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What is ISSA CIMS? Is Certification Worth It?

CIMS (short for Cleaning Industry Management Standards) is an ISSA-run certification that awards effective, efficient cleaning teams. Certified teams have to meet a long list of criteria across a range of areas, from quality systems to health and safety. We’ve talked to teams wondering if CIMS certification is worth it, what the benefits are, and what they need to do to prepare. To help answer those questions, we called up Lance Witschen, a CIMS assessor Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago
Woman working on laptop at tall counter

Software + Tips for Janitorial and Field Service Teams Working Remotely

The whole world has turned to remote work like never before, and that includes janitorial and field service teams. We’ve talked to many BSCs who have eliminated or downsized their office HQ . . . and even among those who haven’t, their clients aren’t coming in for meetings. So how can janitorial and facilities teams adapt to the new norm as they work in the field or remotely, rather than coming back to the office? Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago
gloved hand wiping counter

Janitorial Teams, It’s Time to Shine with Better Communication

Janitorial and facilities teams have always been behind the scenes, doing their best to keep things clean and healthy. For better or worse, many people in the industry only feel their hard work is noticed if there’s a problem. But as the world begins to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, people in the general public are suddenly interested in cleaning and disinfection like never before. People walking into any building want to know: Is this Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago

Harnessing the Power (and Avoiding the Pitfalls) of Cellular Data and GPS

GPS and cellular data technology can be a huge advantage for teams in the field, where there isn’t always access to WiFi. However, there are considerations around privacy, compensation, and property you’ll need to think through. So how do you reap the benefits mobile technology while minimizing the downsides? It’s something we’ve thought about quite a lot while developing OrangeQC! Over the years, we’ve been able to talk to teams around the world, hear their Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago

QC 101: How to Get More Business with a Great QC System

This is the final article in our series on improving your quality control process. Just to review, so far, we’ve talked about: Why do QC, and how great inspections = happy customers How to build a great inspection form and develop the right rating system Four steps to set your inspectors up for success As promised, today we’ll cover how to use your quality control process to sell your services. Yep, this is the payoff Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago
Image of a spiral staircase by Maxime Lebrun

QC 101: Four Steps to Set Your Inspectors Up for Success

Welcome to the third part of our Quality Control 101 series! In our previous two articles, we explored why it’s important to track quality through inspections and how to create your own inspections. Today, we’ll look at who performs the inspections. We’ve outlined four key steps to making sure your inspectors (whether that’s you or your employees) do a great job. 1. Decide who’s owning inspections. If you’re the owner of a smaller company, you’ll Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago
Woman looking down at tablet in a clean building. Photo by Emmy E from Pexels.

QC 101: How to Build a Great Inspection Form and Develop the Right Rating System

In our last article, we went over why quality control and inspections are so important to janitorial businesses. Today, we’ll talk about how to build an inspection that helps you track your quality, get the right feedback, and pounce on problems. We’ll wrap things up with a deep dive into the math behind determining unique percentages and scores for your team. Step 1: Make your list Inspections track the quality of the cleaning services you’re Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago

Quality Control 101: Why Bother (and How It Makes for Happy Customers)

Welcome to the first part of our Quality Control 101 series! Whether you’re just getting started with janitorial/facilities quality control or are an old pro looking to revisit the foundational building blocks, this series will give you a well-rounded foundation for QC. So let’s dive in. Why have a great quality control program? Quality control is checking a sample of a product or service against the standards of how it should look. For janitorial services, Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago
Seats in a campus lecture hall

How to Convert APPA Scores to Percentages + Conversion Tool Download

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 can pretty much decide for yourself. But . . . we’re not going to leave you hanging. There’s more you should know before you create Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago
Books on a circular shelf

What Does APPA Offer for Educational Organizations? How About BSCs?

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 in importance for a variety of facilities teams. Over the past few years, their influence has grown from educational facilities to teams in healthcare, offices, Read more

By Rachel Matuch, ago