Three members of the OrangeQC team headed out to Las Vegas for the ISSA Show North America 2023 in November. This whirlwind week was full of connecting with forward-thinking professionals in the cleaning and facilities industries! We got to connect with teams who use OrangeQC, share our quality control tools with new teams, and learn about the latest trends in the industry.
Now that we’re back — and have had a few good nights’ sleep — we wanted to share the trends we spotted at the industry’s biggest show in North America.
New technology is in the spotlight.
Many of the educational sessions were focused on technology in the facilities industry. In fact, it was announced that ISSA is creating a new Innovation in Technology subcommittee.
Generative AI (such as from ChatGPT) was a frequent topic on panels and presentations. The “Internet of Things” also came up frequently as teams use sensors of all kinds to simplify tracking.
As software creators, we’ve been paying close attention to these technologies, so we were curious to hear how they’re being implemented. For now, it seems that early adopters are experimenting with these tools in order to find out what value they might bring.
Teams are seeking service validation.
Facilities teams are looking at new ways to validate that services have been performed as promised. They want to be able to track that field teams and contractors showed up and did the work, both for internal tracking and to build trust with customers and stakeholders. Teams are interested in GPS, QR codes, and other methods of validating that the job has been done on time in the right place.
As one pro who stopped by our booth put it, it’s better to know that a cleaner didn’t show up before the customer walks in and finds out themselves.
Robots are on the rise.
While cleaning robots are on display every year, this year took things to a new level as multitudes of these cleaning machines scooted and swept across booth spaces (often with light-up eyes or faces adding to the effect).
Bots that can self-dock to charge or use the elevator after-hours to clean throughout the building caught attendees’ eyes. Consensus seemed to be that prices are starting to come down to be more broadly affordable, though price is still prohibitive for many teams.
Industry professionals are ready to connect.
This was definitely a banner year for the conference, which felt like it had recaptured the energy of shows prior to 2020. Events and displays commemorating ISSA’s 100th year added an extra element of celebration — and of course, Las Vegas is always a popular destination for a conference!
Crowds flocked to the expo floor, education sessions filled up, and networking events had great attendance.
We met new industry professionals, connected with old friends, and had great conversations with teams who have been using OrangeQC as they do truly incredible work. In our book, that chance to connect is what really makes for a great show.
Based on our own experience and conversations with facilities teams after the show, we definitely plan to head back to Las Vegas for the ISSA Show North America 2024. If attending wasn’t in the cards for you this year, it might be worth revisiting as an option for next time around. We hope to see you there!
If we didn’t catch you this year, it’s not too late to connect! Request a demo and we’ll get a time set up to video chat about your team’s inspection needs and to walk through OrangeQC’s tools together.
