William Dillon: Showcasing High-Tech Cleaning

William Dillon
Custodial Coordinator
Upper Merion Area School District
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

At Upper Merion Area School District, there is nothing old school about the custodial department’s cleaning equipment and practices. Over the years, Custodial Coordinator William Dillon has embraced leading-edge technology to boost productivity and ensure that Merion is well ahead of the curve.

In 2010, Merion purchased its first robotic floor scrubber. The following year, the school district purchased a second unit. Dillon has also implemented orbital machines for floor finish removal, thereby increasing productivity rates and reducing slip-and-fall incidents. And recently, he incorporated a new window cleaning system that reduced cleaning times.

“We’re always looking for new technologies and systems to use, and we’ve had great success with it,” says Dillon. “We try to be good stewards and help other school districts by showing them these technologies and sharing our ideas with them.”

In fact, Dillon has earned a reputation as a go-to guy in the industry. His expertise and advice are frequently sought after by regional school districts and industry experts, as well as cleaning companies worldwide that are interested in his robotic cleaning program.

“Much to William’s credit, we don’t buy equipment willy-nilly every time a vendor comes through with the latest and greatest toy,” says Frederick Remelius, director of operations. “Dillon analyzes new technologies in detail, and we work with a piece of equipment from the beta stage all the way through daily usage.”

In addition to purchasing high-tech cleaning equipment, Dillon has created internal programs using Google Docs for just-in-time ordering, employee training, inventory and operational costs. He has also employed QR codes to measure quality control and track maintenance records on robotic equipment. In 2010, he developed a cleaning system called UMARICS (Upper Merion Advanced Robotic Integrated Cleaning Systems) that combines zone cleaning, team cleaning and robotic cleaning.

“Many institutions and cleaning companies are fixated on one particular style of cleaning,” says Remelius. “What we’ve done is workload all our larger buildings to understand what is required to clean a school building from top to bottom on a regular basis. In some areas, team cleaning works best. In other areas, robots work well. And in some areas, traditional zone cleaning works.”

As a result of UMARICS, the department’s productivity rates have improved significantly — despite staff and budget cuts brought on by the recession.

“Our productivity rate in 2006 was 22,000 square feet per eight hours, and we’re currently at an average of 28,560 square feet per eight hours — and that’s with a reduction in staff of 7.5 people,” says Dillon. With work reallocations and the addition of one full-time position, the department has been able to save $533,299 annually.

Dillon’s vision for Upper Merion Area School District has not only been met with financial success, but it has also been embraced by the custodial staff.
“William is really good at working with people,” says Remelius. “We have a unionized workforce, and he’s been able to communicate to them that working with robots is a good thing.”

Dillon continues to research and invest in new technologies to drive efficiencies and position the custodial staff as a competitive workforce.

“When I have one employee stripping a 700-square-foot classroom in a minute, using water and a surface prep pad, when it used to take two or three guys well over an hour, that’s amazing!” says Dillon. “We’re at the point where these guys expect this technology and they greatly appreciate it.”

To nominate a deserving manager for the 2016 award, click here.

The nomination submitted by Frederick P. Remelius at Upper Merion Area School District:
William has a vision not just for the immediate environment at Upper Merion Area School District, but for the industry and profession as a whole. He is constantly looking at the profession as a “science” so to speak, versus just cleaning. William has the ability to analyze information and synthesize new ideas and concepts, facilitating a higher level of learning for both the staff and profession.

Innovation: William has the ability to think outside of the box by implementing the latest technologies in cleaning — from microfiber towels, microfiber wet mops and dust mops, to backpack vacuums both cord electric and battery, to orbital equipment and robotic floor scrubbers. 

William has been particularly good at analyzing new ideas in detail to make sure that they will make good fiscal and operational sense before just jumping into the latest craze. When he implements a new program, William has been very keen to share the success and failures with his peers so that they can learn from what he put together, resulting in him becoming the "go to guy" in the Philadelphia area for K-12 custodial operations.

Additionally, implementing the latest cloud based technologies by creating internal programs utilizing elaborate spreadsheets, Google Docs/Drive and QR codes to measure and quantify quality control, inventory, employee training, and operational costs.  William’s innovative approach to managing the cleaning program at Upper Merion has attracted much attention both domestically and internationally.

Domestically, industry leaders such as William R. Griffin, have visited Upper Merion to see our innovative systems using Google Docs for reporting/analytics, and robotic cleaning. Rex Morrison from Process Cleaning for Healthy Schools reached out to Upper Merion via a teleconference to learn about our robotic cleaning program. William has hosted many regional school districts and healthcare facilities to demonstrate our systems.

Internationally, Upper Merion hosted visitors from France, Belgium and Germany, as well as conducted international teleconferences from European cleaning firms on the use our robotic cleaning program, as well as the systematic approach William uses. William created a unique cleaning system by combining zone cleaning, team cleaning and robotic cleaning. Coining it “UMARICS” Upper Merion Advanced Robotic Integrated Cleaning Systems.

Increased Operational Efficiencies: The implementation of advanced equipment and systems enabled Upper Merion to effectively reduce custodial staffing by 20 percent through attrition. During tough economic times, William positioned the custodial staff to be more competitive. It is William’s belief that internally we must remain competitive with external forces to remain whole. The employees embrace this approach and continue to support it.

Communication Skills: William has a unique skill set that enables him to work well with others. He provides leadership, implements technology and drives change in a Union environment.

Paying it forward:  William has made it a point to share his robotic concepts with many organizations. He has presented to PASBO (Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials), participated at science fairs with neighboring school districts and continues to take calls globally from suppliers, contractors and in-house operators. He has created an open door policy for all participants in the cleaning industry for higher learning.