National Service Alliance (NSA), a group-purchasing organization for larger building service contractors (BSC) and related businesses, has just completed an intensive member educational session entitled "Standardize/Optimize/Minimize."

The event, hosted by Kärcher North America, an NSA vendor, took place at Kärcher's new US headquarters in Denver, Colorado.

Along with Kärcher, two other NSA vendors, Sealed Air Diversey Care and Georgia-Pacific Professional, contributed to the educational summit.

"The ultimate goal of the two-day event was to help our members develop new ways to reduce supply costs, streamline ordering efficiencies, and improve worker productivity," says Terry Sambrowski, executive director of the NSA. "It was also a perfect opportunity for our members to meet some of the top executives of these major jansan companies."

Sambrowski says the event focused on the following key issues:
 • Ways to increase efficiency and worker productivity, especially in floor care
 • Service and repair options for cleaning equipment
 • Ways to optimize the use of cleaning chemicals to help reduce costs
 • Evolving trends in green and sustainable cleaning
 • Techniques for optimizing labor
 • Innovative ways to enhance the value of cleaning

"Our manufacturing partners also introduced our members to some new equipment and technologies they are now or soon will be introducing to the industry," adds Sambrowski.

"We always welcome this because our members like to be the first to see what new products are coming online, and our manufacturing partners are invariably interested in their feedback."