Sodexo's Expertise and Sensor Technology Reduce FM Burden

The Client’s Challenge

The client is a multinational consumer goods manufacturer that produces detergents, personal grooming products, hair care products and a range of other goods. The client’s manufacturing site in Lima, Ohio, where facilities are managed by Sodexo, accounts for 10% to 12% of the company’s global sales.

The Lima site comprises about 2 million square feet, with more to come in 2026. The client annually aims for a cost savings of 5%.

Cleaning services for the site have increased in importance, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sodexo's facilities management expertise, gained through experienced staff and the client relationship, is making those services more efficient and effective for the site.  

Our Approach

For this client, we used intelligently placed sensors to monitor areas that need cleaning based on foot traffic, such as restrooms and doors that are used often, and prioritize them for cleaning staff.

For restrooms, the sensors are attached to the corner of the door and they detect how often the door is opened. The sensors send the information to a cloud-based database, which keeps a running tally. If the door to a restroom off the cafeteria is opened 30 times in a two-hour period, for example, the cleaning staff will receive an alert notifying them that the facility needs to be cleaned.

The database also retains information about the number of cleaning assignments that have been completed and how long it takes to clean any particular facility. The cleaning staff can upload photos of the work they’ve done to keep a record of what was done, like refilling a paper towel dispenser at a certain time.

The sensors enable Sodexo managers to move staff to where they’re most needed and spend less time directing employees, increasing the efficiency of cleaning services while maintaining high standards for the client.

Sodexo excels in ongoing service and support. We anticipate and respond to our clients' needs while empowering our frontline teams to be true partners for them.

Benefits and Results Delivered

The client’s goal is an annual cost savings of 5%, which Sodexo was able to achieve without affecting quality of service. The sensors, combined with cloud technology and data analysis, reduce wasteful labor and focus valuable resources where they’re needed.

Since first partnering with Sodexo, the client has not only renewed its contracts but has also added services over the years, recognizing Sodexo’s reliability and ability to adopt innovative new methods.

We recognize that a facilities management partner needs to be prepared to handle challenges while maintaining quality service, ensuring employees' safety and preparing clients for their industry's future. Sodexo is raising the bar because good enough is no longer enough.

Learn more about Sodexo’s IFM and Energy Management expertise.