The challenges of cleaning a multi-use landmark
The challenges of cleaning a multi-use landmark
The Cube is a 25-storey destination in the centre of Birmingham, and is home to a mix of restaurants and bars, a boutique hotel and bowling alley, luxury spa and gym, aspirational apartments and prime office space. The eye-catching landmark, which is also the final phase of city’s Mailbox development, is the definition of mixed-use, meaning that when it comes to keeping it clean there are a lot of unique challenges.
Incentive QAS were awarded the cleaning contract for the scheme in 2018. Dan Brown, commercial director at the contract cleaning specialist company, says they were aware that they would need to provide a unique and bespoke cleaning service that would accommodate the different uses of the landmark destination, including commercial office and residential cleaning, management of the public realm and high-level window cleaning.
“Cleaning a unique award-winning site like this has obvious challenges,” says Brown, ones he tells the company’s on-site employees have embraced in working with the destination’s facilities team. One of the unique selling points he believes Incentive QAS bring to the contract is their Mpro5 contract management system, which provides time and attendance monitoring, bespoke electronic auditing and NFC proof of attendance.
“By installing the smart systems we can gather ‘Big Data’ in relation to how the site is being used, and how busy certain areas are,” he explains. “This data allows for improved resource management and valuable analysis for its teams and clients.”
Incentive QAS has recently had its contact renewed at the scheme for another three years, which Brown says is due to the strong relationship they have with the facilities team, having worked together to create a solution that encompasses all of the different services, from residential properties to public realm.
He says the introduction of their contract management system will be ‘invaluable’ for such a unique site: “By moving away from static task schedules and towards making our operations fully reactive, our teams can use their time more productively and ultimately provide a more efficient cleaning service.”
Brown also says that other reason for securing the contract for another three years were the sustainability initiatives that the cleaning experts have introduced throughout their tenure: “As part of our zero-waste policy, we introduced recycling bins and segregation waste locations in all of the residential and public realm areas, ensuring that all waste is recycled on site. Incentive are currently researching bio-diesel vehicles to collect all food waste produced at the destination and are hoping to be chemical free where possible in all of our cleaning on site.”
This was first published in Retail Destination Fortnightly. Click here to subscribe.
