ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Italian correspondent Anna Garbagna brings news of a new software for cleaning companies.

Less than a year after its launch in Rome last October followed by its presentation at the Pulire exhibition in May, SOS CAM – the software which allows cleaning companies to introduce CAM (Criteri Ambientali Minimi) - Environmental Minimum Criteria - in calls for tender in the cleaning sector – was endorsed by Afidamp FAB, the association of Italian producers of machines, products and equipment for professional cleaning and environmental hygiene.

The endorsement from Afidamp FAB represents a recognition of the strategic value of this tool which is essential for cleaning companies that take part in calls for tender for  hospital services. Therefore it is not only about a prestigious added value for SOS CAM, but it also represents a validation of the association’s commitment in supporting the development.

The software originated from an idea of its owners Punto 3, a company which specialises in the fields of  green public procurement and sustainability analysis. Punto 3 developed the project and is managing it.

The SOS CAM application is a calculation model which predicts and quantifies in a simple, scientific and objective way, the environmental impact associated with a cleaning service in hospital environments. The software allows simulation of each phase of the cleaning service by associating the type and frequency of operations with the dimensions of the areas.

It is possible to associate a specific cleaning system with each operation by using the PAM library (an acronym meaning cleaning products, equipment and machinery) to select the best items from an environmental and quality perspective. The software allows rapid selection of a solution with specific quantities based on the input parameters and allows the planner to download technical files, safety files and other useful documentation related to the products, equipment and machines which were suggested.

So for cleaning companies it is possible to use SOS CAM to create a number of winning technical proposals for green calls for tender in a very short time. And the sector’s manufacturers can easily include them in the PAM’s library so they can be accessed easily by cleaning companies who can see the environmental impact of the service being offered. Thanks to the agreement between Afidamp FAB and Punto 3, Afidamp FAB’s members will be able to have easier access  to SOS CAM’s services.

The secretary general of Afidamp Stefania Verrienti declared: “We have always believed green innovation represents a driving force for the innovation of the entire cleaning sector; for this reason we have taken part in round tables organised by the Ministry of the Environment in order to define the Environmental Minimum Criteria. Now however, companies must not stop at CAM - they must also make sure green innovation goes hand in hand with technological innovation.”

Cesare Buffone, director of Punto 3, said the “synergy with Afidamp FAB can surely represent an element of further growth of an instrument which is essential nowadays for calls for tender in accordance with CAM which is now compulsory in Italy thanks to the new procurement code”.