Case Study

The Brief

A major supermarket chain was concerned about current cleaning practices due to an increase in slip/fall incidents. Customer feedback also showed there were issues with the visual cleanliness of stores. SYR was invited to assess the cleaning procedures, focusing on improving performance and productivity.

Actions

After consulting with the customer our first task was to complete a detailed assessment of current working practices. We were given full access to one store, which was deemed as being “typical” of standards throughout the group. Our FOCUS team started at 4am so we were able to observe the whole cleaning programme from beginning to end. Among the may issues which needed addressing, we noted:

1. No supervisors were present at the 4am start of the shift.

2. Cleaners were clocking in other colleagues for their shift, although they were not there.

3. Items were removed from shelves and consumed.

4. The cleaning cupboards with dysfunctional, dirty and disorganised.

5. There was no system in place for taking equipment.

6. Products were a miscellaneous, often incompatible selection from different suppliers.

7. Staff had not received any form of equipment or best practice training.

8. There was very little process in place to ensure an effective clean.

9. Tools and equipment were inadequate for the job requirements.

Solutions

• The product range was consolidated, ensuring all equipment was fit for purpose
• Biometric scanners were introduced to stop fraudulent clocking procedures
• Staff training on all new equipment was completed
• Best practice was introduced to improve cleaning regimes and routines
• End of shift cleaning routines were established for all equipment
• All cleaning cupboards were stripped, cleaned and organised so all products were easily located

Benefits

•  Having clean equipment, easily located and at hand created huge cost saving for our customer:
6 minutes were saved at the start of every shift & each store had an average of 5 cleaners.
Reduction in time per store: 30 minutes
Across 3,000 stores = 1,500 hours per day
At the pay rate of £7 an hour that was £10,500 a day, £3.8m a year
• Using the correct equipment led to a reduction in slip/fall incidents
• Using one supplier for a core range of fit for purpose products allowed the supermarket to benefit from better equipment pricing, making a substantial reduction in their overall equipment spend across their stores
• Having fully trained cleaning operatives, combined with a system to manage them increased productivity, which in turn led to the supermarket being able to operate with fewer cleaning operatives per store, creating additional labour savings
• A multi trageted change in cleaning process and equipment improved the overall visual appearance and presentation of the shop floor, resulting in positive customer feedback

Every environment we encounter is different and our FOCUS team use their expertise to evaluate these unique challenges and provide solutions. We look at every lottle detail – so you don’t have to – and recommend new procedures and equipment which will help your business unlock the key to your cleaning success story.