ESS Collaborates with Business Image to Create Innovative ‘Concept’ Cleaning Trolley
ESS, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has worked with product design specialist Business Image to create the innovative ‘Concept’ cleaning trolley, developed from scratch specifically to meet the needs of the business and enhance safety, usability and efficiency for frontline colleagues.
ESS’ FM teams identified that there were no cleaning trolleys available in the market to suit the precise requirements of their roles – they need something durable, that can hold all equipment and supplies and is small enough to manoeuvre between buildings on dispersed estates, but large enough to store everything needed during a shift.
The company partnered with Business Image, an experienced designer of role-specific FM equipment, and used insights from its cleaning teams to create the ‘Concept’ cleaning trolley.
The lightweight design incorporates carefully considered ergonomic features including stair walking wheels, spacious storage compartments that can be configured based on individual requirements, a detachable caddy that can be taken to different locations and pockets for carrying extra items. It is made from water resistant materials with waterproof linings, has a reflective piping to increase visibility and uses replaceable wheels to increase durability and lifespan.
Following the initial design phase, a prototype was put through its paces on a three-month trial on the ESS estate with users suggesting key updates. A further six-month evaluation phase led to additional modifications before the product was ready to be launched.
The ‘Concept’ trolley enables ESS’ cleaning teams to get where they need to go safely, easily and efficiently, with the equipment and supplies that they need. ESS has taken delivery of over 650 trolleys, and alongside the operational benefits the investment is proving a great boost for team motivation and morale.
ESS cleans over 1.1 billion square metres for clients annually across sectors including Defence, Energy, Government and Infrastructure. The company’s a+ cleaning programme has been developed to deliver high quality, efficient cleaning across a wide range of core cleaning tasks designed for domestic, accommodation, clinical, office, industrial, manufacturing and laboratory settings.
Sally Gooding, Facilities Manager – ESS Defence, commented: “Our teams are very happy with the new trolleys, stating they are much easier to transport around camp, especially on stairs. Everything they need fits into the trolley, it’s easy to use and it looks smart. They are pleased to have a new piece of equipment designed especially for them, with their input throughout the process.”
Brian Talbot, Managing Director for Support Services – Compass One, added: “The new Concept cleaning trolley is a brilliant example of working collaboratively with our frontline teams and product design specialists to develop a bespoke product which meets the specific needs of our business. It enhances health and safety and ease of use for our colleagues, while enabling us to be more efficient in our service delivery for clients. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the design process.”
