Flagship commits to innovation and operational excellence for commercial cleaning with SoftBank Robotics

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Flagship Facility Services provides comprehensive maintenance services to some of the busiest airports in the US.  In addition, they support 20 of the top ranked airports in JD Power’s 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Survey1. The fast-moving, dynamic airport environment requires keeping the facilities clean in an efficient manner and at the same time maintaining the highest level of cleanliness. This is an important job for the airport, and for the people working at and moving through it. Experience matters and Flagship takes pride in serving the airport’s employees and their customers.

1 https://flagshipinc.com/industries/aviation/

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Business Challenge:

Every day, Flagship cleans more than 33,000,000 square feet of airport space! To put this into perspective, this is like cleaning 40,000 air traffic control towers, 32,000 standard hangars, 7,000 Boeing 747-8 airplanes, and 37,000 jet bridges2. Meeting those high standards for cleanliness within airports means constantly thinking ahead and looking for innovative ways to clean efficiently. 

2 https://flagshipinc.com/industries/aviation/

A Trusted Partner:

Flagship turned to SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA) as a trusted partner who could deliver Flagship’s vision of operational excellence. SBRA had the expertise necessary to integrate advanced cleaning technologies, such as autonomous robots (aka cobots which are collaborative technologies), into Flagship’s janitorial operations. SBRA was able to work with Flagship’s teams to successfully develop a suite of technology solutions designed to meet the dynamic needs of airport environments, enable adoption of the technology, set performance goals and deliver value from the program. 



Strategic Investment:

SBRA entered into a multi-year strategic partnership with Flagship Facility Services in 2024. This has allowed Flagship access to SBRA’s industry-leading technology solutions portfolio, along with its renowned enterprise adoption program. Flagship’s fleet of SBRA cobots features four types of solutions: Scrubber 50, Vacuum 40, Phantas, and Whiz. These cobots perform a wide range of tasks, including vacuuming, scrubbing, sweeping, and dust mopping on various types of hard and soft flooring.

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Expertise and Commitment:

The robot deployment process utilizes experienced specialists to optimize the program inside of the environment and day-to-day operations. This includes hands-on training to ensure janitorial teams can effectively manage and collaborate with the technology. Flagship has been operating cobots for almost 10,000 hours and cleaned more than 35 million square feet, since first deploying at the start of 2024.

Best Run Cleaning Operations:

The integration of cobots has elevated the role of janitorial staff by expanding their responsibilities to include oversight and management of advanced technology. The program has also resulted in a 30% increase in labor efficiency via more streamlined cleaning processes, enabling janitorial staff to focus on other high-value tasks, such as cleaning restrooms and responding to customer needs.

The efficient operation of cobots is also expected to extend the life of airport assets, such as carpet and flooring. Through precise and regular cleaning, 
cobots help preserve these assets, reducing wear and tear and delaying the need for costly replacements.

Furthermore, cobots serve as a visible reminder of an airport’s commitment to passenger well-being. They not only ensure a pristine environment but also enhance the overall airport experience, leading to increased passenger satisfaction scores and trust in airports’ dedication to high cleanliness standards and technological advancement.

“This rapid integration reflects our commitment to deliver effective robotic solutions in complex environments like airports and highlights our focus on transforming the way work gets done. This includes training janitorial teams to successfully manage and utilize these advanced technologies within an optimized work schedule.”

Kate Kidd, Head of New Product at SBRA

Commitment to Innovation:

Leaning on its extensive experience implementing cutting-edge technologies in airport environments, Flagship Facility Services has deployed over 100 autonomous robots across nearly 15 customer locations in just six months – demonstrating its commitment to cleanliness innovation, and operational excellence.

Flagship has plans to continue its expansion of the SoftBank Robotics program across key accounts and new contracts. It will leverage performance data to provide ongoing program status monitoring and near real-time proof of return on investment. This expansion is ushering in a new standard of airport cleanliness while also establishing a benchmark for operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction in the aviation industry.

For more information about SoftBank Robotics program, visit the Services page.  For more information about Flagship’s airport cleaning services, visit the aviation services page.

 

“We are focused and take pride, within the entire company, on delivering a higher standard of customer service. SoftBank is the only partner we trust to enable us to successfully integrate autonomous solutions into our operations. Together we can go above and beyond in servicing our customers and improving cleaning effectiveness.” 

– Todd Jacobs, COO

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About Flagship Facility Services 

Flagship has over 6,000 employees dedicated to creating the best facility experience for customers. With operations in Facility Services, Integrated Facilities Management Culinary Services and Aviation Services, Flagship offers Integrated Facilities Management and a multitude of la carte facilities services, including janitorial, engineering, culinary and maintenance services, for large-scale organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.