Dealing with Cuts: Lean Management

Developing a Plan B in response to a downturn in company growth can be an opportunity to identify waste, lack of proper training, nonproductive employees, duplication of effort, overtime and misuse of supplies.  The concept of Lean Management involves a third party observing cleaning crews at work and noting wasted efforts that impacts the bottom line. An example is observing the rest room specialist start their shift, load their cart, service rest rooms, restock their cart, take breaks and finish the shift.  

Questions to ask include:

1. Why was the cart not set up prior to the worker’s arrival?

2. Why does he/she have duplicate products when only one will perform similar tasks?

3. How efficient is the worker traveling from one area to another?

4. Does the worker have a legitimate reason for going back and forth to the custodial closet for more supplies?

5. Does the worker clean each rest room the same allowing for sufficient sanitization of key areas?

6. Does he/she leave the cart unattended and why?

7. What type dispensers is the worker servicing?  Example:  Single roll 500 sheet or Junior Jumbo.

8. Is the cart too large or cumbersome to be taken into the rest room reducing the number of steps to service the area?

9. When and how often does the custodial change mop water/solution and mop heads?

10. Does the worker have a check list or job card to work from?

11. How long does it actually take (per rest room or per fixture) to service a rest room? 

12. Does each worker clean their own way or is there a company system in place and enforced?

13. Which worker could be a role mode and possibly trainer for other rest room cleaners?

Although Lean Management takes into account more areas that is being presented here, the goal is to identify and train to the most efficient and effective processes resulting in consistent outcomes with minimal redo’s.  

I hope to hear from you soon.  Until then, keep it clean…..

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678.314.2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.