This is the million-dollar question among those who use APPA’s levels of clean scoring system. Teams who use APPA scores want to know which scores map to which percentages — and how to convert between the two. The short (and sometimes frustrating) answer is: There is no official answer. You Read more…
Industry trade associations help teams stay on top of the latest trends, network with others in the cleaning industry, and provide a wealth of resources. There are a variety of trade associations, including ISSA and BSCAI, but APPA is definitely the big name in educational spaces. We’ve noticed APPA growing Read more…
There’s nothing like a good success story — and the University of Minnesota’s Office of Classroom Management has an amazing one. The quality control data they’ve tracked over the years dramatically illustrates their team’s triumph. (So do the before-and-after photos!) Because their student team uses OrangeQC on campus, we got Read more…
The Office of Classroom at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus is focused on one thing: Making sure classrooms and informal learning spaces are ready for learning. They want everything to be all set when students and faculty come in. That means markers ready to write on the cleared-off Read more…
The University of Minnesota’s Office of Classroom Management employs dozens of student employees to help maintain learning spaces across campus. (Check out our articles on How the UMN Office of Classroom Management Skyrocketed Classroom Readiness from 41% to 95% and How UMN Empowers Student Employees to Do QC Inspections Across Read more…
Collecting great data is only the first step. Next, you need to use it. Too many teams do regular inspections, and then just let the data . . . sit. Or maybe they look at one metric without probing deeper to get the right insights. But when you know how Read more…
Cleaning teams are on the front lines of helping confront the novel coronavirus pandemic. As the situation changes quickly, it’s not always clear where to find the right information. Here are a few questions we’ve heard within the janitorial community recently, as well as resources to help you find more Read more…
It’s amazing what photos can do for janitorial and facilities inspections. There’s just no better way to capture the conditions on-site, get examples to share with your team, and ensure that problems have been fixed. Plus, they’re fast! On the flip side, not every inspection needs a photo. Knowing when Read more…
Mark Heller is the president of Hygiene Performance Solutions, a consulting and coaching firm. He works with hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other organizations to help them improve their cleaning and disinfecting processes. His experience as a healthcare executive — and advising other organizations — gives him incredible insight into the Read more…
Kathy Patton has a unique job in the custodial industry: she’s the Business Development Coordinator for the Contract Services Division of Licking/Knox Goodwill Industries, Inc. (That’s right, Goodwill offers custodial services — more on that in a minute.) Kathy’s prior experience in the technology industry, along with the special population Read more…
