The dynamics of today's working world challenge human resources management with topics such as a shortage of skilled workers and demographic development. And once again it becomes clear that the most important capital of a company is its employees. What roles do the wage-productivity bands play in this?
Dripping faucets, hair dryers that don't work, air conditioning or heating that goes on strike: these are things you don't want to encounter as a hotel guest. Well-planned maintenance is therefore one of the prerequisites for a good customer rating in hotels.
Damaged cable connections on a hairdryer or fume hoods in a restaurant kitchen that are heavily soiled with grease can quickly develop into a danger for guests or employees that should not be underestimated. In the worst case, just a small spark can cause a house fire. But even minor inconveniences or difficulties can quickly have a negative effect. For hotels, because of their dependence on customers, it therefore proves important every day to present their own services and premises in the best possible light. "Facilities as well as the technical, mechanical and sanitary equipment should always be in optimal and safe condition in this day and age in order to satisfy guests and not endanger anyone during their stay," knows Carsten Müller. He is the managing director of Echt! Smart Work GmbH in Bürstadt, Germany, and an expert in smart testing and maintenance processes. His company sees itself as a service partner for smart monitoring and documentation of testing and maintenance work. "Many companies schedule important maintenance and servicing work throughout the year. This is the only way they can meet the desired standards and thus ensure the profitability of the company," he explains further.
Often rather forgotten by guests, there are also some danger spots in the lodging industry, which general managers urgently have to take care of in their daily routine. In addition, depending on the country, there are duties and responsibilities prescribed by the state for hoteliers. Large accommodation chains therefore often provide their own in-house maintenance service, which travels from hotel to hotel across the country or even across Europe, checking all technical systems for proper functioning and safety in specific cycles. Only very few hotels have their own departments in the building that only deal with technical or mechanical problems. For technical systems such as fire detectors, alarm systems, heating systems or lifts, some also rely on appropriate external companies that specialize in the maintenance of these machines. Many conclude maintenance contracts here. "However, smaller hotels or family-run businesses in particular cannot rely on such a service for the majority of tasks and have to take on many general check-ups themselves so that maintenance does not break the budget," explains Müller.
With the constant digitization of their preventive maintenance strategy, franchise operators have the opportunity to track exactly which tasks responsible technicians are already completing and where problems may arise in the future, anytime and anywhere. Among other things, this helps with budget planning for the individual sites. Small operations benefit most from the software solution's transparent traceability and simplicity of such protocols. "In many everyday cases, the use of digital software can be worthwhile as a helpful support," clarifies the expert. "Especially when maintenance technicians or employees use them in combination with special QR codes. Attached to the items to be maintained, such as hair dryers, water taps, fire extinguishers or fume hoods, this makes the work more effective. By scanning it in the software, responsible persons on their cell phone or tablet immediately get to the appropriate protocol and can save it digitally directly after filling it out." This saves hotels and operators a lot of time and paper, while reducing the number of folders on the shelf.
Thanks to the software's support, hotel staff can also check the condition of technical or sanitary equipment during the course of other tasks, such as room cleaning, without much effort. Müller explains: "In the event of a sudden problem, there is also the option of immediately reporting it digitally to superiors with an appropriate priority so that they can get to work on fixing it as quickly as possible. Thanks to clearly defined deadlines and uncomplicated inspection sheets, room maintenance hardly takes any additional time. Only larger technical devices and systems such as lifts or heating systems require external companies as inspectors, but these external workers can also use the software in their work." Poor maintenance otherwise leads to inadequate standards, which do not convince many customers and thus also reduce the hotel's profit. "Moreover, if televisions don't work properly, the shower only dispenses cold water or the heating goes on strike in the middle of winter, many guests also leave bad reviews, which have a negative impact on the establishment's status of further bookings," says Müller. Regular maintenance work therefore proves to be a decisive factor for the hospitality of a hotel.
Smart monitoring of maintenance work
The company Echt! Smart Work GmbH sees itself as a service partner for the smart monitoring and documentation of inspection and maintenance work. By providing each object to be inspected with a scannable QR code, tasks can be called up directly via cell phone or tablet, among other things. In this context, the company's software allows the scheduling of maintenance appointments, the completion of inspection sheets on the mobile device or even direct photo documentation. With a central, online managed filing system, the software coordinates all individual inspection tasks.
In almost all branches of industry and commerce, products or raw materials are used that are classified as hazardous materials. The emptied containers are to be disposed of after use. The transport of the empty, uncleaned containers to a disposal company or back to the supplier falls under the dangerous goods regulations.
The great importance of energy storage for a renewable and economical energy supply is undisputed. But which storage technologies should be used for which applications? And what role can hydrogen play in the energy transition?
The industry constantly offers us new products and services with the promise "You save time." But the more intensively we use them, the more we seem to be under time pressure. And communication? It is reduced to two-way information.
Before targeting a specific company, attackers simply wait to see in which organization their phishing email will succeed. Outside experts, known as ethical hackers or white hats, can perform penetration tests to put the vulnerability of a company's IT to the test. But many organizations, whether private or public, balk at the effort and expense.
In 1997, Reusspark was the first nursing home in Switzerland to receive ISO 9001 certification. Now the company is switching to a modern software-based QM system. For this, the responsible persons chose ConSense QMS Enterprise and are very satisfied with the time savings in the daily work.
Prof. Dr. Tanja Zimmermann has been Director of Empa since June 2022. She has taken over from Prof. Dr. Gian-Luca Bona, who retired after 13 years. Tanja Zimmermann is the first woman to hold this top position in Empa's 142-year history.
Cooking, deep-frying and gratinating, these three activities consume a lot of electricity in the professional kitchen. New minimum requirements that come into force in 2024 contribute to energy efficiency. Those who switch to modern appliances also reduce their operating costs.
In midsummer, the subject of energy shortages may well be little present in people's minds. But the next winter is coming and we have to be prepared for many situations. In addition, the fight against climate change is becoming increasingly urgent.
Dr. med. dent. Thomas Müller runs his own practice in Schaffhausen together with Dr. Benjamin Weidmann. It has recently been allowed to carry the label "Qualified by EFQM". This qualification provides an overall analysis of the activities and results of the management system.
