SINGAPORE - It is not always true that many hands mean less work.
For environmental services firm Chye Thiam Maintenance, in fact, deploying its 1,800-strong workforce during the pandemic provided some valuable lessons on how to work smart by making use of technology and training workers.
Restrictions on the number of cleaners allowed to work at specific premises during the circuit breaker and beyond meant that technology like cleaning robots became extremely useful, said the company's senior vice-president of corporate development and strategy Yap Shih Chia.
The autonomous robots freed up cleaners who could focus on disinfecting high touch point areas such as escalator handles and lift buttons, he said.
The company conducts cleaning services in a range of premises - from shopping malls such as Jewel at Changi Airport to attractions like the Resorts World Sentosa.
It also made use of smart washroom systems in toilets to keep watch on cleanliness through a range Internet of Things sensors such as air quality, wetness, and the amount of handwashing soap and toilet paper.
"If the sensors detect that the toilet paper is running low, the cleaners will be alerted to replenish them," said Mr Yap.
"This reduces the amount of time that they spend doing routine cleaning during each shift."
This means that the staff can then focus on other tasks, such as thoroughly cleaning the toilet cubicles and wash basins, he pointed out.
The authorities are increasingly encouraging the sector to focus on performance rather than number of workers deployed. The National Environment Agency began promoting such outcome-based contracts in 2017.
Mr Yap stressed that there was no compromise on quality.
"In the past, customers expected lower prices since leveraging technology meant that there was a less reliance on manpower. But since the pandemic, our customers are beginning to appreciate how both work in tandem to improve our entire service offering," he said.
Bringing in new technology and training workers to operate them is a cost, he noted.
"But overall, it has helped us to do more with less.
"We've been able to re-deploy workers to other tasks, and take on more cleaning contracts as a result."
