It is hard to believe that it was only five years ago that ISSA published the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS). Yet, as we gather for the industry’s annual “family reunion”—ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America® 2011—we do so with the opportunity to celebrate the half-decade anniversary of the release of a document that continues to transform the industry and raise the bar on what we can achieve.
When I look back at everything we have accomplished, it hardly seems possible that it has only been five years. I can still remember handing out copies at the show in 2006 and the looks on people’s faces when we explained what we were hoping to do. It is certainly true that there were those who did not like our efforts to develop a standard, those who felt it was a worthless pursuit, and those who rolled their eyes. But I can still hear the majority who said with a collective voice, “This is long overdue and exactly what the industry has needed!”
One year later, we recognized our first group of CIMS-certified companies organizations that immediately identified value in the program and agreed to be part of the case study program. Organizations like the University of Michigan, which has the honor of being the first organization to achieve certification. National organizations like Varsity Contractors (the first certified building service contractor), IH Services, UGL Services, and KIMCO Corp. Canadian organizations like Bee Clean Building Maintenance and the University of Guelph. Organizations as varied as Scarlet & Gray Cleaning Service, a K-12 exclusive cleaning provider; Portland Habilitation Center, specifically focused on providing opportunities to people with disabilities; and K-tech Kleening Systems, a family owned cleaning contractor in northern Wisconsin (myself a big Chicago Bears fan, it has been hard for me to come to grips with the fact that there is such a terrific company in Packers’ territory!). And top-notch organizations like Vonachen Services, Grosvenor Building Services, Mid-American Cleaning Contractors, and Omni Facility Services.
And I am happy to report that the trust the case study organizations placed in the program has paid off. As more and more organizations achieve certification, the success stories continue to roll in, especially with regards to improved management, more effective operations, and money saved. From the University of Georgia, which has documented savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as fewer workplace injuries and lost time; to Wellington Building Maintenance, which has seen its annual revenue grow by more than 50 percent; to Held’s Janitorial Services, which notes how the process “continues to help with growth” and “has opened new doors.”
Certifiable Difference
The value has proven to extend beyond improved management and operations. Many certified organizations have talked about the newfound pride that their workers enjoy. No longer do they feel as though they are “just cleaning,” but rather, that they are true professionals who hold great responsibility in safeguarding public health. One of my favorite stories comes out of University of North Carolina-Charlotte where the cleaning services workers in the Housing & Residential Life Department demanded that the CIMS logo be added to their uniforms. Housekeeping Administrator Marie Walley stresses “Certification has made a great difference for the staff.”
Of course, I recognize that there are organizations that pursue certification solely because they are required to do so by their customers or in hopes of receiving an advantage in the marketplace. Further, although almost every organization that has been through the program agrees that bringing operations into compliance has immense value, everyone hopes to garner new business as a result. The good news is that CIMS has opened new doors in the end customer community, and facility managers/owners and procurement professionals are beginning to embrace the standard as a benchmarking tool and recognize certification as a powerful resource in the cleaning contractor selection process. Let’s be honest here…five years ago, when CIMS was first published, the vast majority of end customers had no idea who ISSA was and treated cleaning as nothing more than a necessity. With the program now having been featured in publications like the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Foundation’s Global Green Cleaning Guide, American School & University magazine, Buildings, Facility Care, IFMA’s Facility Management Journal, and even the Chicago Tribune, word is spreading. In fact, ISSA recently represented the industry at the Building Owners & Managers Association International—i.e., BOMA—and APPA shows, and my colleagues specifically commented on how everyone seemed to know who ISSA is and what the CIMS program is all about!
But, it is not enough for end customers to simply know what the program is all about. Rather, the goal is to convince them to treat cleaning as an investment and demand professionalism, quality, and a commitment to excellence and that the best way to ensure that their cleaning provider is a well-managed and dependable organization is to require certification. The truth is that many are hesitant to take the plunge. That said, the list of organizations that require certification continues to grow. Starting with the Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base back when the program was still in its infancy and continuing to the Army Medical Command (for all health care facilities across the United States), Archer Daniels Midland, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, city of Minneapolis, Mission Federal, Seneca One Realty, Jones Lang LaSalle, and the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, end customers are increasingly relying on CIMS and the third-party validation it provides.
Jeffrey Packee of CleanPower sums it up “Certification has been a real differentiator to our customers. They see it as indication of commitment to the industry.”
The third-party validation extends beyond effective management and operations and into the realm of green cleaning and sustainability. Recognizing the growing demand for green cleaning and the unfortunate prevalence of “green washing,” a sixth section was added to the traditional CIMS sections of management best practices in 2009. Known as CIMS-Green Building (GB), the new section outlines the elements of a comprehensive green cleaning program and one that can position a cleaning organization to partner with customers in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance (EBOM) certification process. With criteria based largely on the LEED: EBOM requirements, CIMS-GB has proven to be tremendously valuable to both end customers and contractors alike. Vincent Del Borrello, president of the IFMA South Florida Chapter, required that his cleaning provider be certified to ease the process. Del Borrello stresses “CIMS-GB was a huge part of our LEED certification. Without our contractor being certified, the process would have been much harder and not as successful.”
The future looks especially bright. We remain very hopeful that CIMS/CIMS-GB will be specified in the new version of LEED: EBOM, which is expected to be released in 2012 and enable a facility to achieve a point toward certification specifically for utilizing a certified provider. (The expectation is that utilizing a certified provider will be one option that facilities can choose to comply with the High Performance/ Green Cleaning Program provision.) Further, we have been working with our friends at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools to have CIMS/CIMS-GB featured as a key resource in their Roadmap to a Green Campus program.
Perhaps one of the most important characteristics of the CIMS program is the fact that it offers great value to all members of the industry. While CIMS and CIMS-GB certification apply specifically to cleaning service organization, the ISSA Certification Expert (I.C.E.) designation was specifically created to position individuals to help their customers or their own organizations achieve compliance. By providing a “guided tour” of the standard, attendees are able to identify challenges and offer value-added solutions. Close to 1,000 people have now gone through the program, representing all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Australia, and even Uganda. The program has proven to be tremendously popular with representatives of all industry segments with more than 300 companies involved, including the majority of the personnel with Spartan Chemical, xpedx, Waxie, Windsor, Avmor, Peerless Marketing Group, Athens Janitor Supply, and NSS Enterprises. Procter & Gamble, Hillyard, Betco, R.D McMillen Enterprises, and Gordon Food Service have also sent a large number of people to a workshop to achieve certification.
As we celebrate the five year anniversary of CIMS, please join me in congratulating those who are taking advantage of the standard and its power to transform the industry. As you walk the show floor, attend the educational sessions (you can learn more about CIMS during the session CIMS and CIMS-Green Building: The Pursuit of Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Facilities on Tuesday afternoon), and participate in the various networking events, please be on the lookout for those proudly displaying a CIMS badge ribbon. Be sure to congratulate these organizations that have made the commitment to excellence and achieved certification as well as the industry professionals who are I.C.E. and I.C.E.-GB certified. As ISSA “changes the way the world views cleaning,” CIMS will be an integral part of the equation, promoting professionalism, quality, customer-satisfaction, and sustainability. And I think we can all agree that it has been long overdue and just what the industry needs.
