is that [market share] becomes smaller and cleaning companies that were heavily exposed to those sectors that have been the hardest hit – tourism, travel and hospitality – will have to diversify. “But we will survive. Cleaning might not be the sexiest industry, but it is an essential industry. Many other sectors will take a while to get back up and running once the lockdown is over, but I believe that we will get back up to speed very quickly.” For those preparing to open under the newly announced restrictions, McBride says communication and staff training is key. “It is critical to have good relationships with key suppliers so that they are able to support you, your staff and in turn your customers. “Staff also need to be trained about what these new changes will look like. Careerforce has put together a free training module which I would recommend every staff member complete (https://rise.articulate.com/share/ Ynl9z99m3KqfW0G-3Bw5mGruwoQ7UZVy#/). “The whole world has realised how critical our industry is. We are not just a service that is a nice to have. We are an essential service and we will be at the forefront of this fight.” Kebbell, who was also recently appointed vice president of the BSCNZ board, advises contractors to reach out to clients sooner rather than later. “We need to be reaching out and communicating with customers. Don’t wait for them to come to you. “We want them to be trading and surviving because at the end of the day we need to them to survive so we can provide services. We need to make it as seamless for them as possible. “For those yet to re-open under level three, they need to start thinking about what it will look like when they do re-start under level two or one, and beyond that.

“

The whole world has realised how critical our industry is. We are not just a service that is a nice to have. We are an essential service and we will be at the forefront of this fight.

”

“We also need to remember that some of our customers are business owners themselves and they’re also feeling it personally and professionally, so we can empathise and support them. “As we come out of this, we’re entering a new world, a new business world, and a new way of living,” says Kebbell. “For businesses that were heavily reliant on one or two core industries this has probably highlighted the vulnerability of their business. But we also need to look beyond this time as those sectors will rebuild. “People are getting used to a new working world – people are working from home and holding virtual meetings through online platforms like Zoom. Those that were reliant on pre-lockdown ways they need to be having a think and looking at their exposure. “If some companies continue to work from home to save operating costs – what does that mean for those servicing commercial offices? If there’s less office space being utilised, there is less opportunity for us. “We need to have a good hard look at the lessons from this to safeguard ourselves moving forward. “There’s a lot of doom and gloom out there but I think as tragic as this event has been…the opportunities that exist for us as an industry are huge. [COVID-19] has reaffirmed that we are an important service. “We are privileged to be able to provide our services if our customers are essential services and we shouldn’t take it for granted. We need to open our eyes and ask, where are the opportunities that come from this and we need to grab them.” ■

www.incleanmag.co.nz 23

TRAINING

Online

learning

Are current events making this the ‘new normal’?

Words Brant Insero

he months of February and March started a major shift for educators, even if they were not prepared to do so. State by state, schools and universities began sending their students home and closing their doors. Students and faculty were faced with a future of uncertainty while the government tried to keep people calm. A major pandemic caused the entire education profession to quickly switch to online learning and webinar-style delivery methods of content. As you can imagine, vocational training and certification programs are quickly being woven into the online learning world as well. This is the perfect time to understand the multiple types of online learning programs that exist and how you can effectively use them in your business now. Let’s agree that the most important resource we all have is time. Simply put, we don’t have much of it as we all need to do more with less in today’s world. Further, what would happen if you don’t allocate your most important resource—time, into your second most important resource—people? There are multiple answers to this question. Here are some elements to consider: • Increased liability • Increased employee turnover • Increased asset damage • Increased productivity costs As you can see, this list could become very large so it is absolutely crucial that you take the time now to make sure that your team is well educated and certified in the programs that are going to help your company become even more successful. 24 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

Now that we have established a base of reason, we need to identify some tips and tricks that will help you understand the world of online learning as we know it today and what to expect for the future.

WEBINARS Webinars are a seminar or session that is produced and delivered over the internet. Webinars can be hosted by a single moderator, presenter, or multiple. Webinars started to find their way into the workplace in the late 1990s and have since become one of the most popular methods to deliver content for educators around the world. Webinars are often confused with online courses, but they are simply online learning opportunities.

Pros: • A great feature of webinars is that you can host thousands of individuals on a single webinar, reaching a massive amount of people at a single time. • The ability to have a visual representation of the content while a person is speaking. • Many viewers of webinars appreciate a raw user experience that shows the authenticity and vulnerability of the speaker.

Cons: • Webinars are meant for speaking at people and not having a strong interactive experience. • For a professional webinar, a lot of prep time is needed and a quiet area to deliver the experience for the viewers. • Immediate interaction is difficult.

TRAINING

“THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE MULTIPLE TYPES OF ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAMS THAT EXIST AND HOW YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY USE THEM IN YOUR BUSINESS NOW.”

Tips: • Keep webinars extremely short and to the point. Eliminate any “fluff” or unnecessary content that is not relevant to the task at hand for the viewer. Remember, time is your most valuable resource. • Always reward your employees for attending webinars with continuing education credits and measure their success. Adults like to be competitive and show their work.

ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE COURSES As more companies move to online learning, most often found are asynchronous online courses. These are pre-recorded, prebuilt courses that are self-paced. This means the learner or employee will take the course at their own pace during the allocated time set by an employer for the learning experience. These are different than live webinars that are moderated or have speakers discussing things live with an audience. Webinars can be converted into a course or multiple courses.

Pros: • Employers can manage the learning experience for their team through a learning management system (LMS). • The learning can easily be data-driven by quality check within the facility or organisation. If you see trends in outcomes from your workforce, you can focus the learning on those topics. • Courses can be created as a very interactive user experience including quizzes, knowledge checks, click and drags, and videos.

Cons: • Building a course is time-consuming and can cost an exorbitant amount of money based on the complexity of the course. • You will need access to subject matter experts that can work in tandem to create the course.

Tips: • Consider both micro and macro learning experiences for your courses. Attention spans are short, and you should not overload your employees. • Put your courses into a “preventative maintenance” schedule to ensure that all your content is updated on a consistent basis and meets any standards that it should. www.incleanmag.co.nz 25

TRAINING

“MOVING FORWARD BOTH IN EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL STUDIES, THE LANDSCAPE OF ONLINE LEARNING WILL BECOME MORE DYNAMIC AND COMPETITIVE.”

SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE COURSES This type of online learning blended with asynchronous courses is a great way to achieve success with vocational training programs. Synchronous courses are a style of online learning in which the instructor is live with students on the same platform. This is meant to be very interactive to ask questions or even take performance-based tests.

Pros: • It provides an enhanced user experience and keeps individuals in a social setting using technology. • Instructors can see any “hands-on” tasks that might need to be completed to achieve certification or credentials.

Cons: • Students must meet on the platform at a specific time and can’t study at their own pace. • There is no ability to perfect a presentation through recording and can cause anxiety if the speaker is not prepared.

Tips: • Begin blending asynchronous and synchronous courses together. The more interaction and proof of concept on any vocational skillset is extremely important. • Purchase high-level equipment and confirm that you have a strong internet connection that will not be compromised during your session with the attendees.

WHAT WILL WE SEE TOMORROW? After the pandemic fades and people regain confidence in their daily routines, in-person training will make a comeback as people crave physical workshops and seminars. The new reality is that online learning has changed the game forever. Any company or individual can find content online for free, but you must confirm that you can trust the source and that the quality of the content is perfected enough in order to leverage it for your team’s success. 26 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

Moving forward both in education and vocational studies, the landscape of online learning will become more dynamic and competitive. Costs will eventually scale down in the purchase of any online course. In higher education, we are already starting to see universities compete heavily and drive price points down for online courses.

Tips: • Partner with online learning providers that provide globallym recognised certifications and credentials. • Partner with online learning providers that can capture your company’s specific needs and cater your online portal to your demands.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR? Today, technology exists that provides your employees the ability to use their cell phone while cleaning or restoring a location and simply “click” a pre-mounted tag. This monitors the work they have performed, identify if the person is certified, and provide any current education/protocols that are needed. We are becoming an extremely data-driven industry and moving at speeds much faster than ever before. This article first appeared in ISSA Today and has been republished with permission. Brant Insero is ISSA director of education,training, certification, and standards. He can be reached at brant@issa.com ■

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Awards

LEADERSHIP

“

Innovation is often more critical in times of crisis than normal times. Don’t underestimate the power of those you trust enough to employ.

”

Leadership in the time of COVID-19 Words Greg Clark

28 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

LEADERSHIP

work as a leadership coach for leaders in small to large organisations; public, private, and various non-profits. Recently, during this very challenging time for us all, the nature of these conversations (now all by phone/video chat) has pivoted to a common struggle that these leaders face. While they are dealing with their own personal situation and circumstances, they must also help their employees deal with the very same fears and uncertainties. I have been struck by the distinct differences that my clients are facing, in terms of resources and help. Those who work for large substantial institutions have resources (e.g., human resources, corporate communications) that they can utilise to help them deal with the inevitable questions coming from employees. There are professionals dedicated to providing advice, messaging, and tools to assist. Whereas clients from smaller organisations (perhaps a dental office with 10 employees) simply do not have access to the internal resources of their large organisation peers and they are having to figure things out on their own. The risk is immense for these individual small business owners. Collectively, these small business owners represent a huge impact on the economy, driving up the stakes for all of us. Retention and recovery of small businesses are vital to our future. As a small business owner, I have found my thoughts turning to what can be done to address the lack of resources reflected in those small business leaders’ needs. I have had numerous conversations over the last two weeks, and I listened carefully as each shared their concerns and their ideas. I then undertook assembling our collective ideas and comparing them with current literature. There are many excellent articles being written about leading through the COVID-19 situation. A quick search on the words, “leadership” and “COVID-19” will lead you to a long list of articles and advice from the likes of Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Gartner and Gallup, to mention a few. The purpose of this writing is to tie a few of those ideas to my clients’ concerns with a focus on small business leaders who are quite alone and in need of help. www.incleanmag.co.nz 29

LEADERSHIP

“

Personal resilience is a cornerstone of leadership success, perhaps the most important, and it is no less true for small business owners.

”

30 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

COMMUNICATE Under any circumstance, communicating effectively and frequently is important, but in a crisis, it is essential and simultaneously challenging. In a conversation with a client who leads a small company of 300, we discussed his greatest challenge. He wants to offer facts, assurance, and empathy to his employees, while not overcommitting and misleading them. He expressed concern that he simply didn’t know the “facts” and was reluctant to share very much. The concern of having to be correct in facts and details is common. No one wants to say one thing one day and then change the next. However, when a situation is so fluid, withholding or not saying anything is simply a standard one cannot hold to. It seems best to follow a few simple principles: 1. Be truthful and honest with them. Present your comments in a manner that is conditioned to the situation, not apologetically, but with empathy. 2. Be vulnerable about your own feelings and don’t be afraid to say you share their concerns. 3. Attend to how you communicate in terms of your style and language. 4. Remain present and in touch, especially if you are operating in a virtual context. 5. Be realistic about what is clearly in your control and focus on those areas. 6. Establish a regular cadence, if possible. Even brief “huddles” can be effective.

Innovation is often more critical in times of crisis than normal times. Don’t underestimate the power of those you trust enough to employ. Don’t be afraid to reach out to individuals beyond your organisation to gain perspective, get ideas, or just have a sounding board.

RETAIN None of us know yet how long this pandemic will last, but if you share my view, there will be an “after” and business owners will still need employees. Find creative ways to pay attention to them even if you have been forced to furlough them. It is not likely that you will be able to retain them all if this lingers too long. But remember that they may have difficulty finding new jobs and you could still be a good option at a future date. Paint a picture of what your intentions are once you are on the other side of this crisis.

PERSONAL RESILIENCE

ENGAGE

Personal resilience is a cornerstone of leadership success, perhaps the most important, and it is no less true for small business owners. Fundamentally, individual leaders must take care of themselves along with their organisations. Surround yourself with mentors and advisors. Exercise and follow good nutritional practices. I do hope you share my belief that we will come out of our current situation, even if it means waiting a bit for us to adjust to a “new normal.”

You are not alone, even if you have a small business of 20 people or less. Your organisation is full of individuals who also likely have very practical ideas on dealing with some very real issues that you may be carrying by yourself. Empower others and let them help you.

Greg Clark, Ph.D., is an executive coach and team development consultant and a member of the GBAC Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). This article first appeared in ISSA Today and has been republished with permission. ■

FLOORCARE

Flooring and

superbugs

Words Dr Greg Whiteley

Contaminated flooring is more critical than some might think.

32 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

he problem with floors is gravity. You walk on floors, and everything that falls to the earth also lands on the floor and is walked upon. Then the dirt and soils are stuck to the bottom of your shoes, and as you walk, you are tracking that dirty stuff everywhere. When looking at cleaning in most buildings, removing dirt from the floor is just a part of the challenges of a janitors’ life. But in hospitals, the problems can become much more complex and dangerous. Before we open that little can of worms, let’s review some of the latest news on the so-called “superbugs.” And by “superbug” we mean the multidrug-resistant microbes that don’t respond to antibiotics. These superbugs are also referred to as antimicrobial- resistant (AMR) superbugs, and they are deadly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, has released an

updated report (2019) on AMR/ Superbugs. The CDC advised that the number of superbugs has increased from 18 (in 2013) to 21 (in 2019). The highest level of concern at the top section of the list has expanded from three to five superbugs. People with infections from these bad bugs often end up in a hospital and many of those people die.

HEALTHCARE SETTINGS In hospital or health care facility cleaning, we must clean in such a way to combat the normal soiling that falls off every one of us, every day. For example, each day, every day, everyone sheds around 50 million skin cells. That soil load is in addition to the normal dirt that gets tracked into a hospital. Cleaning away all this human debris is a constant challenge for any cleaning process. However, when a patient has contracted a superbug it will be present on the person’s skin cells, which is very concerning.

FLOORCARE

“

In hospital or health care facility cleaning, we must clean in such a way to combat the normal soiling that falls off every one of us, every day.

”

This is because the skin cells fall off and the superbugs with them, where they can circulate throughout the hospital. From a hospital bed where a sick person is resting, bugs from that person may be spread, ending up to 13 yards from the bed, in just one day! Now for many years, it was thought that if the bad bugs (superbugs) are on the floor – with all the other many, many other bugs and dirt – then what’s the big worry? It’s not as if the patient gets lifted out of the bed and rolled around on the floor for a bit of fun.

COLONISATION ISSUES The concern is that the superbugs on the floor can end up in a bed with another patient, where they can transfer onto that patient’s skin and spread. This is commonly referred to as patient “colonisation.” Terrifyingly, when a patient is colonised with a superbug, it is a silent and ominous event, and no one rings a warning bell. It just happens

silently, and many people who get colonised are completely unaware of the problem. Being colonised with a superbug poses an elevated risk of infection, but infection doesn’t always happen, and there is a very low risk of death from skin colonisation in of itself. But colonised patients shed the superbugs just as much as an infected patient with the same superbug. And because the colonisation is silent, the shedding of skin cells with superbugs included is a silent risk inside the hospital. However, it gets truly horrific for any patient, if the superbug moves from the patients’ skin into a wound, a catheter, a cannula, or a respiratory device. That is when the bug has moved from colonisation, into an infection state. With many of the superbugs, the risk of death arising from a superbug infection can often be as high as 50 per cent mortality risk (from within 90 days from onset of infection). How do the bugs jump from the floor and onto the patient? www.incleanmag.co.nz 33

FLOORCARE

“

The concern is that the superbugs on the floor can end up in a bed with another patient, where they can transfer onto that patient’s skin and spread. This is commonly referred to as patient ‘colonisation’.

”

A recent study from the team led by Dr. Curtis J. Donskey (Case Western Reserve University) observed two critical issues. First is that 41 per cent of occupied hospital rooms had an item that touched the floor at some point. These items were then returned to the patient level without any cleaning or disinfecting action. The items included articles of clothing, the TV remote, the call buzzer, and other commonly used items. The other significant finding from the study was the frequency of C. diff spores, MRSA, and VRE contaminating the hospital floors. Dr. Donskey was able to show that superbugs on the floor, could grab onto the dropped items, and then be lifted up to the bed level to make contact with the patient. The bad bugs get a free ride from the floor up to the patient level, where a new victim awaits. But wait, there’s more… Two other studies have shown the danger of non-slip bed socks which are handed out to patients within hospitals. A study in England showed that from 54 pairs of non-slip bed socks collected from patients in a hospital, there were 46 pairs (85 per cent) that had gathered up at least one superbug. A separate study from Australia demonstrated that in just five minutes of walking around on a hospital floor, non-slip socks were very efficient at picking up the superbugs from the floor and then transferring them onto hospital sheets. Please note that the socks collected the superbugs from the floors, and then the socks and the bugs hopped back into bed with the patient. Could it be that they all lived happily ever after? Unfortunately, no, because those bad bugs, the superbugs, simply found someone else on which they could live.

And once they are on the skin, these same superbugs have an extraordinary capacity to move around on the skin, and into places that are normally moist, and covered, such as the underarms, genitals, and groin. A recent medical commentary has noted: “Rectal colonization with ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae [these bad bugs are in the top five of the CDC superbugs lists] is associated with increased risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia, bacteraemia, and urinary tract infection with the same organism.” [Stewart et al, Microbiol Aust 2019]. So the superbugs can move to the bottom, to the top, and back again. Therefore, it’s extremely important to keep the superbugs far away from the patients. And it turns out that the floor is a critical concern and must be maintained, clean and free from superbugs. If the superbugs are allowed to get onto the patient at bed level, and then onto the patient skin, there is a heightened risk of infection which can put a patient’s life in jeopardy.

IMPORTANCE OF CLEANING Cleaning suddenly comes into focus as a critical, lifesaving intervention. But there is one proviso, which is, that the cleaning process (materials and method together) must be proven to be effective. This is a difficult challenge in hospital cleaning. Another study by Dr Donskey’s group, published in 2013, demonstrated that improperly used wipes could easily spread C. diff spores from place to place on the wipe itself. The misused wipe becomes the mechanism of transfer for a life-threatening superbug. We could go into another bunch of published studies of events where the cleaning process simply moved the bugs from place to another and never removed or killed the superbugs, but we have run out of space for this article. The only logical conclusion is that we need better quality control of cleaning. This quality control challenge affects both the materials used (equipment and chemicals) and the methods used to achieve the cleaning process. This is a quality challenge, and while production rates-based methods will assist with cost control, they are useless when it comes to quality control. Cleaning in healthcare is, without a doubt, the most important cleaning challenge facing our sector. So, make sure those floors get properly cleaned. Patients’ lives depend on it! Dr Greg Whiteley is executive chairman of Whiteley Corporation. This article first appeared in ISSA Today and has been republished with permission. ■

34 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

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DISTRIBUTION

How distributors should prepare for the bounce back

Businesses are dealing with a stark reality in the wake of COVID-19. But with an eventual economic bounce-back all but certain, what can distributors be doing now to strengthen their positions and be at the front of the line when it occurs?

36 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

DISTRIBUTION

ustralian and New Zealand jansan distributors – in fact, jansan distributors around the world – are dealing with a stark reality that few, if any, thought possible just a few months ago. As of November 2019, most distributors had big plans for 2020, and many were confident 2020 would prove to be a very lucrative year. But now, with COVID-19, some distributors are concerned about their future. Although in some areas of the world, the entire jansan industry is bustling, taking steps to keep people healthy, in other parts of the world, business has slowed, in some cases, almost to a stop. This new reality set in at different times around the globe. In the United States, for example, it was probably March 11. That’s when the National Basketball Association announced it would suspend the season due to the virus. That was an unexpected eye-opener for most Americans. In Australia, many point to February 25, 2020. That was the day Australian Health Minister, Greg Hunt, said the country was taking a variety of steps to protect human health as a result of COVID-19, including shutting down schools and other facilities throughout the country. These closures have had negative ramifications for the distributors that serviced these educational facilities. How long these and other buildings will be closed, we do not know. A good sign is that both China and South Korea appear to be reopening their doors and getting back on their feet after a shutdown of only about two or three months. Whether that will be the case in Australia, New Zealand, North American, and around the world, time will tell. Because most distributors are in the same waitand-see mode, what certainties can we rely on to help get us through this challenging period? The following are some of the most likely: • The pandemic is not over. It will likely impact different parts of the world throughout 2020. • Uncertainty is now a certainty. The virus could burn itself out in just a few months or fade during warmer weather and have a winter resurgence. • Supply chains will be impacted. Shortages of all types of products, including some cleaning solutions and equipment, will continue throughout the year. • The economy will bounce back. We just do not know when. Countries around the globe are investing in their economies to get them running again. Distributors and other companies can expect to rebound, hopefully, by the end of this year.

With an eventual bounce-back all but certain, what should jansan distributors be doing now to strengthen their positions and be at the front of the line when it occurs? Here are four crucial steps all distributors should take.

BE PROACTIVE Just a few months ago, some distributors were planning on hiring more people because 2020 looked so bright. Now distributors need to make what may be difficult but proactive decisions to scale back expenses. Create a new budget based on different revenue expectations, such as reductions of 20 percent, 30 percent, or even 50 percent. Determine if hiring plans should be placed on hold. Identify which current positions can be eliminated if necessary, at least for the next several months. Are salary reductions needed? How about reduced workdays? Decide now and take the necessary steps to make it through the rest of the year. Waiting to do this can prove costly.

“

Flexibility is the name of the game right now. Distributors must expect the unexpected and realise anything could happen.

”

ANALYSE CASH FLOW Distributors must prepare for the possibility of some problematic months ahead and having positive cash flow can be crucial. Accordingly, contact suppliers and ask about renegotiating the terms of your agreement, delaying payment on supplies or equipment to adjust for cash flow, if necessary. Contact landlords as well to inquire about their flexibility. Do this now. Usually, if such issues are addressed before an emergency occurs and a plan has been put into place, calmer heads will make more well-thought-out decisions. On the other side of the spectrum, tighten accounts receivables. If you have not already, offer clients discounts if invoices are paid within 10 days and enforce interest charges if invoices are not paid in 30 days.

PLAN FOR THE WHAT-IFS As the economy begins to bounce back, we may be looking at an entirely different business landscape and marketplace. You need to anticipate “what-ifs” and make a plan to deal with them. Consider the following what-if potentialities: • Your company may need more staff. Will you be able to hire back former workers or hire new workers to fill new positions? • One or more of your current suppliers may not make it through the downturn. Do you have alternative suppliers with similar products should this happen? • A competitor goes under or decides to liquidate. How can you take advantage of this www.incleanmag.co.nz 37

DISTRIBUTION

“

As you prepare for businesses to re-emerge, use this time to look at how different departments within your company are operating.

”

situation? Purchase their current inventory? Begin servicing their former clients? Will you have the funds or a bank line of credit available to do so? • Customers begin calling for specific products and ask they be delivered as quickly as possible. What will you do if your suppliers do not have these available, or there are delays? • Your suppliers experience delays in international shipping. Do you have domestic suppliers waiting in the wings? • There is a sudden weakening of demand for specific products or a category of products. Can orders for those products be canceled? If they have already been delivered, can those products be returned to help protect cash flow? • One of your largest customers unexpectedly goes into bankruptcy. Do you have a diversified customer base or enough savings to carry you until you can recruit new clients?

MAKE A STRATEGIC PLAN When times are good, many distributors find they are so busy keeping up with product demand they have no time to take a close look at how their businesses are operating. As you prepare for businesses to re-emerge, use this time to look at how different departments within your company are operating. Does each department have the appropriate number of staff? Will your sales force need to make changes in the way it works with clients? For example, 38 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

should you incorporate an online dashboard system that would help customers select the most effective products? Expect consultative selling strategies to become increasingly important as the bounce-back begins. Who are your best customers? Consider not only who generates the most revenue but also such factors as time allocation, gross margins, and customer payment patterns. For instance, a large customer may purchase the most supplies. Yet, on closer examination, the product discounts you have been offering them may not be justified based on the amount they are spending. Or possibly they require more attention than other customers, or simply take too long to pay. Typically, distributors find the 80/20 rule plays a significant role in profits. Eighty per cent of your revenue comes from twenty per cent of your customers. It may be time to eliminate those customers that are simply not profitable or worth the time and effort. Flexibility is the name of the game right now. Distributors must expect the unexpected and realise anything could happen. We know the economy will bounce back, and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later. In the meantime, preparation is key. The stronger your company is to move forward, the higher the gains when the bounce-back occurs. Michael Wilson is vice president of marketing and packaging for AFFLINK. ■

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SUSTAINABILITY

Benchmarking for

sustainability Words Mike Boxall

Why benchmarking is a powerful tool in an age of rapidly changing demands.

usinesses today are under enormous pressure to be environmentally aware, socially conscious, and respond accordingly to new sustainability regulations. This can relate to waste management and recycling, cleaning, energy usage, and transport. And with the facilities management (FM) sector responsible for many of these areas, it is understandable why the industry is under pressure. In this article, we will discuss the challenges that facilities managers face in making processes more sustainable, what this means for the FM industry in 2020, and how benchmarking can provide a mix of quick fixes and long-term solutions.

technologies. Smart buildings and sensors, for example, allow organisations to adapt to occupancy rates and energy usage. But the workplace is a complex system and any changes can result in unforeseen knock-on effects. For example, some businesses offer remote working as a means of reducing emissions from commutes. With more people working from home, less waste is produced by the building. A failure to modify waste collection accordingly will lead to over-scheduling, wasting money, and producing unnecessary emissions. It is vital that as our buildings become more complex, our understanding of them develops in parallel.

MAKING PROCESSES MORE SUSTAINABLE

FM TEAM ADAPTATION

The issue of sustainability has sparked enormous creativity and innovation that is translating into a host of adaptations and novel 40 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

While a business may write sustainable development into its mandate, it is the FM team that will likely have to adapt to many of the resulting changes. Whether integrated

SUSTAINABILITY good enough. The needs of an organisation vary and will evolve as it grows and develops. A wellintegrated and effective FM team – outsourced or in-house – will adapt and evolve alongside.

BENCHMARKING IS A USEFUL TOOL

under a single contract, managed together, or entirely separate, each team providing an FM service must ensure provisions are agile and continually improving. Sustainability issues have become front-andcenter for most organizations in recent years, yet it is becoming more and more challenging for FMs to respond effectively. Fluctuating market conditions (such as those caused by Brexit), tightening budgets, and employees requiring new skills and training to work with changing technologies and expectations, are all barriers to incorporating sustainable practices. Increasingly, FM teams recognise the importance of the triple bottom line (people, planet, and profits) and are aligning their practices with their organisation’s corporate agenda. However, even where a focus on environmental and social well-being is implemented, a one-size-fits-all solution is not

Identifying how well an FM team is able to provide an agile and personalised solution is no small feat. Benchmarking can provide an independent and objective measurement of how well an FM team responds to the needs of a site or organisation. The outdated view of benchmarking is that it is a tool in the race to the bottom–a means of finding the cheapest option. That is far from the truth, especially in an age where corporate social responsibility is taking the limelight. At a basic level, best practice benchmarking involves comparing like for like across an industry. The process will look at an entire solution, such as cleaning or waste management, and account for factors including service standards and specifications, staff training, wages, social value, and overall productivity. By compiling a wealth of data that an organisation is not even aware it is lacking, benchmarking can identify specific actions for an organisation to take in order to significantly improve its day-to-day functionality and sustainability. The softer side of facilities management, such as training and staff engagement, can be benchmarked and improved, especially when measured over a longer period of time. Regular benchmarking allows the assessing organisation to identify the less quantifiable impacts of solutions that have been implemented. For example, a greater focus on engaging with the circular economy and prolonging the lifecycle of products, may save money and emissions, and may encourage the engagement of staff members who believe in and care about sustainable practices. By repeating the benchmarking process over several years, businesses can collect data that has a wider frame of reference. As technologies evolve and legislation changes, it’s essential to continually measure and adapt. Generally, benchmarking every six to eight months gives an organisation a comprehensive overview of the change management process and enables it to reach a level of best practice. This is more important than ever with client and customer expectations continually rising. Benchmarking is a powerful tool that offers an objective perspective on business practices. Expert advice and independent credibility are assets not to be underestimated in an age of rapidly changing demands.

“

Benchmarking every six to eight months gives an organisation a comprehensive overview of the change management process and enables it to reach a level of best practice.

”

Mike Boxall is managing director of Sitemark, the FM best practice benchmarking company. ■ www.incleanmag.co.nz 41

SUSTAINABILITY

millennials

Engaging in the workplace

Words Katrina Saucier

illennials are on the cusp of outnumbering boomers to become the nation’s most significant living - and working adult generation, according to projections by the US Census Bureau. Millennials, who were between the ages of 20 and 35 in 2016, now number about 71 million. By comparison, baby boomers, aged 52 to 70 in 2016, number approximately 74 million. As the number of millennials increases via migration and the number of boomers declines, millennials are poised to become America’s largest age group, either this year or by 2020. In New Zealand, there are more than one million millennials, 82 per cent of who are in employment and make up 37 per cent of total employment. Millennials have different values and character traits, not only compared to older boomers, but also those identified in the group Generation X, people aged 36 to 51 in 2016. Because of this, business owners in the professional cleaning industry, property developers, and facility managers are taking note. They are making changes to their facilities and the way they operate, to accommodate this new workforce. For instance, it is becoming clear that millennials are not only very particular about the types of organisations they work for; they are also particular about the types of facilities they will work in.

42 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

SUSTAINABILITY

Two of the key differences between millennials and older generations are that millennials are: 1. much more sustainability-focused and, 2. much more tech-savvy. This should come as no surprise to jansan manufacturers and distributors now hiring these workers. Older generations of workers were not confronted with many of the environmental concerns today’s younger generations must grapple with. As for technology, if we turn back the clock just 20 years, we see technology played a far smaller role in our daily lives than it does today. “One of the characteristics of millennials, besides the fact that they are masters of digital communication, is that they are primed to do well by doing good,” says Leigh Buchanan, editor-at-large for Inc. magazine who is quoted in the book The Multigenerational Sales Team. “Almost 70 per cent say that giving back and being civically engaged are their highest priorities.” As we know, giving back to local communities is one of the key components of sustainability. Related to this, a 2016 survey by Cone Communications, a firm that focuses on social and environmental issues, uncovered the following about millennials: • 64 per cent consider a company’s social and environmental commitments before deciding to work for an organisation. • 64 per cent will not work for an organisation that does not have strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) values. • About 70 per cent of all US workers say they would be more loyal to a company if it were socially and environmentally focused; this number jumps to 83 per cent for millennials. • Finally, 88 per cent say they find their jobs more fulfilling if their employers allow them to make a positive impact on the environment in the workplace.

CONNECTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WITH TECHNOLOGY Because this younger workforce is both environmentally focused and tech-savvy, some jansan business owners as well as property managers are looking into initiatives that can connect the dots, show the steps that their organisation is taking to become greener and more sustainable, and using technology to do it. One way this is being accomplished is by taking sustainability dashboard systems, now offered by many vendors and used by many facility managers and displaying the information

they provide on television monitors placed in strategic locations throughout the building. These dashboards typically measure building consumption of fuel, energy, and water, as well as the amount of greenhouse gases released by their property. By providing this on monitors, they are now sharing it with everyone. The goal with these systems is engagement. They are designed to help building users, visitors, customers, vendors, and others in a facility realize and relate to the sustainability successes of a facility. However, sustainability data is typically presented in numbers, which are hard for people to absorb or understand. For example, a typical facility may have the following statistics at hand: • Energy consumption in the building has been reduced from 97.2 British thermal units (BTUs) to 90.2 BTUs in the past five years. • 3.5 million gallons of water was consumed in the building in 2018; in 2015 we consumed 4.6 million gallons annually. • Today, the facility emits 201 MT of carbon dioxide due to energy, waste and fuel consumption. In 2015, we emitted 304 MT of carbon dioxide due to energy, waste, and fuel consumption. Although this information may be interesting to building managers, it is not as effective at engaging building users. Because of this, some systems have turned this data around. Information is presented more tangibly so that millennials and others can engage with and relate to it. For instance: • Since 2016, the facility now saves enough energy to power 140 homes. • In the past three years, we have reduced water consumption enough to fill 247 in-ground swimming pools. • Compared to our baseline year of 2015, our avoided carbon pollution is equivalent to planting 392 trees. Millennials and others can now see exactly how a building is performing when it comes to environmental issues. Putting this information on display invariably encourages building users to find new and additional ways to reduce the environmental impact of the facility. In other words, it helps create a “culture of sustainability” throughout the facility.

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It is becoming clear millennials are not only very particular about the types of organisations they work for; they are also particular about the types of facilities they will work in.

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Katrina Saucier is program manager for Sustainability Dashboard Tools. This article first appeared in ISSA Today and has been republished with permission. ■ www.incleanmag.co.nz 43

RESTORATION

Flying into restoration sites Learn what drones have to offer your restoration company with an inside look at this rising industry technology.

44 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

e are all familiar with drones. The small ones are fun to fly around your house and spy on neighbours. The large ones are used in warfare, surveying enemy territory and taking out bad guys. But in there is a middle ground that holds a wealth of benefits for restoration companies that work on large sites, especially commercial buildings. We aren’t talking about the little quadcopters you can buy for $100, but rather “commercial” drones that are larger and smarter – and will cost a good bit more, obviously. The term “commercial” here comes from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who defines any drone that is used for financial benefit as a commercial drone. You’ll also see terms like unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the drone itself, and unmanned

aerial system (UAS), which is a more all-inclusive term for everything involved in flying a drone, including the pilot and ground station. These types of drones collect data in hard-toreach places faster than a technician could, while keeping them safe. They can also carry sensors (like thermal imaging, 3D mapping, and measurement) that provide data needed for beginning, maintaining, and documenting a project. While these devices aren’t for every restoration company, they do provide significant benefits to certain kinds of companies. And they are becoming increasingly popular in the industry.

SAFE, FAST DATA COLLECTION One of the most obvious but important benefits of drone use on restoration job sites is the added safety it provides to the technicians on the ground surveying damage.

RESTORATION Protecting your workers is obviously key in any job, but especially in fields like res-toration where dangerous situations are more prevalent. Randy Rapp, associate professor of construction management at Purdue University, considers the extra protection for workers one of the biggest advantages of drones. “They can go places more quickly than people might using a ladder or something of that sort. To get to higher levels in, say a gymnasium or warehouse, with a drone, if you’re operating using the right sensor, you need not climb anything,” Rapp says. “It can be up there very quickly. It’ll have people seeing at higher levels and in places where an elevating device would not allow people to readily go right in.” With this added safety also comes another major benefit: speed. By removing the physical requirements from surveying damage onsite, restorers can gather information more quickly so job planning can begin. “Using drones can speed up processes while still getting accurate and precise data,” says DroneDeploy founder Jono Millin. He reports his company, in partnership with Dronetec, mapped 300 buildings in 10 days after Hurricane Irma, which would have taken months without drone technology. Millin explains, “Drone mapping makes it easy to collaborate and minimises insurance risk. Each map is geotagged and has a clear record of the date, time, and location so that an insurer is confident that they are paying the right claim.” Rapp adds the sensors on some drones speed data collection even more and often gather information of higher quality than might otherwise be achieved, which aids a restorer’s planning, allowing the entire job to begin more quickly and accurately.

accepting drone data as part of the claims settlement process.” According to Wunder, insurance carriers’ teams are using data from drones to settle claims, while restoration contractors are submitting data captured with their drones to homeowners’ adjusters. He says, “In both scenarios, the inspectors are looking to drones to provide high-resolution data that can lead to accurate and fair claims settlements. And they’re looking for it to occur in a rapid and safe manner.” Important to data collection in restoration scenarios is the sensors drones carry. There are several sensors being added to drones to provide the data needed for advancing a restoration job, and there is really something for every situation. Rapp says, “There are a lot of different sensors. What you add depends on what you’re looking for. It might be ultraviolet or infrared. You can have one for low-light situations. There’s LIDAR, laser, and even AM radio waves.” Here are a few that are being used with success in the industry:

DOCUMENTATION AND SENSING

The ability to fly drones carrying thermal imaging sensors into large-scale restoration sites and see areas with potential moisture is beneficial for obvious reasons. As Millin puts it, “This is one of the most expensive issues to detect and is a huge value driver for commercial building insurance.” While these sensors are not widespread yet, they are becoming popular. However, it’s important to remember use of thermal imaging with drones still requires the same training knowhow needed with a hand-held device. “Unless someone is leveraging a thermal camera, most drone inspections are done in the visual spectrum. Thermal inspections are growing but remain a smaller percentage of inspections performed with drones,” Wunder notes. “This is mostly due to the skill and expertise involved and the expense of an appropriate setup for aerial thermal inspections.”

The added speed and accuracy of data collection offers an obvious benefit to restorers since restorerinsurance relations remain one of the most discussed issues in the industry. With requirements for documentation growing increasingly stringent, the restoration industry seems always to be searching for ways to ease the burdens. “The key benefit here is the ability for fast, accurate documentation of damage, which then leads to quicker cycle times to have claims settled…With the right software, these systems/technologies could also provide roof measurements and other data analysis to assist in the review of data (i.e automated damage detection using artificial intelligence),” Kevin Wunder, vice president of marketing and product for Loveland Innovations, says. “We are seeing more and more insurance carriers both using drones themselves and

LIDAR Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) provides a collection of impressive tools including 3D mapping and measurement. It does this by sending out light pulses and measuring using the time it takes for the light to return. “It’s able to plot in great detail the surfaces of things inside a room, let’s say. And that is helpful in a number of ways,” says Rapp. “For example, once a week, at a given time, they might send out the drone, and it can see the amount of work that has been done in the past week. They can tell one week versus the next week and show the difference that’s been made.”

Infrared and thermal

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RESTORATION

Orthomosaic These can be used to create maps of an area by sewing together many images. Orthomosaic maps are detailed with the ability to zoom and examine, things. They can be used interactively to leave notes on important po

DRAWBACKS OF DRONE USE For the most part, adding a drone to your restoration toolbox has few drawbacks – since they’re relatively affordable, require little training, and offer a host of benefits – if you’re the right target market.

Not for everyone Commercial drones, simply put, are not for every company or situation. It is important to understand where and in what cases drones are best used. Instances where there needs to be a visual examination and documentation of damage done in a rapid way is a prime scenario for drone use. For those considering buying a commercial drone, it’s important to consider the scale of company operations. How much would you use it? Are you doing the right types of jobs for it? Even if you might benefit from drone use, subcontracting drone inspections might be more cost effective. Rapp explains, “If you’ve primarily got your restorers taking care of a home after toilets overflow, you hardly need a drone. 46 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

However, if you’re going into a gymnasium or a warehouse, to be able to fly a drone around both outside and inside might be very helpful. You can put it over the building, and with a thermal-type detector, you can potentially see where there are differences in temperature, which might be indicative of water damage.”

Financial investment While drones are not outrageously expensive, especially compared to some of the equipment required in restoration work, they also are not especially cheap. On the low end, a commercial-quality drone with elements needed in restoration work could go as low as $US1000, and on the high end, prices reach up to $US10,000 (or more, depending on additions). And different sensors can be added, increasing the cost. “They’re not extremely cheap to get one that provides that kind of information that restores would expect and would make them worth having in the first place—we’d be looking at probably a few thousand dollars at least to have the kind of sensors needed, the capability, enough battery life to be able to fly for 20 minutes at least before bringing it back,” Rapp says. Some drones come prepackaged with thermal imaging or other sensors needed in this industry, while in other cases, buyers purchase these separately.

According to Rapp, a six-bladed drone in his department (which came packaged with thermal imaging) that was purchased two years ago, cost upwards of $US6000. Rapp adds, “That has come down a bit in price, but you’re going to spend near that kind of money to get a drone that you would find useful, maybe with an extra battery, sensors, etc.”

GROWTH IN RESTORATION Drones are everywhere in recreational, government, and commercial use. More and more companies in a multitude of industries are finding uses for drones that revolutionise work. And the time is now for restoration companies who perform largescale jobs to add drones to their arsenal. “There are many industries and companies using drones in everyday operations, so one could argue it’s already becoming commonplace. We’re currently seeing prolific drone use by restoration NGOs,” Millin says. “We’re rapidly reaching the point in most of the world where you’re more likely to see a drone involved…than not.” Much of the insurance industry has implemented drones into their inspection process with success. Wunder reports national and regional insurance carriers are using drones, and his company alone has major insurance company names using its drones in inspections.

RESTORATION “I think [drones in restoration] is growing to become more commonplace today, but we’re not at a place where it is the norm. There is still a great amount of adoption required for it to become the norm, but within the next 2-3 years I believe you’ll see drones being used more often than not,” Wunder says. As advancements are made to drones and sensors, we can expect to see them in the air on larger restoration sites. A few specific improvements the experts see contributing to their popularity in restoration are:

Improved batteries Battery life can be a problem on these mediumsized drones, and a 20-minute battery life is currently superior. As technology improves, extended battery life is expected. Rapp says, “Being able to raise a drone up and leave it up for a long time without bringing it back to have a battery recharged or exchanged is very important.”

Improved sensors The sensors that exist relevant to the restoration industry are highly beneficial to the work, but they can be heavy and often expensive. With

the advancement of technology, those burdens should lighten.

Automation As with most things in our world these days, drone technology is moving toward more automated functions. Wunder reports in the near future, “Using drones will be so simple that they will be in the hands of nearly anyone performing [inspections]. Robust automated capabilities exist today, and they are only getting better. As constituent technologies improve, like improved onboard sensors and more precise location tracking, you’ll see drone flight become more and more simple.” As more and more restoration companies use drones in their work, we will be able to better see their value and other ways to use them on a job site. And as their use in the industry grows, we will, no doubt, begin to see more advancements in sensors that relate directly to restoration work, increasing their value even more.

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The key benefit is the ability for fast, accurate documentation of damage, which then leads to quicker cycle times to have claims settled.

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Amanda Hosey is the managing editor of Cleanfax. This article first appeared in Cleanfax and has been republished with permission. ■

CrestClean provides ‘best in class’ industry training to give our franchisees professional career development. www.incleanmag.co.nz 47

RESTORATION

Three ways

you’re getting in the way of your company’s tech transformation Words Garret Gray

Technology is an enabler to the goals of any restoration business. Here’s a look at its impacts and how to better implement it.

ll around us, technology is fundamentally changing our daily lives. Even if you feel a resistance to technology, you must admit this is true. With gig-economy platforms like Airbnb and Uber, the once safe revenue streams of the hospitality and transportation industries have been disrupted by changing consumer preferences. While these have been led by various innovative thinkers, they’ve all been enabled by the universal adoption of mobile technology. Led by these shifting consumer (policyholder) expectations, insurance companies have begun to pivot as well. The ability to give real-time photo updates, geoverified data, and electronic records has become an expectation placed on any contractor serving the insurance or property management industries. 48 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

While this comes as no surprise to anyone, there are still many out there kicking and screaming over the responsibilities that go along with these additional expectations. Business owners across all sectors of our economy are waking up to the reality that digital and mobile advancements are wholly transforming the ways businesses and consumers consume. As was discussed in a Forbes* article, a 2018 survey of more than 600 professionals worldwide found that “in terms of the most important commerce-specific development coming in the next 12 months, about two-thirds of respondents viewed improving the customer journey and user experience as the most important initiative in 2019.” While I’m not sure that two out of every three restorers are reworking their customer journeys considering digital shifts, you should be!

RESTORATION RESISTANCE IN RESTORATION Resistance to technology shows itself in a few different forms for a restoration contractor, ranging from severe to more benign, but even the smallest opposition can have a meaningful impact on the bottom line in the modern world.

Viewing “computer stuff” as just another box to check

For anyone who has established a business and experienced success, new requirements and change are often met with skepticism. As you’re faced with ever-increasing demands for documentation, provided in (or near) real time, it is easy to view this as simply “another hoop we need to jump through.” This view of evolving technology as a nuisance that needs to be tolerated is the first and probably most dangerous form of resistance. Throughout my 17 years in the restoration industry, I’ve seen many examples of business owners who, often out of fear, decide that all the “computer stuff” must be handled by a single person or group. The system becomes a job unto itself instead of a tool to make everyone better and more efficient. This type of reaction is unfortunate for two reasons: First, requiring any process to funnel through a single point of failure will only lead to bottlenecks and mistakes; second, these business owners are missing out on an opportunity to push a culture of accountability and inclusion. A great way to get more out of your team is to allow everyone to participate. By keeping staff out of the documentation process for fear that they might mess something up, owners end up self-imposing roadblocks to technological transformation. Success only comes when owners and general managers begin expecting all team members to play their parts when it comes to digitising your restoration company.

Not making or prioritising technology plans

Another form of resistance to technology among restoration owners is the tendency to leave technology plans ambiguous or allow individuals, teams, or locations to “do their own thing.” By taking a pass on the strategic decision of collecting data from the field, the team gets confused and the data asset is left incomplete at best or misleading at worst. Just as a business owner needs to make decisions about how they will bring their brand to market and what sort of training or certifications their team members may need to do certain jobs, owners must make clear the company’s technology standards.

Nobody allows their technicians to start a loss without a drying plan, leaving them to decide the best course to take. Why would we be okay with allowing them to decide how best to document it? By having systems in place and following up on compliance with those standards, you will find out who is truly “on the team” and who is damaging the value of your data asset.

Expecting your team to use tech but not using it yourself

Ask yourself a question: If you get a call from a property manager out of the blue and they are looking for an update on a job, what do you do? Do you go to an electronic job file, read the recent notes, view the photos from that day’s site inspection, check the moisture logs for the past couple of days, and let the customer know what you see? Or do you pick up the phone and call someone else to ask what is happening? In our company, we differentiate these two responses as digital or analog. An analog manager doesn’t bother to go to the digital record themselves. Maybe it’s a matter of not trusting that the digital file is up to date, but I would argue that if you don’t start operating from the real-time data, your team will never take realtime documentation seriously. You’ll find them thinking, “Why bother? Management is just going to call and ask me anyway.” As the owner, you need to lead your company through these transformations. If technology is going to be a true enabler of efficiency, you have to be a part of that as well.

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Don’t wait around for someone else to disrupt your comfortable revenue stream – be a technology leader and capture more market share in this opportune, technological inflection point.

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WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? Make a plan, pick a technology platform, include the team, and make your expectations known. Then go tell your technology story to your referral partners. Make sure that people know you can deliver consistent, quality results, and keep them informed—because you’re 100 per cent digital. At the end of the day, shifts in technology like the ones that we’re seeing in our industry always create opportunity… for someone. Let your clients know that you are a partner to them that can enable advanced, customised workflows for them while still being consistent in your service delivery. Don’t wait around for someone else to disrupt your comfortable revenue stream – be a technology leader and capture more market share in this opportune, technological inflection point. *Evans, Michelle. “5 Stats You Need to Know About the Digital Consumer in 2019.” Forbes.com. Dec. 18, 2018. Garret Gray is the president and CEO of Next Gear Solutions. This article first appeared in Cleanfax magazine and has been republished with permission. ■ www.incleanmag.co.nz 49

RESTORATION

Resilience through COVID-19 Words Dr Melissa Marot

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RESTORATION

t’s been a tough 2020 in Australia. In the last issue we looked at stress and trauma during disaster recovery, with a view to the unfolding bushfire season and subsequent floods, and now a global pandemic has plunged the world into uncertainty. Constant news can feel relentless with clear and present effects on our lives and those around us. Australia has considered this a health emergency and has taken steps in line with this emergency response. As disaster response professionals, the industry is well placed to support the community through these uncertain times. However, our world has changed substantially in the space of a few weeks, from the way our society and businesses operate, and concerns about the pandemic and its effect on our families and those around us – this can take its toll on business owners and their staff. It can affect us in many ways; physically, emotionally, socially, and psychologically. What are the steps we can take to protect mental health and wellbeing? The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a document on mental health and dealing with stress during the outbreak, its recommendations include: • Avoid watching, reading or listening to news that could cause you to feel anxious or distressed • Seek information that helps you to take practical steps to prepare your plans, personal and business, and protect yourself and those around you There are practical steps for responding effectively to COVID-19: Acknowledge what’s happening for you: Physically, emotionally, psychologically. What’s going on in your inner world, your thoughts and feelings. Seek support from a professional, psychologists are now providing services online in response to the COVID-19 need. Contact your local GP, they are also providing online appointments, they can refer you to a psychologist.

Focus on what’s in your control: When we are faced with a crisis of any sort, fear and anxiety is a natural response to danger and uncertainty. The COVID-19 scenario is this on a macro-level. We can get lost in worrying about the future and the unknown, what’s happening in society and how the virus might affect our loved ones. It’s natural to worry about these things, however, the more we focus on what’s not in our control, the more stressed and anxious we might feel. The most useful thing we can do in any type of crisis is to focus on what’s in your control. We are unable to control what’s happening on the macro-level, we may not be able to control thoughts and feelings that emerge, however, we can control what we can do. The aim is to take control of our behaviour.

Take committed action based on your core values: What are the simple things that you can do to look after your business, your staff, your family and those around you? Throughout the day, check in with yourself and ask, “What can I do right now, however small it might be”, and then do it.

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As disaster response professionals, the industry is well placed to support the community through these uncertain times.

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Reflect on your core values: What do you stand for in the face of challenge? There are many things in this situation that are beyond our control, there may be many obstacles, with previous goals, hopes and dreams put on hold. There are no simple solutions, however, we can connect into what’s important for us to face the challenge.

Identify resources that you can access, for help, assistance, support and advice: Reach out to your social networks. Stay connected to a reliable and trustworthy source of information for updates on the crisis and guidelines for responding to it – both on the business and personal levels. WHO, World Economic Forum and government websites are such sources. In summary, the well-worn saying “this too shall pass” comes to mind. In the meantime, there are practical steps we can take to respond effectively and work through these uncertain times. ■ www.incleanmag.co.nz 51

OPINION

Finding opportunity in the challenges

or the commercial cleaners out there supporting essential services I want to say thank you for your hard work. The importance of what we do as an industry is more evident now than ever before. The BSCNZ has played a critical role in liaising between government and our members to ensure our voice is heard during this unprecedented time. I believe the challenges the industry will face over the coming months will also provide the greatest opportunities. For too long the services that we provide have been seen as an expense to most businesses and cleaning is often the first overhead to be cut during tough times. COVID-19 has highlighted the utmost importance cleaning regimes play in keeping the workplace and its employees safe and healthy, in turn safeguarding the very business itself. The opportunity now is to reinforce this message and to challenge our standards with the benefit of the learnings gained during this pandemic. The BSCNZ must provide the voice to help reinforce these points. This may mean as an industry we set new standards and continue to educate businesses in what they should be looking for from their service providers. There will of course be additional challenges as a result of the change in standards but there will also be the opportunity to form a stronger partnership with our customers helping them safeguard their business. BSCNZ’s work with the Ministry of Social Development has evolved during the lockdown period and we continue to work to support members with labour needs. The silver lining is that cleaning is an essential service, which may see an exponential growth in demand over the coming months as businesses strive to keep their work environments clean and hygienic. With the unemployment rate set to increase this may provide the opportunity to attract talented individuals into the cleaning roles who have not previously considered the industry. 52 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

BSCNZ LEADERSHIP Strong, consistent leadership is an important factor for the BSCNZ, so we are pleased to announce Paul Emery from ToTal Property Services will remain as national president. Reflecting on the situation with COVID-19 Paul shared the following: “During the COVID-19 lock down I was disappointed (not for the first time) in the way that some of our industry clients just switch off the cleaning service and have an expectation that we, as service providers will be available the instant that they are ready to start up their business again. This is of course the nature of the industry, however, to be available for the restart process we need to keep our staff available including our administration staff. The wage subsidy in New Zealand was a great help in placing cleaning companies on standby and ready for return to work mode. What has not been appreciated by the wider community and our clients is the on costs of being available. “The ongoing costs of paying the wages from the wage subsidy required additional costs for our members in the form of ACC, Kiwi Saver, holiday pay, sick leave and all other employment benefits. In addition, cleaning companies like most other industries incurred ongoing overhead costs, power, insurance, rent, licensing

fees etc. The cost of being available to start-up at a moment’s notice is around 20-25 per cent of the monthly invoice costs. I would like the BSCNZ to develop a clause for members to add to their general conditions, to in some way provide for this situation in the future. Of course, there are many customers who have continued their engagement with their cleaning contractor and made some level of payment support in recognition of cost of being on standby – hats off to them.” BSCNZ is also pleased to welcome Ian Kebbell from Supercare as national vice president. In Ian’s owns words: “As an SME in the cleaning industry it is an honour to have the confidence of the national council and CEO to hold this position. For any industry to be successful, it needs a variety of views that best represents the full make up of its members. “I see my role as being a voice for the privately-owned cleaning service providers working alongside the major corporates collaboratively to facilitate the direction that best serves all BSCNZ members and to some extent the greater industry. “We must remember that our customers and general business community don’t necessarily associate a service provider with membership of the industry association they may or may not belong to, hence our need to work with the best interest of the entire industry in mind. “It also then follows that members of our association uphold and conduct themselves to the highest levels of ethics and standards that we as the BSCNZ have agreed to uphold. This will then set us apart.” On behalf of the council and BSCNZ members I want to take the opportunity to thank both Paul and Ian for their continued commitment to our industry. I also want to personally thank every council member for their contribution and ongoing commitment to raise the standard and be the voice of our industry. Sarah McBride is CEO of the Building Service Contractors Association of New Zealand (BSCNZ) ■

OPINION

“Better Futures” keeps environmental issues to fore

Francesca Lipscombe shares findings from the recent Better Futures survey.

he dramatic and worrying emergence and spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 and the thankful cessation of forest fires in Australia may have temporarily taken climate change and environmental issues off the main headlines in our part of the world. But environmental and sustainability issues remain a major concern for Kiwis at least, judging by the findings of the recent “Better Futures” survey by research agency Colmar Brunton. “Better Futures” 2019 surveyed 1500 New Zealanders on a range of environmental and sustainability matters and the overall response shows again a growing mood for changes to protect the environment and encourage sustainable practices at individual, business and government levels. Three main environmental issues motivated kiwis: • the build-up of plastic in the environment, which was named as a concern by 69 per cent of respondents • climate change – 50 per cent of respondents said they’d taken action on it in some way • reducing waste – the numbers of respondents composting, using re-usable coffee cups or food containers, buying second-hand goods, borrowing or hiring rather than buying new were also up on 2018. Almost half the respondents said they had switched to a brand or service provider which was more sustainable in its operations. It was notable that there was still some hesitancy around taking positive action. When asked if they would consider sustainability when making product or service choices, 39 per cent of respondents said they would if it was “convenient”; just 19 per cent would go out of their way or “do their utmost” to choose a sustainable option. When asked who should drive action on sustainability, 46 per cent of respondents said it was the job of government, while 24 per cent believed companies needed to take a lead.

Interestingly, more than two-thirds of those who felt companies should the lead said they would make eco-conscious choices even if the eco option was more expensive. Government taking a lead is something Environmental Choice New Zealand is keen to press for in New Zealand, as we still languish behind many OECD countries in not having any government-led sustainable procurement policies in place. Local government has taken a lead in this area, as recent initiatives by Auckland Council in seeking sustainable providers will attest. Businesses need to do more too. A significant number of respondents felt businesses weren’t doing enough to reduce their environmental impact – 83 per cent – while 72 per cent said the way businesses talked about social and environmental commitments was still confusing, which may explain the first finding. Greenwash remains an issue. The good news for ecolabels like ours was that 70 per cent of the respondents who felt businesses should show leadership (and 67 per cent of all respondents) said they looked for labels that showed the choices they made were environmentally and animal-friendly. The takeaways for the cleaning industry are strong. Cleaning companies are no strangers to waste and there is the potential to use products that could have a detrimental effect on the environment. Fortunately, there is a strong environmental and sustainability ethos within the industry as witnessed by the large number of companies that bear our ecolabel for example and take time and care to minimise their impact on the environment through use of less-harmful products, waste management practices, reusable containers, electric vehicles and other positive initiatives. Francesca Lipscombe is general manager of the New Zealand Ecolabelling trust, which administers the Environmental Choice New Zealand ecolabel on behalf of the New Zealand Government. ■

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Almost half the respondents said they had switched to a brand or service provider which was more sustainable in its operations.

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www.incleanmag.co.nz 53

OPINION

How to prevent health risks from biological hazards while cleaning In a new five-part masterclass series, Bridget Gardner examines the key area of health and wellbeing for building users and cleaners. 2020 has certainly started off dramatically, with unprecedented bushfires in Australia, and the Coronavirus epidemic in China. While industry and government are busy calculating the financial fallout of these disasters, the human and environmental toll is uncalculatable. On a personal note, it was devastating watching images of burnt koalas, 70metre flames and smoke-filled cities, and worrying about friends and family members in the firing line. It brought home to me why I am so passionate about sustainable cleaning practices – it’s because I understand how reliant we are on having a healthy environment and global economy. What happens in our atmosphere, air, forests and oceans, or over in other countries such as China, affects the health of us all. So, this year I have decided to write a five-part masterclass series called Cleaning Well. Each article will focus on a key area of health and wellbeing, for building users and cleaners. The first two articles focus on biological hazards, followed by indoor air quality, chemical hazards, and workplace injuries. I hope you find them valuable.

WHAT ARE BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS? Biological hazards, or biohazards, are organic substances that pose a risk to our health. In buildings we have bacteria and viruses (microbes), mould and fungi. This first article focuses on microbes. On every surface there is a layer of organic matter, such as skin cells in dust, soil, food and body fluids, creating an environment (called a 54 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

reservoir) for microbes to live in. Only a few of the billions of microbes living on public surfaces can make us sick. These are called pathogens, meaning a disease-causing organism, or more commonly referred to as “germs”. In 2017, absenteeism cost the Australian economy an estimated $33 billion, with the flu responsible for an estimated $90.4 million of that. Cleaning surfaces effectively to remove germs and their reservoirs is an important part of flu prevention because cold and flu viruses can live up to 24 hours on a surface. The Journal of Hospital Infection recently reported the human coronaviruses can remain infectious on inanimate surfaces at room temperature for up to 9 days.1 Ever since Florence Nightingale observed the link between infections and contamination, a core aim of cleaning has been to keep us healthy. For decades now, the cleaning industry has bought and sold disinfectants, and more lately, colour-coded tools and hand sanitisers, in the fight against germs. While buying disinfectants and sanitisers may offer a quick solution (pun intended), we can’t neglect the cleaning technique, or the cleaning technicians, because they are a vital part of cleaning well.

PROTECT YOUR CLEANERS The interesting thing about biological hazards, is cleaning can both remove and cause them. Cleaners have a far greater level of exposure to biological hazards than the average person in the building. They are literally on the frontline, cleaning contaminated surfaces, breathing in atomised toilet mists and handling contaminated paper towel waste and rubbish. And they do this for several hours, night after night.

OPINION

The three most important ways to protect your cleaner’s health are: • Hand hygiene: Educate cleaner to wash their hands (and hands inside gloves) after handling chemicals, cleaning washrooms, removing gloves, using the bathroom or smoking, and before eating. Alcohol gel can kill germs on clean hands, but shouldn’t take the place of hand washing to remove contamination. • Respiratory masks: Provide valved respiratory masks to prevent cleaners from inhaling aerosols and droplets released when they clean and flush toilets. • Isolation: Encourage cleaners to stay home when they are sick, or at least to work away from others if they are well enough but still infectious.

If a disinfectant is required, ensure it is a TGO 104 approved Hospital Grade disinfectant3, and used correctly.

PROTECT BUILDING OCCUPANTS FIVE WAYS

A system to launder cleaning cloths and mops between shifts is a critical part of your hygienic cleaning program. Damp, dirty cloths left draped over janitor carts, or mops left in the bottom of mop buckets, create super germ reservoirs and are incredibly unhealthy. If washing machines and dryers are not feasible, then supply a washing bucket and drying rack as a minimum or take cloths off site to launder. Disposable wipes offer a more hygienic solution but create waste and may not be capable of removing heavy soil loads.

When I develop cleaning operation manuals for cleaning companies through our HPC Solutions programs, I use our risk-based framework to help them to plan and implement safe, sustainable and hygienic cleaning practices. I’m sharing five hygienic cleaning strategies from this program here to get you started:

Prioritise high touch points

Identify the surfaces that are frequently touched by multiple hands, and at risk of contaminating hands or food. These are called High Touch Points (HTPs). In a commercial setting, I recommend you select four or five of the most critical HTPs per room type, then teach cleaners to prioritise them by cleaning first with clean cloths.

Use effective cleaning methods

Make sure your cleaning agents are freshly diluted and able to remove soil effectively from the surface. Unfortunately, there isn’t an Australian Standard for validating cleaning effectiveness. But you can test the capacity of your cleaning products and tools quite simply, by cleaning butter or coffee from a glass surface, or more scientifically, with UV fluoro markers or ATP2 testing devices. No matter how effective cleaning cloths are when they’re new, they can’t clean when dirty. Teach your cleaners how to fold them into four and clean with a clean side, and supply and carry multiple cloths to allow for frequent replacement. If this is too logistically challenging for commercial facilities, teach staff to wash cloths thoroughly in warm water and detergent after each room at a minimum, and have contingencies in place to increase cloth quotas in flu season.

Prevent cross-contamination

Colour-coding should prevent the same cloth used in a washroom, from being used in a kitchen. But what about the toilet seat to the basin? We advocate two colours for washrooms. The carrying system is also critical. It should separate each colour and prevent soiled cloths (and toilet brushes!) from contaminating clean cloths. And the most contaminated objects of all? Cleaning bottles! Constantly touched by soiled hands and cloths but rarely, if ever, cleaned. Make this a daily task.

Maintain cleaning supplies

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Only a few of the billions of microbes living on public surfaces can make us sick. These are called pathogens, meaning a disease-causing organism, or more commonly referred to as “germs”.

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Measure cleaning performance

It is essential that you measure the performance of your cleaning program. There are several ways to do this, for example: a) Audit cleaners’ rooms and cleaners in action, to ensure your validated and risk-prevention cleaning practices (steps 1 – 4) are being carried out correctly. b) Use UV Fluoro marking on HTPs to check they have been cleaned c) Use ATP devices on HTPs to measure the cleanliness level. d) Ask your client to track rates of occupant absenteeism over a year, before and after implementing your cleaning hygiene program, and do the same for your own staff. Remember that surface hygiene in a commercial facility is not trying to keep surfaces sterile. Cleaners can’t be there to wipe every surface, every time they’ve been touched. Cleaning well protect people’s health by preventing germs from spreading and growing, by effectively removing the reservoirs they need to survive. Bridget Gardner is director of High-Performance Cleaning Solutions (previously Fresh Green Clean). To contact the author, visit: www.hpcsolutions.com.au ■

References 1 Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents, G. Kamp et al, www.journalofhospitalinfection. com/article/S01956701(20)30046-3/fulltext 2 ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate is a protein molecule found in all living matter. ATP testing devices read the level of ATP on a surface. 3 TGO 104: Therapeutic Goods Order 104 for testing disinfectants and sterilants. www.incleanmag.co.nz 55

OPINION

Selecting the right business IT strategy, not just the next system Mark Fermor outlines fours principles that should underpin your systems strategy.

56 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

he cleaning industry has its fair share of challenges. As if managing a large workforce is not hard enough, cleaning companies have also been laboured with a complex set of information system requirements, just to make life fun. To limit the mention of further complexities, this article will stay COVID-19 free. I’ve worked within the cleaning sector since 2009 and have seen the explosion of new technologies available in the market. During this time, I’ve realised some business owners make technology purchasing decisions not based on a strategic plan, but more on emotionally driven short-term wins. There are two common themes which can be summed up in these familiar sentences: • “This new app will help us win more contracts.” • “The competition is using it so we have to catch up.”

There are more, but these two emotionally driven thoughts dominate the selection motivators for many companies today. This article aims to introduce principles that should underpin all your systems strategy.

START WITH A FULLY INTEGRATED END IN MIND

To ensure your business does not end up with a commingled mess of systems, you should have a clearly defined strategy in place from day one, whereby the end goal is an integrated platform. Your business broadly has three core areas: payroll, finance and operations. Define what functions these areas require and design the end solution before you buy any system. Consider that your business shares common records between these areas and eliminate the need for duplication. The end-goal should be an integrated system

OPINION maintaining it in at least four places. Having a fully integrated solution is the foundation of administrative savings in any business.

DON’T LET DEPARTMENTS BUY SYSTEMS IN ISOLATION

It might seem an obvious statement, but it’s so regularly ignored. In my experience more than 50 per cent of system selections are isolated to a single department. We would be dealing with the payroll department during a sales process, only to realise the finance team have no idea they are considering a change in systems. In some cases, departments even deliberately hide their intentions until they have procured a new solution. This creates more problems than it solves. Yes, it may have a positive impact on the payroll department as some of their pains are resolved by the new system, but it creates additional problems they have not considered. Each system should be selected in conjunction with all affected departments of the business. Integration points must be defined so each affected department can understand the impact it will have on their commonly shared records. The best way to achieve this is to appoint a person who has the “integrated end” in mind, and make sure they manage all system projects.

(or systems) that clearly define where the “master” of record lives. Let’s use a simple example by examining your most common record – the site. It’s shared across payroll, finance and operations. In your finance system this might take the shape of a project, job or gl extension. This is required so you can run financial reports and know your site profitability. In payroll, your site might take the form of a job/cost centre, so staff hours can be separated out for reporting purposes. Operations would then need a quality audit system, which also contains sites, to allow the reporting of performance. Furthermore, you may have taken the leap to a time & attendance system that again requires sites for staff to clock into. If there is no strategy in place to deal with the management of this common record, your business will be spending administrative time

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Don’t be fooled by fancy graphs, maps and images. Judge a system against a clearly defined set of requirements and the benefit each will bring to the business.

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PRETTY AIN’T A PRIORITY, BENEFITS ARE WHAT YOU NEED

Don’t be fooled by fancy graphs, maps and images. Judge a system against a clearly defined set of requirements and the benefit each will bring to the business. “Looks good” is not a benefit, being easy to learn because it’s userfriendly is as it saves cost. The business should list a set of requirements that an integrated solution must deliver. Then before they are finalised, judge each by asking the question: “What benefit will the business gain if this requirement is met?” If the answer is hard to come by, remove it from the list as it’s not needed.

ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY

Getting to your end-goal is not going to happen overnight. The investment in internal staff time alone makes it impractical to try and rush things. Once your list of requirements is set, plan for change through a number of phases. Set phase priorities based on the benefits they deliver to the business, or the elimination of risk. If your payroll system is about to fall over, it’s probably the place to start. Projects can last anywhere between three and 24 months depending on the complexity of the end-goal. I’ve seen many companies try and rush this process, which leads to poor results. Mark Fermor is director of Facility ERP. ■ www.incleanmag.co.nz 57

OPINION

How disruptable is your business? Words Gihan Perera

competitive market forces businesses to constantly keep improving, so they can be better today than they were yesterday, and be better than their nearest competitors. That’s good, but it’s not enough anymore. Disruption seems to come from out of the blue and catches everybody in the industry by surprise. It’s often the strongest, most stable, most well-established businesses who are the first to fall. The bad news is you can’t predict where the disruption is coming from — that’s outside your control. But the good news is you can know how “disruptable” your business is — and that is in your control. Here are four clear signs your business is vulnerable to disruption.

YOU KEEP MEASURING THE WRONG THINGS The old metrics for success — such as market share, profit, and revenue growth — are internal measures. You’re either comparing with yourself or with the rest of your industry. They won’t help you prepare for disruption. That doesn’t mean you should stop measuring those things; but don’t measure only those things. Instead, also start measuring things like: • How many new projects you started • How many projects failed (and how fast they failed) • How many ideas your people generated • How many of these ideas you implemented • What percentage of time is actually spent solving customer problems • How much new technology you adopt • How many assets and resources you throw away • How many new customers you acquire 58 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

outside your core target market • How often the younger, more junior people speak up at work

YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME PROTECTING WHAT YOU OWN In the past, your assets — the tangible and intangible things you own — gave you strength and stability and protected you from current and future competitors. But because the world has changed, those assets have now become liabilities. An efficient supply chain restricts you from trying new suppliers. A strong reputation means you won’t try things that might risk a backlash. Owning premises ties you to physical locations. Instead of strengthening your position, these “assets” now hold you back from better opportunities. Disruptors don’t have these assets, but they also don’t have the baggage the assets bring with them. They are more objective about finding the best solutions, which makes you more vulnerable and disruptable.

YOUR LAST REVOLUTION WAS A LONG TIME AGO Most successful businesses evolve: Over time they shift, adapt, and grow. We like evolution because it’s logical, incremental, comfortable, and safe. The trouble with evolution is that it’s slow and cumbersome. Sometimes we need to turn our back on the past and start a revolution. This is not easy, because you’re not only fighting your competitors; you’re fighting yourself. Revolution is exactly what disruptors do. While the incumbents are evolving to beat each other to the top of the industry ladder, the disruptors come out of nowhere and knock over the ladder.

When was the last time you had a good revolution? The trouble with a revolution is that people usually get shot. But sometimes that’s exactly what you need — not with people, of course, but with old ideas, products, services, brands, markets, or infrastructure.

YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS Ultimately, your biggest protection against disruption is to focus on customers and help improve their lives through your products and services. Most successful businesses start with that focus. But over time, as the business grows and needs to support itself, other “essential” work takes its place. Instead of spending most of your time serving customers, you spend more and more time serving other people: staff, unions, layers of managers, suppliers, regulators and community groups. These are all important, but they should never come at the expense of customers. Disruptors act the way you used to act: by understanding customer wants and needs and finding a way to meet them.

HOW CAN YOU BE READY FOR DISRUPTION? Disruption is just another word for change. It’s change at an unprecedented speed and magnitude, but it’s still just change. And change is inevitable. The solution to avoiding disruption is simple (but not easy): Disrupt yourself. It’s disruption when it happens to you, it’s innovation when you do it yourself. Gihan Perera is a business futurist, speaker and author of “Disruption By Design: Leading the change in a fast-changing world” GihanPerera.com ■

OPINION

Five simple steps to master the essence of great service Words Jaquie Scammell

nce upon a time, service was easy. There was less pressure and fewer expectations to meet in order to provide what we’d call ‘quality service’. Being responsive was simple and satisfy¬ing. In the 21st century, however, we’ve become so focused on systems and speed that we’ve forgotten service still is, and always will be, about building long-lasting relationships. So the goal to great service is actually very simple, and human, and can be done in these five steps.

Sometimes, people hold off on asking for help in such situations because they’re afraid of looking silly or not having all the answers – this is a limiting belief. You’re allowing your pride and ego to be more dominant than the needs of the individual you’re serving. The best professionals in service are those who are confident enough to know their strengths and humble enough to know their limitations – which means that from time to time, they ask for help.

We’ve all been there – dealing with rude customers. But complaining behind their back or repeated complaining over time wires your brain for more future complaining. It becomes a habit, and you soon find it easier to be negative than positive. The best way to serve yourself, your team and your customer is to raise it in a solutions-focused way. Stick to the facts, which are always neutral. And if you’re tempted to gossip about a customer, stop and think before you do. Ask yourself, ‘What will gossiping about this person achieve? Is there something more productive I could do, like getting on with providing them with a solution?’

Let go of the outcome

Humans are unpredictable creatures. So, when you serve people, you will not always know what response is coming your way. You can’t control other people’s reactions, and it’s unrealistic to think that you’re in complete control of a situation that involves another human being. When you see yourself, at the beginning of an interaction with a colleague or customer, holding tightly onto the outcome you want or what you expect the other person to do or say, just remind yourself that you cannot control everything. Loosen your grip on your expectations.

Accept responsibility

You know that saying, ‘Don’t throw your colleagues under the bus’? When there’s been an error and people are under scrutiny, they sometimes like to inform others of the cause of the error – which can sometimes lead to blaming another member of the team in order to protect themselves, or worse, pushing it back on the customer. Service requires you to take full responsibility, especially when serving customers: you represent the brand, the business, the team, regardless of your role. When there’s a breakdown in the service chain, it’s better to direct your energy and effort into creating a solution rather than into ducking and weaving, pointing the finger at who caused the problem.

Ask for help

In a service environment, you’re continually presented with situations that may never have occurred before, let alone been planned for.

Be solution focused

Love to serve

In her book Return to Love, Marianne Williamson reminds us that we all have the same opportunity in every encounter to give to others and serve humanity. That includes casual encounters, such as a customer you meet once, as well as encounters that are part of sustained relationships, such as with a long-term colleague or employee. You will always have something to learn from the people you serve, regardless of the power you or they hold. When you are in service to others, they will teach you something about yourself that will make you a better person – that’s one of the universal laws in life. So if all else fails, remember what Gandhi said: ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’. Jaquie Scammell is a leading speaker, facilitator and coach working with some of the largest global workforces in retail, banking and hospitality www.jaquiescammell.com ■

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The best professionals in service are those who are confident enough to know their strengths and humble enough to know their limitations.

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www.incleanmag.co.nz 59

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How can you improve hand hygiene compliance? May 5 is World Hand Hygiene day, an initiative from the World Health Organisation aimed at improving health and wellbeing for everyone. This year’s call to action is “Nurses and Midwives, clean care is in your hands!”. Good hand hygiene is critical to minimise the risk of infection, empower nurses and midwives in providing clean care. There are five simple steps you can take to improve hand hygiene compliance: 1. Ensure sanitising dispensers or bottles are conveniently located 2. Increase monitoring and surveillance 3. Choose products staff like using 4. Use signage i.e. 5 moments of hand hygiene poster 5. Encourage your team to provide feedback to each other For more information on hand hygiene or to access Whiteley Corporation’s training and support materials please contact marketing@whiteley.co.nz. ›› Watch Whiteley Corporation’s hand hygiene video here

62 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2020

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