ISSA has opened registration for the first 2008 Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) ISSA Certification Expert (ICE) workshop to be held Feb. 20, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Universal in Orlando, Fla. To date, 167 industry individuals have achieved ICE status.
The ICE program helps manufacturers, distributors and consultants become experts on CIMS and the certification process so they are equipped to assist their building service contractor (BSC) or in-house provider (ISP) customers in complying with the Standard and preparing for CIMS certification. Many of these facility service providers (FSPs) who want certified (or are required to do so by their facility manager / building owner customers) look to their business partners and vendors for help as they work through the process of compliance.
Once an individual has become an ICE, he/she is uniquely positioned to develop training programs and products that facilitate compliance with one or more of the required elements of CIMS and help customers on a higher management level.
The ICE program also offers unique insight into the management framework that should be instituted by a successful in-house or outsourced cleaning provider and fosters a better understanding of the day-to-day challenges faced by such organizations. As such, achieving ICE status offers an opportunity to provide value-added service to customers while gaining a distinctive marketing position and strengthening current account relationships.
To become a certified ICE, professionals must attend a one-day workshop and pass an examination. The fee for the workshop is $995 (U.S.) per person for ISSA members ($1595 for non-members), and includes lunch and an examination given at the event. Visit www.issa.com/standard/ice for more details, workshop registration forms, and a current list of the individuals who have already achieved ICE status.
Additional ICE workshops are expected to be held in Chicago, Ill., in June and Las Vegas, Nev., in September, the latter in conjunction with ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2008, Las Vegas, Sep. 8 to 11, 2008.
CIMS is a management framework that sets forth the processes, procedures and supporting documentation universally recognized as the hallmarks of a well-run, customer-focused cleaning organization. BSCs can use the Standard and certification to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, improve operations and validate their commitment to customer satisfaction while ISPs can use the Standard to benchmark and set goals for internal improvement. In addition, CIMS is a powerful tool that distributors, manufacturers, and others can use to better understand what it takes to manage a cleaning organization and appreciate the challenges faced by the FSP community.
To become certified, an organization must undergo a comprehensive assessment by an independent, accredited assessor that includes documentation review, management and employee interviews, and customer-site visits.
For more information, contact ISSA Director of CIMS Dan Wagner at
, Tel: (800) 225-4772 (North America) or (847) 982-0800.
