If you were to ask commercial cleaning company owners and managers to list some of the most time-consuming tasks that they are constantly wrestling with, you can be certain that coordinating schedules and controlling labor costs would show up in the mix.
According to Cleaning and Maintenance Management magazine, “Typically, labor accounts for at least 55 percent, and generally no more than 70 percent, of your total costs.”
If you are dropping the ball when it comes to getting control of your labor costs, it’s time to consider utilizing scheduling software for janitorial service.
6 Ways Scheduling Software Saves You
Happy employees and satisfied customers automatically address many of the costly issues that you face. To move towards that level of operational Zen, consider the following ways that scheduling software for janitorial service allows you to automate, simplify and streamline communications with your cleaning crew and clients:
- Prevent miscommunications
Utilizing software designed to accommodate for the day-to-day issues that you face in the cleaning industry, is key to preventing miscommunications and failures to share necessary information. When employees travel to cleaning sites, only to find that it’s not a good time for them to complete their necessary tasks, it’s a waste of time and money. However, scheduling software, like that available from Janitorial Manager, offers customized communication portals for each client, which allows them to easily inform you and your crew of important updates regarding meetings, special events, and other activities that would affect your ability to complete scheduled jobs. The people who need to be in the know can then access these notes and respond in real-time. The central communication loop keeps everyone on the same page and allows for prior preparation and planning.
- Stay on the ball!
Missing shifts is never a good idea. It upsets customers, thus risking losing their business. It also upsets your other employees’ schedules to have to cover for someone who dropped the ball! This scramble to recover can trigger overtime hours, which can put your labor costs out of balance. Scheduling software for janitorial service allows your cleaners to have real-time access to their assigned schedules, and reminders help even your busiest employees to stay on top of necessary cleaning tasks and assignments. The software provides the ability for employees to identify their available times, request time off, and block out their unavailable times – saving you the time and trouble of constant schedule juggling!
- Track total hours
How many of your employees are wasting significant amounts of time on the job? Do you have documentation of it? Or are you stuck overpaying them each month? You can’t get control of something that you can’t see. Scheduling software that is integrated with an hours-tracking app is your answer. Through an integrated app like Chronotek, employees must login and logout upon arrival and departure at each site. The GPS feature ensures that employees are where they say they are, and with your real-time access into the reporting of the app, you can keep an eagle eye on your employees’ whereabouts when they’re on the clock. Clear and simple reporting options help you leverage the time your employees are spending on the job.
- Ensure accurate assignments
Not all of your employees are qualified or eligible – for a variety of reasons – to work at all of your customers’ sites. Using a scheduling software will help you avoid assigning the wrong people to the wrong places, and wasting that time and customer patience to make it right. Reports can be sorted by location or by employee to review inspection reports and hours spent. These actionable reports allow you to make adjustments where needed to save money and to find your most profitable clients.
- Avoid scheduling conflicts
Sure, you could draw out a matrix with pen and paper, but after a long day, errors happen. Using a scheduling software for janitorial service helps you detect schedule conflicts, overtime hours, not enough time off, availability, and more! The software calls your attention to these issues before you send it out to your team.
- Don’t pay more than you need to
With electronic time card data, you can capture the true start and end times for each employee’s actual shifts. With instant access to historic data from previous pay periods, you can better ensure the accuracy of hours entered and compare time spent on projects between employees. Recognize your most efficient workers and provide additional training to those who are seeming to slip. Make the most of what you have, without having to spend more money!
Take Control with Scheduling Software
With today’s scheduling software now available on any desktop or mobile devices, your crew can have 24/7 access to the most important information they need, and you gain easy-to-read reports and resources to do your job quicker and more easily. This year, decide to save time and money with accurate, intuitive, and helpful scheduling software for janitorial service. Contact Janitorial Manager today to receive a FREE demo of the software and see for yourself how it can help!