European Cleaning Journal vraaggesprek met Niels van den Berg

Onlangs verscheen in European Cleaning Journal een interessant interview met Niels van den Berg, CEO van CleanJack. 

Lees hier het volledige interview (Engels).

6 questions for Niels van den Berg, CEO of CleanJack

It reads like an adventurous boy’s book: how CleanJack's CEO Niels van den Berg travelled the world with his CleanJack. Van den Berg visited cleaning companies in Europe, Australia, South Africa, Russia and even Japan.

What important lessons did you learn on your tour along cleaning companies around the world?

We learned how professional cleaning is organized and managed in different countries. One of the most important lessons was to keep things simple. We needed to make the solution widely applicable and easy to use. So everyone can immediately use it in various cleaning environments. Digitalization is indispensable for cleaning companies to have more control over operational processes and keen insight in costs and revenues.

Why would a cleaning company choose CleanJack?

Cleaning companies are assured of a system that fits seamlessly into daily cleaning practices. It’s their feedback which determines CleanJack's development agenda. CleanJack is accessible from anywhere via the cloud. It doesn't matter where a cleaning company is located. Rates are low.

How does it work?

Simple: cleaners, managers and customers have access to the CleanJack portal in the cloud. Cleaners see their schedules, tasks and hours worked. Managers make the schedules, monitor the process and can easily send messages to cleaners and customers. Customers can give feedback via the CleanJack portal. When cleaners confirm their attendance onsite, they are informed about tasks and priorities via an App or via the CleanJack terminal.

An App or a CleanJack terminal: What’s the difference? When do you use which?

An App seems obvious: almost everyone has a mobile phone. Employees can install the CleanJack App on their own phone. It's cheap. Still, many companies prefer a CleanJack terminal at the work location where employees can log in with an ID key fob. Terminals provide reliable data and are easy to manage. In practice, CleanJack Apps and terminals are easily used side by side. If the cleaner has to visit several small locations, an App is preferable. If hours are worked at the same location, the CleanJack terminal is usually preferred.

Can you explain how data are sent from and to the devices?

Via 4G mobile networks, the terminals and the Apps are 24h x 7 connected to the CleanJack portal in the cloud. For the terminals we use a data sim of IoT Service Provider Comgate. An international company that provides connectivity solutions to make devices, machines and sensors smarter and connect them to the internet. It enables managers to monitor the operational process and make immediate adjustments if necessary.

How do you see the future of digitalization in the cleaning industry?

System integration, sensor technology, artificial intelligence and robotization will have serious impact. It is important for a cleaning company to keep control against the background of these developments. ERP, building management and payroll systems are easily linked to CleanJack. The same goes for sensors. By measuring visit frequencies and usage volumes, cleaning can be smartly planned and carried out. Activities of cleaners will shift in the coming years, but in the end it will first and foremost remain human work.