LEANing Up The Cleaning Process Improve performance and effectiveness with a systems-thinking approach toward sustainability. By: Michael Tarvin A Mike Tarvin is vice president of Multi-Clean, a division of Minuteman International Inc. The company manufactures a comprehensive line of high-performance cleaning chemicals, floor maintenance products and professional cleaning equipment. Mike can be contacted at (651) 481-1900 or [email protected]. More information can also be obtained at www.multi-clean.com or www.yourguidetoclean.com. for more info Visit www.cmmonline.com and type in search keyword: Green cleaning . For more information on related products, visit www.cmmonline.com , select SUPPLIER SEARCH from the main navigation bar, and enter keyword: Green . As we begin to see rays of sunshine peaking through the economic storm clouds, virtually every organization is looking for ways to reduce costs. Many have indiscriminately reduced budgets without examining the negative impact on their operations or in servicing their customers. A growing list of companies are responding to tighter budgets and increased competition by adapting their businesses through the application of a process known as LEAN. LEAN is defined as a collection of principles, methods and tools that improve the speed and efficiency of any process by eliminating waste. LEAN principles have their roots in the Toyota Production System (TPS) of the 1950s, which have been successfully applied to world class manufacturing companies, such as General Electric. However, the LEAN process can be applied to virtually any business or operation, including dis-tribution businesses and facility cleaning opera-tions. The search for ways to reduce costs has not escaped the cleaning industry. Applying LEAN concepts to in-house cleaning operations can help improve results and drive down costs. A building service contractor (BSC) can also benefit by becoming more competitive through cost reductions without compromising quality. Cleaning operations that figure out how to reduce costs without compromising results will survive and thrive today and into the future. This article is not a tutorial on LEAN processes, but is intended to foster understanding of the con-nection between LEAN, sustainability and green cleaning. The Intersection Of LEAN, Green And Sustainable Lean Green Sustainable Common Goals LEAN processes have a lot in common with green cleaning and the sustainability initiatives that are sweeping through many organizations. The concepts have the common goal of reduc-ing waste, which can produce synergistic results as summarized in Table I. Table 1 LEAN Reduce Waste Improved Efficiency Sustainability Reduce Waste Environmental Impacts Green Cleaning Reduce Waste Human Health Impacts The meaning of “reducing waste” is far reaching. Waste reduction can be thought of as the elimi-nation of unnecessary and non-value-added 18 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2009
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