CMM - January 2012
www cmmonline com 21 investment ROI particularly in terms of labor costs As autonomous machines these floor cleaners can be programmed pointed and left to operate for up to four hours uninterrupted and unsupervised Some can even do two jobs at once prepping and cleaning in one pass with their combination sweeper and scrubber features As a result these smart machines can reduce the amount of labor required for the same job by more than 80 percent For organizations getting by with minimal custodial support such advanced machines can prove highly valuable in serving as a staff multiplier By addressing the mundane time consuming task of cleaning floors an autonomous cleaner frees up the janitorial crew to focus on more challenging hard to reach areas enhancing the overall productivity of a custodial department In addition to labor and timesavings operator free machines demonstrate savings in resource use For example traditional industrial scrubbers and riding floor cleaners can use up to 100 gallons of water during a shift In comparison robots use only 15 gallons of water per four hour shift Operator free systems also use proportionately less detergent cutting cleaning chemical expenditures by a significant amount Better Environmental Implications Operator free machines provide some distinct advantages over traditional industrial scrubbers and sweepers beyond immediate financial savings particularly when it comes to environmental considerations Green initiatives have become part of doing business today and organizations are under continuous pressures to adopt eco friendly practices and reduce their carbon footprints In an effort to reduce energy use and related expenses many businesses and organizations may be turning down the lights as well as heating and cooling systems when facilities are empty of employees customers and visitors Heavy floor cleaning is often left until these same hours requiring more energy use to create a comfortable work environment for the cleaning crew Organizations can recapture those energy savings however with robotic cleaners that can be left to work without light heat or air conditioning As noted robotic floor cleaners also save a precious natural resource by using significantly less water than traditional scrubbers Given the proportionately lowered requirements for chemical cleaning agents these smart machines ultimately release less noxious wastewater into sewer systems reducing the potential for harmful elements to leak into the environment Additionally some floor cleaners are designed specifically for use with ecofriendly detergents further reducing the potential for environmental contamination Despite using less cleaning solution robotic floor cleaners meet high sanitary standards On board purification and recycling systems allow the machines to recycle solution during operations using ultraviolet UV light to kill germs This approach results in water that is cleaner than tap water and floors that are cleaned as well at the end of the shift as they are at the beginning Some facilities require frequent floor cleaning to maintain extremely strict hygienic expectations such as hospitals and other health care buildings Other facilities may never be quite empty of human traffic such as major airports or train terminals Operator free machines are tailored to such environments with the newest generation of machines designed to work quietly and safely The latest robotic floor cleaners are equipped with multiple sensors that provide a comprehensive view of the operating environment Sensors enable the machines to avoid obstacles including people as well as dangers such as stairways If machines encounter problems operators are notified by e mail or by text message and machines stop operating until the difficulty is resolved Deliver Improved Accountability In todays slow economy many organizations are operating lean and accounting for every dime so its as important as ever to ensure that work paid for is work done well Maintenance departments can rely on operator free equipment to provide detailed documentation of floor space cleaned helping to ensure that resources have been allocated and managed properly Robotic floor cleaners built in documentation systems store details such as work times operators and areas covered Such details are compiled into status reports that can be accessed via e mail or online Operators working in other areas can confirm quickly that a specified area has been cleaned while managers and administrators have valuable information that shows how regularly floors are maintained and if any issues arise Integrating an operator free floor cleaner within a custodial department is easier than might be expected Technological advancements have produced a new generation of machines with tremendous cleaning power locked behind simple intuitive controls Icon based touchscreens provide operators with simple guidance in mapping the cleaning route and it takes only minutes to prep the cleaner with solution move it into position and push go Advanced floor cleaning machines also have the capability to self diagnose routine maintenance needs and problems Rather than lose valuable time between diagnostic and service visits organizations can get issues resolved remotely in many cases bringing machines back online quickly With the potential to achieve significant savings in labor water chemical and energy costs operator free floor cleaners are a smart business decision In addition to saving time and money and reducing environmental impacts robotic cleaners offer organizations greater accountability in facilities maintenance and ultimately an opportunity to do more with less CM
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