Case Study: Automotive Plant
Date: December 10th, 2021
The History
This customer was an automotive plant that was looking to improve their sustainability, reduce their product inventory, and achieve great savings compared to their current VMI program. The Dustbane team worked alongside the plant to identify which products were unnecessary and where there was potential to streamline their cleaning program with products that are effective at handling multiple tasks.
Limitations
The custodial team was reluctant to change their routine and use new chemicals. Their workplace is supposed to be scent-free but using products with scents made the custodial staff feel like the product was working and weren’t sure if “green” cleaning products would be effective. They had narrow hallways that couldn’t fit their industrial scrubber, so they had to resort to sweeping and mopping. With the amount of time this took, they realized they needed a few better solutions.
What We Need To Do
Using the Site Survey, the Dustbane team reviewed the different areas throughout the plant, as well as their cleaning applications, the time it was taking the plant to complete their cleaning tasks, and their budget. We uncovered an assortment of products from different vendors that did the same thing or that weren’t appropriate for what they needed to get done; resulting in higher costs and ineffective solutions. An environment with high levels of grease and dirt, a lot of employees, and a lot of surfaces to clean means it’s important for the Dustbane team to provide a solution with appropriate, multi-use products with thorough training. Implementing the RiteFlex systems offered levels of organization and value that the plant hadn’t seen.
The Success
The plant has seen an overall annual savings of up to $4,648 in chemicals, but with an added bonus of $38,692 in labour savings, they really feel like the Site Survey was worth it. They were also able to reduce the amount of products from 12 to 4, which allowed them to create a more spacious environment while reducing their plastic, packaging and waste consumption. The investment in the Gladiator 464 and the Micro-5 had a quick pay off, leaving the plant cleaner and the custodial team focused on the right tasks. The scent-free products and their effectiveness were met with praise, so the employees felt like their concerns were heard.
The Results
- Consistent cleaning program has increased their productivity
- Cost-savings of up to $43,340
- Less storage space required
- Moved to more sustainable solutions
