ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, has chosen the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland as the first countries outside of the United States and Canada in which to launch its acclaimed Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS). The program will be administered by ISSA’s partner BICS Business Services, beginning with introductory workshops held 4 March and 16 September 2014.

CIMS is a trailblazing consensus-based management standard that is geared toward validating and improving the professionalism of cleaning service providers. The standard lays out a framework based on management principles that are universally considered hallmarks of successful cleaning organizations, namely: Quality Systems; Health, Safety & Environmental Stewardship; Service Delivery; Management Commitment; and Human Resources.

Certification to the CIMS standard provides a conclusive way for a contract cleaning company to differentiate itself from its competition through demonstrating a commitment to quality, as well as a keen focus on customer satisfaction, continual operational improvement, and best use of resources.

 “To my mind, CIMS works so well because it is based on universally accepted management principles and applies these elements to an entire organisation rather than to an individual, product or process,” says ISSA European Services-EMEA Director Keith Baker. “The use of specific products and cleaning techniques is not required, nor even recommended, and each organisation keeps the flexibility to choose the products and cleaning techniques that best fit its needs.”

The standard is also set to be a significant asset to facility managers and others responsible for selecting a cleaning service provider in that certification helps to identify quality providers that are prepared to meet the facility manager’s needs and expectations. Facility managers can therefore gain an increased confidence in their chosen contractor by using CIMS as a powerful tender or bid prerequisite. With this function in mind, the standard provides sample specification language that fits seamlessly into most existing tender frameworks.

“Just as CIMS certification will be a strong selling point for cleaning contractors moving forward, I can also envisage an industry in just a few years’ time where professional facility managers will only use CIMS certified companies or rue the consequence of not doing so,” adds Baker.

In fact, a growing number of end customers in the United States and Canada already require CIMS certification to be eligible to be awarded a cleaning service contract, including government entities, institutions of higher education, commercial facilities and others.

The CIMS standard was originally created through a consensus-based process. Led and managed by ISSA, this involved top organisations from the cleaning, facility management, and purchasing communities, in a true collaborative effort that represented the interests of more than 100,000 industry stakeholders.

The standard was first introduced in the United States and Canada in 2006, and to date 186 organisations have achieved certification.

A New Differentiator
Organizations wishing to achieve certification must undergo a comprehensive on-site assessment by a fully independent and accredited assessor who evaluates the organisation’s compliance with the standard. Certified organisations are then required to be reassessed every two years to ensure ongoing compliance.

Manufacturers and distributors, training and consultancy firms in North America also have identified a considerable opportunity with CIMS to expand their industry knowledge and strengthen their customer relationships by assisting customers in preparing for CIMS certification. To do this, individuals participate in a special training session and pass an examination to become an “Industry Certification Expert” (I.C.E.). Representatives of cleaning service organisations are also encouraged to attend as a key first step on the road to CIMS certification.

There are more than 1,000 I.C.E. in North America thus far.

 
The first two I.C.E workshops and certification sessions will be held on 4 March 2014 and 16 September 2014 at the Highgate House Hotel, Creaton, Northampton. Registration should be made by email to: CIMS@bicsbusinessservices.com.

Further I.C.E workshops will be announced in the coming weeks and companies interested in having ISSA and BICS Business Services conduct a private, custom workshop at their own facility should contact Baker at keith@issa.com.

For more information regarding the CIMS standard in the United Kingdom and Ireland, visit europe.issa.com/ukcims.