Cleaning Industry Trends

As the stakeholders of every business get ready to enter a new working year, it is customary that an assessment of what lie ahead for them is done: the opportunities & challenges that are defined by national and international socio, economic, political, or geographic/climatic developments & situations. The forecasts, normally undertaken by established research organisations do help companies and individuals to certain extent to go for strategic planning. And these include market positioning, resource allocation, risk management, tracking the changes in the work pattern, operational efficiency and innovations.

In simpler terms, the Cleaning Industry works around facility/property management, soft services/ housekeeping schedules, cleaning equipment/ chemicals and more importantly waste management. It is uniformly predicted that focused approach to sustainability and net zero goals will dominate the list. The Facility Managers are sure that they would have to embrace more and more technology and play the role of facilitators in driving home the significance of sustainability.

When it comes to facts and figures, it is predicted that creation of more space in healthcare, hospitality, commercial/office and retail will boost the market for cleaning and hygiene processes. However, the hybrid and distant working options in the offices do not offer a fixed cleaning schedule to the FM operators. As one of the FM professionals stated, “a scattered and disconnected work force” could continue posing challenges in 2024 as well.

In effect, the coming years will see the Cleaning Industry depending heavily on advancement in technology like data creation, AI, Digitalisation, etc., smart building technology that will aid in indoor air quality, energy conservation, & productive environment, adoption of innovations and going in for collaborations with the stakeholders.

Training and upskilling of work force is expected to take centre stage to keep with the changing work processes dominated by newer technology, changing customer expectations and unpredictable local and global happenings. But, in all, 2024 paints a picture of positive growth for those who can move with technology and customer centric approach.

Clean India Journal delves deep in two parts on the Trends 2024. The Part I, in the following pages, brings forth the viewpoints of the services segment.