A guarantee of cleaning quality

22nd of May 2019
A guarantee of cleaning quality

ECJ’s Dutch correspondent John Griep looks at the country’s quality monitoring system VSR-KMS.

There are few companies that do their own cleaning. This is generally outsourced to professionals; to a cleaning company. The cleaning company follows a cleaning schedule agreed with the client. This schedule states what must be cleaned and how often. In some cases, there is simply a description of the intended result. How can the client know whether the cleaning is actually being carried out in accordance with these contractual agreements?

In the Netherlands and Belgium, there is a system on the market which objectively measures the quality of cleaning. The VSR Quality Measurement System (VSR-KMS) was developed by
the Association of Cleaning Research (VSR).

VSR-KMS is a measurement system and is described in a national standard by the Standards institute; the NEN 2075. VSR-KMS is a transparent, replicable, independent and scientifically-based system. The quality measurement system establishes the quality of cleaning according to objective technical cleaning criteria. VSR-KMS is the leading system for the measurement of cleaning quality and is used extensively in the market by clients, cleaning companies and cleaning advisors/intermediaries.

It is also the only cleaning measurement system to provide guarantees for the client. VSR-KMS is a fully certified system, and secured in training right through to management.

Only certified controllers and inspectors may carry out a quality measurement using VSR-KMS. To qualify for certification, they are required to have completed and passed the VSR-KMS Quality Control training and/or VSR-KMS Quality Inspection training. In addition, they must have at least two years of work experience.

The knowledge of these controllers and inspectors is formally assessed every five years. This means they must pass a so-called “General Periodical Inspection (APK)” along with a theoretical test.
There is also an annual meeting when all (800!) certified controllers and inspectors come together to discuss their thoughts in practice, namely to initiate improvements to the VSR Quality Measurement System based on practical experience.

The annual meeting of controllers and inspectors took place in March. A significant percentage of the profession attended. The main topic was “do’s and don’t’s“ in reports: what to include in measured cleaning quality and what not to?

The aim is to continue making controllers and inspectors more professional, and also their reports. So not a standard report but an objective, complete and transparent report on the measurement of cleaning quality. This will improve reliability and lead to fewer doubts about interpretation by the clients and the cleaning company.

A clear report is a great bonus in mutual understanding, the relationship and a common perception of “clean” between clients, cleaning companies and quality inspectors. And therefore also in the quality of cleaning.

A well-trained and certified VSR-KMS-Inspector therefore plays a key role throughout the professional cleaning process.

 

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