Cleaning That Focuses On Quality Assurance

Janitorial outsourcing has its critics – and many of them are right. Low-cost janitorial providers sacrifice quality in order to offer low, attractive bid packages. And can end up costing you in the long run.

But that’s not always the case. In fact, many companies enjoy the benefits of outsourcing their janitorial services by balancing cost savings with responsibly addressing the unique needs of their business. Each day this week, we’ll cover the benefits of outsourcing and how to avoid the pitfalls that come with low-cost providers. Today, we’ll cover quality assurance.

Some janitorial providers neglect key items in order to offer rock-bottom prices. And their poor quality control doesn’t just create frustration. It can lead to safety issues and even cause damage to your facility. The key to a successful program is to have robust Service Level Agreements (SLA) for work order management, inspections and even corrective training for when the inevitable hiccup eventually does happen.

Fortunately, not all janitorial providers skimp on quality assurance. There are many that understand how to create a quality-oriented janitorial program that emphasizes accountability and results. Janitorial providers should be able to address on-site supervision, metrics, reporting, responsiveness, and the inclusiveness of the scope of work. Everything from work orders to inspections should be documented. When something isn’t up to your expectations, management should take corrective actions and document them.

Critics of janitorial outsourcing are right to be concerned about service quality. That’s why it’s important to pick a janitorial provider that puts quality first and allows you to reap the benefits of outsourcing, while still being confident in your service quality.

Alan France, CS-P, CSR-P, is Vice President of Quality and Sustainability at ABM Industries. He has been with ABM for 19 years. Prior to this year, Alan served as the Director of Sustainability, Environmental Services. In this role Alan was responsible for the oversight and the operational deployment of ABM GreenCare and worked closely with new and existing customers to implement and maintain our sustainable service programs. Alan worked with ABM's suppliers to ensure their newest products and innovations are introduced to the ABM GreenCare program.