If you read our last article, then maybe you’re ready to work with an outside party to develop a quality assurance program for your in-house cleaning organization. If so, there are a few important things for you to consider before you make that decision.

First consideration: the introduction of the program into your organization must be handled with care! Many organizations are distrusting of programs that come from “the outside.” If you sense that your team might be resistant to the new program, then you must focus on education. An investment in education now means countless hours of misunderstanding and frustration are avoided in the future. Take time to educate your team about not only HOW to use the system but WHY the system makes sense in the first place. Educate them about the need for the system; you only get this one chance to introduce it, so make it count!

What could happen if you don’t? Well, here’s one example we see all the time when we consult with organizations who’ve failed to implement a quality assurance program. Example: the cleaning staff misinterprets the reasons for the new quality assurance program. They believe it is being introduced as a punitive or disciplinary measure, and they balk at it. With a little education about why the program exists and what it seeks to accomplish, the program would be better received.

Another challenge that we see all the time: helping a staff meet the technical requirements needed to use the program. In short, your program is useless if your staff doesn’t know how to use it. You need to adjust your system to your staff’s technical level. If they’re comfortable with handheld devices and tablets, then use those, but if other types of technology are more appropriate, choose accordingly.

These are just a few of the pitfalls on the path towards choosing the right quality assurance program. Next week, we’ll wrap up our series with advice on how you can choose the best quality assurance program by working with professionals to meet the specific needs of your organization.