Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111
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CSM transforming cleaning business with help from Smarttask
Glaswegian-based CSM Facilities Management has dramatically improved visibility and control over its cleaning operation with the adoption of employee scheduling and workforce management software SmartTask.
Following a period of rapid expansion, the company needed to replace existing paper-based systems, so that it could better monitor and coordinate a team of 150 cleaning operatives that work across Scotland.
This has enabled CSM to improve service delivery, enhance duty of care and support business development while reducing its administrative burden by up to 35 hours a month.
"We have expanded our business to service over 200 sites on behalf of a diverse range of customers, so we recognised that we had outgrown many of our existing manual systems," explains Martin Heneaghan, managing director of CSM Facilities Management. "We not only needed a software solution that would automate and streamline these processes but also help us differentiate our offering within what is a highly-competitive marketplace. SmartTask is helping us transform our operation by delivering on these demands and offering huge opportunities moving forward."
Since the adoption of SmartTask, cleaning staff now book on and off shifts via an automated telephone system using secure PIN codes. This is helping the company to capture precise time and attendance data to monitor the status of all frontline employees as they start, finish and complete work. CSM is planning to roll-out the SmartTask app, so staff can use a smartphone to quickly confirm attendance along with a GPS timestamp.
The intelligent rostering tool is enabling CSM's central operations team to increase the speed and efficiency of workforce scheduling. As a result, the company quickly creates highly accurate rosters that automatically factor in holidays, available working hours and personal staff preferences. Work schedules have been communicated to staff either verbally or via text, but with the roll-out of the SmartTask app staff members will soon be able to receive and confirm their individual schedules using their personal or work smartphone.
Jack White, operations manager of CSM Facilities Management, comments: "By automating many of our manual, paper-based processes we have been able to massively streamline the management of our cleaning team, saving both time and money. It has also proven to be invaluable for internal reporting and customer communication because of its ability to electronically capture accurate operational data while minimising the risk of human error."
The advanced reporting functionality has allowed CSM to enhance performance monitoring, both internally and for customers. A range of reports are automatically generated on a weekly, and monthly basis, so critical data can be shared with the finance, HR and senior management teams. Meanwhile, a web portal has been launched and already set-up for several customers so that they can view real-time and historical performance data for their cleaning operation.
CSM is also using SmartTask's 24/7 virtual control room service to monitor missed shifts, check-calls, and any operational alerts. This has replaced an in-house control room and out-of-hours monitoring solution that was costly and difficult to manage. The managed service is providing the company with complete peace of mind that their staff are safe day or night while ensuring that customers are receiving the highest levels of service.
"SmartTask is having a dramatic impact on how our central operations team, based at our Glasgow headquarters, is able to coordinate all the cleaning requirements," adds Jack White. "The software has given us added visibility and control while freeing up time so we can make the best use of the insight provided to target service and efficiency improvements. Moving forward, controlled access will also be given to supervisors and operations managers with live monitoring and reports linked to their individual areas of responsibility.
7th November 2019