Facility management is increasingly a technology-centric career, from AI-powered software solutions to sophisticated security cameras that incorporate analytics. Keeping facilities clean is no different. These new technologies showcased at the 2025 ISSA Show North America could be differentiators for your facility, helping your team keep buildings clean with less physical strain and more time saved.
1. Operator-Friendly Machines
TASKI, part of Diversey, launched its ULTIMAXX 360, an auto scrubber with a 360-degree pivoting design. It can clean small spaces previously limited to traditional mopping and incorporates ergonomic features that operators will appreciate, including a low center of gravity that shifts weight to the brush deck, easy pivoting so operators can clean under small spaces with less effort, and controls located near the handle to make the unit easy to turn on and off or change water.
“Get us involved. Bring us in,” urged Shaun Tinholt, TASKI’s North American sales director. “Let us know the challenges you’re facing so we can come up with the right solution.”
2. Robotic Assistants
Pudu Robotics has expanded its cleaning and delivery robot offerings. The CC1 and MT1 cleaning robots are now families with new capabilities; for example, the AI-powered MT1 Max can cover up to 100,000 square meters and picks up trash, from paper scraps up to large bottles, in addition to sweeping.
“Always make sure you have an ear to the ground about what really needs to get done. Don’t just look at one metric or problem you want to solve,” advised Meg Timmons, head of pan-America marketing. “Also, be open-minded as well. Robots aren’t replacing people—they handle the floor cleaning, and your janitorial staff can fine-touch everything else in your building that needs done.”
3. Customizable Software
Janitorial Manager, a software suite originally developed for building service contractors, is increasingly popular with in-house providers in buildings like hospitals, universities, and arenas, said Archie Heinl, Janitorial Manager’s CEO. The software keeps track of people, time, and inventory and incorporates QR codes into spaces that need to be cleaned. When your cleaning staff scans the QR codes, they’ll find checklists of tasks they need to complete; managers use the same QR codes to inspect completed work and assess performance.
The software’s highly customizable nature ensures the tool fits your facility’s requirements. It can also incorporate ISSA-approved cleaning standards or other standards developed by your organization. Variance reports help managers get granular with information and see why a task took longer than expected.
4. Air Quality Monitoring and Improvement
Maintaining good indoor air quality is part of keeping facilities clean—and some cleaning products can negatively affect air quality. Fellowes Brands exhibited its IAQ solutions, from plug-in air purifiers up to the Array networked air purification system.
“There’s a lot in the air that affects our health and wellness,” explained Jason Jones, director of air quality management for Fellowes Brands. Germs from people breathing, coughing, or sneezing are in the air and eventually settle on surfaces, and when we clean those surfaces, cleaning chemicals can cause additional air quality issues. Other factors can also affect air quality, including HVAC system operation, how tight your building is built, and more.
“The easiest thing to do is to just start with some data,” Jones said. “Take a holistic view of what’s happening in the space. Data helps you set baselines and helps you understand what the contributing factors may be in air quality—maybe it’s a moisture issue and you have poor ventilation. Just starting with that base knowledge helps you understand the path to take to solve problems.”
