FM newsroom – smart cleaning, warehouse management. Smart cleaning is rapidly shifting from a support function to a critical element of distribution strategy. Driven by scale, speed and client expectations, it is becoming as data-centred and accountable as any other operational discipline.
Distribution centres are now vast, high-intensity environments, and cleaning plays a direct role in safety, compliance and continuity. Larger sites, faster movement of goods and the need for documented performance have reshaped expectations. This shift is pushing the industry towards robotics, integrated intelligence, and measurable standards, as Andy Cawdron, Operations Director at OCS, points out in an interview with Interclean.
Evolving Methods for Expanding Operations
Modern sites run continuously, with overlapping shifts and a constant flow of equipment and people. Stopping work to clean is rarely practical. With facilities often spanning hundreds of thousands of square metres, manual routines cannot keep pace. Dust on floors or high racking can disrupt sensors or trigger fire systems, while spillages immediately threaten safety and productivity. In high-hygiene sectors, even a slight lapse can halt operations until conditions are verified.
Traditional visual checks are no longer enough. Clients expect consistency, traceability and evidence, driving a decisive shift towards structured, tech-enabled cleaning.
Automation as a Partnership Between Technology and People
Automation was introduced to address complex workflows and rising expectations for recorded cleaning outcomes. Robotic floor scrubbers, for example, operate for long periods, follow programmed routes and deliver predictable results along with proof of performance. The latest generation of machines includes advanced solutions such as B+N’s cleaning robot, Robin, which integrates mapping, autonomous navigation and real-time reporting to enhance reliability in large-scale environments.
However, automation only succeeds when supported by site design and operational alignment. Cawdron notes that automation does not replace people; it redefines their roles. The approach is “cobotics, not robotics”—a collaboration between human oversight and machine precision.
Transparent, Measurable Cleaning
Once robotics became standard, their data outputs transformed how cleaning performance was assessed. Routes could be mapped, timings validated and gaps identified—a shift that altered client expectations.
At sites where cleaning activity is displayed on a live digital floor plan – areas move from red to green as tasks are completed – allow supervisors to monitor progress in real time. If something is delayed or missed, it is spotted early, not during an audit or after an incident. In that sense, cleaning has evolved into a form of operational intelligence rather than routine maintenance.
As traceability increased, sustainability accountability followed. Clients now want visibility of water use, chemical consumption and energy expenditure. Battery-powered equipment has replaced legacy models, and chemical-free scrubber dryers are used wherever feasible.
None of this is optional: environmental performance is contractual and scored alongside cost and compliance.
Integrating People, Data and Automation
Looking ahead, the industry expert emphasises connection rather than simply adding more machines. The next evolution lies in integrating cleaning, facilities and operations into unified platforms where activities are tracked in real time and decisions are driven by risk rather than routine.
Cleaning is expected to become fully embedded within warehouse ecosystems, supported by data and automation but still dependent on human capability. People will remain essential, even as their responsibilities shift.