ECOWIZE: A CASE STUDY IN SMART CLEANING

As a leading cleaning and sanitation company, Ecowize has consistently adopted a smart cleaning approach. And this case study – based on work by our US team at Ready to Eat (RTE) Meat Facility in Philadelphia – shows why. We posed the question, ‘is it possible to reduce the overall cost of sanitation and environmental impact, while improving staff welfare and food safety outcomes?’ The answer is, of course, YES. In fact, our approach enables us to lower water usage by 36%, energy by 66%, chemical use by 29%, and labour FTE (workload) by 38%. Here’s a breakdown of how we do this.


WHAT IS THE ECOWIZE SMART CLEANING INTERVENTION?

The smart cleaning intervention is based on the science of the Sinners Circle, coupled with Ecowize’s people-process-technology approach.

The Sinners Circle was invented by Dr Herbert Sinner in 1959. It’s the idea that four key factors need to be in sync to facilitate optimal outcomes.

These factors are chemistry, mechanical action, temperature and time. For example, if service delivery time gets cut from two hours to one hour, the other factors will have to be increased to compensate, or the outcome may be compromised.

Ecowize has used this and time and motion studies to develop a smart cleaning intervention that prioritises:

  1. Improved food safety services
  2. Reduced resource utilization and cost
  3. Compliance and due diligence
  4. Reduced environmental impact
  5. Empowering and protecting employees


We achieve this by augmenting our people-process-technology approach.

From a people perspective, we use a self-manage solution that coordinates our people resources and methods efficiently. This works in tandem with our methods, which scientifically combine the Sinners Circle factors, assuring food safety. These methods integrate with our systems, which drive compliance through real-time web-based quality management (EQMS). And all these factors work alongside technology, which enhances our methods through automation and efficiency. This is how we maintain our reputation as cleaning specialists in South Africa and globally.


HOW DOES THE SMART CLEANING APPROACH WORK?

Let’s take a look at our RTE case study.

Before we implemented our smart solution, the facility was using a traditional high-pressure pump (operating at 32 kw/h, with a max of 6 users at 15-22 litres/pm) which caused constant downtime with regular rebuilds costing over R250 000 per build, and costly production delays. It also had no variable speed, experienced a drop in pressure when over five users were active at once, and delivered 800+ PSI (pressure measurement) to equipment, which is a health and safety risk. This goes to show how important the right hygiene equipment and solutions are.

Additionally, the facility was reliant on foaming application done by mobile foam units, which are notoriously time consuming to set up, waste chemicals, and have inconsistent foaming performance.

Our solution:

Technology:

We installed a best of bread pump system – specially designed for Ecowize – which runs at 11 kw/h and delivers up to 34 litres a minute to 9 users at 350 PSI (ideal for wet cleaning). This gives us enough capacity to double the cleaning crew at this facility. It’s a variable speed pump which works as hard as required, is fully protected on the in- and outfeed, operates via remote monitoring, has no downtime, and can supply enough volume irrespective of the user application (rinsing/ foaming/ sanitizing). It also has unlimited scalability, for example, a pump stack can feed 30 users with 34 litres a minute.

Our Ecowize boosted solution also has increased water flow to enable a wider reach of the water jet, which means more cleaning power over a greater circumference of cleaning surface. That equates to more mechanical action over less time – aka, more scrubbing in less time!

People:

In addition to new tech, we also focused on people. We trained all team members in the Ecowize 10 Steps of Cleaning, demonstrated optimal cleaning methods with the new technology, gave clear KPIs, and enforced active monitoring, coaching and supervision. This created a smart cleaning culture.

The results:

Our cost reduction results speak for themselves. Labour FTE (workload per person) went down by 38%, cleaning time by 20%, water use by 36%, energy use by 66%, pre operation time by 47%, chemical use by 29%, and deficiencies decreased by 63%.

Our people results were also fantastic. Overall head count reduced, allowing us to increase wages for the existing staff by 15%, labour turnover decreased by 100%, absenteeism by 80% and occupational health and safety injuries by 100%. The total reduction in cleaning input and costs more than covered the increase in wages and capital expenditure. Team members said they’re less fatigued and feel calmer and more in control.

Smart cleaning also significantly reduces atomisation, which is associated with pressure cleaning. This results in less condensation and minimises cross contamination. Additionally, the water stays hotter at the contact point for longer, which means a more efficient clean.

Another benefit? Correctly diluted chemicals. Our solution allows for locked-in titrations, which mean no manual diluting or any intervention is required from the operator. You get the correct foam structure from the flick of a switch.

SO, DOES SMART CLEANING MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Yes, we have conclusively proven time and again that our smart cleaning approach saves time and money, improves staff welfare and food safety, and reduces environmental impact. As a cleaning and sanitation company dedicated to service excellence, we will continue to champion this approach.

 

HOW CAN OUR ECOWIZE SMART CLEANING SOLUTION HELP YOUR BUSINESS?

Contact us to find out. We are here to help you to protect your brand.

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