Business process workflow illustrating management approval, flowchart with businessman in background

Move over Internet of Things, connectivity has a new buzz term — evidence-based cleaning. This smart solution is garnering a lot of attention this week at Interclean in Amsterdam. Trend watcher Vincent Everts highlighted four companies during his "Innovation Tour" of the trade show, but there are many other exhibitors to be found in the Management and Mobility Solutions Pavilion.

Evidence-based cleaning uses apps to have janitors clock in and out of each cleaning task. Based on these clicks, supervisors can track workers' locations and see how long they are taking to clean. Based on the data, supervisors can see if training is needed, or if workers are skipping tasks.

Each shift a janitor will use his or her mobile phone to access the app and receive a task list to complete for the day. With the swipe of a finger, a janitor can easily indicate when he or she started, finished or paused to take a break.

These digital task lists reduce duplicated administrative tasks. Instead of requiring janitors to keep written records of their tasks, then have an office worker create a spreadsheet using this info, the app creates an instant dashboard, saving an estimated 30 minutes a day.

Digital task lists and janitor tracking are just the beginning for this technology. In the future, its possible for apps to be connected to other real-time sensors in a facility that can generate new task lists.

For example, after a restroom door sensor reads that "X-amount" of visitors have entered, a janitor can receive a new task on his or her phone to go clean it. Not only do facilities get immediate attention, but this need-based cleaning schedule also helps show workers they are important because they can see first-hand how their services make a difference or fix problems.