Housekeeping Innovation Halves The Time Needed to Get Rooms Ready
When manpower is lean, it pays to harness technology and innovation to increase productivity. At Resorts World Sentosa’s popular luxury hotel accommodation - Hotel Michael, the housekeeping team’s top priority is to get rooms clean and tidy for guests at check-in especially during peak periods. “The first impression for guests is very important especially in hospitality,” said Ms Tina Sim, Assistant Vice President, Hotels, Resorts World Sentosa. “So we decided to put our heads together and explore how we could improve the process and serve guests better at our hotels.”
The job redesign process saw the Hotel Michael team re-evaluate their manpower capabilities and how they could integrate technology into the work process to improve efficiency and accuracy.
A time motion study was conducted to determine the most efficient sequence of tasks required to turnaround a room. After reviewing the results, the hotel implemented a two-man system for optimum task execution efficiency. This system also makes it easy to attend to ad-hoc guest requests as one attendant can continue to clean the room, while the other can respond to other urgent tasks.
A new motorised trolley was introduced, making it more expeditious for the housekeeping team, particularly senior members, to manoeuvre loads along the hallways. The trolley is designed with custom compartments that allow common amenity items to be neatly arranged for quick retrieval. A standard amenity package was also implemented so that the team never misses out on items, which eliminated repeated trips to the pantry.
Since these changes were put in place, Hotel Michael has recorded a 50 percent reduction in turnaround time when getting rooms ready for check-in. As a result, the check-in process is smoother and quicker, leading to improved guest satisfaction and allowing guests more time to rest before enjoying the many offerings at the award-winning lifestyle integrated resort. The exercise also has the added benefit of fostering camaraderie among the housekeeping team as they now work better in teams.
