SSC Magazine

The Basics Start with Why

The Future of Custodial Autonomous

AMR allows our associates the time to focus on the human-centric details that make an impact in a facility.

If your move to AMR is driven by a desire to reduce labor and save money, then move on. AMR has never reduced our staffing levels in our tens of thousands of hours of autonomous run time. What does it pro- vide? Efficiencies in detail. Robots are great for tak- ing over labor-intensive, but dull and repetitive tasks. AMR allows our associates the time to focus on the human-centric details that make an impact in a facil- ity. It also helps to ensure consistency in floor care even during this challenging hiring economy. The “why” is also innovation. Gone are the days when adding a magnet strip to the front of the vacuum to pick up staples was the game changer.

The room-mapping technology ensures areas are not missed and corners are not cut. It’s consistency; once a space is mapped, every nook and cranny will be retraced and cleaned every time. Depending on the learning program, the AMR will automatically map out the most efficient path. It’s built-in quality assurance. We have a historical log of imaged maps and detailed use hours. It’s job satisfaction. Hour after hour, night after night, month after month, a scrubber isn’t developing people skills - it’s erasing monotony and burnout for workers. Instead of floor techs, develop robotics operators on your teams to elevate responsibilities and empower people.

Mobile Robots

By Catherine Merritt

Are you thinking about taking the leap to investing in autonomous technology? Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) are the future of janitorial services.

The Equipment Which One to Choose?

If you traditionally use Pad (single or dou- ble), Cylinder, or Orbital decks, stay with that preference in the move to AMR. Con- sider tank size and battery life, cleanable square feet per hour and per charge just like you would with your traditional scrub- ber. A smaller tank and shorter battery may reduce the upfront cost, but it could reduce the productivity of your space. Vendor support for setting up the unit in a new location and new and ongoing opera- tor training is vital to sustainable pro- gram success. If something goes wrong, you want to have a local rep available for prompt support. The equipment is too costly for downtime to be tolerated. Another consideration is the choice of purchasing or leasing the AMR. If you lease the unit, a replacement can often be provided quickly to avoid downtime.

There are two sides to each AMR Scrubber – your familiar scrubber and the autonomous brain. Most AMR units consist of the scrubber manufacturer and a second company that maintains the AI. Start with what you are comfortable with, what already works best in your space. The brands we chose to use were a matter of convenience; we already had strong vendor relation- ships established, and it made sense to continue forward with the same equipment, but with the AI addition.

Isaac Asimov and the rest of classic sci-fi have been telling us this for decades. Whether sci-fi is predictive or society is derivative is a TED Talk for another day and probably a different publication, but I digress. Moving to autonomous equipment is a big step. Five years ago, we chose to leap into the world of AMR Scrubbers. Today, we share the lessons learned as we built our robotic fleet and recommendations for success from our internal product review team.

Catherine Merritt is the VP of operations for SSC and and has 17 years of experience in the field.

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