Company background:
CorpClean began as a cleaning business and has evolved into a full facility management company specializing in contract cleaning, building maintenance, and exterior facility maintenance. Josie Latford joined in 2017 and is co-owner alongside Ben Bauman. CorpClean was acquired by the partners in 2015 and is based in Toledo, Ohio.
Executive Summary
As co-owner, Josie is responsible for overseeing multiple aspects of the company. Upon joining CorpClean, she quickly realized the company needed solutions to manage its cleaning operations. Timekeeping and inventory were prioritized first, but she knew they needed more. Eventually, Josie was introduced to Janitorial Manager to help manage all operational aspects of their business. With more benefits than they had bargained for, CorpClean hasn’t looked back.
The Challenges: An Incomplete Janitorial Operations Software.
When Josie joined the company in 2017, CorpClean lacked a solution to manage employee timekeeping and inventory. To solve this, they decided to have a custom software solution developed. The solution was sufficient for a while, but as they grew, they needed something different. Three key challenges stood in their way. One, they were missing the data they needed to create accurate budgets- a critical component to ensuring that CorpClean was charging enough for their services to afford their labor cost. Two, they wanted to increase employee retention by building strong relationships with their employees. Three, the needed transparency to provide customer knowledge and increase client retention. They needed a better way.
The Solution: A Streamlined Operations Management Software.
CorpClean adopted Janitorial Manager. Janitorial Manager is an operations management software for the cleaning industry. Josie and her team use JM to manage their timekeeping, document & schedule inspections, stay connected with their employees, and manage their equipment and supplies. Janitorial Manager provides CorpClean with the knowledge they were missing to create accurate budgets and drive client and employee retention. They have been using JM since 2019.
The Benefits: Accurate Budgeting and Driving Employee & Client Retention.
Accurate Budgeting that Saves Money
CorpClean refers to parts of a facility as pieces and uses a piece-rate system. Their piece rate system is broken down by hours, and regardless of the time their cleaners spend at a location, they’ll get paid the dollar amount that each piece is assigned. To track hours and ensure their piece-rate system is accurate and fair, CorpClean employees use Janitorial Manager’s JM Connect app to clock in and out. The app not only allows managers and supervisors to see when employees are clocking in and out, but it allows them to see how long their cleaners spend at each location. As a result, their budgeting has improved.
“When you can see when the employees are physically clocking in and clocking out, you can see how much of a difference in what we are budgeting for this location and what is being spent on this location. And we were able to change some of those buildings [budgets]. That has saved us quite a bit”.
Josie Latford
Co-Owner, CorpClean
Employee Retention
JM’s timekeeping has enabled CorpClean to build strong relationships with employees, driving employee retention. For example, if a cleaner says they’re spending longer at a location, managers can log into their Janitorial Manager account, verify the time punch, and adjust compensation. Josie stated this, “It’s been helpful for the cleaner to know that we see their time punch and we’re happy to up their time for this”. Through timekeeping and documented records, CorpClean employees are compensated fairly for their work and any disputes can be verified.
Client Retention
Since all timekeeping punches are recorded along with inspection reports, CorpClean has documented proof they can present to their clients on demand. This transparency builds strong relationships and develops trust. Josie said this, “As far as the customers go, it’s been a great feature to be able to show them you know, we’ve had cleaners here at this time and this time. If they had an issue, you know, our cleaners set up right away, and we were able to take care of it. So that’s been really nice, too”. Documented proof is another way that CorpClean has added professionalism to their business to retain customers and rival competitors.
More Value. A Pleasant Surprise.
In addition to improving their budgeting and timekeeping, CorpClean also implemented JM’s inspections feature. Instead of doing inspections manually using pen and paper, they use JMs inspections feature to build & edit inspection templates and share the reports with their clients. Now they communicate their professional inspection reports directly with their customers. JM’s inspections also helped set standards and hold employees accountable. If at any time a customer is not satisfied with a job, the inspection report provides an employee coaching opportunity. With accountability measures in place, excellence is CorpClean’s minimum standard.
A Bright Future
A streamlined operation is allowing CorpClean to focus on expansion. For 2021, they’ve identified new targets to grow their business. The sky is the limit.
“You don’t you realize the things that you don’t have until you try them out”.
-Josie Latford, CorpClean
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