Interview with Lorenz Steiner, Head of Hotels, about his experience with Soobr.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and the Nidwalden Retirement and Nursing Home Foundation?
The Nidwalden Retirement and Nursing Home Foundation, or "Nägeligasse" for short, is located in the centre of Stans. Nägeligasse functions - embedded in a changing environment - as an interesting cogwheel with support services in various areas, diverse processes, and, above all, individual people. There are 123 care places available for care and support. Around 200 employees put their hearts and skills into caring for residents and their environment daily. About me: I have been Head of Hospitality at Nägeligasse since December 2022. I am responsible for a diverse area consisting of housekeeping, kitchen, catering, and technical services for around 50 employees.
Why are you working on digitalising cleaning processes at the Nidwalden Retirement and Nursing Home Foundation?
We see digitalisation as a useful tool to support our processes and those working on them. When introducing digitised processes, we attach great importance to simple and understandable user operations. The benefits should accrue both to the user and ultimately to the residents.
What are the special requirements in the healthcare industry? Which workflows and processes did you want to optimise?
When analysing the previous processes and procedures, we noticed that, on the one hand, there was a high and regular workload for resource planning, and, on the other hand, points of friction arose when unforeseeable events such as staff absences or exit cleaning occurred. The resulting need for coordination was very resource-intensive. The cleaning schedule had to be adjusted on short notice, and staff had to be rescheduled and informed.
Another critical point for us is quality assurance. The existing record lists, which show when a room was last deep-cleaned, were very static, kept sporadically, and stored decentrally. We saw a need for optimisation in this area. Long-term care institutions are confronted with increasingly dynamic conditions. The length of stay is getting shorter and shorter. We want to respond agilely to this development and the associated challenges and need appropriate structures, tools, and processes.
Why did you choose soobr?
With Soobr, we are equipped to meet current and future challenges in cleaning services. Adjustments to cleaning tasks and additions to new activities and areas can be made quickly and easily via the web portal and integrated for employees in their familiar environment.
An important criterion was the simple and easy-to-understand application for employees. The app can be displayed in over 25 languages. In addition, the company's cleaning routes and designations can be mapped as part of the implementation. This means employees are working in a new system with familiar structures.
Soobr provides clarity on when, what, and how often cleaning should occur and transparently shows which activities have been carried out.
An interesting additional function is the ability to generate defect reports easily. As housekeeping staff are out and about in all buildings every day, their eyes are virtually everywhere. With a few simple clicks, employees can create a defect report. Technical service employees receive a message and/or a photo, including room details, and can integrate this into their workflow.
Soobr thinks ahead, prioritises, and reschedules if necessary. This relieves the burden on the people responsible and allows them to focus on more productive activities.
How did the cleaning staff react to the changes?
One of the main challenges was having soobr redefine the cleaning routes and processes, some of which had been internalised for years. In other words, it means getting involved in digital management.
As expected, implementation was easier with digitally savvy employees. More digital-savvy employees slipped into the role of instructors and could support the technically shy team members.
Soobr is a great added value when training new employees, leading to faster independence in the new working environment.
How do you assess the potential of digitalisation in the healthcare industry?
I am convinced about digitalisation and automation and look to the future with confidence and curiosity. The enormous potential increases efficiency and end users can focus competently on the essential work areas.
Lorenz Steiner
Head of Hotels
Member of the Executive Board
Stiftung Alters- und Pflegeheim Nidwalden
www.naegeligasse.ch
.png)