ISSA’s Cleaning
Industry Management Standard, the first consensus-based quality management
standard for the cleaning industry, has gained widespread interest in recent
months. A large number of industry organizations signed on to participate in
the document’s creation, and on Jun. 26, a draft of the standard became
available for public review at www.issa.com/standard.
All industry members were invited to provide comments on the document’s
requirements, direction and scope, until Aug. 4. “In developing the
new Cleaning Industry Management Standard, ISSA remains committed to a true
consensus-based process under which everyone who wishes to participate is
encouraged to do so,” said ISSA Standards Development Manager, Dan Wagner.
The purpose of the
standard is to set forth policies, processes, procedures, and supporting
documentation to be used by both building service contractors (BSCs) and
in-house service providers (ISPs) in establishing themselves as truly
customer-centred organizations.
The standard
applies to management, operations, performance systems and processes.
Compliance with the standard demonstrates that the organization is structured
to deliver consistent, high-quality services; and it applies to cleaning
organizations in their entirety, not individual programs or products.
While ISSA has led
the project, a mix of representatives drawn from all facility segments within
the industry – in-house facility management and purchasing, environmental
services, BSCs, consulting and training – have worked on the draft.
The groups
actively participating in the project’s development represent more than 110,000
professionals and firms. Many of these groups already have individual management
standards and certifications, but they believe an organizational standard could
best promote the value of well-run cleaning operations and further improve the
professionalism of the industry. Adding to the strong support the standard is
receiving during its creation, many facility management and contract-cleaning
organizations across North America and around the world already have expressed
interest in becoming certified under the standard.
Following the
comment period, the standard is expected to be completed and published by the
end of 2006, after which time ISSA plans to launch a pilot program in North
America to begin the certification process.
In addition to the
standard committees, industry representatives from the distribution,
manufacturing, training, consulting and auditing fields are currently working
to develop the training, auditing and certification processes that will
compliment the standard. ISSA is also working with the American Institute for
Cleaning Sciences to help manage the development process.
For more
information, contact ISSA Standards Development Manager Dan Wagner at (800)
225-4772 (North America) or (847) 982-0800, or e-mail: .
