Personal robot vacuum cleaners have become popular among homeowners. These small autonomous mobile robots (AMR) clean floors while their owners are free to relax or be more productive. Now, three Japanese companies have recently announced the release of a new commercial cleaning robot. CEOs, government officials, and business owners are wondering if this industrial innovation will allow them to lower cleaning costs while still maintaining safe and attractive offices, warehouses, and other work areas. Will they be able to slice janitorial services costs out of their budgets?
Not so fast, says cleaning expert Tommy Silva. He urges CEOs and other business leaders to do research and cost-benefit analysis first. Automation has been making its way into all aspects of business and personal life throughout the past 50 years. Most changes have been good. Some have not worked out. Others have worked fine, but only after a few false starts.
For example, the first personal home vacuum robot was introduced in the fall of 2002, and three years later, the developer was selling a million units a year. This first robot vacuum initially zigzagged randomly through rooms, inefficiently trying to clean the carpets.
However, Silva asks, how good have these popular cleaning robots gotten in the past two decades?
Tommy Silva knows what he's talking about. He has been in the commercial cleaning business since age 13, when his father used to train him at clients' facilities. Later, his father sent the younger Silva to a variety of business training sessions, starting with legendary sales trainer Tom Hopkins, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, and public speaking guru Dale Carnegie.
Not long ago, Tommy became president of the family-run Silva Business Specialists service in Houston, Texas, after successfully running a similar business in Florida for more than a decade. Silva knows cleaning products and machinery.
"We have cleaned probably 10 million square feet in the greater Houston area. We clean high-rise buildings and hospitals; we clean libraries and museums, as well as sporting events, stadiums, and even doctors' offices, small and large."
Tommy Silva warns that while autonomous robot cleaning machines have many benefits, it's well worth the time for CEOs and other business professionals to do their research before making what could be a costly decision.
The personal robot vacuums have been around long enough for studies to show where they succeed and where they fall short. By now, most people have worked with computerized equipment in the office and at home, and they've done it long enough to understand how complex computerized machines can break down and cost a lot to repair. Warranties for personal robot vacuums often last only one or two years. At this point, no one knows how long industry-targeted AMR warranties will last, which could possibly run out while the business is still depreciating its cost.
Current robot vacuums can clean hard floors in addition to carpets, but most still have some bugs in their technology. Sometimes, they can leave puddles on concrete or painted floors, creating possible safety hazards if they're used without human oversight. Commercial AMR systems will undoubtedly have similar track records. That's where contracting with a janitorial service can be much cheaper when all costs are accounted for.
"We have about 300 employees that work for us, many of them for ten years or more," Tommy says. "We use all state-of-the-art equipment, battery-operated devices, AI technology, and all brand-new vehicles. We also hold an array of certifications, including being a small business minority, HUD certified, FEMA certified, and City of Houston certified."
For more than 35 years, Silva Building Specialists has provided the greater Houston area with high-quality commercial cleaning services. This family-owned company offers services from regular cleaning to emergency cleaning work, as well as sanitizing and disinfecting services. Company president Tommy Silva and CEO Patsy Silva, his mother, stand behind their family management team and like-family employees to provide the best commercial cleaning services available.
