What is a Quality Management System (QMS)?

In simple terms, a quality management system (QMS) is a structured, centralized collection of documents and records that showcase the business processes, procedures, and individual responsibilities required to maintain high quality standards and meet regulatory compliance.

A QMS could be manual, but it’s much easier to manage with a software tool. This is especially true for chains, large businesses, and contractors who have multiple clients. A lot of industries use QMSs to uphold quality control. It’s common for businesses that manufacture medical devices, food, and cosmetics to implement QMS software. 

However, this article is going to examine what quality management systems look like in the cleaning industry. We’ll explain what it is, how cleaning contractors can use it, and how it will greatly improve customer satisfaction for any cleaning company’s clientele.

“You shouldn’t just clean, you should clean with purpose and precision. A high-quality cleaning QMS is exactly the tool you need to help you achieve that.” – Prakash Naganath, CEO, Optisolve

What is a Quality Management System in The Cleaning Industry?

In the cleaning industry, a quality management system tool is a comprehensive software application that helps cleaners plan, conduct, track, and report site assessments regarding cleaning quality, surface cleaning validation, and environmental monitoring.

These insights help facility teams maintain high cleaning standards and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Using Optisolve SAVI® as an example, this is how a cleaning QMS tool works for its user.

1. User Configuration

Once you have your QMS tool, your first step is to configure it to fit your business needs. You can create your own assessments or modify pre-existing templates to fit your needs.

2. Determine Protocols

After the assessment templates are established, facility management would design cleaning protocols, programs, and processes using the software. This would include the cleaning methods, audit schedule, and standards that cleaning staff must follow.

3. Set Performance Benchmarks

Then, you can set performance benchmarks in the software. These benchmarks serve as targets for cleaning staff to achieve and maintain. Consider your pre-determined protocols as you set attainable yet rigorous benchmarks.

4. Conduct Onsite Assessments

Once everything is all set up in the system, staff conduct cleaning and disinfection assessments onsite in real-time after a cleaning job. They would evaluate cleaning quality using the software’s tools and audit it against your pre-determined benchmarks.

5. Collect & Share Data

The data from onsite assessments is collected and shared with stakeholders across the facility. This is done using a cloud-based data capture and analytics platform.

6. Generate Reports

This data is then used to generate reports and dashboards that clearly communicate the results of the assessment. Use them to provide feedback to your team and to demonstrate compliance and cleaning effectiveness.

7. Use Reports to Make Data-Driven Decisions About Future Improvements

One of the biggest advantages of this system is that you can use it to make your cleaning processes even better. If there are noticeable trends surrounding your performance benchmarks, that may indicate that you need to reevaluate your cleaning protocols.

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How Cleaning Services Can Use QMS Software to Enhance Their Quality Management Standards

Now that you’ve seen how QMS works in the cleaning industry, the next question is how you can use this system to enhance your practices. Here are a few ways you can do that. 

Standardize Your Protocols

QMS software allows cleaning services to standardize cleaning protocols across all locations. This ensures consistency in cleaning practices and compliance with industry regulations whenever necessary.

It also helps preserve your reputation. This is because it ensures that the quality processes a client can expect in one locality will be maintained in every other. 

Enhance Employee Training

Because QMS software lets you monitor the performance of your cleaning staff, it can provide valuable information on how you can enhance your training programs. It may also be a good way to pinpoint staff members who could use additional training.

Improve Communication

Quality management software makes it quick and easy to share information with your staff, facility managers, and any other key stakeholders. You can rapidly make everyone aware of your cleaning protocols and verify that they’re being followed without having to book additional meetings.

Increase Operational Efficiency

By implementing a systematic approach to cleaning and quickly distributing it, you can drastically increase your operational efficiency. This could include reducing the time and resources required for proper cleaning and disinfection. 

Considering that your average commercial cleaning job takes approximately 1 hour per every 1,000 square feet, this increase in efficiency could provide significant time savings. This helps your staff get more jobs done each work day.

Reduce Risks

QMS software allows cleaning services to reduce the risks associated with cleaning and disinfection. This includes reducing the risk of cross-contamination, the spread of infections, and non-compliance with industry regulations.

That’s because the tool will report on poorly performed cleaning jobs in real time. If there are any issues with your protocols or their implementation, these issues can be addressed promptly before they escalate into bigger problems.

Enhance Your Business’s Reputation

The 2022 ACI National Cleaning Survey reports that 44% of people prioritize cleaning effectiveness over other factors. While this survey was focused on cleaning products, this statistic still shows that you need to demonstrate thorough cleaning jobs to stand out.

The comprehensive site assessment reports from your QMS can be a great tool to demonstrate how rigorous your cleaning jobs are. Being able to prove your thoroughness using tangible evidence can really give your cleaning business a competitive edge.

Meet Customer Expectations (And Exceed Them!)

When you enhance your quality management, you enhance your customer satisfaction. As mentioned, cleaning clients place a high value on thoroughness. Not only will a QMS tool help you demonstrate your effectiveness, it can also support continuous improvement as standards change.

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Trust a Quality Management System Software Tool With a Focus on Cleaning

There are a lot of QMS software tools on the market. However, these tools are often general and may not perfectly fit the needs of a cleaning business. Your cleaning company can avoid that risk by opting for a QMS tool that was specifically designed for cleaners.

Optisolve SAVI® is that tool. We’ve been in the cleaning industry for 60 years, so we know exactly how quality assurance standards have evolved over the decades. We used this extensive experience alongside data-driven innovations from leading academics and tech experts to create a QMS tool tailored to the needs of the cleaning business. 

Contact us for your free demo to see how SAVI® can help take your cleaning quality objectives to the next level.