Hello, My Name is: 

Using autonomous robots to perform commercial cleaning isn’t a simple case of purchasing a robot and putting it to work. That is typically an easy button to failing fast. However, when your employees and customers start naming the robot – then you might be on the right track to adoption.

A robotic program that is successfully adopted is, in part, a change management initiative. Introduction of autonomous robots into a commercial work schedule is an opportunity to review current work practices, review where labor is used, optimize the use of employee time by focusing on areas and situations that can’t be automated, and effectively apply the right approach to the right task at a cost that makes economic sense. Adoption builds an automation foundation that lasts and more importantly, one that scales. Key to its success is top down, executive sponsorship and ongoing, thoughtful communication. Vital to its success is working with an experienced partner. 

Commercial Cleaning Meets Automation

Robotic automation programs aren’t new in manufacturing, but more recently have become popular for commercial cleaning. Commercial cleaning programs have long¹ been plagued by high turnover rates. Industry sources frequently cite annual turnover rates ranging from 200% to 400%, reflecting the difficulty of recruiting and retaining frontline cleaning staff. When standard operating procedures dictate that cleaning is mandatory for the health of the business, this is a huge problem. Many use cases exist of robotic automation programs helping commercial cleaning teams to deliver business value. These use cases include senior living communities, airport terminals, retail shopping malls, casinos, educational institutions, multi-family, and workplace. The common factor in all these situations is that there is a lot of foot traffic, and a clean environment is essential for customer² experience. Several additional challenges exist including rising labor costs and the risk of trips and falls, making cleaning dangerous and ripe for workers comp issues too. The task of cleaning is highly repetitive and ideal for an autonomous robot program.

Performance Progress Indicators

To be effective, robotic programs need to be adopted – used day in and day out – to deliver business outcomes. From Day One, KPIs are put in place to monitor and assess progress towards the program’s end goal. Value can be evidenced by standard metrics related to cleaning performance such as the total number of hours the robot runs per day, or the square footage cleaned per route per day. These metrics are an early indicator of adoption progress toward measurable outcomes. Cleaning quality is another important factor, and it’s typically assessed before and after the program to measure the amount of dust in the vacuum bag or amount of dirty water in the scrubber.  From a labor efficiency and re-allocation perspective, the number of new tasks able to be completed because time is freed up, is also a positive indicator.  

Competing for a Name

There are less obvious metrics that are more subjective but arguably more important - naming the robots. In most adoption programs, surveys and interviews are conducted after a few weeks of the program commencing to measure things like employee and customer² sentiment, perception and ease of use. For example, at LCS, a leader in the senior living industry, residents were intrigued by the new autonomous cleaning program, had increased interaction with the robots, and in many cases even gave the robots a name. An extract from the success story³ states: “At first there was a high level of curiosity with staff and residents constantly watching the robots. The communities were engaged and even had competitions to name the robots. It has now reached a point where, if staff and residents don’t see the robots, they are concerned and question where the robots are.”  

In the success story from Sabra Health Care REIT Inc., a self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust, Rug Rat and R2Clean2 were an instant hit at The Chateau McKinney, TX and Traditions, Beavercreek, OH, respectively. Naming the robot may appear to be a simple step in the overall process, but it is an important sign toward program adoption. It is a sign of cultural acceptance and bonding. It means the robot is “one of us”, and if the robot isn’t around, it is missed, in the same way you might miss a human colleague or friend. At one hotel, the Director of Housekeeping said she treats the robots like her “kids”. The emotional connection with the robots as valuable aids and being one of the team and part of the community is important. 

In another situation at LCS, it was noted that the presence of the robots made residents happy. Sam Topping, Senior Director, Plant Operations at LCS said “The robots for our floors have been bringing smiles to the residents and their families, making them feel happy and that they are in a high-tech environment.”  Confidence and happiness in the use of technology are clear indicators of the depth of adoption and the degree of trust placed in the autonomous helpers.

There has been an observable and measurable correlation with customer experience, such as more passengers scoring their experience higher with an airport or residents moving in. Peter Nyland, EVP Asset Management for Sabra Health Care REIT Inc. commented “I believe intuitively that there is a correlation between the quality of care and the use of new technology, like robots, and a decision to move in for new residents”.  

SoftBank Robotics America’s clients have embraced this step in adoption. The most popular robot names include:

• Rosie

• Dusty

• Dirt Vader

• R2Clean2

• Rug Rat

• Dustin Bieber

• Taylor Swiffer

• Meryl Sweeps

Change Management is a living program that includes many facets along with naming the robot, like care and attention placed on the robot, and community and operations support for the program.  All of this provides the foundation for long-term, scalable, robotic automation program success, which includes the benefits of increased productivity, empowered staff, stable operational costs, enhanced experiences, and overall customer  satisfaction. 

So, when your employees and customers² start naming the robot – you know you are on the fast track to adoption. What will you call yours?  

1 How Janitorial Turnover Impacts Your Business

2 Customer in this context varies by industry and could be a guest, patient, resident, passenger, student etc.

3 Innovation with Autonomous Floor Care at LCS Senior Living Community