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Illinois BSC Optimises Labour with T7AMR Robotic Floor Scrubbers
GSF USA is a building services contractor with several locations across the Midwest. Along with green cleaning, GSF is committed to bringing innovative cleaning solutions to its clients. The company also offers daytime cleaning, which promotes energy efficiency and better overall cleaning. In Illinois, GSF contracts with the Valley View School District 365U to clean Bolingbrook High School. Located about 30 miles west of Chicago, the suburban school has about 3,500 students.
Challenge
Bolingbrook is one of the largest high schools in the United States. With 470,000 square feet of space to clean, the school posed a gargantuan challenge for GSF. Twenty-four cleaning staff work at the high school. Given the focus on in-depth cleaning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, GSF knew it would be difficult for its employees to perform day-to-day cleaning as well as enhancing efforts to carry out tasks like electrostatic disinfection. However, the school’s administration expected a higher-level of clean. The company had previously used an automated floor cleaning solution, but the technology was out of date. “How can we clean a building and make a noticeable difference in what the standard is? Anyone can run a floor scrubber, but can we improve on other aspects of the building?” said Grant Mackall, GSF’s operational asset manager.
Solution
To clean Bolingbrook High School effectively, GSF purchased a T7AMR Robotic Floor Scrubber from Tennant. The T7AMR is a robotic solution designed to work safely and efficiently alongside employees. The machine reduced the amount of detergent and water needed with ec-H2O NanoClean® technology and is powered by BrainOS®, an advanced artificial intelligence and robotic technology platform, from Tennant partner Brain Corp.
GSF routinely uses Tennant equipment and appreciates the company’s dedication to innovative cleaning solutions. By using the T7AMR at the high school, GSF could work more efficiently. Employees’ time can be reallocated to perform tasks only humans can perform. “At GSF, we are all about pursuing new ideas that help advance the cleaning process. We conducted some research and quickly saw that other schools using these machines were achieving the expected benefits.”
"The T7AMR allows our staff to free up time and improve the level of clean we are providing our customers.”
Kurt Kuempel
General Manager, Illinois and Wisconsin
GSF USA
After purchase, GSF took steps to garner student buy-in. The T7AMR was outfitted with a mascot-themed mannequin in the school’s distinctive red and black colours and Buccaneer hat. Doing so will help students see the machine as a visible part of their campus community. “GSF is always looking for the next thing to support the fact that we care about clean. The T7AMR allows our staff to free up time and improve the level of clean we are providing our customers,” said Kurt Kuempel, general manager for GSF Illinois and Wisconsin.
RESULTS
The T7AMR cleans between 30,000 and 70,000 square feet per shift, and is currently saving Bolingbrook between 4 and 6 hours per day. When the school reopens at full capacity, GSF estimates the savings will be between 20-30 hours a week. That’s where the true cost savings are measured. By shifting employees to other areas of the school, in-depth cleaning can be performed without adding staff members.
Additionally, the T7AMR reduces damage to floors and doors due to operator error. It also makes it possible to clean the gym floor quicker in the afternoons, so the basketball team can use the facility for practice. For the client, the T7AMR provides visual evidence that the school is being cleaned efficiently. Administrators are pleased not only that the school is cleaned at a higher level, but that
there’s proof the cleaning has been done. Employee satisfaction is up. The scrubber is easy to use, and it’s simple to make new routes,” Kuempel said. “The robot is one piece of a much bigger pie. It’s another tool for our team that will allow them to be more efficient during the school day. It will also get a lot of good attention from students and staff.” To that end, students love to pose for selfies with the T7AMR.
The introduction of the scrubber has been successful, and GSF-USA looks to implement additional robotic technology at future sites as well.
