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Housekeeping expert speaks at 7 Star Conference

Lycette & Associates was invited to speak at last month’s 7 Star Conference, part of the annual Hotel Show in Dubai. The central themes for this year’s Conference were Design Trends, Technology and the Future, Food & Beverage trends and Marketing and Profitability. Liz Lycette presented to a group of 50 Housekeepers and General Managers on the topic of ‘Staff productivity management in housekeeping’. Traditionally, the Housekeeping Department is one of the largest in a Hotel operation. Housekeeping labour and related costs is one of the biggest expense lines on the Rooms Division P&L. The question was asked: “How financially savvy is your Executive Housekeeper and how well does he or she understand how to look at productivity as a useful and effective tool to save costs?” Liz shared her knowledge of the latest technology and the emergence of innovative materials, all of which have significantly increased housekeeping efficiency and effectiveness. The proven bottom line benefits are clear. For more information on Productivity in Housekeeping contact L&A at info@lycetteandassociates.com.

L&A guest speaker at the 7 Star Conference – The Hotel Show

L&A has been invited to speak at the 7 Star Conference in Dubai this month.

The Seven Star Conference will find place in the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from 18 – 20 May and is a part of the annual Hotel Show exhibition, which attracts over 1,000 exhibitors and more than 13,000 visitors over the three days.

The central themes for this year’s Conference are Design Trends, Technology and the Future, Food & Beverage trends and Marketing and Profitability.  The subjects covered are created to encourage delegates to Design, Develop, Discuss and Debate.

The Seven Star Conference in previous years has featured acknowledged industry experts from all over the world and attracted more than 1,000 delegates each year. The conference programme over the three days covers a range of topics such as training staff, food and beverage trends, design, colour and architecture styles and influences for the Gulf Region.

We are delighted to join the 7 Star Conference as a guest speaker. Our segment is scheduled for 20^th May and the topic we are going to cover is: “Staff Productivity Management in Housekeeping”.

Traditionally, the Housekeeping Department is one of the largest in a Hotel operation. Housekeeping labour and related costs is one of the biggest expense lines on the Rooms Division P&L. How financially savvy is the Executive Housekeeper and how well do they understand how to look at productivity as a useful and effective tool to save costs? New technology and innovation in materials have emerged to significantly increase housekeeping efficiency and effectiveness with proven bottom line benefits.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you are attending the Hotel Show, perhaps we can meet up. Email info@lycetteandassociates.com

elearning programme for housekeepers will become reality!

Lycette & Associates in conjunction with Balfour College and the Professional Housekeepers Association of NSW (PHAN) is delighted to announce the successful application for NSW 2010 E-learning Innovations funding.

The selection process for 2010 was highly competitive and we were picked from 150 project applications.

The project is called Hospitalit-E and aims to empower and up-skill Housekeeping Managers in financial management competencies. Typically Housekeeping Managers in resorts, hotels, apartments, aged-care facilities and hospitals are:

• managing up to 200 staff with large budgets (in the millions).
• recruited internally
• learn on-the-job
• unqualified

A skills gap has been identified in finance where Housekeepers are held accountable for budgetary issues.  Attending face-to-face training is a challenge due to long working hours and geographically dispersed learners.  Furthermore it doesn’t prepare learners to use technologies in their workplace – fast becoming a mandatory requirement.

The project addresses these issues by piloting an online learning program. The course includes three units of competency in finance, which is part of the Certificate IV Hospitality course. It also incorporates opportunities for recognition of prior learning.

Watch this space!!!

Environmentally sound practices with microfibre

Are you interested in saving 1 million litres of water a year? Are you keen to reduce the chemicals you are pumping into the environment and do you want to reduce work injuries of Room Attendants? Then the implementation of a full Microfibre cleaning system may be just what you need.

Maureen Jolowicz who is the Executive Housekeeper at the Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney and also past President of the Professional Housekeepers Association NSW (PHAN) has now been working with the Microfibre cleaning system for over a year.

So how does Microfibre work?
Microfibre is a cloth which consists of very fine wedge shaped threads of polyester and polyamide (nylon) that combine to form a single thread. One Microfibre is 100 times thinner than a single strand of human hair. When they are woven together, the microfibres create a surface area 40 times greater than that of a regular fibre. The surface friction creates an electric charge (capillary action) which attracts and traps dust particles. Due to its expanded surface area, and to the capillary action of the fine threads, Microfibre cloth has dramatically enhanced absorbing power. The cloths pick up dirt, bacteria and dust and retain it within until it is washed out in a washing machine.

What can Microfibre be used for?
All areas of cleaning in housekeeping both in rooms and the public areas. This includes hard floor care and mopping, bathroom cleaning, dusting, glass and window cleaning. Microfibre has been used successfully in hospitals in Australia, Europe and the USA for over 10 years and Australian hospitals will only consider cleaning contracts using Microfibre.

What does the Microfibre cleaning system involve?
The traditional chemicals and cleaning equipment are replaced with Microfibre tools, a spray bottle of water and a bottle of disinfectant (for the toilet bowl) and that is all. Each Room Attendant has a telescopic handle with attachments for such as a dust buster mop for wall cleaning and a flexible hand duster for hard to reach areas. In the bathroom, scrubber mops with a soft scouring centre are used for walls, tiles and glass. Different colour coded Microfibre and split fibre cloths can be used wet or dry to clean sinks, baths, and even the bathroom glasses. The only chemical used is a disinfectant, used with a toilet brush for the inside of the toilet bowl.

How to get started?
The Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney is a 362 bedroom 5 star hotel located in central Sydney; the Housekeeping staff are all permanent. Maureen Jolowicz suggests to begin with a trial over 30 rooms conducted over a period of 1-3 months. This is not only to sell the idea to staff but also to convince the management team. Training is conducted by the Supplier with 2-4 key staff and the Departmental trainer. Once these key players are convinced, the rest of the Housekeeping team will follow. Proper training and of course on-going supervision are also key to the success of the implementation of microfibre.

Results from the trial
Guest comments
To ensure there were no adverse comments from the guests, a record was kept of the guest comments. Of the comments on the Microfibre floor: 76% rated the bathroom cleanliness as excellent and 74% rated the bedroom cleanliness as excellent, this compares to the chemically cleaned rest of the Hotel as 71% rated the bathroom cleanliness as excellent and 73% rated the bedroom cleanliness as excellent. There were no fair or poor ratings for bathroom or bedroom areas on the Microfibre trial floor however there were 10 fair and 2 poor ratings for the rest of the Hotel during the trial period. This shows a clear difference and improvement in the guest assessment of the condition of the cleanliness of the Microfibre floors.

Physical tests
Black light (infra red) light tests on the bathroom and bedroom showed no build up of dirt on the trial Microfibre floor, results were comparable to other floors. Bacterial swabs were taken. The trial Microfibre room 517 showed a count of 5 and the average of the non trial floors was 7.3. To the naked eye, the general consensus is that there was no deterioration in the standards. In fact glazed surfaces e.g. sink; baths and tiles generally had an enhanced appearance and seemed shinier

Staff Feedback
At the end of the trial the staff who used the Microfibre method stated that they preferred the new method. It was less strenuous and they believed the results were superior. Specific comments included;

• “Huge savings on water consumption”
• “Great saving on chemical usage”
• “Baths, sinks and chrome appear shinier”
• “Wall duster gives excellent results” and “flexible duster enables dusting of difficult areas e.g. wall vents are now much easier to clean and the results are more effective”.
• “Surfaces feel smoother and the “Microfibre prevents the dryness of hands as we are no longer use chemicals”.
• “Very good results for stainless steel kettles. ‘
• “We are able to more effectively clean rooms on a daily basis especially regular cleaning of walls and vents and high areas. This improves standards and reduces the need for spring cleaning”.
• “Using Microfibre is less physically strenuous than traditional cleaning methods.”

Some of the less favourable comments from the Room Attendants
• At first it was difficult to use particularly in bathroom, you have to rub very hard, this is due to a build up of chemicals on surfaces which is being removed. However once the build up is removed is easier, surfaces shinier and smoother
• It takes time to be able to judge the correct dampness of the cloths in order to work at its optimum

Concerns from the Housekeeping supervisory and management team;
• Found in the initial stages that staff productivity was lower until they got used to the system.
• There was a need to ensure cloths were changed as required so they do not become full of dirt rendering them ineffective
• Concerns re loss of cloths or equipment – the clothes were so popular, staff wanted to take them home and use them for cleaning there.
• There was a need to experiment with the best system for cleaning the top of the shower glass
• Microfibre does not appear to improve appearance of grout which is already stained.
• Staff seemed to “feel good” about using the system, they feel they are helping the environment

So how much does it cost for a 362 Bedroom hotel?
The cost of cleaning chemicals, equipment and water
Total cost per annum = $10,698

System using Microfibre
Set up costs
Initial purchase of cloths, mops and hardware $13,700
Annual cost of hardware, cloths and mops and water
Based on depreciation of equipment over 5 years and annual turnover cloths and mops
Total cost per annum = $9,528

Initial Training Costs
15% Productivity loss for the first 2 weeks – Reduction of 2 rooms per day from 13 to 11 rooms during a 7.6hr shift
7% productivity loss for the 3rd week – Reduction of 1 room per day from 13 to 12 rooms during a 7.6hr shift
One off cost – $3547

Contact at Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney is the Executive Housekeeper Maureen Jolowicz, email:mjolowicz@radisson.com or contact Lycette & Associates, email: info@lyceteandassociates.com

Innovation in Housekeeping improves efficiency

New technology and innovation in materials have emerged in recent years to significantly increase housekeeping efficiency and effectiveness with proven bottom line benefits.

However, in general housekeeping has not seen any fundamental changes for a number of decades. As consultants, the Lycette & Associates team is working all over the globe and see a lot of stagnant housekeeping management. While new technology has been introduced to increase efficiency in all other hotel departments, experienced housekeeping managers still rely on the same archaic procedures and tools as when they started their careers 20 or more years ago.

What’s worse, the new generation of Executive Housekeepers is often promoted too quickly and the position itself is no longer in proportion to the core importance for the hotel. The advent of the Rooms Division Manager, who is commonly from a front office background with little exposure to housekeeping management, aids in the de-sophistication of the position.

Who is left to drive the innovative processes to make efficiency and quality improvements? You can’t blame the Executive Housekeepers. With constraints such as a high staff turnover caused by a repetitive and physically demanding job and pressure to deliver clean rooms quickly at the lowest possible cost, there is no room for reflection for the manager. At the end of the day, the industry expects a better result, while doing the same thing over and over again. That is a clear case of insanity. We now have a global shortage of skilled and well-trained Executive Housekeepers who are all-rounders in people management, financial management and practical housekeeping operational skills.

But things are not as bleak as they sound. There have been noteworthy innovations in housekeeping over recent years, which are now gaining ground in hotels around the world.

Bamboo is an environmentally sustainable material for uniforms, towelling and sheeting and is gaining popularity as its cost is coming down.

Nano technology used in surface coating makes it dirt and dust resistant. Used in Korea and Japan for years, they are now showing up on other continents.

Microfibre as a cleaning system has been in use in hospitals for years and is now slowly adopted into housekeeping departments around the world. Not only is microfibre cleaning environmentally friendly through the absence of chemicals and cost effective, but it also produces better cleaning results. The Professional Housekeeper’s Association of New South Wales commissioned laboratory analysis of cleaning hygiene, comparing the effectiveness of 5 methods of cleaning bathroom glasses. The tests showed that all 5 methods; using dishwashing liquid, microfibre, a sterilizing tablet, all purpose cleaner and using a dishwasher were effective in removing bacteria and mould present.
L&A, has been educating, coaching and training Housekeeping Managers worldwide for over 10 years and has recently become involved in assisting with the training of a new Housekeeping software system called Optii Keeper. Without doubt, this new technology will change the way Housekeeping operates in the future. Productivity and quality improvements have hit the glass ceiling of what is possible with the trusted manual procedures and processes. Optii Keeper is by far the most exciting innovation because it breaks the ceiling down and allows housekeeping to go to the next level.

Consequently benefits to the hotel operation are numerous:

• Improving room attendant productivity by up to 20%
• Saving up to 40% of Floor Supervisor time
• Eliminating 80% of phone calls between Front Office and Housekeeping
• Ongoing optimisation of cleaning schedules throughout the day
• Allowing a fairer spread of workload among Housekeeping team members
• Improved quality and staff morale
• Savings of at least two hours every morning by automating the room allocation process at the push of a button
• Being able to see in ‘Real Time’ if the housekeeping team are ahead of schedule, on time or behind schedule
• Eliminating the current expense of overstaffing or understaffing on a daily, weekly, monthly basis
• Forecasting staffing needs with pinpoint accuracy based on real data specific to the PMS
• Providing instant communication between housekeeping staff
• Providing ‘Real Time View’ of room availability to streamline check-in/check-out at Reception

How does Optii Keeper work? Each Room Attendant and Floor Supervisors carries a PDA, which is connected via wireless technology and interfaced with the Hotel PMS system. The individual cleaning boards are automatically managed and dynamically optimised throughout the day. Room attendants can see in ‘Real Time” the next room to be cleaned and how long it will take. Room cleaning times are calculated based on the guest and room profile created through ever changing history, plus factors such as guest nationality, market segment, etc. Savings in productivity can be made on actual room cleaning times rather than the current inaccurate room credit system. Other great features include an inbuilt quality control checklist tool on the Supervisors PDA’s allowing them to record inspection results. Monthly statistics on average room-cleaning time and average quality scores can then be used for focused individual training and counselling. A spring cleaning or special jobs list is also included, ensuring weekly or monthly tasks are in the system and allocated onto the daily cleaning checklist for the Room Attendants to follow. At the Front Office, the Dashboard enables Front Office to see at a glance where the Room Attendants are and when the rooms will be ready. Integration with the PMS also alerts Front Office if the room is not going to be ready for the guest’s arrival so quick action can be taken. Plans for the future also include a function for public areas, turndown and Minibar posting.

And what about the people management, financial management and practical housekeeping operational skills of new-generation Executive Housekeepers? There may be a need to upgrade their skills.

Look after your housekeeping department. They are the guardian of your core product and your largest labour expense. If your rooms are not clean, it doesn’t matter how efficient your restaurants or sales departments are. If housekeeping productivity is not managed, watch your payroll grow!

L&A strategy meeting Dubai – February 2009

In late February 2009, L&A held a 3 day strategy meeting in Dubai.
The Associates who attended were Tim Millett (day one), Liz Lycette, Janine Hancox, Angela Petropoulos, Anne Manual, Agnes Zlotek Petit and Meike Hofemann Zhang

The first day was a sales training and negotiation skills workshop conducted by Tim Millett from IPerform

Day Two was a follow up from day one – what to do when making sales calls. Concerns, costs and constraints which may be bought up at the time of the Sales Call including answers on how we overcome these. Questions which the GM or Executive Housekeeper may ask with some possible answers
L&A – background and history and the benefits of being an L&A Associate?
What does and L&A consultant need to be successful?

Day Three
Tools of the Trade and introduction to Optii Keeper
We did a site inspection of both Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab, finishing with a cup of tea with Josephine Wallis, the Executive Housekeeper L&A associates at Burj Al Arab and Atlantis lobby