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The latest in our ongoing series of FM Briefings looks at cleaning. The cleaning industry is perhaps the UK’s biggest industry with the lowest public profile, writes Andrew Large, Chief Executive of the Cleaning and Support Services Association.
 

• Introduction to Cleaning by Andrew Large
• Johnson Diversey
• Principle Cleaning
• ICM Ltd

UK Cleaning: a Growth Industry

Notwithstanding the recession, the total sector turnover, both public and private, is approaching £10bn, and total sector employment is approaching 1 million people.

Cleaning is both essential and ubiquitous. Nobody wants to work or live in a dirty and unhygienic environment. It’s an old story, but the employees of a business really would miss the cleaners far more than the CEO on a day to day basis. In schools, care homes and hospitals, good cleaning and hygiene processes are literally life-saving.

Moreover, cleaning is an unsung part of the UK’s global business success. While everyone is looking at the banks, UK cleaning and support service businesses are winning contracts across the world, with their reputation for sound management, value and quality service.

An essential service
All well and good; but from the perspective of the UK cleaning client, what can the best of UK cleaning offer?

Number one on any client list is going to be top customer service and getting the cleaning task right first time. The best cleaning companies are using technology to make this more certain, both mobile data applications and also simple but effective chemical dosing systems that ensure the right product ends up in the right place at the right time. This is especially important in daytime cleaning – which will be a big trend going forwards as both clients and service providers recognise the sustainability dividend that it pays.

No amount of good customer service training is going to work without the right people and qualifications. The cleaning industry offers a wealth of opportunities for people today. There are qualifications for all – ranging from BICSc practical qualifications to university degrees. Moreover, cleaning offers the chance for people to achieve their life’s ambitions. Whether as the owner of their own business or a senior manager in a larger contractor, the cleaning industry is a meritocracy. Better trained people give better service and do a better quality job.

A good contractor is also going to contribute to a safe and healthy working environment for the client staff. Whether the key task is slowing the spread of influenza or preventing slips on wet floors, a good contractor will know the risks and manage them well.

Challenges for the future
There are two big challenges ahead for cleaning. The first is the drive for differentiation and the second is ensuring a stable labour supply.

Cleaning businesses seem to be choosing from three broad directions to set themselves apart from others. Some are looking to widen their portfolio of services away from cleaning to other soft services such as plants and catering. Others are specialising in areas such as rope access work, kitchen or carpet cleaning. A further group is looking to be the highest quality provider and charge a premium price for a premium service. There are strengths and weaknesses to all three approaches, but depending on the client I think that there is plenty of room for all three in the market.

Historically, the cleaning industry has relied on waves of non-UK labour to provide cleaning workers. However, changes to immigration law and the economic development of Central and Eastern Europe mean that in future, the industry will need to be more attractive to those leaving education. At the moment, cleaning doesn’t figure on their radar screens at all, except as something that someone’s mum (and it usually is mum) does. It certainly isn’t seen as a career option. And yet cleaning offers large-scale employment, flexibility in working time, respected qualifications and a career ladder. This message needs to be spread across the schools and colleges of the UK so that cleaning is able to take its place, alongside construction and retail, as a service industry that people want to join.

The process is already starting. In September 2008, a UK team of young cleaners scooped four gold medals at EuroSkills in the cleaning competition, winning in every category. This sort of publicity will make younger people sit up and take some notice of cleaning and the opportunities it can bring. I know that preparations are well under way for the 2010 competition 

But this is no time to be complacent. 2010 will be a difficult year, perhaps more so than 2009. However, I firmly believe that the UK cleaning sector has the skills and experience to deliver top-notch services to its clients and at the same time help them achieve their own goals.