In 2024, janitorial service providers are facing unprecedented demands from building management and tenants. They're not just looking for clean spaces anymore; they want top-notch operations and concrete evidence of work. For commercial cleaning firms, adapting to these changes isn't just beneficial—it's essential for survival. With this in mind, Innovation Building Maintenance went looking for solutions and discovered a game-changing one that has revolutionized their approach to commercial cleaning: Mero.

The Changing Landscape of Commercial Cleaning

In the past, the commercial cleaning industry relied heavily on word-of-mouth communication. There were no cell phones or emails; customers would provide feedback face-to-face, offering constructive criticism on improving their services. While this direct approach had its merits, it also left room for inconsistencies and missed opportunities.

As technology began to transform the commercial cleaning space, companies like Innovation Building Maintenance were at the forefront of adopting new solutions for cleaning validation and related activities. However, they often encountered challenges with these new solutions. There were (and still are) a slew of technologies out there being promoted to commercial cleaning firms that simply aren’t well adjusted for the realities of the commercial cleaning work. Many promising technologies failed to deliver on their promises, leaving the business frustrated and still searching for truly effective solutions.

The COVID-19 Catalyst

The importance of proper cleaning validation solutions accelerated a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suddenly, cleaning for health became a top priority for tenants in commercial buildings as people were concerned about contracting the virus due to inadequate cleaning practices. This shift in perception pushed the need for better quality control systems to the forefront of the industry. Building tenants started demanding reporting on key KPIs around cleaning proof and validation.

Enter Mero: A Breakthrough in Quality Control

The search for the perfect quality control system led Innovation Building Maintenance to Mero, a discovery that has transformed their operations. Mero's solution stands out by eliminating many of the quality control concerns that have long plagued the industry.

Key benefits of Mero's technology include:

• Real-time data-driven metrics
• Elimination of exploitable gaps in quality control
• Reduced susceptibility to human error
• Improved cleaning validation

Mero's solutions brought tremendous value to Innovation’s operations, eliminating many of the quality control and/or deployment concerns they faced with previous solutions. Unlike other tech solutions, Mero's system doesn't suffer from the same gaps and human errors. Innovation Building Maintenance believe they've found the pinnacle of quality control systems in Mero's offerings.

Overcoming Past Challenges with QR Code Based Solutions

Before Mero, Innovation tried various solutions to address our quality control challenges. These systems were based on QR codes. QR code-based systems had inherent difficulties with data usage, requiring them to subsidize cell phone data plans for their staff. Other Inspection report systems, where managers performed timestamped inspections with photos and videos, also had significant problems as they often simply didn't align with what customers saw in the field.

Overcoming Challenges in Unionized Environments

One of the more difficult challenges faced by commercial cleaning companies is managing unionized sites. With unionized sites, inherited troubled employees and collective bargaining agreements often make it difficult to implement changes and maintain service quality.

One unionized site in particular that Innovation inherited highlighted these challenges. Employees were not following their job descriptions or schedules, and our management was unable to verify service quality or the building status overall. Innovation spent significant resources on additional training and time assessments, but employees pushed back, claiming the schedules were unreasonable.

Innovation was already wrestling with this and other unionized sites and saw Mero as a way to start moving forward with them to improve quality. Mero's solution provides concrete proof of performance, allowing companies to:

• Show employees that efficient schedules are indeed achievable
• Prevent abuse of the grievance process
• Improve overall service quality and customer satisfaction

Mero's solution provided concrete proof that employees were not following their schedules while also showing that tasks could be completed within the allotted time. This turnaround meant problematic employees couldn't abuse the grievance process anymore, and many chose to leave. Those who stayed became more energized, enjoying the efficiency of the new system. As a result, service quality and customer satisfaction improved dramatically.

While this is an extreme case of what could happen in unionized environments, the ability to utilize Mero as a tool to support your case to the unions is a major value proposition that many janitorial organizations would benefit from.

Addressing Concerns of Tenants, Employees, and Management

Implementing new technology always comes with questions and naturally, all stakeholders had questions for Innovation as they started to roll out Mero’s solution. Unions and employees were concerned about micromanagement. Building tenants worried about their workspace becoming an unhealthy environment.

Innovation addressed these concerns with the transparency that Mero’s comprehensive reports provided.

• Unions and employees: Making data available and demonstrating how the system will be used fairly.
• Building tenants: Showcasing how Mero's solution naturally protects privacy while improving service.

By making data available to the union and employees, Innovation eliminated many of these concerns. Building tenants, in particular, were impressed with how Mero's solutions naturally protect privacy. Mero also presented a way for Innovation to stand out and differentiate from other providers by sharing real-time reports of cleaning to their clients.

The Seamless Integration of Mero

One of the most impressive aspects of Mero's solution is its ease of deployment. Unlike cumbersome QR code-based systems that can take months to implement, Mero's lightweight beacons can be deployed across a building site in just a couple of days. Innovation Building Maintenance was able to seamlessly transition to Mero’s solution which  allowed for quick implementation and immediate results.

Deploying Mero's lightweight beacons across building sites and giving staff passive beacons to carry with their IDs was straightforward. This ease of deployment contrasted sharply with the cumbersome process of QR code systems, which required printing, applying, and placing stickers throughout buildings.

Integrating Other Service Providers

Another example of Mero's success with Innovation Building Maintenance came when a building asked them to integrate a security company's employees into the same system used for cleaning validation. This integration allowed building management to monitor security personnel, preventing incidents like a missing security guard during a flood (something Innovation knew all too well). Integrating the security company’s personnel was as simple as providing them passive beacons.

Driving Revenue and Improving Customer Satisfaction

Mero's solution not only saved costs for Innovation Building Maintenance and their clients but also led to winning more RFPs and contract renewals, driving revenue growth. Customer satisfaction and, therefore positive word of mouth about Innovation, increased as operations became more efficient and resources were allocated more effectively.

A New Era in Commercial Cleaning

The adoption of Mero's technology has ushered in a new era for commercial cleaning companies like Innovation Building Maintenance. Substantial returns on investment, improved service quality, and increased customer satisfaction are proven with Mero’s solution. In an industry that with new demands, Mero has proven to be the solution many have been searching for.

As the industry looks to the future, the possibilities that Mero's technology brings are exciting. For commercial cleaning companies looking to stay competitive and deliver superior service, embracing innovative solutions like Mero is no longer just an option – it's a necessity.

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